AP Government Unit 5

C

A primary election in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket is called A an open primary B a blanket primary C a closed primary D a runoff primary E a presidential preference primary

C

A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48 percent of that state's popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40 percent of the vote, and an independent candidate receives 12 percent of the vote. If the state is similar to most other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated? A The Democratic candidate will receive 5 electoral votes, the Republican will receive 4, and the independent will receive 2. B The Democratic candidate will receive 6 electoral votes and the Republican will receive 5. C The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 electoral votes. D The votes will not be allocated until there has been a runoff election between the Democratic and Republican candidates. E The House of Representatives will determine the allocation of the electoral votes.

C

In 1980, a small group of parents personally affected by drunk driving formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Over the past four decades, they have grown in number and have lobbied on state and local levels promoting legislation such as stricter limits on blood alcohol levels for drivers. MADD is an example of which of the following? A Political party with the goal of influencing public opinion B Social movement with the goal of influencing the federal budget C Single-issue group with the goal of impacting policy making D Bureaucratic agency implementing policy

A

Senator Hoffman is campaigning for reelection in her state. Her campaign message emphasizes how the policies she has supported have benefited her constituents. She has spotlighted job creation and an overall improvement in the standard of living in the state in the past six years. Senator Hoffman is hoping to appeal to which of the following voting behavior models? A Retrospective voting B Prospective voting C Party-line voting D Rational-choice voting

D

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC, has raised over $50 million dollars, which it plans to spend on advertising in the next midterm election. It plans to target its spending in competitive districts in the days leading up to Election Day. Which of the following court cases decision is most likely to protect the right of the group in the scenario? A New York Times Company v. United States (1971) B Shaw v. Reno (1993) C McDonald v. Chicago (2010) D Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

A

The National Education Association (NEA) is an organization of teachers, administrators, and other educators who work together to advance the interests and impact of public education. One of the NEA's goals is to support public education by ending government funding of voucher programs that promote school privatization. Vouchers give parents financial incentives to send their children to private schools rather than having children attend local public schools. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective way to achieve the NEA's goal of furthering the interest of public education? A Lobby members of congressional committees to vote against all legislation that would support school voucher programs. B Petition Congress to hold an oversight hearing of the Department of Education on private and public school funding. C Increase membership in the NEA by offering new members financial benefits. D Request that the Supreme Court to declare the school voucher and privatization programs unconstitutional.

A

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urges its members to take action in support of what they term "animal friendly" legislation through their website. In addition to providing information about important issues that legislators may vote on, the nonprofit organization also describes the best ways to contact a legislator and tips on how best to interact with lawmakers. Which of the following is being illustrated in the scenario? A Interest groups sometimes form around a narrow set of issues with the goal of impacting policy making. B Interest groups lacking funding can overcome the free-rider problem by proposing legislation on their website. C Interest groups work to mobilize citizens and members of Congress to form an iron triangle. D Interest groups post messages on social media to request donations from members.

B

The term "horse-race journalism" refers to the tendency of the media to A cover Congress by focusing on committee chairs rather than on the work of the committees B cover campaigns by emphasizing the relative standings of the candidates in the polls rather than the issues they discuss C cover politics by concentrating on scandal and corruption rather than on instances of integrity and honorable action D compete for access to sources rather than to cooperate in gathering news E compete to be first with major breaking stories rather than trying to present full, accurate accounts of such stories

A

The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates results in which of the following? I. A weakening of party control over nominations II. A reduction in the costs of election campaigns III. An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates IV. An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections A I and III only B II and IV only C III and IV only D I, II, and III only E I, II, III, and IV

B

Typically, presidential candidates implement their campaign strategies by A applying their resources evenly among the states, because they must win popular votes in a majority of the states to be elected B focusing on larger, competitive states, because they might tip the balance of the electoral college C focusing on small states, because these states have proportionally more electoral votes than more populous states have D ignoring the electoral college, because the popular vote determines the outcome of the election E ignoring the electoral college, because more states are moving away from the winner-take-all system

B

When party members meet to nominate a candidate for office, they participate in which of the following? A General election B Caucus C Blanket primary D Open primary E Closed primary

D

Which of the following is a result of the electoral college system? A The winner of the presidency often lacks a majority of the popular vote. B Candidates focus on one-party states in which they can win most of the electoral votes. C The House of Representatives frequently chooses the President from the top three candidates. D Candidates focus on the states with the largest populations. E Campaign spending increases because candidates emphasize television advertising.

B

Which of the following is a type of primary election that requires registration as a party affiliate to vote? A Blanket B Closed C General D Open E Plebiscite

B

Which of the following is true of the electoral college system? A It encourages the emergence of third parties. B It encourages candidates to concentrate their campaigns in competitive, populous states. C It ensures that the votes of all citizens count equally in selecting the President. D It requires that a candidate win a minimum of 26 states to obtain a majority in the college. E It tends to make a presidential elections appear closer than they really are.

B

Which of the following provides the most accurate explanation of how consumer-driven media increases partisan polarization? A Consumer-driven media tends to avoid discussing controversial political topics. B Consumer-driven media reinforces existing political biases in individuals. C Consumer-driven media relies heavily on corporate advertising. D Consumer-driven media is overwhelmingly conservative.

C

Which of the following scenarios best represents an example of party-line voting? A A citizen always votes for the candidate who supports conservation of the environment. B A homeowner votes for a candidate based on the candidate's promise to lower property taxes. C A citizen casts votes for all Republicans based solely on the candidates' affiliation with the Republican Party. D A citizen votes for the incumbent member of the House of Representatives after receiving help processing his disability claim.

C

Which of the following scenarios is most related to the Twenty-Sixth Amendment? A A primary election is held to determine the candidate who will run as the Republican for the United States Senate. B An interest group purchases a television ad prior to an election. C An eighteen-year-old votes in a presidential election. D A woman votes in a local election.

C

Which of the following would result from the direct election of presidential candidates? A A national primary would be established. B Party nominating conventions would be abolished. C Each vote would count equally in determining which candidate won the election. D The electoral college would become more influential in the electoral process. E Third-party candidates would have less chance of winning the election.