Gov Test 4:topics 10 and 11

When using polls as a measure of public opinion on an issue, government officials must bear in mind that it is difficult for pollsters to measure...

how random the sample really is.

According to the chart, minor parties

occasionally gain enough popular votes to win electoral votes.

Study this photograph from a televised debate that featured presidential candidates Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford in 1976.

A candidate's body language and posture can have an effect on how people view his or her performance

How does a direct primary differ from a caucus?

A direct primary is open to all the registered voters in a party, while a caucus is not.

Which of the following is the MOST ACCURATE rewording of Jefferson's ideas?"...were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government"...

A free press is much more important to a democracy than government is.

The text says that "being an informed citizen requires some effort" today. Which answer is one possible explanation of the meaning of this statement?

Because so many television news shows offer only superficial news, it takes work to find media with in-depth coverage of news and issues.

Which of the following factors are Most Likely to influence a person's long-term political opinions?

Class time from Kindergarten through graduation spent learning about history.

"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism." —President George Washington's Farewell Address, 1796: What is the BEST summary of this quotation?

If one political party gains enough power to control another, it can result in despotism.

Which of the following is the MOST ACCURATE generalization about voter registration?

It helps prevent election fraud, but it could be made more convenient

"Nomination by petition is found most widely at the local level, chiefly for nonpartisan school posts and municipal offices in medium-sized and smaller communities and, increasingly, for judgeships. It is also the process usually required by State law for nominating minor party and independent candidates in many of the States."Why are petitions primarily used at the local level?

It is practical to use petitions at the local level, where fewer signatures are required.

What is one reason members of Congress might place limitations on the Federal Election Commission?

Limiting the FEC allows members of Congress to keep their options open while raising money for reelection.

Which of the following is the MOST ACCURATE statement about voters aged 18-20?

Members of this age group have shown themselves to be less likely to vote than any other age group.

Federal Restrictions on State's Power: Which information BEST completes the chart?

No State may deprive a citizen of the right to vote on the basis of sex

Why are political parties essential to democratic government?

Political parties provide a link between representatives in public office and their constituents.

This chart contrasts political parties and interest groups. Which information best completes the chart?

Political parties: focus on nominating candidates; interest groups: focus on policy questions.

What does the map suggest about political parties?

They had strong regional support in this election.

How do parties typically ensure the good performance of their candidates?

They make sure their candidates are of good character and are qualified for public office

Which of the following is MOST LIKELY to vote Democratic?

a 25-year-old African American woman from Boston

The photograph shows Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. Choose the answer that completes the sentence.

a campaign rally.

This photograph shows the Republican residents of a town casting a vote

a caucus

Which phrase BEST describes the presidential primary in some States?

a delegate-selection process

Which of the following is also an example of public opinion?

a television pundit's stand on increased funding for national defense programs

What method of voting is this photograph most likely showing? (black man, envelopes)

an absentee ballot

This photograph shows members of the Republican party at a gathering in the 1940s. Choose the answer that BEST completes the sentence

convention delegates nominating a candidate

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

gave the Federal Government power regarding all elections, held anywhere in the country.

The chart contrats voters and nonvoters: Which information about nonvoters is missing from the chart?

have a strong mistrust of political institutions and processes

This cartoon suggests that minor party candidates..

have no real chance of winning elections.

"Once the franchise is granted to the electorate, lines may not be drawn which are inconsistent with the Equal Protection Clause. . . . Voter qualifications have no relation to wealth. . . . Wealth, like race, creed, or color, is not germane to one's ability to participate intelligently in the electoral process." —Justice William O. Douglas, Opinion of the Court: What is the Court taking a stand against?

poll taxes

Changes in Voting Rights Chart: Then decide which information best completes the chart.

prohibited literacy tests and other discriminatory practices

Which of the following is also an example of public opinion?

television pundit stand

"Today, every State requires that any person who wants to vote must be able to satisfy qualifications based on three factors: (1) citizenship, (2) residence, and (3) age. The States have some leeway in shaping the details of the first two of these factors; they have almost no discretion with regard to the third one."The reason States have little discretion regarding age qualifications is

the Constitution says no State can set the minimum age for voting at more than 18 years.

Electoral Votes by state: This map indicates that

the South dominates the electoral map.