American Government Unit 2 Exam - TCC

Presidential approval ratings _________ over a president's term of office.

a. increase

b. decline

c. stay relatively stable

d. seesaw

b. decline

What does media framing affect?

a. timing in which news is presented

b. the perceived friendliness of a commentator

c. the way viewers perceive a story or event

d. none of the above

c. the way viewers perceive a story or event

Horserace coverage can be neutral, positive, or negative.

True or False?

True

If a media outlet pays more attention to candidate who poll well during the fall and the first few primaries of the season, which of the following is occurring?

a. rally round the flag effect

b. bandwagon effect

c. appeasement effect

d. incorrect polling

b. bandwagon effect

Which of the following is a potential reason that U.S. House members and Senators pay more attention to public opinion?

a. the prospect of failed reelection efforts

b. they do not pay more attention to public opinion compared to the president

c. they face term limits

d. none of the above

a. the prospect of failed reelection efforts

Sophisticated public opinion polling has occurred for hundreds of years.

True or False?

False

A representative sample consists of a group whose demographic distribution is similar to ____________.

a. that of a control group

b. the nationwide opinion

c. that of the overall population

d. none of the above

c. that of the overall population

When was the first public opinion poll taken?

1900

1924

1824

1960

1824

Push polls are typically targeted to ______

younger voters

older voters

extreme partisans

issue votes

issue votes

According to the text, partisan differences in values have ____________.

widened

closed

become more complex

become less complex

widened

How does the Electoral College affect the American electoral system?

a. It magnifies the popular support of the losing candidate.

b. It discourages third-party candidacies.

c. It ensures that the most popular candidate becomes president.

d. It ensures that the president is supported by a majority of the population.

b. It discourages third-party candidacies.

The result a voters growing tired of voting and staying home from the polls is called _________.

voter fatigue.

ballot fatigue.

laziness.

party fatigue.

voter fatigue.

A meeting of party members in which nominees are selected informally is called ________.

a caucus.

an open primary.

a closed primary.

a referendum.

a caucus.

Which of these groups was the last to win the right to vote in the United States?

women

African-Americans

immigrants

18-year-olds

18-year-olds

How does a party nominate a presidential candidate?

a. The party leadership selects the nominee at the party's annual meeting.

b. The party convention selects delegates for the party caucus.

c. The party caucus/primary selects delegates for the party convention.

d. The party members directly vote for the nominee.

c. The party caucus/primary selects delegates for the party convention.

Voters can remove a politician or government official using which of the following?

referendum

recall

PAC

open primary

recall

Constitutionally, when does the presidential election occur in the United States?

on the second Tuesday in November

after the second Monday in November

on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November

in the first week of November

on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November

When the presidential popularity aids his party members during an off-year election to when, they are said to be

riding his coattails

pandering to him

hoisting his sails

riding his wake

riding his coattails

Based on previous chapters, which of the following is one aspect of the current U.S. electorate that would likely come as a surprise to the framers of the original U.S. Constitution?

a. White men can vote.

b. Members of the Senate are elected directly by voters

c. The Electoral College plays a role in the presidential election.

d. An 18-year-old woman can vote.

d. An 18-year-old woman can vote.

The stance of the political party is called their _______.

platform

wish list

contract with America

campaign promises

platform

Which of the following occurred after the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

a. the number of registered voters significantly increased

b. the number of registered voters decreased

c. the number of voters did not change

d. the number of Native American voters was the only minority significantly affected

a. the number of registered voters significantly increased

Which state was the first to allow online voting in 2002?

Oklahoma

Texas

California

Arizona

Arizona

Suffrage is __________.

the voter registration process

the ability to vote

a limit to the right to vote

the belief that voters should meet minimum criteria

the ability to vote

Why is winning the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary important for a presidential campaign?

a. The convention winner is determined by who wins the most states, so a small state victory is just as beneficial as winning California or Texas.

b. It is important to win in these heavily conservative states because potential contributors donate more to conservative candidates.

c. These two states enjoy a disproportionate share of wealthy voters who are able to bankroll the candidate's campaign.

d. Winning in these early states builds momentum.

d. Winning in these early states builds momentum.

If a state legislature wants to submit a proposed law or constitutional amendment to the voters for their approval, they would use which of the following procedures?

initiatives

referenda

objectives

memoranda

referenda

In conjunction with the popular vote, whose votes elect the president?

the people

the states

the political parties

the Electoral College

the Electoral College

A party convention involves a gathering of __________ who nominate the party's presidential candidate.

voters

delegates

politicians

office holders

delegates

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

affiliate

cable

digital

network

affiliate

While the Internet has opened up the world of news dissemination, is has also increased

the amount of ________________.

poorly written material

quality material

truly educational websites

unbiased information

poorly written material

New York Times v. Sullivan helped shaped the definition of _______.

civil liberties

libel

lies and truth

slander

libel

Laws against libel and slander protect people from ______________.

freedom of speech

intentional damage

journalistic freedom

gossip

intentional damage

Since media is what links candidates for office to voters, which of the following is most

important in this respect?

statistics

policy stances

image

rally attendance

image

__________ occurs when a story focuses on isolated details or specifics rather than

looking broadly at a whole issue.

thematic framing

priming

agenda setting

episodic framing

episodic framing

Between the 1960s and 1990s, presidents most successfully reached citizens and gained

support for policies using which medium?

radio

television

Internet

town hall meetings

television

When media coverage predisposes the viewer or reader to a particular perspective on a subject or issue, which of the following is occurring?

framing

agenda setting

priming

yellow journalism

priming

For cable news, commercials are a form of ____________.

revenue raising

attention-grabbers

time filler

education

revenue raising

Net neutrality did which of the following?

a. required content neutrality on the internet

b. required content neutrality in all media

c. required internet service providers to give everyone equal access to their services

d. none of the above

c. required internet service providers to give everyone equal access to their services

The business model of the media relies on _______ and _________.

time; funding

viewers; advertisers

funding; geographic location

entertainment; tax dollars

viewers; advertisers

Newspapers during the Revolutionary War period tended to _________.

a. give fake news and sensationalize stories

b. unite the colonists and provide information about the British

c. print party propaganda

d. attack colonial politicians

unite the colonists and provide information about the British

Spoken word that intentionally damage someone's reputation is which of the following?

legal

gossip

libel

slander

slander

When a news channel like CNN decides to focus on education reform, it is doing which

of the following?

agenda setting

censuring

convincing

priming

agenda setting

Investigative journalism is ______.

increasing

declining

staying the same

not important anymore

declining

When a news show takes a broad look at an issue but skips a number of details, they are engaging in ______________.

episodic framing

thematic framing

priming

agenda setting

thematic framing

Net Neutrality was intended to regulate Internet service providers.

True or False?

True

Television news became a regular feature during _____ due to the public's demand for _________ to explain current events.

WWI; images and maps

Great Depression' charts and tables

WWII; images and maps

Vietnam War; charts and tables

WWII; images and maps

Since media is what links candidates for office to voters, which of the following is most

important in this respect?

statistics

policy stances

image

rally attendance

image

When one party control the Presidency and another party controls Congress, it's called ________.

divided government

gridlock

unresponsive government

dealignment

divided government

Today, women voters are more likely to vote Democrat than are male voters.

True or False?

True

In a country with a __________ system minor parties play a much more significant role in electoral politics.

a. horse-race

b. single-member-district with a plurality

c. proportional representation

d. plurality representation

c. proportional representation

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

Whig Party

Progressive Party

Dixiecrats

Green Party

Whig Party

Party organization begins where?

at the national chair

at the state chair

at the precinct level

with the grassroots

at the precinct level

What institutional feature of American politics effectively prevents the development of competitive third parties in the United States?

a constitutional restriction

winner take all system

multi-member districts

open-primary systems

winner take all system

An election where the different candidates win a portion of the power (delegates) based on the portion of the votes received is called ________.

proportional representation.

two-party system.

winner-take-all.

stupid.

proportional representation.

The first party system in the United States saw which of these parties competing for the Presidency?

Federalist v Democratic-Republicans

Federalist v Anti-federalist

Democrats v Whigs

Democrats v Republicans

Federalist v Democratic-Republicans

A formal statement of beliefs, opinions and policy stands of a the party, is known as a _______.

platform

decision

statement

consensus

platform

A district drawn so members of a party can be assured of winning by a comfortable margin is called ________.

gerrymandering.

sorting.

a safe seat.

a precinct.

a safe seat.

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

proportional representation

first-past-the-post

plurality voting

majoritarian voting

proportional representation

In what ways are lobbyists regulated?

all of the above

The Citizens United case outcome banned the use of soft money.

True or False?

False

What is an association?

a. a group of public interest research groups that works together on specific issues

b. a third party organization that represents the government regarding trade agreements

c. groups of institutions that join with others, often within the same trade or industry

d. a stand-alone organization that lobbies for specific issues

c. groups of institutions that join with others, often within the same trade or industry

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

a. joining a group to be with others like you

b. joining a group to obtain a monetary benefit

c. joining a group because you care about a cause

d. joining a group because it is a requirement of your job

a. joining a group to be with others like you

How is the interest group system different from the political party system?

a. political parties seek to elect candidates while interest groups focus more on specific issues

b. interest groups seek to elect candidates while political parties focus on specific issues

c. political parties are much smaller than interest groups

d. none of the above

a. political parties seek to elect candidates while interest groups focus more on specific issues

Interest groups function primarily to elect candidates under a certain political party.

True or False?

False

What was the primary achievement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995?

a. it was never passed

b. it defined who can and cannot lobby, and requires lobbyists and interest groups to register with the federal government

c. all lobbyists must register with the federal government

d. all of the above

b. it defined who can and cannot lobby, and requires lobbyists and interest groups to register with the federal government

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

a. There is more professional lobbying

b. Many interests lobby both the national government and the states

c. A fragmentation of interests has taken place

d. all of the above

all of the above

What describes a personal conviction that one can make a difference or that the government cares about you and your views?

confidence

compassion

efficiency

efficacy

efficacy

The ___________ occurs when some individuals receive benefits without helping to bear

the cost.

collective good problem

expectation problem

free rider problem

halo problem

free rider problem

Campaign finance laws are relatively new in American history.

True or False

True

As part of _______________, a number of scholars have suggested that businesses and other wealthy interests are often overrepresented before government and that poorer interests are at a comparative disadvantage.

pluralist theory

learned helplessness theory

the social critique theory

the elite critique

the elite critique

A(n) ___________ refers to any formal association of individuals or organizations that attempt to influence government decision-making and policy.

PAC

Super PAC

lobbyist

interest group

interest group

Disturbance theory is the idea that ____________ can lead to interest group mobilization.

an internal event

an external event

anger

fear

an external event

What did James Madison say about factions in Federalist no 10?

a. they are the best way for people to focus on the common good

b. they might prevent the ratification of the constitution

c. limiting factions was worse than facing the evils they might produce

d. limiting factions was better than facing the evils they might produce

c. limiting factions was worse than facing the evils they might produce

What is meant by the term 'soft money?'

a. money spent that can't be traced

b. money spent on behalf of political candidates without being restricted by federal law

c. money spent on behalf of political candidates that is restricted by federal law

d. none of the above

b. money spent on behalf of political candidates without being restricted by federal law