Six Pollitical Illusions by Jim Payne

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Introduction

Chapter 1

Are You Dis-Illusioned Test

It often happens that children form misleading ideas about government. Sometimes, people carry these early impressions into adulthood, influencing their opinions about what government can do. This questionnaire is designed to assess the extent to which you are under the influence of these illusions.

For each question, select the answer that best reflects your opinion. Answer the questions in order.

  1. All government spending programs take funds from worthy causes and needy people.
    a. Strongly agree
    b. Tend to agree
    c. Tend to disagree
    d. Strongly disagree

  2. The use of physical force is a healthy foundation for social reform.
    a. Strongly agree
    b. Tend to agree
    c. Tend to disagree
    d. Strongly disagree

  3. The modern welfare state relies on government’s use of physical force.
    a. Strongly agree
    b. Tend to agree
    c. Tend to disagree
    d. Strongly disagree
    e. Statement is too ambiguous to be true or false

  4. The waste in government spending programs is typically around:
    a. 0-10 percent of spending
    b. 11-50 percent of spending
    c. 51-100 percent of spending
    d. Over 100 percent of spending
    e. Don’t know

  5. Maybe spending more money on schools wouldn’t solve all their problems, but it’s bound to help at least a little to improve the quality of education.
    a. Strongly agree
    b. Tend to agree
    c. Tend to disagree
    d. Strongly disagree

  6. The officials in charge of any government program may be uninformed, irrational, shortsighted, lazy, irresponsible, or corrupt.
    a. Agree
    b. It depends/undecided
    c. Tend to disagree
    d. Decline to answer

  7. Even when government’s programs in education, environment, health, or welfare fail, we shouldn’t stop trying because government is how we solve our collective problems.
    a. Strongly agree
    b. Tend to agree
    c. Tend to disagree
    d. Strongly disagree

 

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