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Which of the following makes it easy for a citizen to register to vote?
A. grandfather clause
B. lengthy residency requirement
C. National Voter Registration Act
D. competency requirement
C
Which of the following is a reason to make voter registration more difficult?
A. decrease the cost of elections
B. make the registration process faster
C. increase voter turnout
D. decrease election fraud
D
What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?
A. The state sends every resident a voter registration ballot.
B. The state ended voter registration.
C. The state allows online voter registration.
D. The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.
D
What effect did the National Voter Registration Act have on voter registration?
A. Registration increased by 7%
B. Registration decreased by 5%
C. Registration increased by 14%
D. Registration increased by 20%
A
What's a challenge that college students face with regard to voter registration?
A. They wonder whether to register at home or at college.
B. Some are so busy it is not possible to register to vote.
C. Some states don't allow college students to register.
D. It's too hard to get an ID.
A
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?
A. voters who voted in the last election
B. registered voters
C. voting-age population
D. voting-eligible population
C
What characterizes those most likely to vote in the next election?
A. residency in the South
B. high school education or less
C. income under $30,000
D. over forty-five years old
D
Why do Belgium, Turkey, and Australia have higher voter turnout rates than the United States?
A. compulsory voting laws
B. fewer registration laws
C. more elections
D. more polling locations
A
Why does age affect whether a citizen will vote?
A. Younger voters have more money, education and job security.
B. It doesn't affect whether a citizen will vote.
C. Older voters have more money, education, and job security.
C
If you were going to predict whether your classmates would vote in the next election, what questions would you ask them?
A. Their popularity and grade point average.
B. Their age, educational level, interest in politics, income level, and whether they voted in the last election.
B
A state might hold a primary instead of a caucus because a primary is ________.
A. faster and has higher turnout
B. highly active and promotes dialog during voting
C. transparent and engages local voters
D. inexpensive and simple
A
Which of the following citizens is most likely to run for office?
A. Maria Trejo, a 28-year-old part-time sonogram technician and mother of two
B. Linda Tepsett, a 40-year-old full-time orthopedic surgeon
C. Jeffrey Lyons, a 40-year-old lawyer and father of one
D. Mark Forman, a 70-year-old retired steelworker
C
Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?
A. at their precinct, on Election Day
B. in their state capitol, in December
C. at their state capitol, on Election Day
D. in Washington D.C., in December
B
In which type of election are you most likely to see coattail effects?
A. caucuses
B. special
C. midterm
D. presidential
D
What problems will candidates experience with frontloading?
A. Candidates have a strong personal investment in which state has the earliest primary election.
B. Their front tires will wear out more quickly than their rear tires.
C. It's harder to balance the needs of legislating and constituent services.
D. Candidates would have less time to campaigns in each state.
D
Why have fewer moderates won primaries than they used to?
A. Primaries are less relevant than they used to be.
B. Primary voters are less likely to vote in the general election.
C. Moderates are less common than they used to be.
D. Primary voters are more ideologically motivated than voters in general elections.
D
Why do parties prefer closed primaries to open primaries?
A. All voters get to decide who the candidate will be.
B. Only party members get to decide who the candidate will be.
C. Only party members and independents get to decide who the candidate will be.
D. The facilities stay warmer.
B
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?
A. pocketbook
B. straight ticket
C. prospective
D. retrospective
A
Which factor is most likely to lead to the incumbency advantage for a candidate?
A. gerrymandering of the candidate's district
B. media's support of the candidate
C. candidate's political party
D. candidate's socioeconomic status
A
Which of the following is not a step in the initiative process?
A. state-wide vote during a ballot election
B. approval of initiative petition by state or local government
C. collection of signatures
D. signature or veto by state governor
D
A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.
A. voters propose something but the governor approves it
B. voters propose and approve something but the legislature also approves it
C. government proposes something and the voters approve it
D. government proposes something and the legislature approves it
C
What problems would a voter face when trying to pass an initiative or recall?
A. Every initiative requires an expensive television campaign to pass.
B. Friends and family would inevitably criticize them for getting involved.
C. The need to collect signatures, raise money, and choose the election in D. which their plan is most likely to pass.
C
Why do some argue that direct democracy is simply a way for the wealthy and businesses to get their own policies passed?
A. Business interests are always at odds with the interests of most citizens.
B. Organizing interest groups and proposing initiatives is easier when money is readily available.
C. It's impossible for people with average or low incomes to get a initiative on the ballot.
B
Can you still vote in California if you aren't registered ahead of time?
A. No, that is not possible.
B. Yes, your ballot is treated like any other ballot.
C. Yes, but your ballot is a conditional ballot and is only counted if the vote is close enough for it to matter.
C
How can a person register to vote in California?
A. You need to go to your county offices
B. You can only register online.
C. You can only register at the DMV.
D. You can register online or at the DMV
D
Do you have to register as a party member?
A. Yes, every voter needs to register as a party member.
B. No, and party membership has nothing to do with voting.
C. No, but the party that you're registered with has an impact on how you can vote in Primary Elections.
C
What advantage does registering for a political party allow in California?
A. Voting in the presidential primary
B. Voting in state primaries
C. Your vote counts more in presidential elections.
D. You receive more reminders from the California government when you're registered with a party.
A
Do you still have to vote in your own precinct?
A. Yes, the system is set up to only allow voting in your own precinct.
B. No, since the Voter's Choice Act you can vote anywhere in the state.
C. No, since the Voter's Choice Act you can vote anywhere in your county.
D. No, since the Voter's Choice Act you can vote conditionally in neighboring precincts.
C
How is it hoped that the Voter's Choice Act will help?
A. Voting will increase as some centers are open for more days
B. Conditional voting will decrease since vote centers throughout the county will have access to voter rolls.
C. Voting will be more secure by being able to electronically vote or drop off mail in ballots at voting centers.
D. All three other answers are true.
D
Use the following chart to answer the question. Have Californians been more likely to vote in presidential elections than in other elections during the last twelve years?
A. Yes
B. No
C. It doesn't make a difference.
A
If external efficacy made the biggest difference in voter turnout, would people vote more in local, state, or national elections?
A. National
B. State
C. They would be equally likely to vote in local, state, and national elections.
D. Local
D
What do we do in California to increase internal efficacy?
A. Require college students to take a class in American government, allow online registration, and send voter information pamphlets to each registered voter to decrease the cost of voting.
B. Use a redistricting commission for redistricting after each census to make voting more fair.
C. Discover and prosecute corruption better than they do in other states to increase the likelihood that voters think their opinions will be matter.
D. Assure that voting technology will accurately tabulate votes, free from fraud or manipulation.
A
How does internal efficacy explain why more older people vote?
A. Older people don't care as much as younger people about whether or not they understand what they're voting about.
B. Younger people feel more confident in general, and don't feel the need to impact their government.
C. Older people are more likely to feel confident in their abilities to understand and successfully engage in the voting process.
C
What factors limit external efficacy (choose the best answer)?
A. Concerns about fraud and corruption
B. Belonging to a minority party in a winner-take-all system
C. Large populations
D. Large populations, concerns about fraud and corruption, and belonging to a minority party in a winner-take-all system can all limit eternal efficacy.
D
What is one concern that a majority of California voters have about direct democracy?
A. People don't have enough ways to influence policy in direct democracy.
B. Recipients of government aid have more influence than others on initiatives.
C. Special interests may have too much influence in direct democracy.
C
What are Californians more likely to do than people from other states?
A. Vote
B. Attend local meetings
C. Write to elected officials
D. Attend local meetings and write to elected officials
D
According to the research in the text, what are Californians less likely to do than people from other states?
A. Vote
B. Contribute money to a campaign
C. Attend rallies
D. Do favors for neighbors
E. Volunteer
F. Vote, contribute money to campaigns, attend rallies, do favors for neighbors, and volunteer
F
If Prieger and Faltis are right about civic engagement, what can we expect to happen in California as immigrants are here longer in California?
A. Civic participation will decrease
B. Civic participation will increase
C. Civic participation will stay the same
B
What are the highest-spending interest groups in California?
A. Public employees, health care companies, Indian groups, utilities, and gas companies
B. Tech companies and construction companies
C. Interest groups representing the travel and tourism industry.
A
What type of spending is most common for interest groups in California?
A. Donations to state and local candidates
B. Donations to party committees
C. Lobbying the state legislature
D. Lobbying for state and local ballot measures
D
Who backed from 98 (1988) to mandate 40% of the state budget go toward education?
A. Parents in Favor of School Spending
B. California Teachers Association
C. A coalition of state legislators in favor of guaranteed education spending
D. Students for Effective Education
B
Why is it hard to determine whether interest groups have undue influence?
A. Interest group influence increases when voters approve of the groups' agendas, so their influence is at least partly a result of voter influence, making B. it hard to distinguish the effects.
C. Interest group influence decreases when voters approve of the group's agendas.
D. It's easy to distinguish the impact of interest group activity from the impact of other forces in state politics, such as the role of parties and public opinion.
A
What is the largest source of revenue for the state of California?
A. Gas tax
B. Sales tax
C. Personal income tax
D. Federal grants
C
Where is state news covered most?
A. Newspapers
B. Television
C. Radio
A
Which medium for news coverage has declined most dramatically in the 21st century?
A. Newspapers
B. Television
C. Radio
D. Online
A
What organizations are doing some of the research that newspapers used to do about state politics?
A. Government organizations
B. Nonprofit foundations and educational institutions
C. Private companies
B
What might we look for to find unbiased information on elections?
A. Voters' guides that include accurate information on both sides
B. Television advertisements
C. Social media advertising campaigns
A
What kinds of things are included in highly rated voters' guides? (Choose the best answer.)
A. Neutral explanation or analysis
B. A statement about how much the measure will cost
C. Arguments for and against the measure
D. Text of the measure
E. All of the answers true: the text of the measure, arguments for and against, a neutral explanation or analysis, and a statement about how much it will cost.
E
What cognitive shortcut do voters commonly use?
A. They figure out who is supporting a measure and whether they usually agree with them or not.
B. They figure out what the measure says and whether or not they agree with it.
C. They figure out what most people think of the measure and use that to determine their opinions.
D. They figure out what their own representative recommends about the measure.
Reform
A
What are campaign finance laws best at in California?
A. Limiting expenditures
B. Requiring openness about who is contributing to what causes
C. Making expenditures more even between interests representing large corporations and small business
D. Letting everyone make their opinions known more broadly
B
Why is public financing of campaigns prohibited in California?
A. As a way to limit campaign expenditures.
B. Because the California Supreme Court prohibited it in 1992.
C. Because the voters prohibited it in Prop 73 (1988).
D. Because the legislature passed a law to prohibit it in 1982.
C
Why are limitations prohibited for independent political expenditures?
A. The California Political Reform Act of 1974 prohibited those limitations because corporations lobbied against it.
B. The California Supreme Court prohibited those limitations.
C. The U.S. Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission determined that limitations would violate our rights to free speech.
D. The U.S. Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission determined that states could decide whether or not to limit independent political expenditures and California chose to by proposition.
C
When did California implement Primary elections?
A. 1891
B. 1909
C. 2000
D. 1935
B
When did California begin the use of propositions (initiatives and referenda)?
A. 1891
B. 1850
C. 1932
D. 1911
D
What was one thing the California legislature did to limit the power of political parties?
A. List all candidates by office in the general election, rather than giving out ballots by party
B. List all candidates by party in the general election, rather than leaving party off the ballot
C. Maintain the caucus system in California, in addition to sometimes using Primary elections
A
What has been the impact of the "jungle" primary?
A. More extreme candidates have won office
B. The Democrats have become more extreme
C. External efficacy has been limited
D. More moderate candidates have won office
D
Who supported the proposition to create the Citizens' Redistricting Commission?
A. Gray Davis and the League of Women Voters
B. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the League of Women Voters
C. A minority of voters
D. The majority party in the state legislature
B
What was the impact of the Citizens' Redistricting Commission the first time it met after the 2010 census?
A. It decreased the percentage of elections that were competitive.
B. The percentage of elections that were competitive did not change.
C. It increased the percentage of elections that were competitive.
C
Does the 2014 Ballot Initiative Transparency Act allow editing of propositions/initiatives?
A. No, but it allows assistance from the Office of the Legislative Counsel and the option to withdraw the proposal.
B. No, it doesn't affect the proposition/initiative process.
C. Yes, and it allows assistance from the Office of the Legislative Counsel the option of withdrawing the proposal.
D. Yes, and it reduced the number of signatures required to 5% of the number of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election.
A
A local station that broadcasts national network programming is called a(an) ________ station.
A. digital
B. cable
C. network
D. affiliate
D
Cable programming is often ________.
A. network
B. local
C. national
D. sports
C
A conglomerate is a corporation that ________.
A. owns many businesses and media networks
B. owns all television news stations in a state
C. owns only televisions and newspapers
D. owns only radio stations
A
When acting as an agenda setter, the media ________.
A. reports on corruption in government
B. decides which issues deserve public attention
C. brings in advertising revenue for the media corporation
D. covers presidential campaigns equally
B
How can conglomerates censor information?
A. They set policies that affect all organizations and networks within the corporation, including policies not to use certain actors or discuss certain topics.
B. The choose every word that news anchors speak.
C. They choose all of the stories that media outlets cover.
A
In what ways is media responsible for promoting the public good?
A. The medica can bring awareness to issues.
B. The media can expose government wrongdoing.
C. The media can provide information about government.
D. All of the answers are true.
D
Why is social media an effective way to spread news and information?
A. Social media specializes in connected individuals with experts on topics of interest to them.
B. Social media is the best place to find well-researched articles so people go there to look for that.
C. Social media can allow citizens and businesses to quickly forward information and news to large groups of friends and followers.
D. Social media is carefully curated to only allow true stories.
C
Newspapers during the Revolutionary War period tended to ________.
A. attack colonial politicians
B. give fake news and sensationalize stories
C. print party propaganda
D. unite the colonists and provide information about the British
D
Muckraking occurs when newspapers ________.
A. investigate problems in government and business
B. print sensational news on the front page to sell papers
C. investigate actions of celebrities
D. print more editorials and opinion pieces to sell papers
A
Radio quiz shows and comedy shows were most popular in the ________.
A. 1990s
B. 1970s
C. 1930s
D. 1900s
C
Television news became a regular feature during ________ due to the public's demand for ________ to explain current events.
A. WWI; images and maps
B. Great Depression; charts and tables
C. WWII; images and maps
D. Vietnam War; charts and tables
C
Why did Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats help the president enact his policies?
A. Roosevelt focused on facts and data so that emotions didn't influence his persuasion of the people listening.
B. Roosevelt presented his ideas and reasons directly to the people in a personal, persuasive way.
C. Roosevelt threatened to reveal negative information about his opponents directly to the American people.
B
How have modern presidents used television to reach out to citizens?
A. Appearances on talk shows
B. All of the answers are true
C. Twitter
D. State of the Union address
E. Speeches on television
B
In which circumstance would the courts find libel?
A. A reporter uses a source that incorrectly states a celebrity is using drugs.
B. A columnist writes his opinion about whether an actor is hiding a drug problem.
C. A reporter writes that local college students are drug dealers but has no sources.
D. A television reporter delivers a story about increased drug use at the local college.
A
The Supreme Court determined that the right of the press to print classified material ________.
A. is complete, and the press may print anything it likes
B. has not yet been defined
C. is partial, and the press may print classified material only if it does not compromise troops or covert operatives
D. is obsolete, and the press may never print classified material
C
The Federal Communications Commission oversees the programming of which entities?
A. television
B. television, radio, and satellite
C. television, radio, satellite, and cable
D. television and radio
C
Which of the following is a reasonable exception to the Freedom of Information Act?
A. medical records for government employees
B. transcript of meetings between Department of State negotiators and Russian trade negotiators
C. budget for the Department of Labor
D. minutes from a president's cabinet meeting
A
Under what circumstances might a journalist be compelled to give up a source?
A. When other people know who the source is besides the journalist in question
B. Whenever people are curious
C. When a judge in a civil case deems it necessary
D. If there is a criminal trial and the source is needed for the trial
D
Which of the following is an example of episodic framing?
A. a story on how drug abuse policy has changed since 1984
B. a story on drug abuse that interviews addicts and discusses reasons for addiction and government responses to help addicts
C. a story detailing arguments against needle exchange programs
D. a story on candidates' answers to a drug question in a debate
B
According to research, why might a woman decide not to run for office?
A. She fears the media will criticize her family.
B. She feels the work is too hard.
C. She fears her positions will be covered too closely by the press.
D. She fears the campaign will be too expensive.
A
Media coverage of a race tends to ________.
A. overrepresent White people and the elderly as poor
B. overrepresent African Americans as poor
C. accurately portray all races equally
D. accurately portray White and Black Americans as victims
B
How might framing or priming affect the way a reader or viewer thinks about an issue?
A. The media activity tries to avoid framing and priming in ways that make us inclinced to prejudge or believe something.
B. The media can pick information that makes us inclined to prejudge or believe something.
C. Framing and priming can't affect the way a reader or viewer thinks about an issue.
D. It's inevitable: framing and priming dictate how issues will be understood.
B
Which supporter of federalism warned people about the dangers of political parties?
A. Alexander Hamilton
B. John Adams
C. James Madison
D. George Washington
D
Which of the following was not a third-party challenger?
A. Whig Party
B. Dixiecrats
C. Green Party
D. Progressive Party
A
Why were the early U.S. political parties formed?
A. To make it easier for candidates to run for office
B. To win national elections by forming electoral coalitions in Congress
C. To win statewide elections by forming electoral coalitions in state legislatures
D. To win local elections
B
What techniques led the Democratic Party to national prominence in the 1830s through 1850s?
A. Using data analysis to choose the best policies and communicating clearly
B. Focusing on "common people" and using personal politics
C. Maintaining dignity and making great choices for the American people
D. Showing respect for people of minority ethnicities and advertising well
B
In which type of electoral system do voters select the party of their choice rather than an individual candidate?
A. plurality voting
B. first-past-the-post
C. majoritarian voting
D. proportional representation
D
Which of the following does not represent a major contributing factor in party realignment?
A. demographic shifts
B. third parties
C. changes in party strategies
D. changes in key issues
B
What impact, if any, do third parties typically have on U.S. elections? (choose the best answer)
A. They do both of these things.
B. They often serve as spoilers in elections they enter.
C. They bring the attention of major parties to important issues.
D. They dont do either of these things.
A
In what ways do political parties collude with state and local government to prevent the rise of new parties?
A. Parties help do voter registration drives for likely independent voters.
B. Parties make it harder to register nonpartisans and for independent candidates to get on the ballot.
C. Parties love to support independent candidates efforts to get on the ballot.
D. Parties actively and publicly campaign against new parties frequently.
B
Which level of party organization is most responsible for helping the party's nominee win the presidency?
A. precinct
B. state
C. county
D. national
D
What do members of the party organization do that party identifiers don't often do?
A. Voter registration drives
B. Fundraising
C. All of these things are true
D. Get-out-the-vote efforts
E. Recruitment
C
What is the result of partisan polarization? (choose the best answer)
A. Both of these answers are true.
B. Neither of these answers are true.
C. Polarization can lead to dysfunctional government and big policy swings.
D. Polarization provides clear choices for voters.
A
What is the sorting thesis and what does it suggest about polarization?
A. Voters don't usually change party allegiance in response to shifts in party position, so polarization is unlikely to be a function of paying more attention to national politics.
B. Voters change party allegiance in response to shifts in party position, so polarization is a function of voters paying less attention to national politics and voting less consistently.
C. Voter's change party allegiance in response the personal events rather than national issues, and polarization happens over the course of a lifetime.
D. Voters change party allegiance in response to shifts in party position, so polarization is a function of voters paying more attention to national politics and voting more consistently.
D
Does gerrymandering lead to increased polarization?
A. Yes, it is the predominant cause of increase polarization.
B. No, its effect is negligible.
C. No, it has no effect on polarization.
D. Yes, though it's not the only cause.
D
Someone who lobbies on behalf of their employer as part of their job is ________.
A. a contract lobbyist
B. a legislative liaison
C. a volunteer lobbyist
D. an in-house lobbyist
D
How are collective goods different from private goods?
A. Collective goods and private goods both offer broadly distributed benefits.
B. Collective goods and private goods both offer particularized benefits.
C. Collective goods offer particularized benefits, while private goods are broadly distributed.
D. Collective goods offer broadly distributed benefits, while private goods offer particularized benefits.
D
Why might several competing corporations join together in an association?
A. because there is often strength in numbers
B. all the above
C. because they can all benefit from governmental policies
D. because they often have common issues that may affect an entire industry
B
What type of incentives appeal to someone's concern about a cause?
A. solidary incentives
B. negative incentives
C. material incentives
D. purposive incentives
D
Which of the following is the best example of a solidary benefit?
A. joining a group to be with others like you
B. joining a group because you care about a cause
C. joining a group because it is a requirement of your job
D. joining a group to obtain a monetary benefit
A
What are some ways to overcome collective action problems?
A. Large, mobilizing events.
B. Group leaders offering material benefits
C. Group leaders offering solidary or purposive benefits
D. All of these answers are true.
D
Note 
Flashcard (75)