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What did studies from the 1950s reveal about public opinion?
Citizens possessed low levels of political knowledge
According to the text, what is attitude consistency?
political opinions founded on a set of principles about the function of government
What might account for the results of many public opinion surveys?
timing and context of the studies
Which of the following would be considered a shortcut in making voting decisions?
identifying with a party
Which of the following is correlated with increasingly consistent ideological thinking?
increased education
Which of the following would be considered part of the "mass media" in today's society?
television
What differentiates new media from other sources?
it is interactive
Which group of Americans is most likely to access news on a given day?
65 or older
The Penny Press allowed citizens to do which of the following?
access affordable news
Which of the following is true of print media?
it provides more detailed stories about politics and government
According to a 2012 poll, approximately what percentage of Americans reported that they read a newspaper the day before?
29%
When did radio transform mass media?
in 1920
When did Americans first encounter dramatic visual images of military conflict?
the Vietnam War
Which of the following has the highest percentage of Democrats in its audience?
MSNBC
Comparatively, which of the following groups is more likely to go online for news?
younger adults
How did Barack Obama announce his vice-presidential selection during the 2008 campaign?
through a text message
Which of the following applies to the system of media coverage in the United States?
they may cover whatever they choose
According to the text, what is the primary goal of privately owned media sources?
profitability
In which of the following countries would we consider the press to be highly regulated?
China
What must an individual do in order to prove libel?
show that the media outlet heedlessly disregarded the truth
Which government entity is responsible for regulating radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable communications?
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Which of the following would be considered the most critical standard of journalistic professionalism?
credibility
According to the Society of Professional Journalists, the news industry should be concerned with which of the following behaviors?
seeking and reporting the truth
Which of the following played a role in establishing freedom of the press in the United States?
the Virginia Declaration of Rights
What was the first newspaper to be continuously published in the United States?
the Boston Newsletter
The publication of both the Federalist Papers and anti-Federalist essays in newspapers reflected which of the following developments?
the growing influence of political parties
The Society of Professional Journalists formed in response to which of the following?
sensationalism in the media
Calls for journalistic reform in the early 20th century led to which of the following?
journalism schools
The addition of independent editors to the newspaper industry allowed for more stories based on which of the following?
quality
What ushered in the era of watchdog journalism?
coverage of the Watergate scandal
The actions of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led to which of the following?
political controversy
How have political candidates reacted to the growing popularity of infotainment?
by making appearances on infotainment programs
Which of the following could be considered an advantage of infotainment?
it attracts audiences who otherwise wouldn't follow politics
What role does the media play in setting the political agenda?
news outlets choose which stories receive public attention
What happened when newspaper coverage of health care reform declined?
fewer people viewed it as the most important problem facing the country
According to the text, on which issue did the media prime the public in the run-up to the 2004 presidential election?
national security
How might the media "frame" the issue of budget cuts?
by choosing certain words to refer to the budget cuts
If a reporter intended to frame gay marriage in a positive light, how might she do so?
highlight the joyous reaction of gay couples following the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage
Individuals with more political knowledge are considered to be which of the following?
less likely to accept media messages that contradict their ideology
Persuasion works best under which of the following circumstances?
individuals lack knowledge of the subject
According to the text, which of the following affects the persuasiveness of the message?
the credibility of the source
What important role is the media expected to serve during an election season?
educating voters about candidates, parties, and policy
Which of the following media outlets particularly focuses on its role as an educator?
PBS
According to the text, which of the following would be considered a media watchdog?
a member of the White House press corps
The Obama campaign relied heavily on which of the following strategies for advertising?
paying for extensive advertising on both old and new platforms
Which of the following would be considered "free media"?
press coverage
Who was the first presidential candidate to take advantage of the power of new media during a campaign?
Howard Dean
Which of the following is potentially responsible for the "trench-warfare mentality" that characterizes Washington politics?
the lax journalistic standards of new media outlets
Which of the following would be considered an advantage of the rise of new media?
greater access to information
Which of the following would be considered a negative result of the rise of new media?
increased political polarization
Which of the following political systems comes closest to that of a true democracy?
ancient Greece
Which of the following would be considered a form of conventional political participation?
voting
Which of the following was the civil rights movement known for?
unconventional forms of participation like sit-ins and marches
Which of the following forms of unconventional participation was MOST effective in bringing about legislative policy change?
civil rights activism
In which of the following forms of protest would Americans be MOST likely to participate?
signing petitions
In which of the following political activities would Americans be LEAST likely to participate?
working for a party or candidate
People would be more likely to participate in the political process in which of the following cases?
when someone asks them to participate
Roughly what percentage of Americans talked to others about their voting preferences before the 2012 election?
37%
Which of the following groups reported the highest levels of voter registration and turnout in 2012?
the wealthiest and most educated
Younger voters are more likely to take part in which of the following?
protests
Which of the following considerations tend to diminish differences in voter turnout due to race?
socioeconomic factors
In the 2012 presidential election, roughly what percentage of Democrats and Republicans alike voted for their own party's nominee?
more than 90%
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the strength of partisan loyalty?
only major events or issues cause people to reevaluate their partisan loyalties
In 2010, what percentage of voters identified themselves as pure independents?
16 percent
In prospective voting, which of the following would be the MOST likely to be taken into consideration?
campaign promises
What probably hurt Senator John Kerry's election chances the MOST in the 2004 presidential race?
his reputation as a flip-flopper
Why did the McCain campaign select Sarah Palin as the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 2008?
to balance the ticket
According to the text, what personal characteristics of presidents like Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy helped them to connect with American voters?
their speechmaking abilities
Voter support for incumbents is strongly related to which of the following?
financial security
What does the Consumer Confidence Index use to predict presidential election results?
voters' views on the economy
Which of the following BEST describes voter turnout trends since the 1960s?
decreased turnout
According to political scientist Robert Putnam, how did the political environment of the 1950s and 1960s differ from that of the present?
social capital and civic engagement were higher
How did the 26th Amendment affect voter turnout?
it expanded the right to vote to those least likely to use it
Distrust in the government resulted from which of the following?
the Watergate scandal and the turmoil of the 1960s and 70s, as well as the civil rights movement
Which of the following countries had the lowest voter turnout between 1960 and 2000?
the US
In which of the following ways is the United States attempting to make it easier for people to participate in elections?
offering convenience voting
Which of the following aspects of the U.S. electoral system can affect voter turnout?
ballot length
Single-member districts contribute to which of the following?
voters' resistance to "wasting" votes
Which of the following countries has mandatory voting but does not enforce it?
France
What might supporters of mandatory voting argue?
voting is a civic duty
Which of the following might be considered a disadvantage of mandatory voting?
uninformed voters could skew election results
Which of the following is a method used by parties to select presidential nominees?
the caucus system
The Founders designed the electoral process to do which of the following?
ensure that the government has political legitimacy
How often does the Constitution require elections to be held?
every two years
How do most states currently select their presidential nominees?
by direct primaries
How much of the Senate goes up for reelection every two years?
one third
How may a congressional candidate qualify for the state ballot?
by gathering enough petition signatures to run autonomously of a party (or by winning the nomination of a party)
According to the text, what is the main qualification party members consider when nominating congressional candidates?
ideological fidelity
Which of the following BEST describes the average spending difference between incumbents and challengers in House races in 2012?
incumbents spent about three times as much as challengers did
In addition to greater fundraising prowess, what else contributes to the electoral advantage enjoyed by incumbents?
Their work in Congress enables them to build name recognition and a good reputation among their constituents.
Roughly what percentage of incumbents win reelection in any given election cycle?
90%
Under what circumstances are congressional elections most competitive?
when there is an open seat
What is the first step in winning the presidency?
winning the most party delegates to support your nomination
What distinguishes a closed primary from an open primary?
In a closed primary, voters may only vote on the ballot for the party with which they are registered.
Which of the following statements about caucuses is true?
Party members attending caucuses often will hear speeches and engage in discussions and negotiations.
What is the main goal of frontloading in the electoral process?
exerting more influence over the selection of presidential party nominees
Which two states traditionally hold the first caucus and primary of the presidential nomination season?
Iowa and New Hampshire
What is the PRIMARY purpose of the national party conventions held in late summer?
to establish a party platform and draw media attention to the party and its candidates
The Electoral College was established in which of the following?
Article II, section I of the Constitution
What determines the number of electors each state receives?
the number of US senators and representatives
Note 
Flashcard (59)