Final Review (Ch 10-14)

Since the 1960s, ______. A. Republicans and Democrats have become more consistent in their ideologies B. both Republicans and Democrats have become more conservative C. southern Democrats have grown in number and importance to the Democratic Party D. Republicans have been less ideologically consistent than Democrats

A. Republicans and Democrats have become more consistent in their ideologies

______ had the largest historical impact on the U.S. government becoming more involved in economic policy. A. The Great Depression B. World War II C. The Civil War D. The war on poverty

A. The Great Depression

According to the text, if a healthy democracy requires an informed public to deliberate on important issues, how has the media performed in creating such a space? A. The media has failed at this task. B. The media has succeeded at this task. C. The media provides services to a public that is not receptive. D. The government prevents the media from creating such a space.

A. The media has failed at this task.

Defining for the public the relative importance of an issue through the amount and prominence of coverage it receives is referred to as ______. A. agenda-setting capacity B. revolving door C. liberal bias D. muckraking

A. agenda-setting capacity

. Both parties typically have competitive presidential primaries at the same time when ______. A. an incumbent is not running for reelection B. opinion polls show that the two parties are running neck and neck C. public interest in policy issues is especially high D. interest groups view an election as critical, even if the public pays little attention

A. an incumbent is not running for reelection

Benchmark polls and tracking polls are two types of ______. A. campaign polls B. national polls C. pseudo-polls D. push polls

A. campaign polls

A tax levied on returns from capital investments, such as profits from the sale of real estate, is a(n) ______ tax. A. capital gains B. excise C. consumption D. value-added

A. capital gains

The danger of majority tyranny in a democracy most likely would result from ______. A. majority rule without the tempering influence of debate and discussion B. the growing influence of the media C. the tendency of citizens to vote emotionally in elections D. too many procedural restraints on Congress

A. majority rule without the tempering influence of debate and discussion

A(n) ______ program is a social program whose beneficiaries qualify by demonstrating need. A. means-tested B. qualified-need C. entitlement D. subsidy

A. means-tested

A valence issue is an issue ______. A. on which most voters and candidates share the same position B. that sharply divides the two candidates C. on which the two candidates agree but on which the public is sharply divided D. that splits voters within one party

A. on which most voters and candidates share the same position

The system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors is called ______. A. patronage B. the party machine C. electioneering D. party benefits

A. patronage

Recently, pollsters have had trouble including a representative number of young people in their samples because ______. A. pollsters cannot legally autodial cell phones B. recent scandals have alienated young people from polling C. social media platforms will not permit pollsters to conduct surveys D. young people always refuse to participate in polling

A. pollsters cannot legally autodial cell phones

Those who are less likely to vote tend to be ______. A. poor rather than wealthy B. older rather than younger C. college graduates D. relatively wealthy

A. poor rather than wealthy

A ______ issue is one on which the parties differ in their perspectives and their proposed solutions. A. position B. valence C. momentum D. wedge

A. position

The income level below which a family is considered to be poor is the ______. A. poverty threshold B. poverty level C. homelessness index D. social welfare threshold

A. poverty threshold

The authors conclude that, in general, the accuracy of election polls is ______. A. quite good B. good in some years, but very poor in other years C. generally poor D. cannot be determined

A. quite good

The heart of Keynesianism is that the government should ______. A. run deficits during recessions and surpluses when the economy is doing well B. run surpluses during recessions and deficits when the economy is doing well C. run surpluses all the time D. run deficits all the time

A. run deficits during recessions and surpluses when the economy is doing well

The use of issues in campaign strategy is about ______. A. setting the agenda B. persuading the public of the value of your solutions to problems while ignoring your opponent C. debating issue positions with your opponent D. taking both sides of controversial issues or being as vague as possible

A. setting the agenda

In terms of party identification, currently ______. A. slightly more Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans B. fewer Americans are independents than either Democrats or Republicans C. far more Americans identify as Republicans than as Democrats D. more Americans belong to third parties than to either major party

A. slightly more Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans

Distributive policies are popular because ______. A. their costs are not noticed because they are spread among all taxpayers, but their benefits go to a specific group who knows they are benefiting B. their costs are low C. the projects supported by such spending are rarely of questionable value D. they benefit the needy

A. their costs are not noticed because they are spread among all taxpayers, but their benefits go to a specific group who knows they are benefiting

Most voters who identify with one of the two main American political parties adopt their party identification from ______. A. their parents B. the mass media C. party literature D. interest groups

A. their parents

Barbour and Wright state that the probable outcome of an electoral system based on single-member district plurality electoral rules is a ______. A. two-party system B. vibrant democracy C. multiparty system D. parliamentary system

A. two-party system

Internet polls are ______. A. unreliable B. highly reliable C. reliable if the right types of questions are asked D. more reliable than exit polls or tracking polls

A. unreliable

Which of these is a true statement concerning the relationship between age and opinions? A. People tend to be more politically engaged in their youth. B. Groups of citizens of the same age can be shaped by the same political events. C. Older people are more likely to be influenced by current political trends. D. As older generations die, the overall opinions in the population change very little.

B. Groups of citizens of the same age can be shaped by the same political events.

______ voting occurs when people base their voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of their votes. A. Partisan B. Prospective C. Retrospective D. Wedge issue

B. Prospective

According to James Madison, political parties were ______. A. the organizations that would link citizens to government B. a dangerous version of factions C. not likely to become influential until after the writers of the Constitution died D. unlikely to become influential in American politics

B. a dangerous version of factions

Talk radio has been ______. A. attracting a greater number of younger listeners in recent years B. a forum for mostly conservative political discussion C. badly damaged by the recent imposition of the fairness doctrine D. commercially successful in only a few markets

B. a forum for mostly conservative political discussion

The primary impact of state voter registration laws has been to ______. A. make it more expensive to vote B. decrease turnout C. prevent fraud D. improve voter awareness of elections

B. decrease turnout

A common feature of sixth party era American politics that makes it difficult to hold parties accountable for their performance in office is ______. A. frequent elections B. divided government C. the two-party system D. interest group lobbying

B. divided government

Countries of the world today are more interdependent in terms of ______. A. human rights B. economics C. militaries D. diplomacy

B. economics

An interest group ______ is an effective leader who is likely to have organized an interest group and can effectively promote its interests. A. oligarch B. entrepreneur C. activist D. adviser

B. entrepreneur

Public policy can be defined as a(n) ______. A. partisan compromise on some issue B. government plan of action to solve a social problem C. agreement among the president, Congress, and the Supreme Court to take a certain course of action D. government plan of action passed only by legislatures

B. government plan of action to solve a social problem

The use of interest rates to control the money supply in order to regulate the economy is known as ______ policy. A. budgetary B. monetary C. antitrust D. regulatory

B. monetary

The Cold War refers to ______. A. the Korean War B. the half century of tension between the Soviet Union and the United States following World War II C. the relationship between the United States and Cuba resulting from the mutual embargoes placed on one another D. a pause in a war

B. the half century of tension between the Soviet Union and the United States following World War II

Voter turnout for U.S. national elections is ______. A. about average among industrialized nations B. the lowest, or among the lowest, among industrialized nations C. consistently in third place among industrialized nations D. generally highest during midterm elections

B. the lowest, or among the lowest, among industrialized nations

Crisis policy, strategic policy, and structural defense policy are ______. A. the three major types of domestic policy B. the three major types of foreign policy C. the exclusive domain of the president D. the exclusive domain of Congress

B. the three major types of foreign policy

According to the text, the current process of political socialization in the United States ______. A. teaches us tolerance for the political values of other nations B. trains us to support and obey the existing political system C. teaches us to think independently and critically D. is the primary function of a college education

B. trains us to support and obey the existing political system

With certain exceptions, the Democratic Party appeals to ______. A. evangelical Protestants, suburbanites, and small business owners B. union members, urbanites, and ethnic and religious minorities C. working-class voters, suburbanites, Catholics, and evangelical Protestants D. the poor, evangelical Protestants, and the highly educated

B. union members, urbanites, and ethnic and religious minorities

The journalist whose 1968 reporting from Vietnam was blamed by President Johnson for a decline in American public support for participation in that conflict was ______. A. Howard Smith B. Eric Sevareid C. Walter Cronkite D. Edward Murrow

C. Walter Cronkite

Which newspaper exposed the Watergate scandal of the Nixon presidency that resulted in his resignation? A. New York Times B. LA Times C. Washington Post D. Boston Globe

C. Washington Post

According to the text, the images that voters have of candidates usually cause voters to ______. A. struggle to perceive any meaningful differences among presidential candidates B. make the presidential contest out to be something akin to a beauty contest C. form clear opinions about candidate qualities that are relevant to governing D. typically ignore candidate qualities that are relevant to governing

C. form clear opinions about candidate qualities that are relevant to governing

In terms of health-care expenditures, the United States ______. A. ranks last among OECD member states B. has reduced its outlay on this line item considerably in the last decade C. spends a greater percentage of its GDP on health care than any other industrialized country D. boasts the most efficient system of the advanced industrialized democracies

C. spends a greater percentage of its GDP on health care than any other industrialized country

A budget deficit occurs when a country's ______. A. main stock exchange experiences a bull market B. currency depreciates in value C. tax revenues fall short of what its government spends D. spending outlays are less than its tax revenues

C. tax revenues fall short of what its government spends

Which of the following programs would be considered by Barbour and Wright to be a form of social insurance? A. food stamps B. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) C. Section 8 housing assistance D. Social Security

D. Social Security

Sampling error refers to ______. A. a situation in which a sample is not representative of the larger universe being measured B. mistakes made in the recording of responses in a poll C. a situation in which question wording biases the result D. a number that indicates within what range the results of a poll are accurate

D. a number that indicates within what range the results of a poll are accurate

Which of these is an example of an economic interest group? A. consumer groups B. equal opportunity groups C. government interest groups D. agricultural interest groups

D. agricultural interest groups

One advantage of social media, blogs, and other Internet-based communication channels is that they ______. A. provide a limited number of information sources for individuals new to American politics B. have high start-up costs for budding political commentators C. automatically filter out extremist political chatter and conspiracy theories D. are much more interactive than earlier forms of the media

D. are much more interactive than earlier forms of the media

The tendency of the media to make coverage and programming decisions based on what will attract a large audience and maximize profits is known as ______. A. infotainment B. narrowcasting C. yellow journalism D. commercial bias

D. commercial bias

The policy that says the United States should put its interest first and not interfere in global concerns is known as ______. A. the Reagan Doctrine B. manifest destiny C. "One Hemisphere" D. isolationism

D. isolationism

The list of policy positions an American party officially endorses at its nominating convention and its presidential candidate seeks to enact is called the party ______. A. ideology B. manifesto C. agenda D. platform

D. platform

The biggest obstacle to a system of national health care in the United States is that ______. A. the experience of the other industrialized nations leads to the conclusion that a national health-care system would be far more expensive in terms of GDP than the current system B. the American public is very satisfied with the current system C. patients' advocacy groups oppose it out of fear that they would lose their freedom to choose better care D. such a policy runs counter to American political culture due to fears of excessive government control, large costs, and inefficient services E. a national health-care system was tried during the Great Depression and was a total failure Ans: D

D. such a policy runs counter to American political culture due to fears of excessive government control, large costs, and inefficient services

A presidential speechwriter who then took a job as a syndicated columnist and later returned as a domestic policy adviser to a member of Congress illustrates ______. A. bias B. press-politics integration C. cyclical journalism D. the revolving door

D. the revolving door

T/F: According to the text, social connectedness has been increasing over the past several decades.

F

T/F: Citizen journalists have more resources than journalists who work at traditional media outlets.

F

T/F: Commercial bias shows us that viewers do more than passively receive news and values presented by the media.

F

T/F: Compared with other industrialized nations, the United States ranks near the top in voter participation.

F

T/F: Females are more conservative on issues of reproductive rights.

F

T/F: The portion of the population selected to participate in a poll is known as the weighting bias.

F

T/F: A plebiscite is a popular vote on national policy issues.

T

T/F: In recent presidential elections, voter turnout has been rising.

T

T/F: Push polls are an excellent way to smear one's election opponents by spreading rumors about them.

T

Although there remain some clear public opinion differences that exist between members of particular religious denominations, Barbour and Wright declare that a sharper distinction might be developing between ______. A. Americans who are highly religious and those who are not B. Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Christians C. agnostics, atheists, and secular humanists D. Christians on one side and Jews and Muslims on the other

A. Americans who are highly religious and those who are not

Which demographic group shows the most support for the death penalty? A. European Americans B. African Americans C. Latinos D. Asians

A. European Americans

The third-party candidate who likely impeded George H. W. Bush's reelection bid in 1992 is ______. A. H. Ross Perot B. George Wallace C. John Anderson D. Ralph Nader

A. H. Ross Perot

Traditionally, the first presidential caucuses are conducted in ______. A. Iowa B. South Carolina C. Nevada D. New Hampshire

A. Iowa

Which statement is true regarding the Social Security Act? A. It became law as part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs. B. It constituted a major part of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society strategy. C. It was repealed by the Affordable Care Act. D. It guarantees an annual income to all Americans.

A. It became law as part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs.

An example of a redistributive policy is ______. A. Medicaid B. trade policy C. corporate welfare D. environmental policy

A. Medicaid

The only states that might regularly split their electoral votes between multiple presidential candidates are Maine and ______. A. Nebraska B. New Jersey C. North Carolina D. New York

A. Nebraska

______ determine(s) how delegates are distributed by the primaries. A. Party rules B. Federal statutes C. The Constitution D. State statutes

A. Party rules

______ are interest groups that try to influence government to produce collective goods or services that benefit the general public. A. Public interest groups B. Government interest groups C. Economic interest groups D. Foreign interest groups

A. Public interest groups

The ______ was Congress's attempt to limit the president's ability to use troops in hostilities without congressional approval. A. War Powers Act B. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution C. National Defense Act D. Helms-Burton Act

A. War Powers Act

Modern-day national party nominating conventions are generally ______. A. a rubber stamp for the victor of the primaries B. more unpredictable than in previous years C. essentially the same as in the founders' day D. longer and considerably more exciting

A. a rubber stamp for the victor of the primaries

George H. W. Bush's statement, "Read my lips, no new taxes," is a famous example of ______. A. a sound bite B. news management C. infotainment D. political accountability

A. a sound bite

Regarding the impact of the public in American national decision-making, the founders wanted ______. A. a system legitimated by the public but also protected from the possible dangers of the public's power B. a system responsive to the fluctuations in public opinion C. only the social and economic elite to have a role in the new government D. senators elected by the public and the president elected by the Senate

A. a system legitimated by the public but also protected from the possible dangers of the public's power

Benchmark polls ______. A. are instrumental in designing campaign strategy B. are relied on by the media for information on the campaign C. have caused the public to question the accuracy of polls D. allow pundits to analyze voting on Election Day

A. are instrumental in designing campaign strategy

Americans ______. A. are much more likely to belong to interest groups than are citizens of other nations B. are much less likely to belong to interest groups than are citizens of other nations C. don't have any choices when it comes to joining an interest group D. are willing to join groups that are not involved in politics, but they shy away from groups that engage in political activity

A. are much more likely to belong to interest groups than are citizens of other nations

Individuals whose ideology and political views were shaped by events in their youth ______. A. are referred to as members of a political generation B. have been impacted by partisan sorting C. may face the issues presented by the gender and marriage gaps D. will need to break the spiral of silence

A. are referred to as members of a political generation

Party activists often exert exceptional influence on the stances their parties take because they ______. A. are the most likely individuals to vote in primary elections and work in campaigns B. control top party positions and can impose their will on the grassroots members C. already hold elected office and can distribute patronage to other party members D. are characterized by their personal charisma and negative partisanship

A. are the most likely individuals to vote in primary elections and work in campaigns

The Social Security Act ______. A. became law as part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs B. constituted a major part of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society strategy C. was repealed by the Affordable Care Act D. guarantees an annual income to all Americans

A. became law as part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs

Barbour and Wright maintain that when the Supreme Court issues a ruling on the constitutionality of a particular bureaucratic regulation, they are ______. A. becoming involved in the policymaking process B. settling a dispute better left to Congress C. treading on presidential prerogative D. intervening in the states' sphere of influence properly

A. becoming involved in the policymaking process

Tracking polls are significant because they ______. A. can catch daily changes in public opinion that other polls cannot B. help candidates devise their campaign strategy C. have caused the public to question the accuracy of polls D. allow pundits to make predictions on Election Day

A. can catch daily changes in public opinion that other polls cannot

Social connectedness refers to ______. A. citizens' involvement in groups and relationships to their communities and families B. knowing that there is little popular support for such alterations C. a party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates D. the process of setting rules that define who can vote and how easy it will be

A. citizens' involvement in groups and relationships to their communities and families

Horse-race journalism frames political elections as ______. A. competitions between individuals B. opportunities to participate in democracy C. education for the public D. tribal competitions between groups

A. competitions between individuals

. Because of the Electoral College, presidential candidates generally spend most of their time and resources in ______. A. competitive states, especially large ones B. states where there are competitive local races C. coastal and border states because they are the so-called blue states D. California, Texas, and New York because they are the biggest states

A. competitive states, especially large ones

PAC money is directed primarily toward ______. A. congressional incumbents B. congressional challengers C. liberal candidates regardless of whether they are incumbents or challengers D. congressional challengers who run against party leaders of either party

A. congressional incumbents

In American politics, which group generally opposes governmental action to solve economic problems but favors increased governmental involvement in citizens' social and moral lives? A. conservatives B. libertarians C. liberals D. communitarians

A. conservatives

The role of gatekeepers is to ______. A. decide the details about what news gets covered B. confine their role to getting the facts of the story straight C. interpret complex problems D. establish funding

A. decide the details about what news gets covered

When a group like Mothers Against Drunk Driving attempts to increase politicians' understanding of the problems related to impaired driving, the organization is engaging in ______. A. education B. agenda setting C. participation D. representation

A. education

When Republican Party activists tried to turn out their base to vote for Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign, those activists were engaging in ______. A. electioneering B. party discipline C. conflict extension D. direct lobbying

A. electioneering

The last step in the policymaking process is policy ______. A. evaluation B. implementation C. adoption D. formulation

A. evaluation

The type of poll that would be most helpful to a network seeking to call a race before the votes have been officially tallied is a(n) ______ poll. A. exit B. benchmark C. tracking D. weighted

A. exit

A tax system in which all people pay the same percentage of their income is a(n) ______ tax. A. flat B. excise C. consumption D. capital gains

A. flat

Alexis de Tocqueville observed during his travels in the 19th-century United States that Americans had an unusual propensity to ______. A. form organizations B. silence media outlets C. create new political parties D. vote for radical candidates

A. form organizations

When a news organization decides to report a story on a tornado by focusing on how many are dead versus how many survived, it engages in ______. A. framing B. focusing C. priming D. news management

A. framing

Many interest groups face the ______ when recruiting members who can gain the benefits of their activities whether or not they join. A. free rider problem B. public goods dilemma C. limited incentives problem D. iron law of oligarchy

A. free rider problem

Barbour and Wright maintain that good campaign staffers are always looking for ways to ______. A. gain their candidates free positive publicity B. allow the media to dictate how events are interpreted C. let gaffes get out of control D. perpetuate the norm of horse-race journalism

A. gain their candidates free positive publicity

Modern political parties have two fundamental activities, ______. A. governing and electioneering B. recruiting and nominating candidates C. running conventions and campaigns D. direct lobbying and indirect lobbying

A. governing and electioneering

The Federal Communications Act was passed because ______. A. government regulation was needed to manage competition for scarce airwaves B. the partisan ownership of most stations required that more stations be established to serve the public interest C. Congress felt a need to bring truth to the broadcast industry given its propensity to run so many slanderous programs D. Congress wanted to ensure unbiased news coverage

A. government regulation was needed to manage competition for scarce airwaves

The authors of the textbook argue that Americans behave as ideal citizens as a ______, although as ______ they do not. A. group; individuals B. individuals; a group C. voters; individuals D. individuals; voters

A. group; individuals

The politics surrounding the creation of regulatory policies are ______. A. highly confrontational B. the source of pork barrel politics C. redistributive politics D. distributive politics

A. highly confrontational

Because television is an entertainment medium, its coverage of political events focuses on ______. A. image B. controversial topics C. only important issues D. rhetoric

A. image

Barbour and Wright conclude that a result of the media's focus on image and scandal has been a(n) ______. A. increase in public cynicism about both politics and the media B. more informed electorate that wants to participate in politics C. decline in public support for third parties D. more stable American democratic system

A. increase in public cynicism about both politics and the media

A reporter looking at the ways cell phone companies overcharge their customers is an example of ______ journalism. A. interpretive/investigator B. gatekeeper C. disseminator D. muckraker

A. interpretive/investigator

In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court ______. A. invalidated part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 B. struck down Indiana's voter identification requirements C. rejected provisions of the Motor Voter Act as unconstitutional D. voided sections of the Help America Vote Act

A. invalidated part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

. A major criticism of AFDC was that ______. A. it had no work requirements B. families were able to receive aid only for a short period of time C. the aid to most families was not sufficient to meet basic needs D. too many poor people received no aid

A. it had no work requirements

A major reason why the president's media staffers try to orchestrate a daily theme for presidential press coverage is that ______. A. journalists might otherwise try to report on objectionable stories B. reporters will refuse to cover the president entirely C. most journalists are too lazy to engage in investigative reporting D. public broadcasters need an official line to report

A. journalists might otherwise try to report on objectionable stories

If you are conducting a horse-race poll, you want your sample to comprise ______. A. likely voters B. all those over the age of 18 C. only those who identify with a political party D. all American citizens

A. likely voters

Barbour and Wright reveal that an unfortunate, although frequent, result of the deadline pressures that many journalists face is that they tend to ______. A. link everyday news stories to easy, if shallow, narratives B. concoct stories out of whole cloth if nothing newsworthy is available C. turn to investigative reporting to really get to the bottom of an issue D. refuse to file any story until something worthwhile happens

A. link everyday news stories to easy, if shallow, narratives

Front-loading affects the selection of a nominee by ______. A. making success in earlier primaries all the more important in gaining and keeping momentum B. hurting incumbent presidents who cannot contest their party's primaries as easily as challengers C. making the performance of candidates at conventions all the more important D. making money less important in early contests as long as the candidate gets in front of other borrowers for the later primaries

A. making success in earlier primaries all the more important in gaining and keeping momentum

Generally speaking, the Republican Party appeals to ______. A. middle-class voters, evangelicals, and suburban voters B. lower-class voters, suburbanites, and Catholics C. middle-class, Catholic, minority, and urban voters D. upper-class voters, evangelicals, and ethnic minorities

A. middle-class voters, evangelicals, and suburban voters

According to the textbook, for candidates, the goal of presidential campaigns is to ______. A. mobilize their base and entice swing voters to vote for them B. convert voters affiliated with the other party C. convince undecided and swing voters to support them D. destroy their opponent's credibility

A. mobilize their base and entice swing voters to vote for them

Comparatively speaking, the differences between American political parties are ______. A. narrower than those in many other democratic systems B. more easily overcome now than several decades ago C. more sharply defined than those in parliamentary democracies D. gradually becoming less important

A. narrower than those in many other democratic systems

Compared with other industrialized nations, the United States ranks ______ in voter participation. A. near the bottom B. in the top quarter C. among the very highest D. in the middle

A. near the bottom

As important as each party's base is, ______. A. neither is large enough to allow either party to win general elections with it solely B. candidates should ignore it to move as close to the middle as possible C. politicians usually win primary elections without capturing a large portion of it D. its lack of organization makes it a cumbersome tool at election time

A. neither is large enough to allow either party to win general elections with it solely

The equal time provision resulted in ______. A. news stations refusing to provide airtime to any candidates B. candidate debates to ensure that all viewpoints are provided to the media C. opportunities for the candidates of major parties to get their views across D. increasing popularity of third-party candidates

A. news stations refusing to provide airtime to any candidates

The role of public opinion in government today is strongly debated because ______. A. on the one hand, we want our opinions to be heard, but on the other hand we do not want politicians to blindly follow public opinion B. people always trust their own opinions but never the opinions of others C. Congress listens only to a few people's opinions when crafting policy D. politicians become beholden to special interests when they follow public opinion

A. on the one hand, we want our opinions to be heard, but on the other hand we do not want politicians to blindly follow public opinion

Unlike Europe, where many multiparty systems developed, the United States remains a two-party system because ______. A. our electoral laws promote this outcome B. Congress has refused to seat third-party members C. third parties have never promoted important issues D. most American policy issues only have two sides

A. our electoral laws promote this outcome

The rank-and-file members who carry out the party's electioneering efforts are the ______. A. party activists B. party-in-the-electorate C. party delegates D. party bosses

A. party activists

An important aspect of political socialization that develops in children even before they start to attend school is ______. A. patriotism B. political tolerance C. political efficacy D. apathy

A. patriotism

The creation of a regulation by a bureaucratic agency would be an example of ______. A. policy adoption B. policy implementation C. agenda setting D. policy evaluation

A. policy adoption

Citizens' feelings of effectiveness in political affairs are called ______. A. political efficacy B. system stability C. power D. legitimacy

A. political efficacy

The current income tax in the United States is an example of a(n) ______ tax. A. progressive B. capital gains C. regressive D. excise

A. progressive

A(n) ______ poll would be most likely to include the following question: "Would you be more or less likely to vote for Representative Peterson in the next election if you knew she was sleeping with a staffer?" A. push B. tracking C. benchmark D. straw

A. push

Front-loading is the process of ______. A. scheduling presidential primaries earlier in the primary season B. encouraging one's supporters to vote early on the primary election day C. requiring all fund-raising to occur in the year prior to parties' primaries and caucuses D. presidents declaring their candidacy early to scare off potential opponents

A. scheduling presidential primaries earlier in the primary season

Public policy that seeks to meet the basic needs of people who are unable to provide for themselves is known as ______ policy. A. social welfare B. fiscal C. regulatory D. monetary

A. social welfare

A(n) ______ is a financial incentive given by the government to corporations, individuals, or other governments. A. subsidy B. entitlement C. monetary benefit D. redistribution

A. subsidy

Realignment refers to a ______. A. substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by individuals and groups, usually resulting in a change in policy direction B. trend among voters to identify themselves as third-party members rather than as members of a major party C. period of time when party members become more loyal to their political party D. trend among voters to identify themselves as independents rather than as members of a major party

A. substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by individuals and groups, usually resulting in a change in policy direction

Regarding tolerance, Americans are generally ______. A. supportive of general issues but less supportive of extending rights to unpopular groups B. less tolerant the more educated they are C. unwilling to share their views on tolerance D. extremely tolerant of all different viewpoints

A. supportive of general issues but less supportive of extending rights to unpopular groups

Party activists ______. A. tend to be more ideological than the voters in the general election B. normally vote for more moderate candidates in primaries C. are less likely to vote than independents D. are the people who Barbour and Wright believe are the party bosses

A. tend to be more ideological than the voters in the general election

Distributive policies can be problematic because they ______. A. tend to be popular but can lead to wasteful spending B. place undue burdens on businesses, making it more difficult for them to make a profit C. help only the poor but are paid for by the wealthy D. are often extremely controversial and lead to great partisan division during their passage

A. tend to be popular but can lead to wasteful spending

Politicians who are thinking about running for the presidency begin their run by ______. A. testing the waters unofficially B. announcing their candidacy C. acquiring the money to run D. filing with the Federal Election Commission

A. testing the waters unofficially

Wedge issues are controversial matters ______. A. that one party uses to split voters in the other party B. that are generally ignored in campaigns because they are too explosive C. that undecided voters use to choose their preferred candidate D. on which most voters and candidates share the same position

A. that one party uses to split voters in the other party

An example of an intergovernmental organization is ______. A. the United Nations B. Greenpeace C. the U.S. State Department D. General Motors

A. the United Nations

Political action committees, or PACs, are ______. A. the fund-raising arm for interest groups B. a candidate's campaign staff C. prohibited under the McCain-Feingold Act D. created by parties to raise money

A. the fund-raising arm for interest groups

Fiscal policy refers to ______. A. the government's use of taxing and spending powers to regulate the economy B. the use of interest rates to control the money supply in order to regulate the economy C. policies designed to regulate business, labor, and trade D. regulations designed to regulate business, labor, and trade E. the regulation of the market to ensure the effectiveness of social welfare policies

A. the government's use of taxing and spending powers to regulate the economy

Modern campaigns are run by professional staff because ______. A. the party campaign committee cannot provide the technical services needed in the modern campaign B. the party political committees cannot be trusted C. the party organization is too busy trying to win state and local elections D. presidential candidates believe a professional staff reflects better on their credentials for the presidency

A. the party campaign committee cannot provide the technical services needed in the modern campaign

The tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector jobs is known as ______. A. the revolving door B. the trial balloon C. press patronage D. bicameral journalism

A. the revolving door

. One of the difficulties faced by the front-runner in presidential primaries is ______. A. the tendency of the other candidates to attack him simultaneously B. attracting media attention to his campaign C. raising enough money to remain competitive D. developing issue positions that appeal to party activists

A. the tendency of the other candidates to attack him simultaneously

Issue ownership refers to ______. A. the tendency of the public to view one of the parties as more competent in a policy area B. what happens when a candidate successfully addresses an issue before her opponent can C. when the media falsely imputes certain values and policy positions to underdog candidates D. when a candidate makes one particular issue the theme of her campaign

A. the tendency of the public to view one of the parties as more competent in a policy area

The process by which citizens take their political cues from more well-informed opinion leaders is known as ______. A. the two-step flow of information B. political socialization C. on-line processing D. rational ignorance

A. the two-step flow of information

The most recent change in the way news is being disseminated and how candidates are creating networks of supporters is ______. A. the use of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites for these purposes B. more Americans are reading newspapers on Kindle or other electronic readers C. information is spread more and more by word of mouth nowadays D. monetary compensation for supporters

A. the use of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites for these purposes

A party's effort to inform potential voters and persuade them to vote for that party is known as ______. A. voter mobilization B. issue advocacy C. prompting D. oppo research

A. voter mobilization

The important of spin and image became essential to political life in the ______. A. 1930s B. 1960s C. 1980s D. 1990s

B. 1960s

What percentage of Americans receives news from radio? A. 18 B. 25 C. 37 D. 67

B. 25

According to the authors of the textbook, which of these is a key advantage of the "political specialization view" of modern democracy? A. It is extremely flexible and prone to change. B. It responds to changes of issues and candidates. C. The electorate as a whole does not care at all. D. It protects the interests of those who are least likely to be the activist or pluralist citizens.

B. It responds to changes of issues and candidates.

News coverage of ______ is an example of commercial bias. A. an agricultural bill B. John Edwards's extramarital affair C. the effects of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) D. the appropriate qualifications for a Supreme Court justice

B. John Edwards's extramarital affair

Due to his telegenic personality, the first president to make extensive use of television was ______. A. Ronald Reagan B. John F. Kennedy C. Franklin D. Roosevelt D. Theodore Roosevelt

B. John F. Kennedy

The president's inner circle of foreign policy advisers that includes such people as the secretaries of state and defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the ______. A. War Cabinet B. National Security Council C. White House Foreign Policy Section D. American Foreign Policy Agency

B. National Security Council

______ is the idealized voting behavior, but ______ more realistically reflects how policy considerations influence voters' decisions. A. Swing voting; prospective voting B. Prospective voting; retrospective voting C. Prospective voting; swing voting D. Retrospective voting; prospective voting

B. Prospective voting; retrospective voting

Barbour and Wright's comparison of American social welfare programs with Social Security suggests that ______. A. neither group of programs has many zealous supporters in Congress B. Social Security remains popular while social welfare programs have been curtailed C. both programs face serious opposition from interest groups such as the AARP D. considerable majorities of the public would like to see both programs massively expanded

B. Social Security remains popular while social welfare programs have been curtailed

______ is a welfare program of block grants to states that encourages recipients to work in exchange for time-limited benefits. A. Head Start B. TANF C. AFDC D. Medicaid

B. TANF

What is a key effect of Electoral College votes being counted on a winner-take-all basis in all but two states? A. Candidates have to raise considerable amounts of money during the general election campaign. B. The electoral vote margin exaggerates the popular vote margin, which then legitimizes the winner's victory. C. Despite being different votes, electoral and popular vote margins tend to mirror each other closely. D. Candidates are forced to visit all or nearly all states in order to sew up the election.

B. The electoral vote margin exaggerates the popular vote margin, which then legitimizes the winner's victory.

Which relationship between sample size and sampling error is correct? A. The smaller the sample, the smaller the sampling error will be. B. The larger the sample, the smaller the sampling error will be. C. Sampling error and poll size are unrelated. D. The wording of the poll questions will determine sampling error.

B. The larger the sample, the smaller the sampling error will be.

Which of these is a criterion that good survey questions must meet? A. They allow multiple interpretations. B. They ask about subjects that people are familiar with. C. They lead respondents to a conclusion. D. They offer seven or eight possible choices.

B. They ask about subjects that people are familiar with.

The corporate nature of the American media caused ______. A. increased coverage of business news B. advertisers to dictate the content of the news C. newspapers to become remarkably similar D. newspapers to become more expensive

B. advertisers to dictate the content of the news

According to the stages model, the first step in policymaking is ______. A. policy evaluation B. agenda setting C. policy implementation D. policy formulation

B. agenda setting

Barbour and Wright believe that public opinion polls ______. A. should make elections meaningless B. are, for the most part, reliable C. are not yet sufficiently scientific D. have mostly done away with sample bias

B. are, for the most part, reliable

According to the textbook, what is considered "winning" in primary elections? A. having an absolute majority of votes in every primary B. beating expectations and gathering momentum, even if the candidate did not come in first in the primary or caucus C. winning only the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary but no other primaries D. taking first place in every primary or caucus on a particular day

B. beating expectations and gathering momentum, even if the candidate did not come in first in the primary or caucus

Rational ignorance refers to ______. A. the belief that a lack of tolerance can be acceptable under certain circumstances B. being uninformed about politics because the cost in time and energy does not produce measurable results C. voters realizing that they do not understand most political issues D. the realization that politics is unimportant and has little impact on our lives and, thus, there is no need to participate

B. being uninformed about politics because the cost in time and energy does not produce measurable results

Survey experiments are normally employed to ______. A. plan campaign strategy in a close election B. better determine the true state of public opinion on sensitive issues C. ascertain the winner of an election shortly after the polls close D. gather baseline information about a candidate

B. better determine the true state of public opinion on sensitive issues

Using a term like "mob" rather than "crowd" in designing a poll question would be most likely to ______. A. encourage respondents to answer the question B. bias the results of the survey C. increase the survey's margin of error D. increase the randomness of the sample

B. bias the results of the survey

Typically, a party's vice-presidential candidate is ______. A. forced upon the party by the national leadership B. chosen by the party's presidential candidate C. an unsuccessful primary candidate D. selected even before the primaries are over

B. chosen by the party's presidential candidate

The new movement toward having everyday people act as journalists and report the news directly on social media or blogs is known as ______. A. muckraking B. citizen journalism C. commercial journalism D. front-loading

B. citizen journalism

Selective incentives are necessary for some interest groups because ______. A. their members are not interested in the group's collective benefit B. collective benefits cannot be kept from those who do not join the group, and the group needs paying members to join C. there are too few potential members for the group to be effective D. their members are too wealthy to join the group for the collective benefit

B. collective benefits cannot be kept from those who do not join the group, and the group needs paying members to join

The most basic consequence of the concentrated corporate ownership of the news is ______. A. higher taxes B. commercial bias C. less political news D. fewer advertisements

B. commercial bias

A ______ election marks a realignment in American politics. A. rational B. critical C. primary D. special

B. critical

The administration of George W. Bush faced criticism because his public relations staff ______. A. set up monthly press conferences for him B. ensured that he rarely faced questions from skeptical audiences or reporters C. deflected difficult questions and interviews to his vice president D. allowed him to appear on comedy news shows

B. ensured that he rarely faced questions from skeptical audiences or reporters

The main reason that some early predictions of the results of the 2000 presidential election were inaccurate was that the ______. A. largest media outlets were depending on outdated surveys B. exit polls used by various networks were skewed C. major broadcast networks are liberally biased D. networks embargoed their results until 5:00 p.m. on Election Day

B. exit polls used by various networks were skewed

The State Department is the executive department charged with managing ______. A. military affairs B. foreign affairs C. Medicaid and Medicare D. parks and forests

B. foreign affairs

When California moved its presidential primary from June to March, the state was engaging in ______. A. pump priming B. front-loading C. momentum building D. front-running

B. front-loading

In the presidential nomination process, ______. A. more states use caucuses than use primary elections to choose delegates to the national convention B. front-loading favors the candidate who goes into the nomination process as the front-runner C. the complicated and unpredictable scheduling of primaries and caucuses favors the candidate who goes into the process without a set strategy for winning the nomination D. the national party rules of both major parties require that the states allocate delegates on a proportional basis according to how many votes each candidate won in the state's primary election

B. front-loading favors the candidate who goes into the nomination process as the front-runner

Delegates to the national conventions are chosen ______. A. in closed meetings of the party leaders B. in primary elections and caucuses C. by national surveys D. by the party's presidential candidate

B. in primary elections and caucuses

The major consequence of the press's increased emphasis on conflict and image is ______. A. increased appreciation by the public for the importance of the political process B. increased cynicism by the public toward both the media and politics C. increased cynicism by the public toward the media and increased sympathy for politicians D. increased dependence on the media as the only source of truth about the political world

B. increased cynicism by the public toward both the media and politics

On-line processing allows ______. A. pollsters to legitimately include data taken from web polls in their survey results B. individuals to make real-time updates to their evaluations of political events C. interest groups to mobilize their followers more readily D. opinion leaders to mediate and make sense of information

B. individuals to make real-time updates to their evaluations of political events

Political action committees were created as a result of ______. A. weaknesses among local Republican parties in the Deep South B. interest group restrictions in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 C. candidates' need for more money to pay for television advertising D. the growth in power of national political party committees

B. interest group restrictions in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974

Patronage was once important to political parties because ______. A. it created a more disciplined party-in-government B. it ensured an army of supporters and workers for elections C. it simplified the issue of hiring people after an election D. members of the other party would be unemployed

B. it ensured an army of supporters and workers for elections

The statement that third parties are irrelevant in modern-day politics is ______. A. truer than ever in today's political landscape B. less accurate than in the past C. false and has always been false D. only ever applied to Europe

B. less accurate than in the past

Compared to the citizens of most other democratic countries, Americans are less ______. A. affected by political apathy B. likely to cast ballots in elections C. prone to cast spoiled ballots D. willing to vote for the major parties in their system

B. likely to cast ballots in elections

One significance of news management is that it ______. A. increases the media's ability to set the agenda B. limits the ability of reporters to put their own interpretation on an event C. leads to more negative campaigning D. leads to more trust in the media

B. limits the ability of reporters to put their own interpretation on an event

The responsible party model ______. A. weakens the link between voters and officials B. makes it easier for voters to hold parties accountable for their actions C. causes campaigns to be less negative D. makes legislatures less divisive

B. makes it easier for voters to hold parties accountable for their actions

One advantage of direct contact between elected officials and the public versus the use of public opinion polls is that direct contact ______. A. allows Congress to talk to more people collectively than pollsters do B. makes it less likely that certain public concerns will be overlooked C. provides more representative samples of public opinion D. requires less time than it takes to conduct polls

B. makes it less likely that certain public concerns will be overlooked

The Department of Defense is charged with ______. A. manufacturing expensive and secret weapons B. managing the country's military personnel, equipment, and operations C. conducting espionage D. advising the president on how to execute his powers as commander in chief

B. managing the country's military personnel, equipment, and operations

Applicants for TANF must demonstrate that their income falls below a certain threshold in order to be eligible for its benefits, making it a(n) ______. A. social insurance program B. means-tested program C. regulatory policy D. entitlement program

B. means-tested program

The money that workers pay into the Social Security system ______. A. is secured in a "lockbox" that prevents Congress from using it for other purposes B. mostly goes to pay benefits to workers who have already retired C. can be complemented by their employers as part of a voluntary matching program D. is kept for them in individual retirement accounts

B. mostly goes to pay benefits to workers who have already retired

In recent decades, the Democratic Party has become more liberal and the Republican Party more conservative. This fact can best be attributed to the ______. A. growing influence of the Democratic Party in the South B. movement of conservative southern Democrats to the Republican Party C. shift of conservative New Englanders to the Republican Party D. growth of Democratic influence with liberals in the Pacific Northwest

B. movement of conservative southern Democrats to the Republican Party

At the top tier of each party's organization lies the ______. A. major donors' club B. national committee C. coordination council D. national convention

B. national committee

It seems unlikely that the United States will engage in any major Electoral College reform soon because ______. A. there is little popular support for abolishing the Electoral College B. no consensus exists on how to change it C. the institution is too complicated already D. most public and economic interest groups oppose such alterations

B. no consensus exists on how to change it

According to studies, Americans tend to be ______. A. very knowledgeable about politics B. not very knowledgeable about politics C. knowledgeable about issues, but not knowledgeable about officeholders D. knowledgeable about officeholders, but not knowledgeable about issues

B. not very knowledgeable about politics

The phenomenon of horse-race journalism can clearly be spotted in the media's ______. A. frequent investigative reporting devoted to policy issues B. obsession with election-related polling results C. disinclination to give any politician the benefit of the doubt D. inability to influence the political agenda

B. obsession with election-related polling results

The rapid emergence of the New Deal coalition around the time of the 1932 election is an excellent example of ______. A. conflict extension B. partisan realignment C. electioneering D. selective incentives

B. partisan realignment

The way media convergence works today results in ______. A. everyone getting the same news B. people get a little news from many of sources C. people are well informed from one favorite source D. mass censorship

B. people get a little news from many of sources

Barbour and Wright believe that the public's use of media personalities as opinion leaders is an example of ______. A. agenda setting B. persuasion by professional communicators C. priming and framing D. reducing politics to sound and fury

B. persuasion by professional communicators

The second step in the policy process is ______. A. policy evaluation B. policy formulation C. policy implementation D. policy adoption

B. policy formulation

A major change in presidential elections that started with the 1972 contest is that ______. A. superdelegates ultimately decide who each party's nominee is B. primaries determine the winner of each party's nomination C. each party's convention is a battleground for determining the nominee D. party leaders dictate the identity of each party's nominee

B. primaries determine the winner of each party's nomination

The concentration of media outlets ownership has resulted in journalism as an industry organized by ______. A. peer review B. profit C. the public good D. poll results

B. profit

If a country is facing a major economic recession a Keynesian adviser would most likely counsel the leaders to ______. A. ask the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates and print more money B. push a major tax cut and government spending bill through Congress C. provoke a war to jump-start military spending D. seize control of the major banks and redistribute their assets to voters

B. push a major tax cut and government spending bill through Congress

To receive government matching funds in primary elections, candidates must ______. A. reach particular requirements on numbers of petitions signed, funds raised, and public support in the polls B. raise a specified amount of money from at least 20 states C. put up at least 20% of their yearly income as collateral D. submit petitions signed by 5,000 people in 20 states

B. raise a specified amount of money from at least 20 states

Distinct platforms that voters know about and use to determine their vote are characteristic of ______ parties. A. progressive B. responsible C. reform D. conservative

B. responsible

One can generally distinguish between interest groups and other social or political clubs and associations because interest groups ______. A. recruit members more vigorously B. seek to influence public policy C. resort to political violence more readily D. nominate candidates in conventions

B. seek to influence public policy

How many corporations control the vast majority of media outlets in the United States? A. two B. six C. twenty D. sixty

B. six

More Americans consume news from ______ than any other source. A. newspapers B. social media C. cable television D. public television

B. social media

A government program that would most likely involve direct financial assistance to individual indigent citizens would be in the ______ policy field. A. environmental B. social welfare C. gun control D. transportation

B. social welfare

The "revolving door" exists because ______. A. it is easier to hire local people as lobbyists B. some of the most effective lobbyists are former government officials C. the qualified pool of applicants for such jobs is so small D. lobbyists envy government officials and want to take their jobs, so they are willing to trade

B. some of the most effective lobbyists are former government officials

Barbour and Wright maintain that push polls are "pseudo-polls" because they ______. A. are always run without a benchmark poll to support them B. spread campaign misinformation rather than determine the state of public opinion C. cannot reduce their margin of error to acceptable standards D. are more accurately called survey experiments than polls

B. spread campaign misinformation rather than determine the state of public opinion

The basic principles that regulate the economic market and influence the price of a good are known as laws of ______. A. antitrust policy B. supply and demand C. production and consumption D. monetary policy

B. supply and demand

Although the ideological distance between the major American parties is smaller than what is found in many other democracies, ______. A. candidates for minor parties can still win presidential elections B. that distance has grown in recent decades C. Americans are increasingly devoted to those two main parties D. negative partisanship is leading to the creation of many other parties

B. that distance has grown in recent decades

Normally, American political parties tend to take moderate stances on most political issues because ______. A. primary elections are checks on candidates' partisan leanings B. the majority of the American electorate is moderate C. media elites tend to deride parties that adopt moderate issue positions D. most money comes from hyperpartisan interest groups

B. the majority of the American electorate is moderate

When a pro-life activist supports the right of a pro-choice group to hold a demonstration on her city courthouse's lawn, she is practicing political ______. A. socialization B. tolerance C. knowledge D. participation

B. tolerance

Selective perception shows us that ______. A. people become more informed when they have selective perception B. viewers do more than passively receive news and values presented by the media C. media coverage of politics focuses on nothing more than conflict and image D. priming is the overriding impact on what news people receive

B. viewers do more than passively receive news and values presented by the media

Faithless electors, as defined by the text, are electors who ______. A. are regular voters who refuse to vote because they lack political efficacy B. vote their conscience rather than for the candidate they were pledged to support C. have a position of trust with the federal government in violation of the Constitution D. refuse to pledge support to a candidate before the election

B. vote their conscience rather than for the candidate they were pledged to support

An example of a political generation might be the ______. A. Reagan Democrats B. soccer moms C. Baby Boomers D. Log Cabin Republicans

C. Baby Boomers

The printing press was invented in ______ over 1,000 years ago. A. Pakistan B. Germany C. China D. Japan

C. China

The federal government's insurance program for the elderly and disabled is called ______. A. AFDC B. Medicaid C. Medicare D. AARP

C. Medicare

______ is an example of a social insurance program. A. TANF B. AFDC C. Medicare D. Head Start

C. Medicare

Traditionally, the first presidential primary takes place in ______. A. New Mexico B. Iowa C. New Hampshire D. Florida

C. New Hampshire

Which of these is a true statement concerning the roles of ideology and partisanship in shaping public opinion? A. Ideology plays little role in the division in American politics. B. Citizens find it hard to demonize the opposition. C. Party labels provide mental cues that we use in interpreting and responding to news. D. Most Americans are too moderate for these concepts to have much influence on them.

C. Party labels provide mental cues that we use in interpreting and responding to news.

Which statement is true about economic policy and the United States? A. For most of U.S. history the economy was in a recession. B. Local governments manage the economy. C. The free market is seen as something that should be free from government intervention. D. After World War I, the United States abandoned socialism for European capitalism.

C. The free market is seen as something that should be free from government intervention.

______ polls are used by campaigns to detect changes in voter attitudes during presidential races. A. Straw B. Push C. Tracking D. Weighted

C. Tracking

Excessive press coverage of an embarrassing or scandalous subject is called ______. A. narrowcasting B. framing C. a feeding frenzy D. priming

C. a feeding frenzy

Which of the following terms best describes the relationship between politicians and the media? A. independent B. symbiotic C. adversarial D. complementary

C. adversarial

The 1996 Telecommunications Act ______. A. prohibited broadcast networks from owning cable stations B. created the equal time rule C. allowed ownership of multiple broadcast stations as long as those stations did not reach more than 35% of the market D. exempted cable stations from the same standards of fairness and decency required of broadcast stations

C. allowed ownership of multiple broadcast stations as long as those stations did not reach more than 35% of the market

The phenomenon of selective perception demonstrates that viewers ______. A. cannot rationally decide on which media outlets they want to consume B. wish to be entertained with "bread and circuses" rather than informed C. are more engaged with the media they consume than some critics would argue D. are paralyzed by the enormous number of information sources that are available to them

C. are more engaged with the media they consume than some critics would argue

Social protests are used by groups that ______. A. have no respect for the law B. are in a hurry to bring change and do not want to use more traditional methods C. are shut out of more traditional avenues of political action D. have the sympathy of the public

C. are shut out of more traditional avenues of political action

Billy is interested in lowering the speed limit on a major road near his house. A citizens' group has formed to lobby the city council to take this step, but Billy decides not to join it because he knows he can benefit from the group's work if it is successful without contributing to its effort. In this instance, Billy is ______. A. engaging in online processing B. acting like an interest group entrepreneur C. behaving like a free rider D. engaging in negative partisanship

C. behaving like a free rider

A ______ poll could be utilized to determine what voters think about a candidate at the start of an election campaign. A. tracking B. push C. benchmark D. weighted

C. benchmark

The relationship between the president and Congress in foreign policy has become a struggle because ______. A. Congress is jealous of presidential prerogatives in this area B. both seek to get the approval of the public C. both have constitutional powers in this area D. Congress and the president are separated by a partisan divide

C. both have constitutional powers in this area

Momentum and electability are important factors in voters' decision-making during primaries because voters ______. A. must determine these characteristics through other ways than the media B. choose candidates almost exclusively based on image, and the most electable candidate is the most articulate and handsome candidate C. cannot rely on partisanship, which is typically the strongest cue they have in voting behavior D. have viewed momentum as an important characteristic in presidents since the Cold War

C. cannot rely on partisanship, which is typically the strongest cue they have in voting behavior

New media developments such as social networks and Internet news lead to a proliferation of ______. A. ideological magazines B. talk radio C. citizen journalism D. newspapers

C. citizen journalism

The Cold War policy of the United States seeking to prevent the spread of communism is known as ______. A. isolationism B. roll-back C. containment D. the domino theory

C. containment

Major-party presidential nominations are now determined primarily by ______. A. each party's slate of electors from the Electoral College B. the public at large in open primaries C. convention delegates selected in party primaries, caucuses, and state conventions D. the party leaders at the parties' national conventions

C. convention delegates selected in party primaries, caucuses, and state conventions

As it was originally designed, the Social Security program ______. A. required welfare recipients to look for work as a condition of receiving benefits B. provided medical care for retired workers C. created an old-age pension for American workers D. afforded medical insurance for impoverished Americans

C. created an old-age pension for American workers

In American politics, position issues normally have the effect of ______. A. bringing members of all parties together in the spirit of accomplishing mutual goals B. splitting the parties into warring factions C. creating distance between the candidates of the two major parties D. making some issues so politically toxic that neither party wants to address them

C. creating distance between the candidates of the two major parties

Politics as public relations can also be called ______. A. politics as storytelling B. politics as corruption C. debriefing D. muckraking

C. debriefing

According to the text, what is the primary reason for the decline of newspapers? A. a disinterested public B. poor news quality C. declining advertising revenue D. television

C. declining advertising revenue

Self-interest is a source of ______. A. agreement in society B. manipulation by politicians in society C. divisions in society D. socialization in society

C. divisions in society

Generally speaking, pollsters can shrink their margin of error (sampling error) by ______. A. increasing their refusal rate B. asking more biased questions C. enlarging the size of their sample D. deleting data from nonresponses

C. enlarging the size of their sample

The final step in the stages model of the policymaking process is policy ______. A. formulation B. implementation C. evaluation D. adoption

C. evaluation

When a wealthy voter believes that the government is spending too much on social welfare programs, she is probably ______. A. rejecting her party identification B. falling prey to the spiral of silence C. following her economic self-interest D. reflecting the view of her political generation

C. following her economic self-interest

The Great Depression had a significant impact on American public policy because ______. A. the government realized that it had to eliminate environmental restrictions on businesses to help them prosper, which set back efforts to pass stronger environmental policies B. it was the first time that education subsidies were provided to the middle class C. for the first time, people began to view poverty as a problem requiring government action D. the government put more pressure on churches and businesses to help eradicate poverty

C. for the first time, people began to view poverty as a problem requiring government action

The policymaking step in which competing solutions to social problems are debated is called policy ______. A. adoption B. implementation C. formulation D. analysis

C. formulation

Investigative magazines like Mother Jones and Consumer Reports are ______. A. funded by the government B. owned by a major news media outlet C. funded by subscribers and nonprofit entities D. used by the rich and powerful to spin unfavorable news

C. funded by subscribers and nonprofit entities

In recent decades, party identification among American voters has ______. A. increased, but only for Democrats B. moved toward third parties C. generally decreased D. increased due to partisanship

C. generally decreased

Social insurance programs refer to ______. A. programs funded by only one group of taxpayers that are distributed only to noncitizens B. programs that protect people from losing their homes during a natural disaster C. government programs that offer benefits in exchange for contributions D. private welfare programs in which companies collect premiums in return for job insurance

C. government programs that offer benefits in exchange for contributions

The inability of political rivals to compromise their issue positions in order to reach an agreement in the public interest is often labeled political ______. A. correctness B. efficacy C. gridlock D. discipline

C. gridlock

Government agencies have their largest role in policy ______. A. agenda setting B. adoption C. implementation D. formulation

C. implementation

Barbour and Wright argue that the media are a major agent of political socialization, the process by which ______. A. news stories are given context for mass audiences B. the views of the majority are exaggerated into apparent unanimity of public opinion C. important values are transmitted from one generation to the next D. members of the public are encouraged to think about particular issues when certain terms are used

C. important values are transmitted from one generation to the next

The impact of the deregulation of broadcast journalism by the 1996 Telecommunications Act has been to ______. A. increase competition in the news media B. increase the quality of news coverage C. increase the possibilities of media monopoly D. increase newspaper circulation

C. increase the possibilities of media monopoly

The cost of borrowing money calculated as a percentage of the amount borrowed is a(n) ______ rate. A. loan B. inflationary C. interest D. deficit

C. interest

Although the Internet provides people with enormous amounts of information ______. A. most of it tends to be liberal B. little of that information is devoted to politics C. it is difficult to sort and evaluate the available information D. most people do not know how to search for relevant information

C. it is difficult to sort and evaluate the available information

An important aspect of being politically informed is ______. A. attending political rallies B. tolerance for others' ideas C. knowledge of key figure D. watching the daily news

C. knowledge of key figure

The spiral of silence is a phenomenon whereby ______. A. conflict between two primary ideas drowns out any others B. majority voices silence themselves in the face of minority consensus C. minority voices silence themselves in the face of majority consensus D. voters who do not participate in the process perpetuate their silence

C. minority voices silence themselves in the face of majority consensus

In discussing the forces that propel American political parties toward the middle of the ideological spectrum, Barbour and Wright assume that ______. A. party activists can have no effect on their party's final ideological position B. the majority of Americans are single-issue voters C. most American voters are moderates D. the majority of Americans belong to hyperpartisan interest groups

C. most American voters are moderates

According to Barbour and Wright, policy implementation is ______. A. only accomplished if all three branches of government work together B. generally the responsibility of Congress C. neither easy nor guaranteed D. never a problem during the transition period between administrations

C. neither easy nor guaranteed

The Constitution allocates each state ______. A. one elector per 50,000 residents B. a number of electors determined by Congress before each election C. one elector per senator and representative D. an equal number of electors

C. one elector per senator and representative

The three characteristics of the "ideal citizen" are political knowledge, tolerance, and ______. A. conservatism B. wealth C. participation D. education

C. participation

An example of a state-level law that hampers third parties' efforts to capture some share of political power in the United States is one that requires ______. A. parties to hold primary elections before announcing their general election slate B. that presidential candidates must have support from at least 15% of the electorate C. parties to obtain voter signatures before they can appear on the ballot D. a certain percentage of the presidential vote before parties can receive federal funds

C. parties to obtain voter signatures before they can appear on the ballot

The history of American political parties is, for the most part, one of long periods of stability punctuated by rapid changes in partisan orientation. Those settled periods are often called ______. A. party machines B. critical elections C. party eras D. partisan epochs

C. party eras

The single biggest factor accounting for how people decide to vote is ______. A. gender B. candidate characteristics C. party identification D. the issues

C. party identification

In a ______, registered party members rather than party bosses nominate party candidates. A. straw poll B. referendum C. party primary D. general party election

C. party primary

Swing voters are ______. A. the 50% of the electorate who are in play during each election B. those who have changed their political party in the past 10 years C. people who have not made up their minds at the start of the campaign D. so unpredictable that candidates are better off ignoring them

C. people who have not made up their minds at the start of the campaign

Major sources of money for parties in all elections are individual donors and ______. A. party activists who work at banks B. the federal government C. political action committees D. party candidates themselves

C. political action committees

Theoretically, who is responsible for recruiting, nominating, and promoting candidates for office? A. interest groups B. the media C. political parties D. free riders

C. political parties

Public opinion should matter in American politics, but realistically it does matter in American politics because ______. A. the public pays close attention to public policymaking B. the public votes on the basis of well-informed policy views C. politicians and the media act as if it matters D. the media is diligent in keeping the public well informed

C. politicians and the media act as if it matters

(don't worry about this one) We can conclude from the history of polling that ______. A. polls were developed for the purpose of manipulating the public B. politicians loved polls when they were introduced but now have learned to distrust polls C. polls are reliable only when the sample is large enough and chosen properly D. polls rarely do a good job of predicting the outcome of presidential elections

C. polls are reliable only when the sample is large enough and chosen properly

Most candidates for major political positions are chosen by registered party members during ______. A. referenda B. conventions C. primaries D. initiatives

C. primaries

A key distinction between newspapers and social media is that newspapers ______ news content while social media is a ______. A. distribute; censor B. censor; distributor C. produce; source D. source; producer

C. produce; source

In the United States, the media is most influenced by ______. A. public interest B. government regulation C. profit motive D. censorship

C. profit motive

The media interpret election outcomes by ______. A. displaying evidence of "buyer's remorse" and quickly becoming critical of the winner B. lifting assessments of the election from political scientists and historians C. quickly developing a standard, though incomplete, explanation of the complex decision made by the American electorate D. explaining the election outcome based on their ideological biases, which means some claim the winner has a mandate and others claim the winner lacks a mandate

C. quickly developing a standard, though incomplete, explanation of the complex decision made by the American electorate

Political knowledge and information among the population in the United States is ______. A. required by law B. relatively high C. relatively low D. censored

C. relatively low

When an interest group agent conveys the perspectives of his group's members to politicians, that agent is engaging in ______.

C. representation

In recent presidential elections, voter turnout has been ______. A. dropping B. around 70% C. rising D. around 30%

C. rising

An example of regulatory policy might be a ______. A. health insurance subsidy for the poor B. specific allocation to a senator's district to construct a new post office C. rule forbidding the discharge of toxic waste into a river D. student loan forgiveness program

C. rule forbidding the discharge of toxic waste into a river

When politicians try to determine public opinion by listening to their supporters and friendly interest groups, they are likely to face the problem of ______. A. erroneous data B. sampling error C. sample bias D. push polling

C. sample bias

Typically, the three important tasks of the presidential convention are to pick the presidential candidate, ______. A. avoid media attention given to the convention, and line up interest group support B. send out a positive message about that candidate, and raise money for the nominee's fall general election campaign C. select the vice presidential candidate, and write the party's platform D. have a good time, and avoid media attention given to the convention

C. select the vice presidential candidate, and write the party's platform

Today, American citizens who get news from sources they already agree with are more likely to reflect ______. A. ideal citizenship B. public-interested citizenship C. self-interested citizenship D. tolerant citizenship

C. self-interested citizenship

The Citizens United case reversed the McCain-Feingold Act. This Supreme Court case says that corporations can now ______. A. contribute no money to interest groups B. contribute no money to advertising for or against presidential candidates C. spend money straight from their treasuries on advertisements for or against political candidates right before an election D. spend money on advertising only if it is from a special PAC fund

C. spend money straight from their treasuries on advertisements for or against political candidates right before an election

Barbour and Wright indicate that the mainstream media focus on polling can partly be attributed to ______. A. the public's obsession with polls B. the validity and reliability of online polling C. the 24-hr news cycle D. technological advancements in polling

C. the 24-hr news cycle

Since the New Deal, ______. A. both the Democrats and Republicans have become more conservative B. the Republicans have been the more liberal of the two main political parties C. the Democrats have been the more liberal of the two main political parties D. both the Republicans and the Democrats have remained unchanged

C. the Democrats have been the more liberal of the two main political parties

What method has increased voter registration? A. registration on the Internet B. registration at one's place of employment C. the Motor Voter Bill D. registration by phone

C. the Motor Voter Bill

The biggest influence on our political development is ______. A. the media B. the church C. the family D. the school

C. the family

The term convention bump refers to ______. A. the danger of a front-runner stumbling badly after the convention B. convincing the candidate's primary election rivals to support him at the convention C. the opinion poll spike that most candidates enjoy immediately after the convention D. persuading delegates assigned to other candidates to vote for the presumptive nominee

C. the opinion poll spike that most candidates enjoy immediately after the convention

One consequence of the realignment of the past several decades has been that ______. A. the Democratic Party has dominated Congress and the presidency B. party activists have lost a great deal of their former power C. the two parties have become more ideologically consistent D. third-party options have become increasingly powerful

C. the two parties have become more ideologically consistent

Barbour and Wright state that ideal citizens who wanted to encourage the government to solve some social or economic problem would normally try to influence it by ______. A. presenting policy options to their legislators B. lobbying the bureaucracy heavily C. voting for the politicians who represent them best D. protesting in front of government buildings

C. voting for the politicians who represent them best

Lobbyists seem to employ direct lobbying strategies most often when trying to influence the ______. A. bureaucracy B. president C. Supreme Court D. Congress

D. Congress

Which statement reflects a key change in attitude within the American electorate that has likely led to decreased voter turnout? A. The long-term increase in party identification has led to lower participation. B. Political efficiency has increased significantly in recent decades. C. People trust that the government is responsive to citizens' wishes. D. Declining political efficacy has led to lower participation.

D. Declining political efficacy has led to lower participation.

The federal bureaucratic agency responsible for regulating the broadcasting industry is the ______. A. FSLIC B. SEC C. FDIC D. FCC

D. FCC

______ is the power to determine which news stories are covered and which are not. A. The assignment principle B. Narrowcasting C. Monitoring D. Gatekeeping

D. Gatekeeping

Which of these is a true statement concerning the legal obstacles to voting in the United States? A. No election rules determine who can vote and how easy it will be. B. Politicians have been eager to pass major electoral reforms in order to build a stronger base for their parties. C. The government, not the individual voter, is responsible for registering voters. D. In other countries, voting is required by law.

D. In other countries, voting is required by law.

Which statement is true concerning who votes and who doesn't? A. Younger citizens vote at higher rates than older citizens. B. Men vote at a higher rate than women. C. The likelihood of voting goes up as income goes down. D. Individuals that are educated are more likely to vote.

D. Individuals that are educated are more likely to vote.

______ voting occurs when people use their judgment of the current political situation along with the past performance of the incumbents. A. Prospective B. Passive C. Partisan D. Retrospective

D. Retrospective

Which of these is a true statement regarding religion? A. Economic issues are rarely of concern to those who are religious. B. Jews are generally strongly Republican. C. Protestants are less conservative than Catholics. D. Seculars tend to be more supportive of abortion rights than are fundamentalists

D. Seculars tend to be more supportive of abortion rights than are fundamentalists

______ is an interpretation of a politician's words or actions designed to present a favorable image. A. A sound bite B. Framing C. Priming D. Spin

D. Spin

American political parties are decentralized for which reason? A. Americans resist party efforts to become more centralized. B. It is easier for the media to cover decentralized parties. C. U.S. party organizations control the nomination process. D. States write the laws that dictate party structure.

D. States write the laws that dictate party structure.

Which of these is a true statement concerning the relationship between gender and public opinion? A. Women now tend to vote at a slightly lower rate than men. B. Men have become more liberal in recent years. C. Women are more likely than men to be Republicans. D. The gender gap between men and women is substantial.

D. The gender gap between men and women is substantial.

Which of these is a true statement concerning exit polls? A. They are effective at gathering baseline information. B. They have been accurate in the last few elections. C. They follow changes in attitudes toward candidates. D. They have a mixed record in declaring winners.

D. They have a mixed record in declaring winners.

A plebiscite is ______. A. proposed constitutional convention to update the Constitution B. a law that grants ex-felons the right to vote C. an amendment to the Constitution D. a popular vote on national policy issues

D. a popular vote on national policy issues

Members of the party base who are especially committed to the values and policies of their party and who devote large portions of their time and money to it are known as party ______. A. zealots B. regulars C. bosses D. activists

D. activists

An example of a wedge issue that Republicans have sometimes used against the Democratic Party due to the latter party's composition is ______. A. governmental thrift B. economic growth C. political corruption D. affirmative action

D. affirmative action

Which political function of the media is evident in the following sentence: "The news media constantly emphasize crime and politicians are evaluated on how they deal with this issue?" A. interpretation B. socialization C. persuasion D. agenda setting

D. agenda setting

Most politicians like radio and television because these media ______. A. are inexpensive B. do not give reporters the opportunity to ask questions C. always allow for interaction with audiences D. allow politicians to reach a broad audience without the adversarial questions of print reporters

D. allow politicians to reach a broad audience without the adversarial questions of print reporters

Interest groups often provide selective incentives, which are ______. A. public goods available to everyone B. benefits available only to elite group members C. presents that groups give to legislators to drum up support D. benefits available only to group members

D. benefits available only to group members

The advent of cable and satellite television providers resulted in ______. A. more censorship B. higher quality news available to viewers C. a government media monopoly D. blurred lines between news and entertainment

D. blurred lines between news and entertainment

A sensational headline for an online article intended to receive the most traffic rather than inform readers is known as ______. A. gatekeeping B. corporate media C. consumer indicator D. clickbait

D. clickbait

Barbour and Wright maintain that a serious problem with the development that news outlets have become parts of large conglomerates is that there are frequently ______. A. massive layoffs during the purchase of media companies by larger entities B. delays in reporting on breaking news stories C. transfers of financial resources between different parts of the conglomerates D. conflicts of interest involving reporting on scandals related to the outlets' parent companies

D. conflicts of interest involving reporting on scandals related to the outlets' parent companies

Females generally disapprove of which issue more than men? A. programs for the elderly B. programs for the poor C. social welfare D. death penalty

D. death penalty

Following the stricter rules on gifts and travel established by the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act, over the past decade Congress has ______. A. ignored recent reforms because very few lobbyists, representatives, or senators follow the rules anyway B. allowed all lobbyists to fund gifts, travel, and sometimes rent, because congressional salaries are so low C. expelled numerous representatives and senators for improperly accepting illegal gifts and travel from lobbyists D. eased the restrictions on gifts and travel provided for representatives and senators by lobbyists

D. eased the restrictions on gifts and travel provided for representatives and senators by lobbyists

A federal program that guarantees benefits to qualified recipients is a(n) ______ program. A. welfare B. mandated C. means-tested D. entitlement

D. entitlement

An example of a distributive policy is ______. A. welfare B. emissions regulations C. a law restricting the use of the death penalty D. farm subsidies

D. farm subsidies

Parties help to overcome the problem of ______ created by the Constitution. A. the threat of tyranny B. overly powerful state governments C. a weak national government D. fragmented government

D. fragmented government

One concern about the wording of questions in polls is that the person being sampled will be unfamiliar with a subject and thereby will ______. A. never participate in a poll again B. inflate the "don't know" category, making the results meaningless C. be unlikely to finish the polling session D. give responses solely based on the context of the interview or the question

D. give responses solely based on the context of the interview or the question

As important as money is to an interest group's success at influencing policy, it cannot ______. A. be used to hire staff members or professional lobbyists B. act as a substitute for good leadership or dedicated members C. purchase commercial time for issue advocacy advertisements D. guarantee favorable policymaking outcomes

D. guarantee favorable policymaking outcomes

The shortcuts that some Americans use to get political information are known as ______. A. partisans B. opinion leaders C. push polls D. heuristics

D. heuristics

Astroturf lobbying refers to ______. A. presenting misleading polls to members of Congress B. taking members of Congress to sporting events C. lobbying efforts directed at congressional staff members D. indirect lobbying efforts that manipulate public sentiment

D. indirect lobbying efforts that manipulate public sentiment

Barbour and Wright conclude that the American electorate ______. A. faces a future reckoning with opinion leaders B. consists mostly of groups of ideal citizens C. is made up primarily of voters who prioritize themselves D. is composed of both ideal and self-interested citizens

D. is composed of both ideal and self-interested citizens

The invention of the radio was important for politics because ______. A. it guaranteed that news reporting would be more accurate B. people were tired of reading newspapers C. it made news reporting less sensationalized D. it allowed radio hosts and their guests to air their opinions on politics

D. it allowed radio hosts and their guests to air their opinions on politics

Party identification is the single most important predictor of how people decide to vote because ______. A. it leads people toward retrospective issue voting B. it leads people toward prospective issue voting C. being a partisan means the voter does not need to register to vote D. it indirectly colors the partisan's perceptions of issues and candidates

D. it indirectly colors the partisan's perceptions of issues and candidates

Tolerance is a key democratic value because ______. A. it makes people feel good B. we should love our neighbor C. the founders were tolerant D. it is a prerequisite for compromise

D. it is a prerequisite for compromise

Barbour and Wright survey the research concerning nonvoters and conclude that ______. A. attempting to mobilize more voters would increase the opportunity for voter fraud B. most nonvoters do not participate in elections because they are ineligible to vote C. Republicans are right to worry about Democratic efforts to combat voter apathy D. it is unclear whether higher voter turnout would have an effect on election outcomes

D. it is unclear whether higher voter turnout would have an effect on election outcomes

Some of the overall decline in voter turnout at the end of the 20th century was likely due to ______. A. increasing citizen involvement in community groups B. the weakened relationship between interest groups and political leaders C. citizens' willingness to pay tax to provide important community services D. larger societal changes rather than to citizens' reactions to political parties

D. larger societal changes rather than to citizens' reactions to political parties

The activity of persuading policymakers to support an interest group's policy position is known as ______. A. franking B. electioneering C. governing D. lobbying

D. lobbying

A presidential party caucus is a meeting of ______. A. voters required to select which parties can place candidates on the ballot B. a state's elected leaders to select delegates to the national convention C. the state party committee to assign delegates to a particular candidate D. local party members to choose delegates to the national convention

D. local party members to choose delegates to the national convention

Elected officials tend to think about constituents in terms of the voters' ______. A. knowledge of the political process B. approximation of ideal citizenship C. individual, unique self-interest D. membership in discrete groups

D. membership in discrete groups

Presidential debates ______. A. started on the radio with the 1932 election B. regularly feature third-party candidates C. never impact the outcome of campaigns D. often vary in frequency and format

D. often vary in frequency and format

The Constitution dictates that each state has ______. A. a minimum of two electors B. fewer electors if the candidates are not from their state C. an equal number of electors D. one elector for each senator and one elector for each representative

D. one elector for each senator and one elector for each representative

Pundits on news media outlets who interpret political news for viewers can be considered ______. A. partisan sorters B. political pollsters C. ideal citizens D. opinion leaders

D. opinion leaders

Oppo research refers to an investigation of the ______. A. opposing party's campaign strategy B. mistakes of past campaigns C. best possible media strategy D. other candidate's background, often to find negative information

D. other candidate's background, often to find negative information

Due to the condition of the ______ politicians are focused on short-term gains and politics is often more important than policy. A. news management B. corporate media C. concentration of media ownership D. permanent campaign

D. permanent campaign

Barbour and Wright contend that the announcement of the creation of a presidential candidate's exploratory committee is an important step in the campaign because it ______. A. is rarely covered by the media B. allows the candidate to travel to early primary states openly C. often intimidates other potential candidates out of the race D. permits the candidate to begin raising money legally

D. permits the candidate to begin raising money legally

The authors of the textbook argue that public opinion matters because ______. A. it should matter B. the public has far more power to influence events than politicians realize C. the public is too knowledgeable for politicians to ignore D. politicians and the media actually treat public opinion as if it matters

D. politicians and the media actually treat public opinion as if it matters

Concerning declarations of war, the ______. A. power to declare war rests with the president only B. National Security Council votes to declare war C. U.N. Security Council declares war and the United States follows D. power to declare war rests with Congress alone

D. power to declare war rests with Congress alone

If the news media constantly emphasize crime, and then politicians are evaluated on how they deal with crime, this would be an example of ______. A. media manipulation B. news management C. agenda setting D. priming

D. priming

"I don't even bother to follow politics. It's a waste of time for nothing," says Curtis. Curtis is exhibiting ______. A. on-line processing B. public-interested citizenship C. self-interested citizenship D. rational ignorance

D. rational ignorance

Most social welfare policies are ______. A. entitlement programs B. regulatory policies C. private policies D. redistributive policies

D. redistributive policies

Negative advertising ______. A. is strictly an act of desperation and typically signifies that the candidate using these ads is far behind in the polls B. lacks any informational content, so it attracts only the least well-informed voter C. is used only by challengers because presidents do not want to be seen as lowering themselves to such tactics D. registers more quickly and is remembered longer than information from positive advertisements

D. registers more quickly and is remembered longer than information from positive advertisements

Both state and national bureaucracies can set policy through their ability to ______. A. ignore executive orders at will B. write statutory laws C. issue injunctions and subpoenas D. regulate behavior

D. regulate behavior

Pretend for a moment that you are running for president. An example of where you might employ oppo research in your campaign would be ______. A. paying college students to infiltrate your rival's campaign B. spreading false rumors that your opponent sold drugs C. ensuring that homeless residents of your district get to the polls to vote for you D. revealing your rival's teenage drunk-driving arrest in the middle of a debate

D. revealing your rival's teenage drunk-driving arrest in the middle of a debate

The portion of the population selected to participate in a poll is known as the ______. A. population B. public C. focus group D. sample

D. sample

Foreign policy that lays out a country's basic stance toward international actors or issues is ______. A. foreign economic policy B. structural defense policy C. crisis policy D. strategic policy

D. strategic policy

Yellow journalism refers to ______. A. investigative reporting B. the tendency to add spin to news reporting C. factual coverage of national news stories D. the effort to lure audiences by reporting on sensational topics

D. the effort to lure audiences by reporting on sensational topics

When a group provides a collective good or service ______. A. entrepreneurial leaders find ways to limit the benefits strictly to group members B. the group's membership is likely to increase C. the group can divide costs to each person for providing the good D. the group will inevitably confront the free rider problem

D. the group will inevitably confront the free rider problem

A critical part of the policy adoption stage of the policymaking process is that ______. A. no pertinent factors are omitted from the policy's cost-benefit analysis B. as many plausible policy alternatives as possible are carefully considered C. important political actors finally have a political agenda on which to act D. the relevant policy change is legitimized by some official state action

D. the relevant policy change is legitimized by some official state action

John Maynard Keynes was an advocate of ______. A. a balanced budget B. government elimination of social welfare policies C. laissez-faire economic theories D. the theory that government should use its fiscal powers to regulate the economy

D. the theory that government should use its fiscal powers to regulate the economy

When discussing the impact that public opinion has on the politics of democratic systems, Barbour and Wright aver that ______. A. public opinion should be shaped and molded by interest groups before it impacts politics B. Americans place too much emphasis on the idea that public opinion should shape political outcomes C. most political issues are too esoteric and complex for public opinion to have much influence D. there are good normative and empirical reasons for believing that public opinion does affect politics

D. there are good normative and empirical reasons for believing that public opinion does affect politics

Redistributive policies are relatively rare because ______. A. the United States is not a socialist country B. the United States cannot afford them C. those who are the beneficiaries do not want them D. those who must pay for them are much better equipped to fight political battles than are potential beneficiaries

D. those who must pay for them are much better equipped to fight political battles than are potential beneficiaries

A 2003 study looking at misperceptions about the Iraq war concluded that the frequency with which those beliefs were held varied dramatically depending on ______. A. political party affiliation B. interest group membership C. age D. type of news consumed

D. type of news consumed

Current survey research indicates that ______. A. college-educated voters are highly unlikely to vote B. women are considerably less likely to vote than men C. African Americans are much more likely to vote than Whites D. voter turnout increases with age

D. voter turnout increases with age

One criticism of applying the responsible party model to American politics is that ______. A. the media are unable to educate voters about each party's platform B. party members are typical of the entire electorate C. party loyalty is increasing among middle-class voters D. voters pick candidates using criteria other than ideological and policy affinity

D. voters pick candidates using criteria other than ideological and policy affinity

Barbour and Wright maintain that American democracy is ______. A. improved by decreased regulation of media ownership B. unaffected by feeding frenzies because the public has grown wary of their impacts C. enhanced by the work of bloggers, spin doctors, and pundits D. weakened by the media if they make political accountability more difficult

D. weakened by the media if they make political accountability more difficult

Today, the most likely cause of sampling bias in polls is ______. A. interviewers' reluctance to go into "bad" neighborhoods B. the growing number of homeless people who are not sampled C. the overrepresentation of the middle class in modern polls D. when a person is picked for the sample and he or she cannot be contacted or refuses to participate

D. when a person is picked for the sample and he or she cannot be contacted or refuses to participate

To win the presidency, a candidate must do which of these? A. raise large amounts of money only after the primaries and caucuses are over B. pick a vice presidential candidate who will win large numbers of votes C. focus only on winning the votes of the base of the party D. win the votes of a large percentage of swing voters

D. win the votes of a large percentage of swing voters

T/F: Government agencies have their largest role in policy evaluation.

F

T/F: If nothing changes in the Social Security program, retirees will begin to take more money out of the Social Security Trust Fund than workers put into the Fund in 2017, and the Fund will run out of money in 2030.

F

T/F: In the contemporary United States, information is a scarce resource.

F

T/F: Race is the single most important predictor of how people decide to vote.

F

T/F: Social Security is a welfare program of block grants to states that encourages recipients to work in exchange for time-limited benefits.

F

T/F: The Constitution guarantees citizens freedom of access to the press.

F

T/F: The income level below which a family is considered to be poor is known as the poverty max.

F

T/F: The primary goal of direct lobbying is to gain public support for an interest group's proposals.

F

T/F: The process by which we learn our political orientations and allegiances is called political socialization.

F

T/F: The system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors is called the spoils system.

F

T/F: The way in which the media's emphasis on particular characteristics of people, events, or issues influences the public's perceptions of those people, events, or issues is called framing.

F

T/F: When government officials leave office and take positions as lobbyists, they are said to be passing through the party platform.

F

T/F: A federal program that guarantees benefits to qualified recipients is an entitlement program.

T

T/F: A means-tested program is a social program whose beneficiaries qualify by demonstrating need.

T

T/F: A party's effort to inform potential voters and persuade them to vote for that party is known as voter mobilization.

T

T/F: A realignment is a substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by individuals and groups, usually resulting in a change in policy direction.

T

T/F: According to the text, the current process of political socialization in the United States trains us to support and obey the existing political system.

T

T/F: Basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance is called retrospective voting.

T

T/F: Both politicians and media outlets employ public opinion when coming to conclusions about politics.

T

T/F: Commercial bias in the media is a result of growing concentration of corporate ownership of the media.

T

T/F: Distributive policies are popular because their costs are not noticed as they are spread among all taxpayers, but their benefits go to a specific group who knows they are benefiting.

T

T/F: Expressive benefits are selective incentives that derive from the opportunity to express values and beliefs and to be committed to a greater cause.

T

T/F: Generally speaking, wealthier individuals are more likely to vote than poorer ones.

T

T/F: In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that interest groups could sponsor advertisements in favor of particular candidates.

T

T/F: In the 2010 midterm, racial and ethnic differences reemerged with turnout among non-Hispanic Whites surpassing African American turnout by 5% and Latino turnout by 17%.

T

T/F: Loyalty to a political cause or party is known as partisanship.

T

T/F: Many interest groups face the free rider problem when recruiting members who can gain the benefits of their activities whether or not they join.

T

T/F: Many scholars argue that a democratic system could lose legitimacy if too many voters stop participating in its elections.

T

T/F: Medicare is an example of a social insurance program.

T

T/F: Most Americans spend a majority of their leisure time watching television.

T

T/F: Prospective voting occurs when people base their voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of their votes.

T

T/F: Public interest groups are groups that organize to influence government to produce collective goods or services that benefit the public.

T

T/F: Public policy that seeks to meet the basic needs of people who are unable to provide for themselves is social welfare policy.

T

T/F: The Great Depression had the largest historical impact on the U.S. government becoming more involved in economic policy.

T

T/F: The new movement toward having everyday people act as journalists and report the news directly on social media or blogs is known as citizen journalism.

T

T/F: The phenomenon of filtering incoming information through personal values and interests is known as selective perception.

T

T/F: The rank-and-file members who carry out the party's electioneering efforts are the party activists.

T

T/F: The tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector jobs is known as the revolving door.

T

T/F: Less than half of all Americans can regularly provide the name of the president to pollsters.

F

What percentage of Americans receives news from newspapers? A. 18 B. 25 C. 37 D. 67

A. 18

The creation of the first mass-based party, rather than party-in-government, was in part the responsibility of ______. A. Andrew Jackson B. John Adams C. George Washington D. Abraham Lincoln

A. Andrew Jackson

Political accountability is designed to ensure that politicians ______. A. make constituents feel better about themselves and their community B. earn a reasonable salary for the work that they do C. accomplish the goals that their constituents want them to achieve D. face inflexible term limits in office

C. accomplish the goals that their constituents want them to achieve

What percentage of Americans receives news from local television? A. 18 B. 25 C. 37 D. 67

C. 37

If nothing changes in the Social Security program, retirees will begin to take more money out of the Social Security Trust Fund than workers put into the Fund in ______; and the Fund will run out of money in ______. A. 2010; 2020 B. 2010; 2026 C. 2012; 2025 D. 2017; 2034

D. 2017; 2034

Which of these is a true statement? A. Men tend to vote at a higher rate than women. B. Blacks are less likely than Whites to favor Bible prayer in public schools. C. Urban areas have become the anchor for the contemporary Republican Party. D. City dwellers have a tendency to oppose capital punishment.

D. City dwellers have a tendency to oppose capital punishment.

Which of these is a true statement concerning sampling bias? A. Pollsters are often unaware of the problem of sampling bias. B. The chief source of sampling bias today is randomness. C. Changing patterns of telephone technology have completely overcome sampling bias. D. Pollsters compensate for undersampling by the use of weighting.

E... ???

T/F: The relationship between sample size and sampling error is the larger the sample, the smaller the sampling error will be.

T

T/F: The responsible party model makes it easier for voters to hold parties accountable for their actions.

T