Which of the following news sources reaches the most Americans
radio
television
the Internet
newspapers
magazines
The following are all concerns raised by the growing popularity of online news except
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.
Which of the following statements best describes the coverage given to American politics by international newspapers?
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.
Which statement about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is false?
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.
The Communications Decency Act was struck down by the Supreme Court because it violated the
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.
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
Telecommunications Act of 1996
fairness doctrine
equal time rule.
right of rebuttal
Communications Decency Act.
The fairness doctrine required that
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.
Which of the following statements about the digital divide is not true?
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.
What is a poll tax?
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
What was the main cause for dropping the legal voting age to eighteen?
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.
The Constitution was amended in ______ to give eighteen-year-olds the right to vote.
1900
1920
1942
1971
1994
Which of the following methods of participation was an important part of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s
mobilizing the power bloc of southern African American voters
violent protests
assassinations of political leaders
sit-ins and marches
placing initiatives on the ballot
Studies have discovered ______ to be the key element of successful mobilization efforts.
personal contact
direct mailings
extensive use of phone banks
advertising in local media
e-mail newsletters
The African American community
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.
Which of the following statements about the gender gap is false?
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.
Which of the following is true about political participation?
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
The explanation for political participation that points to the characteristics of individuals focuses on
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.
A political party is
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.
One important cause of the United States’ two-party system is
the Constitution’s requirement for bipartisanship in Congress
single-member electoral districts.
multimember electoral districts
proportional representation
internal mobilization
The United States began its tradition of the ______ during the early eighteenth century
single-party mandate
two-party system
multiparty system
527 committees
The first party system was characterized by conflict between the ______ and the ______.
Federalists; Jeffersonian Republicans
Democrats; Republicans
Whigs; Democrats
Whigs; Jeffersonian Republicans
Whigs; Federalists
During the 1980s, under the leadership of Ronald Reagan, which two groups did the Republican Party add to their coalition?
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
A party’s ______ contains its philosophy, principles, and policy positions.
caucus
convention
platform
machine
primary
The Constitution
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
Which of the following statements about party building is true?
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
In order for a political party to select a candidate to run in the general election, it holds a
primary election.
referendum.
midterm election.
franchise vote
exploratory committee
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
majority
plurality
proportionality
unitary
Before the 1890s, who was responsible for printing election ballots?
the federal government
state governments
political parties
the National League of Women Voters
voters
Which of the following statements is true?
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
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?
0
30
32
44
50
“King Caucus” refers to
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.
Which party has reserved slots at the national convention for elected superdelegates?
the Republicans
the Democrats
the Greens
the Reform Party
the Independents
Which of the following politicians was recalled from office?
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)
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)
incumbency
campaign
caucus.
platform.
national convention.
A ______ is a media format in which candidates meet with ordinary citizens, without the input of journalists or commentators
town hall meeting
spot ad
infomercial
photo op
Which of the following were not major contributors to George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign?
airlines
trial lawyers
energy producers
tobacco companies
banks
Interest groups most effectively serve
the working classes
the powerless
the upper classes.
government bureaucrats
racial and ethnic minorities
When membership in an organization allows for a reduction in the price of museum tickets, it is called a
solidary benefit
promotion offer.
material benefit
bribe.
purposive benefit
The solidary benefits of interest groups include
friendship and consciousness-raising
special services and goods
information and money.
identification with the purpose or ideology of the group
representation before government.
Approximately how many members does AARP have?
3,800
38,000
338,000
3,800,000
38,000,000
The increased number and importance of interest groups
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.
Which of the following is not a job regularly performed by lobbyists?
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
Which of the following statements about lobbyists and members of Congress is incorrect?
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.
Why is the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 important to lobbyists?
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
Which of the following are lobbyists not required by federal law to disclose?
who they are working for
how much they are paid
who they are lobbying
what they are looking for
how many members they represent
How can interest groups use litigation as a strategy of influence?
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
In recent years, the religious right has had a great effect on American politics through
grassroots mobilization.
gaining access
litigation
campaign financing
iron triangles
When interest groups generate phony letters and phone calls in order to resemble a grassroots movement, this technique is called
sandlot ball
astroturf lobbying
populism with the people
gerrymandering.
hardball politics
Which of the following has been eliminated as a result of 2002 campaign-finance reforms?
PACs
soft money
laws limiting the amount a candidate may spend of his or her personal fortune
interest group lobbying
grassroots mobilization
Which of the following statements about PACs is most accurate
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
