Ali Yaqoob
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Quiz on TEXAS GOVT 2306, created by Ali Yaqoob on 06/05/2015.

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Ali Yaqoob
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TEXAS GOVT 2306

Question 1 of 50

1

Which of the following news sources reaches the most Americans

Select one of the following:

  • radio

  • television

  • the Internet

  • newspapers

  • magazines

Explanation

Question 2 of 50

1

The following are all concerns raised by the growing popularity of online news except

Select one of the following:

  • a decline in investigative journalism.

  • a reduction in the diversity of perspectives that can potentially be heard.

  • a negative impact on political knowledge.

  • a decrease in political tolerance.

  • uneven quality in news content.

Explanation

Question 3 of 50

1

Which of the following statements best describes the coverage given to American politics by international newspapers?

Select one of the following:

  • International newspapers rarely cover American politics but, when they do, their coverage is often often critical of American policy

  • International newspapers frequently cover American politics and are often critical of American policy.

  • International newspapers rarely cover American politics but, when they do, their coverage often praises American policy.

  • International newspapers frequently cover American politics and often praise American policy.

  • International newspapers never cover American politics.

Explanation

Question 4 of 50

1

Which statement about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is false?

Select one of the following:

  • The act loosened federal restrictions on media ownership

  • The act attempted to regulate the content of material transmitted over the Internet.

  • The act allowed broadcasters, telephone companies, and cable companies to compete with one another for telecommunications services

  • Following passage of the act, several mergers between telephone and cable companies produced a greater concentration of media ownership.

  • The act required broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues to provide time for opposing views.

Explanation

Question 5 of 50

1

The Communications Decency Act was struck down by the Supreme Court because it violated the

Select one of the following:

  • First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech

  • FCC’s equal time rule.

  • FCC’s right of rebuttal.

  • FCC’s fairness doctrine

  • Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause.

Explanation

Question 6 of 50

1

If a television station sold commercial time to a Republican candidate for governor, but refused to sell time to the Democratic candidate for governor, this station would be violating the

Select one of the following:

  • Telecommunications Act of 1996

  • fairness doctrine

  • equal time rule.

  • right of rebuttal

  • Communications Decency Act.

Explanation

Question 7 of 50

1

The fairness doctrine required that

Select one of the following:

  • all network news reports be balanced and fair-minded or they would be labeled editorials.

  • broadcasters who air controversial issues provide time for opposing viewpoints

  • all regulated newspapers establish a section of the editorial page for letters from readers.

  • all radio stations present at least five minutes of news an hour.

  • all broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office with equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public.

Explanation

Question 8 of 50

1

Which of the following statements about the digital divide is not true?

Select one of the following:

  • A lack of skills is a primary reason Latinos are offline

  • A lack of interest is a primary reason elderly Americans are offline.

  • Cost is a primary reason the poor are offline

  • All racial and ethnic groups in the United States are equally likely to have online access.

  • Racial minorities and younger Americans are likely to access the Internet through mobile devices such as cell phones, even if they lack home access.

Explanation

Question 9 of 50

1

What is a poll tax?

Select one of the following:

  • a tax that states impose on all citizens in order to pay for public opinion research

  • a fee that political parties charge people who want to become members and vote in their elections

  • a tax imposed by state governments for those registering to vote

  • a tax women had to pay if they wanted to vote in the nineteenth century

  • a tax the federal government charged to state governments in order to pay for the costs of running a federal election

Explanation

Question 10 of 50

1

What was the main cause for dropping the legal voting age to eighteen?

Select one of the following:

  • Young American citizens effectively organized and protested for the right to vote.

  • It had been one of the civil rights movement’s important goals.

  • The Constitution mandated that the draft age be equivalent to the voting age.

  • Government officials hoped it would lead to a decline in disruptive student protests

  • A decision by the Supreme Court ruled that voting requirements based on age were unconstitutional.

Explanation

Question 11 of 50

1

The Constitution was amended in ______ to give eighteen-year-olds the right to vote.

Select one of the following:

  • 1900

  • 1920

  • 1942

  • 1971

  • 1994

Explanation

Question 12 of 50

1

Which of the following methods of participation was an important part of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s

Select one of the following:

  • mobilizing the power bloc of southern African American voters

  • violent protests

  • assassinations of political leaders

  • sit-ins and marches

  • placing initiatives on the ballot

Explanation

Question 13 of 50

1

Studies have discovered ______ to be the key element of successful mobilization efforts.

Select one of the following:

  • personal contact

  • direct mailings

  • extensive use of phone banks

  • advertising in local media

  • e-mail newsletters

Explanation

Question 14 of 50

1

The African American community

Select one of the following:

  • is economically diverse and typically votes as a bloc in most elections.

  • is economically diverse and typically does not vote as a bloc in most elections

  • is economically homogeneous and typically votes as a bloc in most elections

  • is economically homogeneous and typically does not vote as a bloc in most elections

  • is economically homogeneous and almost never votes in elections.

Explanation

Question 15 of 50

1

Which of the following statements about the gender gap is false?

Select one of the following:

  • Women are more likely to oppose military activities than men.

  • The gender gap in voting behavior has always been about 20 percentage points since women’s suffrage in 1920

  • The voting differences between women who are homemakers and women who are in the workforce are almost as large as the differences between men and women

  • Women are more likely to support social spending by government than men

  • Women currently register and vote at rates similar to or higher than those of men.

Explanation

Question 16 of 50

1

Which of the following is true about political participation?

Select one of the following:

  • African Americans and Latinos are less likely to participate in politics than whites.

  • African Americans and Latinos participate in politics at the same levels as whites.

  • African Americans hardly participate in politics at all, while Latinos participate at extraordinarily high levels.

  • Latinos barely participate in politics, while African Americans participate at extraordinarily high levels

  • Whites hardly participate in politics at all, while African Americans and Latinos participate at extraordinarily high levels

Explanation

Question 17 of 50

1

The explanation for political participation that points to the characteristics of individuals focuses on

Select one of the following:

  • socioeconomic status

  • membership in social organizations

  • formal obstacles such as the poll tax or white primary

  • mobilization by political institutions.

  • the regions of the country that people reside in.

Explanation

Question 18 of 50

1

A political party is

Select one of the following:

  • an organization that influences the government through fund-raising

  • an organization established by the Constitution to nominate candidates.

  • an organization that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office

  • an organization that was considered seditious until the twentieth century.

  • an organization that collects fees from its members in order to pay the salaries of government officials.

Explanation

Question 19 of 50

1

One important cause of the United States’ two-party system is

Select one of the following:

  • the Constitution’s requirement for bipartisanship in Congress

  • single-member electoral districts.

  • multimember electoral districts

  • proportional representation

  • internal mobilization

Explanation

Question 20 of 50

1

The United States began its tradition of the ______ during the early eighteenth century

Select one of the following:

  • single-party mandate

  • two-party system

  • multiparty system

  • proportional representation

  • 527 committees

Explanation

Question 21 of 50

1

The first party system was characterized by conflict between the ______ and the ______.

Select one of the following:

  • Federalists; Jeffersonian Republicans

  • Democrats; Republicans

  • Whigs; Democrats

  • Whigs; Jeffersonian Republicans

  • Whigs; Federalists

Explanation

Question 22 of 50

1

During the 1980s, under the leadership of Ronald Reagan, which two groups did the Republican Party add to their coalition?

Select one of the following:

  • religious conservatives and working-class whites

  • African Americans and upper-class intellectuals

  • Latinos and the business community

  • Jews and unionized workers

  • gays and lesbians and southern farmers

Explanation

Question 23 of 50

1

A party’s ______ contains its philosophy, principles, and policy positions.

Select one of the following:

  • caucus

  • convention

  • platform

  • machine

  • primary

Explanation

Question 24 of 50

1

The Constitution

Select one of the following:

  • clearly spells out a number of rules regarding how political parties must go about selecting a candidate to run for each elective office at the federal level but not at the state level

  • clearly spells out a number of rules regarding how political parties must go about selecting a candidate to run for each elective office at the state level but not at the federal level.

  • is almost completely silent on the rules regarding how political parties must go about selecting a candidate to run for any elective office.

  • outlaws political parties from nominating specific candidates to run for elective office in order to make sure all citizens have an equal opportunity to serve in government.

  • gives the authority to nominate candidates for all elective offices to 527 committees

Explanation

Question 25 of 50

1

Which of the following statements about party building is true?

Select one of the following:

  • Since the Eisenhower presidency, Republicans have paid much more attention to party building than Democrats

  • Since the Eisenhower presidency, Democrats have paid much more attention to party building than Republicans

  • Since the Eisenhower presidency, both major political parties have completely abandoned party building

  • Since the Eisenhower presidency, both major political parties have devoted equal effort to party building.

  • The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act outlawed party-building activities

Explanation

Question 26 of 50

1

In order for a political party to select a candidate to run in the general election, it holds a

Select one of the following:

  • primary election.

  • referendum.

  • midterm election.

  • franchise vote

  • exploratory committee

Explanation

Question 27 of 50

1

If the winner of an election is whoever receives the most votes, regardless of the percentage of votes received, the candidates are running under a ______ system

Select one of the following:

  • majority

  • plurality

  • proportionality

  • unitary

  • primary

Explanation

Question 28 of 50

1

Before the 1890s, who was responsible for printing election ballots?

Select one of the following:

  • the federal government

  • state governments

  • political parties

  • the National League of Women Voters

  • voters

Explanation

Question 29 of 50

1

Which of the following statements is true?

Select one of the following:

  • Federal law since 2002 requires that all states use the same type of voting equipment

  • The Supreme Court has mandated that all voting machines provide a paper ballot.

  • Voting equipment varies from county to county throughout the United States.

  • Since 2000, all voting equipment has been required to use a butterfly ballot.

  • The Supreme Court has ruled that elections using electronic voting machines are unconstitutional

Explanation

Question 30 of 50

1

If George W. Bush won the plurality of votes in Texas during the 2000 election, and Texas had thirty representatives in the House of Representatives, how many electoral votes from Texas did Bush win?

Select one of the following:

  • 0

  • 30

  • 32

  • 44

  • 50

Explanation

Question 31 of 50

1

“King Caucus” refers to

Select one of the following:

  • the significance of Iowa as the first caucus of the presidential campaign.

  • the importance of caucuses, not primaries, for Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic nomination

  • the use of each party’s congressional caucus to nominate presidential candidates during the early nineteenth century

  • Daniel Webster, who had unrivaled influence over the presidential nominating process during the 1820s and 1830s.

  • the fact that caucuses are inherently undemocratic methods of selecting nominees for national political office.

Explanation

Question 32 of 50

1

Which party has reserved slots at the national convention for elected superdelegates?

Select one of the following:

  • the Republicans

  • the Democrats

  • the Greens

  • the Reform Party

  • the Independents

Explanation

Question 33 of 50

1

Which of the following politicians was recalled from office?

Select one of the following:

  • President Warren Harding (1921)

  • New York City Mayor David Dinkins (1993)

  • California Governor Gray Davis (2003)

  • President Richard Nixon (1972)

  • Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (1998)

Explanation

Question 34 of 50

1

The effort by political candidates and their staff to win backing and support by voters in the quest for political office is known as a(n)

Select one of the following:

  • incumbency

  • campaign

  • caucus.

  • platform.

  • national convention.

Explanation

Question 35 of 50

1

A ______ is a media format in which candidates meet with ordinary citizens, without the input of journalists
or commentators

Select one of the following:

  • town hall meeting

  • spot ad

  • infomercial

  • photo op

  • caucus

Explanation

Question 36 of 50

1

Which of the following were not major contributors to George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign?

Select one of the following:

  • airlines

  • trial lawyers

  • energy producers

  • tobacco companies

  • banks

Explanation

Question 37 of 50

1

Interest groups most effectively serve

Select one of the following:

  • the working classes

  • the powerless

  • the upper classes.

  • government bureaucrats

  • racial and ethnic minorities

Explanation

Question 38 of 50

1

When membership in an organization allows for a reduction in the price of museum tickets, it is called a

Select one of the following:

  • solidary benefit

  • promotion offer.

  • material benefit

  • bribe.

  • purposive benefit

Explanation

Question 39 of 50

1

The solidary benefits of interest groups include

Select one of the following:

  • friendship and consciousness-raising

  • special services and goods

  • information and money.

  • identification with the purpose or ideology of the group

  • representation before government.

Explanation

Question 40 of 50

1

Approximately how many members does AARP have?

Select one of the following:

  • 3,800

  • 38,000

  • 338,000

  • 3,800,000

  • 38,000,000

Explanation

Question 41 of 50

1

The increased number and importance of interest groups

Select one of the following:

  • causes a subsequent expansion in government

  • is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government

  • is a response to a decrease in the size and activity of government.

  • is a direct result of a more broadly defined First Amendment freedom of association

  • is due to the decline in the United States’ multiparty system.

Explanation

Question 42 of 50

1

Which of the following is not a job regularly performed by lobbyists?

Select one of the following:

  • testifying before congressional committees

  • holding interviews with reporters

  • helping raise funds for political campaigns

  • placing ads in newspapers

  • nominating a candidate to run for political office

Explanation

Question 43 of 50

1

Which of the following statements about lobbyists and members of Congress is incorrect?

Select one of the following:

  • Many members of Congress list lobbyists as treasurers of their re-election campaigns

  • Interest groups will often hire lobbyists whom they know to be key fund-raisers for the politicians they hope to influence.

  • Many of Washington’s top lobbyists have close ties to important members of Congress or were themselves important political figures.

  • Lobbyists have substantial influence in setting the legislative agenda

  • Members of Congress are forbidden from ever working for an interest group once they leave office.

Explanation

Question 44 of 50

1

Why is the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 important to lobbyists?

Select one of the following:

  • It extends First Amendment protection to interest groups trying to lobby executive agencies.

  • It requires agencies to create opportunities for public comments before implementing new rules and regulations

  • It allows for former agency officials to work for the industries they had regulated within six months of leaving government service.

  • It requires any regulated groups and corporations to maintain at least one Washington, D.C., liaison

  • It permits interest groups to spend an unlimited amount of money on issue advocacy during a campaign

Explanation

Question 45 of 50

1

Which of the following are lobbyists not required by federal law to disclose?

Select one of the following:

  • who they are working for

  • how much they are paid

  • who they are lobbying

  • what they are looking for

  • how many members they represent

Explanation

Question 46 of 50

1

How can interest groups use litigation as a strategy of influence?

Select one of the following:

  • filing amici curiae briefs, financing lawsuits, and bringing a suit on behalf of the group

  • directly lobbying judges, using direct-mail solicitations, and making campaign contributions to members of Congress

  • engaging in institutional advertising, activating issue networks, and directly lobbying judges

  • breaking apart iron triangles, directly lobbying judges, and starting PACs

  • working with 527 committees, directly lobbying judges, and engaging in institutional advertising

Explanation

Question 47 of 50

1

In recent years, the religious right has had a great effect on American politics through

Select one of the following:

  • grassroots mobilization.

  • gaining access

  • litigation

  • campaign financing

  • iron triangles

Explanation

Question 48 of 50

1

When interest groups generate phony letters and phone calls in order to resemble a grassroots movement, this technique is called

Select one of the following:

  • sandlot ball

  • astroturf lobbying

  • populism with the people

  • gerrymandering.

  • hardball politics

Explanation

Question 49 of 50

1

Which of the following has been eliminated as a result of 2002 campaign-finance reforms?

Select one of the following:

  • PACs

  • soft money

  • laws limiting the amount a candidate may spend of his or her personal fortune

  • interest group lobbying

  • grassroots mobilization

Explanation

Question 50 of 50

1

Which of the following statements about PACs is most accurate

Select one of the following:

  • The number of both labor PACs and ideological/public interest PACs has decreased significantly since 1980

  • The number of both labor PACs and ideological/public interest PACs has increased dramatically since 1980

  • The number of ideological/public interest PACs has increased dramatically since 1980, while the number of labor PACs has remained essentially the same.

  • The number of ideological/public interest PACs has decreased dramatically since 1980, while the number of labor PACs has remained essentially the same

  • The number of ideological/public interest PACs has increased dramatically since 1980,
    while the number of labor PACs has decreased significantly

Explanation