Poly Sci Review Questions Chapters 6-10

Which of the following is not an agent of political socialization?

Which of the following is not an agent of political socialization?

a U.S. senator

How are most attitudes formed?

in childhood, based on early childhood experiences

________ political content is given by a media source that lets the reader or viewer know upfront there is a political bias or position.

Overt

Where do your beliefs originate?

Guardians/Parents, School, Community.

Which agents of socialization will have the strongest impact on an individual?

Family and/or school are the agents of socialization that have the strongest impact on an individual.

The Bradley effect occurs when people ________.

say they will vote for a candidate but then vote against that candidate

Which of the following is not part of a scientific poll design?

a leading question

A poll states that Hillary Clinton will receive 43 percent of the vote. There is an 8 percent margin of error. What do you think of the poll?

It is a non-representative poll and the margin of error is too high.

Why do pollsters interview random people throughout the country when trying to project which candidate will win a presidential election?

If a pollster interviews only a certain type of person, the sample will be biased and the poll will be inaccurate.

How have changes in technology made polling more difficult?

There’s too many ways to make a poll and to count them is challenging, and lower class have worst polling areas.

Why are social policies controversial?

They require government to balance the rights and liberties of different groups.

Which factor affects congressional approval ratings the most?

domestic events

Which institution has the highest average public approval ratings? (1)

the Supreme Court (1)

Why might one branch’s approval ratings be higher than another’s?

because some branches only have a few people so it is easier to target them instead of a large branch.

When are social and economic issues more likely to cause polarization in public opinion?

When the issues balance two controversial concerns, such as a limited budget and personal financial needs, or religious liberty and equality

How do polls affect presidential elections?

Polls tell voters the issues that candidates support.

Presidential approval ratings ________ over a president’s term of office.

decline

Which body of government is least susceptible to public opinion polls?

U.S. Supreme Court

Why would House of Representative members be more likely than the president to follow public opinion?

Representatives run for election every two years and must constantly raise campaign money. They abide by public opinion because do not have time to explain their actions or mend fences before each election.

How do the media use public opinion polls during election season?

To see which way the voters are going to vote.

Which of the following makes it easy for a citizen to register to vote?

National Voter Registration Act

Which of the following is a reason to make voter registration more difficult?

decrease election fraud

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.

What effect did the National Voter Registration Act have on voter registration?

Increased voter registration and turnout

What challenges do college students face with regard to voter registration?

The main challenge is figuring out where students wish to register, at home or at college. Out-of-state students have an even greater challenge because they have moved across state lines.

If you wanted to prove the United States is suffering from low voter turnout, a calculation based on which population would yield the lowest voter turnout rate?

voters who voted in the last election

What characterizes those most likely to vote in the next election?

over forty-five years old

Why do Belgium, Turkey, and Australia have higher voter turnout rates than the United States?

compulsory voting laws

What recommendations would you make to increase voter turnout in the United States?

To increase voter turnout in the United States, I would suggest these options: move to all-mail voting, hold elections on weekends, automatically register voters, and pass federal law that further reduces impediments to voter registration.

Why does age affect whether a citizen will vote?

Because the older you are the more you tend to vote. It affects your issues that you have, example on retirement, insurance, etc, and you have time and interest to cause a change. Younger people are either too busy to vote, or they just don't care and are screwing around in a bar somewhere.

If you were going to predict whether your classmates would vote in the next election, what questions would you ask them?

I would ask them their age, educational level, interest in politics, income level, and whether they voted in the last election.

A state might hold a primary instead of a caucus because a primary is ________.

faster and has higher turnout

Which of the following citizens is most likely to run for office?

Jeffrey Lyons, a 40-year-old lawyer and father of one

Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?

in their state capitol, in December

In which type of election are you most likely to see coattail effects?

presidential

What problems will candidates experience with frontloading?

When candidates frontload, they use up most of their resources during the early campaign process to receive popularity quickly. If this is not done properly, then they will not have the necessary funding later to further support their campaign as if all the spending does not lead to an increase of popularity, their is no income increase, their are no future funds for more campaigning.

Why have fewer moderates won primaries than they used to?

Candidates with extreme viewpoints gain media attention, and primary voters are more ideologically motivated than voters in other elections.

How do political parties influence the state’s primary system?

The parties can affect turnout and how people approach the primaries.

Example:
Say a McCain supporter doesn't particularly care which republican is elected, they just want a republican. Despite their indifference about which republican, say they really dislike Hillary Clinton. They might go to the democratic primary to vote Bernie because they care more to NOT have Hillary than to have a particular republican.

Why do parties prefer closed primaries to open primaries?

Closed primaries do not allow voters affiliated with other parties to vote, thus keeping the decision inside the party.

Susan is currently working two part-time jobs and is frustrated about the poor economy. On Election Day, she votes for every challenger on the ballot, because she feels the president and Congress are not doing enough to help her. What type of vote did she cast?

pocketbook

Which factor is most likely to lead to the incumbency advantage for a candidate?

gerrymandering of the candidate’s district

In what ways is voting your party identification an informed choice? In what ways is it lazy?

A voter who chooses a party identification as an informed choice chose that party after understanding what they stand for and understanding what the candidates in that party stand for. Those that choose it lazily simply do it because their friends or family are in the party (for example) They are party poopers.

Do physical characteristics matter when voters assess candidates? If so, how?

Voters tend to vote for candidates who look attractive and competent. They may consider race, gender, height, weight, and other physical attributes.

Which of the following is not a step in the initiative process?

signature or veto by state governor

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.

government proposes something and the voters approve it

What problems would a voter face when trying to pass an initiative or recall?

When passing initiative it can take a longtime to get signatures to try and start a campaign and recall can be detrimental to the government if they are not educated

Why do some argue that direct democracy is simply a way for the wealthy and businesses to get their own policies passed?

People of means can easily form interest groups to propose initiatives/recalls and that have the resources to pay for signature collection.

A local station that broadcasts national network programming is called a(an) ________ station.

affiliate

Cable programming is often ________.

national

A conglomerate is a corporation that ________.

owns many businesses and media networks

When acting as an agenda setter, the media ________.

decides which issues deserve public attention

How can conglomerates censor information?

Conglomerates set policies that affect all organizations and networks within the corporation. If Disney refuses to air programming with a certain actor, all stations in the Disney conglomerate might be required to forgo programming with that actor.

In what ways is media responsible for promoting the public good?

The media also promote the public good by offering a platform for public debate and improving citizen awareness. Network news informs the electorate about national issues, elections, and international news.

Why is social media an effective way to spread news and information?

Social media allow citizens and businesses to quickly forward information and news to large groups of friends and followers.

Newspapers during the Revolutionary War period tended to ________.

print party propaganda

Muckraking occurs when newspapers ________.

investigate problems in government and business

Radio quiz shows and comedy shows were most popular in the ________.

1930s

Television news became a regular feature during ________ due to the public’s demand for ________ to explain current events.

WWII; images and maps

Why did Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats help the president enact his policies?

fireside chats kept him in high public regard throughout his presidency.

How have modern presidents used television to reach out to citizens?

The State of the Union address and "rally 'round the flag" speeches help explain policies and offer comfort after crises.

Why is soft news good at reaching out and educating viewers?

presents news in an entertaining and approachable manner, painlessly introducing a variety of topic

In which circumstance would the courts find libel?

A reporter uses a source that incorrectly states a celebrity is using drugs.

The Supreme Court determined that the right of the press to print classified material ________.

is partial, and the press may print classified material only if it does not compromise troops or covert operatives

The Federal Communications Commission oversees the programming of which entities?

television, radio, satellite, and cable

Which of the following is a reasonable exception to the Freedom of Information Act?

medical records for government employees

Why is it a potential problem that the equal-time rule does not apply to candidates’ supporters?

Supporters can act as advertisements, raise donations, and ask for volunteers to help a campaign.

Under what circumstances might a journalist be compelled to give up a source?

if required by the supreme court in matters of national security

Which of the following is an example of episodic framing?

a story on drug abuse that interviews addicts and discusses reasons for addiction and government responses to help addicts

According to research, why might a woman decide not to run for office?

She fears the media will criticize her family.

Media coverage of a race tends to ________.

overrepresent African Americans as poor

How might framing or priming affect the way a reader or viewer thinks about an issue?

framing → change perspective of story

priming → change perspective of reader

Why would inaccurate coverage of race and gender affect policy or elections?

If we are presented with a reality, it affects the way we vote and the policies we support.

Which supporter of federalism warned people about the dangers of political parties?

George Washington

Which of the following was not a third-party challenger?

Whig Party

Why were the early U.S. political parties formed?

Early parties were electoral coalitions of elites, mostly in the U.S. Congress. They were mostly designed to help win House elections and the presidency, but they quickly expanded activities to the state level.

What techniques led the Democratic Party to national prominence in the 1830s through 1850s?

personal politics

In which type of electoral system do voters select the party of their choice rather than an individual candidate?

proportional representation

Which of the following does not represent a major contributing factor in party realignment?

third parties

What impact, if any, do third parties typically have on U.S. elections?

Third parties bring important issues to the attention of the major parties. They also often serve as spoilers in the elections they enter.

In what ways do political parties collude with state and local government to prevent the rise of new parties?

election laws make it harder to get on the ballot, the Electoral College makes it harder for third parties

Which level of party organization is most responsible for helping the party’s nominee win the presidency? (1)

national (1)

How do members of the party organization differ from party identifiers? What role does each play in the party as a whole?

The party organization are active members in supporting party behavior and candidates, party identifiers are mostly citizens and voters who identify with the party

Why is winning votes so important to political parties? How does the need to win elections affect party structures?

Parties can’t influence and enact policy without winning. They must organize at each level at which elections take place in order to contest elections and develop candidates.

What are the positives and negatives of partisan polarization?

Positive: Provides voters with distinct choices

Negative: Moderates aren't voting or participating in government, amplifies into party conflict,

What is the sorting thesis, and what does it suggest as the cause of party polarization?

The sorting thesis says that voters change party allegiances in response to shifts in party position. It suggests that polarization is a function of voters’ paying more attention to national politics and voting more consistently.

Does gerrymandering lead to increased polarization?

Yes

How have the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street Movement affected partisan politics?

They have pulled their respective parties further to the ideological poles and have changed the issues parties consider. They may also have made compromise more difficult.

Someone who lobbies on behalf of their employer as part of their job is ________.

an in-house lobbyist

How are collective goods different from private goods?

Collective goods offer broadly distributed benefits, while private goods offer particularized benefits.

Why might several competing corporations join together in an association?

because there is often strength in numbers, they often have common issues that may affect an entire industry, and they can all benefit from governmental policies

What benefits do private and public interests bring to society? What are some disadvantages of private and public interests?

They give access to both private and collective goods to citizens. Collective goods are often underfunded and underproduced, some private goods are unfairly distributed to the elites.

What type of incentives appeal to someone’s concern about a cause?

purposive incentives

Which of the following is the best example of a solidary benefit?

joining a group to be with others like you

What are some ways to overcome collective action problems?

Incentives that help overcome collective action problems include material, solidary, and purposive benefits. These are often offered by group leaders. Sometimes, political, economic, or social disturbances help overcome collective action problems by mobilizing groups.

Why do some groups have an easier time overcoming collective action problems?

Some groups have better financial support, smaller groups have more similar opinions and make free riding more difficult

What changes have occurred in the lobbying environment over the past three or four decades?

There is more professional lobbying. Many interests lobby both the national government and the states. A fragmentation of interests has taken place.

Which of the following is an aspect of iron triangles?

a symbiotic relationship among Congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups

What does group participation provide to citizens?

By joining interest groups, individuals can participate in ways that go beyond simple voting. They can interact with others with similar views. They can become civically engaged by becoming more connected to their communities, they can participate in protests and letter-writing campaigns, and they can inform others about the issues.

Why don’t lower-income groups participate more in the interest group system?

Their members may work two jobs and not be able to find time, may not be able to pay dues, and have low levels of efficacy

What are some barriers to participation?

Numerous barriers prevent people from participating in politics. Some people lack time or other resources to participate. Lower-income individuals and groups may lack the necessary civic skills to participate effectively. Institutional barriers like voter identification laws may disproportionately affect some people more than others.