POSC110 Final

Which of the following best summarizes Harold Lasswell's classic definition of politics?

Who gets what, when, and how

What is a hypothesis in political science?

A tentative statement about reality that can be tested

Which of the following best describes a goal of normative political science?

Determining what is right or just in politics

What distinguishes empirical political science from normative political science?

It seeks to describe and predict using evidence

In political science, which three elements are said to define any political event?

Rules, reality, and choices

Why is RStudio used as the primary interface for coding in R, even though R includes its own built-in graphical interface?

Because RStudio offers a more organized and user-friendly environment for writing, saving, and running scripts

What is the primary purpose of saving your work in an R script file rather than relying on commands entered during a single session?

To allow your analysis to be saved, revised, and rerun in the future

Which of the following best explains why running code line-by-line from a script file matters in RStudio?

It allows the user to track and troubleshoot the logical flow of the code

Why is it recommended to save R script files with descriptive names and appropriate extensions? Because clear naming conventions improve organization, collaboration, and reproducibility

How do the Environment and History panes in RStudio support effective coding practices for beginners?

They allow users to track objects in memory and recover previously run commands

You are analyzing income data and want to report a single value that represents a typical income level. Which measure of central tendency identifies the middle value of a numeric variable?

Median

Which of the following measures of dispersion can be calculated using the sd() function in R?

Standard deviation

Which function does Sumner use to create a cross-tabulation of two categorical variables in base R?

table()

According to Sumner, what does a correlation of −1 indicate?

If one variable goes up by one, the other goes down by one

According to Sumner, which two functions should you use to find the lowest and highest values of a numeric variable in base R?

min() and max()

Which of the following best describes the goal of data science?

To collect and analyze data for meaningful insights

What is the first step in the data science cycle?

Problem definition

Which of the following is an example of data collected as a by-product of activity?

Web search histories

What distinguishes a structured dataset from an unstructured one?

Structured datasets organize data into rows and columns

What is the purpose of data visualization in data science?

To communicate patterns and insights clearly

Which of the following best illustrates Rawls's theory of justice?

Decisions made behind a "veil of ignorance"

According to political psychology, what does "thinking fast" mean?

Responding automatically and intuitively

What is a key difference between strategic and expressive political behavior?

Expressive shows identity; strategic aims to achieve goals

Which of the following best describes expressive political behavior as discussed in the chapter?

Behavior meant to signal identity or values

What lesson does the ultimatum game teach about political behavior?

Context affects how people make decisions

What defines a collective action problem?

A situation in which individuals have incentives to pursue their self-interest in ways that harm the group

What is a coordination problem in group decision-making?

A situation in which group members generally agree on goals but disagree on how to achieve them

What are conformity costs?

The difference between what an individual wants from a policy decision and what they actually receive

Which of the following best describes free riding?

Benefiting from a group effort without contributing to it

Why might a group tolerate higher conformity costs in some decisions?

Because allowing more voices to be heard can increase legitimacy and agreement, even if decisions take longer

What concept explains why a rational person may choose not to become informed or vote?

Rational ignorance

What is pork-barrel spending?

Spending that benefits mainly one district but is funded nationally

Which of the following best characterizes logrolling in politics?

Mutual agreement among legislators to vote for each other's projects

What issue arises when majority preferences cannot be clearly determined due to conflicting pairwise preferences?

Voting cycle

Which theory suggests that politicians will adopt positions that appeal to the voter in the middle of the preference distribution?

Median voter theory

You run plot(mydata$age) in base R, where age is a numeric vector. What does the graph show?

A visual of how values change by their position in the dataset

You are working with a continuous numeric variable and want to examine its distribution across a range of values. Which base R function should you use to create a plot that groups data into bins and shows their frequency?

hist()

Which type of data is best visualized using a bar plot in base R?

The frequency of values in a categorical variable

Which of the following functions would you use to visualize the spread and central tendency of a numeric variable across groups?

boxplot()

Which of the following best describes the use of a scatter plot in base R?

It compares two continuous variables

According to Enlightenment thinker John Locke, which of the following are natural rights?

Life, liberty, and property

Which of the following was a key weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

Congress had no power to impose taxes

What did the Great Compromise establish?

A bicameral legislature with proportional and equal representation

Which argument did Federalists make in favor of ratifying the Constitution?

A stronger central government was needed for stability

What was the result of the promise to add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution?

It secured ratification from several hesitant states

What is the primary purpose of political parties in a democracy?

To recruit and support candidates for public office

Why does the U.S. have a two-party system?

Single-member, winner-take-all districts discourage third parties

What is the role of the national party committee in U.S. politics?

To organize the party's national convention and coordinate campaign strategy

What does the term "party polarization" refer to?

Increasing ideological distance between major parties

Which factor is most commonly cited as contributing to increased party polarization?

Sorting of voters based on ideology

Which of the following best defines an interest group?

A formal group that seeks to influence public policy

What is the free rider problem?

When benefits are enjoyed by non-members who don't contribute

What is the main function of Political Action Committees (PACs)?

To collect and distribute campaign contributions

What distinguishes inside lobbying from outside lobbying?

Inside lobbying targets lawmakers directly; outside lobbying targets the public

Which of the following best describes the revolving door in U.S. politics?

The movement of individuals between government and lobbying roles

What was the original reason for creating a bicameral legislature in the United States?

To resolve a conflict between large and small states

Which of the following is an example of an enumerated power granted to Congress?

Declaring war on another country

Which factor contributes most significantly to the incumbency advantage in congressional elections?

Greater access to fundraising and name recognition

The trustee model of representation allows members of Congress to:

Act according to what they believe is in the best interests of constituents

Which of the following best describes the legislative process in Congress?

Bills must pass both chambers and be signed by the president

Which of the following was a key reason the framers created a single executive?

To promote accountability and decision-making efficiency

Which of the following best describes the Electoral College system?

It grants each state a number of votes equal to its House and Senate seats

What is the Executive Office of the President primarily responsible for?

Advising the president and helping implement policy

The term bully pulpit refers to the president's ability to:

Speak directly to the public to influence opinion

Which of the following is a limitation of executive orders?

They lack permanence and can be overturned by successors

According to Federalist No. 78, the judicial branch is considered:

The least dangerous branch

What is meant by the term dual court system?

Courts operate at both federal and state levels

Which of the following courts is typically the first to hear a case in the federal system?

District courts

Which of the following best describes judicial review?

The ability of courts to overturn unconstitutional laws or actions

Which of the following can best limit the Supreme Court's ability to implement its rulings?

Lack of enforcement by the executive branch

Which Supreme Court case first established the principle of national supremacy over the states?

McCulloch v. Maryland

Which of the following best characterizes the difference between dual federalism and cooperative federalism?

Dual federalism views state and federal authority as separate; cooperative federalism involves shared functions

Which of the following is a disadvantage of federalism?

It can cause economic and social disparities among states

What is meant by the term "race to the bottom" in the context of federalism?

States compete to attract business by reducing taxes and regulations

What is a block grant?

A grant offering flexibility to states with broad spending guidelines

What are civil liberties primarily designed to do?

Protect individuals from government overreach

What is the legal doctrine of selective incorporation?

The gradual application of the Bill of Rights to state governments

Which right is protected by the Fourth Amendment?

Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures

Why did the founders initially oppose adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution?

They thought enumerating rights might limit other unlisted ones

Which of the following court cases is associated with the exclusionary rule?

Mapp v. Ohio

Which of the following laws banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment?

Civil Rights Act of 1964

What strategy did the NAACP most famously use to combat racial segregation?

Legal challenges through the court system

Which of the following best describes the significance of Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

It declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional

What is the primary purpose of affirmative action policies?

To provide equal access and remedy past discrimination

Which constitutional provision is the primary basis for modern civil rights claims?

Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Which of the following best illustrates the media's watchdog role in a democratic system?

Investigating and exposing misuse of public funds by a government agency

What was the primary effect of the Telecommunications Act of 1996?

Increased media consolidation and deregulated ownership rules

Which of the following is an example of agenda setting?

A news outlet reports repeatedly on climate change, prompting legislation

What distinguishes soft news from traditional news?

It is delivered in an entertaining or personality-driven style

Which term describes news coverage that focuses on who is winning an election rather than policy issues?

Horse-race coverage

According to Deckman, which characteristics most clearly distinguish Gen Z's political profile from older generations?

Greater racial, ethnic, and sexual diversity combined with higher rates of religious disaffiliation

How does Deckman characterize Gen Z's views on gender and sexuality in relation to politics and public policy?

Gen Z—especially women and LGBTQ individuals—supports political and policy engagement around gender and sexuality issues

How does Deckman describe Gen Z's use of social media in politics?

As a tool for organizing and expressing political identity

What does Deckman argue about Gen Z's approach to political engagement?

They engage in multiple forms of civic activism

Which of the following best reflects Gen Z's demographic profile compared to previous generations?

Gen Z is more racially and ethnically diverse and less religious

Which of the following most accurately illustrates the process of political socialization?

A young adult adopts political views similar to their parents after years of dinner-table discussion

What is the main goal of a scientific poll?

To produce results that reflect the views of the population

What is a push poll?

A poll designed to change opinions under the guise of gathering data

Which of the following best explains why public opinion can shift rapidly?

Changes in information sources or elite influence

Why do scientific polls attempt to use random and representative samples?

To lower the poll's margin of error