GOVT 2306 Final Exam Quizlet
A political action committee (PAC) can contribute ________ to any candidate for federal office, provided it contributes to at least five different federal candidates each year.
$5,000
State governments are often called the "laboratories of democracy" because they
Allow governments to experiment with many different policies
When Richard Nixon employed his "southern strategy," he
Appealed to White Voters in the South
Suppose the government wanted to develop a national high-speed rail network. The federal government supplies states with the money to do so, but imposes very strict laws on how it will be spent. This type of funding is most likely to come from
Categorical Grant
A ________ is a meeting of a political group's members who gather to determine strategy and select candidates.
Caucus
Presidential Republicanism describes a pattern when Texas voters would vote for a Republican president and
Conservative Democrats for state office
The main role of the precinct conventions is to select delegates to the ________ and possibly to submit resolutions that may eventually become part of the party platform.
County Convention
In 2011, the Texas legislature passed a voter identification law that requires a photo identification in order to vote. Which form of photo identification is acceptable?
DPS issued personal ID card
Which two Texas metropolitan areas are national centers for the high-tech industry?
Dallas and Austin-San Marcos
_________________ is a funding structure or political contribution where the donors do not need to be disclosed.
Dark Money
To create the New Deal coalition, Franklin Roosevelt:
Expanded the Democratic Party's base
Which agency regulates broadcast media?
Federal Communications Commission
Medicaid is
Federal program that provides medical benefits for low-income persons
The system of shared powers, divided between a central government and the state governments, is called
Federalism
Emerging in the late 1780s, America's first two political parties were the
Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans
Voting rights for Black men were established in the Constitution by the ________ Amendment.
Fifteenth
Which of the following is a good example of how state governments use their "police power"?
Filing a lawsuit against the federal government for violating the Constitution
Which U.S. president promoted his policy agenda to the American people through "fireside chats"?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
In order to overcome the ________ problem, interest groups often provide ________ to their members.
Free Rider; Selective Benefits
Annapolis Convention (1786)
Held to discuss the barriers that limited trade or commerce between the largely independent states under the Articles of Confederation. *Historical Significance:* Led to the Constitutional (Philadelphia) Convention in 1787. Less than half of the states attended.
Support for freedom of speech, a free internet, and the press is
Higher in the United States than in most other countries in the world
The fastest-growing demographic group in Texas is ________, the majority of whom vote ________.
Hispanic/Latino; Democratic
The fact that many middle-class and lower-middle-class citizens who did not stand to benefit from President George W. Bush's tax cuts seemed to favor them is an example of the
Importance of Political Knowledge
Which of the following is most likely to create advertising campaigns related to proposed constitutional amendments?
Interest groups either in favor or against the proposed amendment
What is the significance of the Bill of Rights?
It ensured certain rights and liberties to the people
By forming a political action committee (PAC), the interest group can show a candidate that
Its members care deeply about an issue and will donate money to support the group's positions
Who argued in Federalist 10 that "factions" would play an important role in American politics?
James Madison
Women are disadvantaged as candidates for office because
Male candidates are more likely to have the advantage of incumbency in office
Block Grants
Money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines determined by Washington
Block Grant
Money given to states for general programs within a broad category
Which of the following groups is most likely to affiliate with the Republican Party?
Older White Voters
A(n) _____ occurs when a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders control the government
Oligarchy
The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government is called
Pluralism
A campaign for the 2020 presidential election plans to target voters through Google, Twitter, and Facebook. Which of the following approaches is possible?
Run political ads on Twitter and target individuals in Goggle based on their voting records (WRONG)
In order for a survey to accurately generalize the entire population, the survey must
Sample at least 10% of the target population (WRONG)
The United States has had ________ party systems since 1789.
Six
Which of the following statements best describes where younger and older Americans get their news?
Social media tends to be a secondary news source after television for most Americans, but a primary source for the young
A major reason that the slogan "states' rights" became tarnished in the 1950s and 1960s was that it had been used by
Supporters of the civil rights movement to oppose racial segregation
According to the __________________, the U.S. Constitution takes precedence over the Texas Constitution.
Supremacy Clause
"Self-sorting" refers to the
Tendency of individuals to segregate themselves by choosing to live in liberal or conservative geographic areas
Which of the following best describes the Supreme Court's first ruling on the nationalization of the Bill of Rights in 1833?
The Bill of Rights limits the national government but not state government
Which of the following statements best describes British rule of the American colonies during
The British ruled with a light hand and exerted a strong influence only in the largest colonial cities
Texas's political life grew out of which region?
The Gulf Coastal Plains
Battleground Texas is a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) effort undertaken by which group?
The Texas Democratic Party
The regulation of oil and energy in Texas is performed by
The Texas Railroad Commission
Which of the following is NOT a reason that many Americans appear to prefer online news?
The accuracy and objectivity compared to traditional media outlets
Which of the following statements about the Supreme Court's rulings on hiring, promotion, and training programs is most accurate?
The burden of justification is on employers to show that their job requirements are a "business necessity" that bears "a demonstrable relationship to successful performance."
The American system for electing members of Congress is often referred to as "first past the post" because
The candidate with the most votes wins, even if they did not win a majority of the popular vote
Mendez v. Westminster (1947) was significant because
The decision to uphold policies that created separate schools for Mexican Americans in California was eventually overturned by Brown v Board of Education
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is owned by
The government but is allowed to report whatever it wants
Dallas developed in the late nineteenth century as a result of
The intersection of two railroad lines
What of the following is the best definition of mobilization?
The process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political activity
Which of the following statements about the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution is incorrect?
There was a unicameral legislature under the Articles of Confederation but there is a bicameral legislature under the Constitution
The Declaration of Independence was a remarkable philosophical statement for its time because it asserted that
There were "unalienable rights" that could not be abridged by governments
Most state governments are different from the federal government in that
They are required to have their proposed budgets balance and are prohibited from carrying deficits into the next fiscal year
The media are sometimes referred to as the "fourth branch of government" because
They provide a check on the power of government and political leaders
Who made up the Grange, and what effect did they have on the writing of the Texas Constitution of 1876?
They were an agricultural group who wanted a government that would improve the plight of farmers
Why did the Virginia Plan call for ratification of the Constitution by the people rather than by the states?
This form of ratification was intended to make it clear that the new government would be a national government and not a compact between the states
Which of the following is the best characterization of traditional political participation?
Traditional political participation includes activities designed to influence the government, from voting, to donating to candidates, or attending political meetings
In Texas, political parties help candidates by providing
Training for a campaign
In Printz v. United States, the Supreme Court struck down a law that required state and local law enforcement officials to conduct background checks on handgun purchasers because the law
Violated the Tenth Amendment's guarantee of state soverignty
According to the United Nations, a country that does not give citizens access to the internet is
Violating human rights
Texas used a system of early registration in 1971 that required which of the following
Voters had to register to vote more than nine months before the general election and were required to register to vote every year
Which of the following laws was written specifically to deal with expanding and protecting voting rights?
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Members of interest groups in the United States are typically people
With higher levels of income and education
The Texas Constitution is
a long, complex, and detailed document
The drive to rewrite the Texas Constitution in the 1970s grew out of
a major stock fraud involving bribery of several elected officials, state party officials, and bankers
Voter Mobilization
a party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote
expressive political participation
activities primarily giving voice to the political aims, feelings, or intentions of citizens; ex individual or group activity on the Internet
Scholars disagree on the motives of the Founders in writing the U.S. Constitution as they did, but a prominent argument about their primary goal is that they wanted to devise a system
consistent with the dominant philosophical and moral principles of the day, while also promoting commerce and protecting private property from radical state legislatures
A government that is formally limited by laws and rules is called
constitutional
Which of the following was a consequence of Andrew Johnson's Presidential Reconstruction on the Texas Constitution of 1866?
limiting the governor to serving only four terms in office
The Articles of Confederation were concerned primarily with
limiting the powers of the central government
Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that
more affluent and more educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions. (WRONG)
Political scientists have found that on economic issues, both the Democratic and Republican parties are
more responsive to the preferences of the upper and middle classes than the lower class
The belief that ordinary citizens can affect what government does is referred to as
political efficacy
The ________ is the most common electoral system used in general elections in the United States.
proportional representation system
Which of the following is an "outsider" strategy?
"Going Public"
How many amendments to the Constitution have been formally proposed in Congress in U.S. history?
11,000+
As of 2019, there were approximately ________ Latinos residing in Texas.
11.52 million
Texas became an independent republic in ________ and became part of the United States in ________.
1836; 1845
Most Americans of African descent were not officially citizens in the United States until
1868, when the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution conferred citizenship on formerly enslaved people
In what year was Texas's current constitution ratified?
1876
The Supreme Court first began to weaken support for legal racial discrimination in the
1890s
The Latino movement known as La Raza Unida occurred during the
1960s
How long must a former member of a governing body or former executive head of a regulatory agency wait before he or she can lobby that agency?
2 years
As a third-party candidate, Ross Perot captured approximately ________ of the popular vote in the 1992 presidential election.
20%
Although ________ of the American population was of African descent at the time of the Founding, only about ________ of this group was free from slavery.
20; 1.5%
During the colonial and early national periods of American history, suffrage was generally restricted to White males over the age of
21
________ have an initiative process that lets citizens draft legislation, circulate petitions, and place the issue on the ballot for a popular vote.
24 of the 50 states
About ________ million Americans have lost their voting rights as a result of felony convictions.
5 million
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) have been extremely important in the development of
A constitutional right to privacy
The Texas Bill of Rights includes the right to "a republican government." This means
A government comprised of officials selected through free and fair elections
The First Continental Congress was
A group of colonial delegates assembled in 1774 that called for a total boycott of all British goods
Caucus
A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform
The extremely competitive elections in the United States since the year 2000 suggest the United States has
A patronage system (WRONG)
Which of the following situations is an example of data mining?
A political campaign uses Google Search data to determine if the public supports repealing the death penalty.
Which of the following comes closest to describing the political system favored by the American founders?
A system of direct democracy in which the ability to vote for elected representatives would be allowed by everybody
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) provides what kind of assistance to conservative state legislators across the country?
ALEC writes pieces of legislation and helps get the legislation passed
Voter turnout in state and local elections is generally ________ turnout in national elections.
About the same as (WRONG)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the media often challenged President Trump's assertions that the virus was a hoax and under control. This challenge is an example of
Adversarial Journalism
Which of the following statements about race and political participation is most accurate?
African Americans and Latinos are less likely to participate in politics than Whites
________ is usually a "safe" state for the Republican Party in presidential elections; ________ is usually a "safe" state for the Democratic Party.
Alabama; California
The delegates that attended state conventions for ratification of the Constitution were chosen through elections in which
All White male inhabitants of the state were allowed to vote
Which of the following statements about parties in Congress is true?
All members are allowed to take part in the election of the Speaker of the House
Which statement best characterizes the influence average citizens and party elites have over the nomination process in the United States?
Although average citizens have some influence in the nomination process, party elites play and outsized role in selecting candidates who will compete in the general election
Which age group votes the most?
Americans 65+
f an interest group "gets on the late train," then it means
An interest group gives contributions after the election to winning candidate the group had earlier opposed
If a person supports a candidate because he or she is the front-runner in a poll, it is an example of the
Bandwagon Effect
No Democrat has won Texas in a presidential race since ________.
Barack Obama (WRONG)
In 1964, Republican Party presidential nominee ________ was in favor of less taxation and less government regulation of the economy—two ideas that became major themes for the modern Republican Party.
Barry Goldwater
The practice of combining several individual campaign contributions into one larger contribution from a group in order to increase the group's impact is known as
Bundling
Which group was not permitted to immigrate to the United States from the late nineteenth century until the 1940s?
Chinese
News produced by individuals and organizations who are not employed as professional journalists is called
Citizen Journalism
The economy of Texas grew rapidly in the 1990s and was
Closely tied to expanding manufacturing
________ powers exist when both the state and national governments share authority in certain domains.
Concurrent
A ________ is a system of government in which member states retain almost all of their sovereign authority and delegate limited powers to a weak central body.
Confederation
Individuals who attend church frequently are more likely to be ________ in their political views than people who are not religious.
Conservative
How did CNN earn $100 million more in advertising covering Trump than it would otherwise?
Coverage of Trump increased ratings, and higher ratings led to increased advertising revenue
In the 2020 presidential election, Americans without any religious affiliation are more likely to support the ________ candidate:
Democratic
Unfunded mandates were primarily the result of tension between a
Democratic Congress that wanted to achieve liberal social objectives and Republican presidents who opposed increased social spending. (WRONG)
Since the 1930s, most African Americans have identified as
Democrats
_______ delegates authority to a lower level of government.
Devolution
The number-one reason Americans gave for not voting in 2018 was that they
Did not like the candidates or campaign issues (WRONG)
Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is the most accurate?
Differences between political opinions on Democrats and Republicans are greater today than during any other period in the last 40 years
What is the most important factor in predicting whether an individual votes?
Education Level
Prior to the Texas Revolution, Spanish and Mexican leaders relied on ________________ to encourage to people to move to Texas.
Empresarios
All of the following are important roles for the media in American democracy EXCEPT
Enabling privately owned companies to advertise their products to the public
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) was significant because it
Endorsed the free exercise of religion even when it was offensive to the beliefs of the majority
Which of the following is found in the Texas Constitution, but not in the U.S. Constitution
Equal Rights Amendment
How often do political parties in Texas hold their state conventions?
Every 2 years
The ________ rule forbids the introduction in trial of any piece of evidence that has been obtained illegally.
Exclusionary
During the first 150 years under the Constitution, the federal government was
Focused narrowly on taking actions to assist commerce and encourage economic development
The era of dual federalism was from the ________ until ________.
Founding; The New Deal
The Supreme Court used which constitutional amendment as the basis for striking down the 1875 Civil Rights Act?
Fourteenth Amendment
The ________ and the ________ clauses of the U.S. Constitution involve the relationships between and among the various states.
Full faith and credit; Privileges and immunities
Categorical Grant
Funds provided for a specific and clearly defined purpose
In the post-Civil War era, the only parts of Texas that showed significant Republican leanings were
German Counties in the Texas Hill Country
Compared with the Articles of Confederation, federalism under the Constitution has led to
Greater centralization of power
Unfunded mandates are unpopular among those who want to
Increase the scope of federal regulations
The fact that a smaller and smaller number of companies owns a larger and larger share of the American media is concerning primarily because it
Increases the risk of government censorship (WRONG)
Why are statewide officials such as the governor and lieutenant governor elected in nonpresidential years?
It prevents presidential candidates from influencing the outcome of Texas races
What were the most common favors political bosses distributed to loyal party members during the era of political machines?
Jobs
In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Supreme Court ruled that
Laws criminalizing sexual behavior are a violation of the right to privacy
________ dominated the secession convention of 1861.
Lawyers and Slaveholders
Which of the following characteristics constitutes one's socioeconomic status?
Level of income, level of education, and prestige of occupation
In Buckley v. Valeo (1976), the Supreme Court ruled that
Libel is protected by the First Amendment, as long as the person libeled is a public figure (WRONG)
Although the Democratic Party dominated state politics for much of the twentieth century, by the 1950s it faced internal divisions between ________ and ________ Democrats.
Liberal; Conservative
A vast majority of Americans describe themselves as
Liberals, Conservatives, or Moderates
In classical political theory, a liberal was closest to what we would today refer to as a
Libertarian
Which of the following sets of terms best describes America's fundamental political values?
Liberty, Equality of Opportunity, and Democracy
The Articles of Confederation were concerned primarily with
Limiting the powers of the central government
The belief among African Americans that their own self-interests are linked to the interests of their race is called
Linked Fate
Compared to other developed countries, voter turnout in the United States is
Lower
Which list of issue positions is most likely to be supported by the national leadership of the Republican Party?
Maintaining high levels of military spending, instituting tax relief for upper-income voters, and reducing corporate taxes
You've joined an interest group primarily for the discount card members get in for traveling. Which benefits are you interested in deriving from participation in the group?
Material Benefit
Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Mexico ceded to the U.S. territory that now comprises Arizona, California, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Nevada, and Utah
The political party that holds fewer seats in the Senate than any other party is known as the
Minority Party
The 2020 protests against police brutality include individuals from diverse backgrounds. If protesters sought to form a political party, they would need to
Mobilize popular support and build party organizations
One of the advantages incumbents have when running for reelection is
Name recognition and visibility
________ is the only state that does not require voter registration.
North Dakota
Which event occurred at Spindletop, Texas?
Oil was discovered
Which of the following elements dominated the land-based economy of post-Reconstruction Texas and is/are still relevant today?
Oil, Cotton, Cattle
The ________ model states that individuals keep a running tally of information and use that tally to form their opinions.
Online Processing
Which of the following statements best describes naturalization laws in the United States prior to 1870?
Only free whites could become naturalized citizens
What type of primary allows a voter to choose on Election Day which party they will vote for?
Open Primary
Which of the following is an example of direct action politics in the United States?
Oregon voters approving a measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in the 2014 election.
Interest groups are best seen as
Organizations established to influence the government's programs and policies
Members of the Texas Republican Party have become more conservative and members of the Texas Democratic Party have become more liberal. This evolution best defines
Partisan Polarization
Identification with or support for a particular party or cause is known as
Partisianship
How did the decline of party machines during the early twentieth century contribute to a drop in turnout?
Party machines were no longer mobilizing voters as in the past
The division between the two major parties on most policy issues, with members of each party unified around their party's positions with little crossover, is called
Party polarization
The House vote to impeach President Trump is an example of
Party-line voting
An interest group that serves as an umbrella organization to coordinate the activities of member groups in specific targeted areas is known as a(n)
Peak Association
A party's ________ contains its philosophy, principles, and policy positions.
Platform
A third party that gained some leverage in national and gubernatorial elections in the 1890 was the
Populist Party
Which of the following was the most widely shared principle among the Founders in 1787?
Power must be used to balance power
Which of the following is listed in the Texas Bill of Rights, but is not in the U.S. Bill of Rights?
Powers not specifically delegated to the Texas government in the Constitution belong to the federal government
Which of the following statements about the powers of the national government is most accurate?
Powers of the national government are delegated by the state governments
The three most important tasks accomplished at a party's national convention are nominating the party's
Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, drafting the party's campaign platform, and approving changes in the rules governing party procedures
Which of the following statements about the marketplace of ideas is true?
Private groups and the news media play important roles in sharping opinions in the marketplace of ideas
Suppose a state passed a law that gave state residents preference over nonresidents in obtaining work in that state. This law would violate the ________ clause of the Constitution.
Privileges and Immunities
A physician looking out for the interests of physicians is more likely to be represented by which type of interest group?
Professional Association
Which of the following is an "outsider" strategy?
Protesting at the White House
Once a lobbyist has access to a member of the legislature, the lobbyist can
Provide information about how specific policies can benefit the legislator's district
In order to gain access to politicians, interest groups will often
Provide the infrastructure, such as campaign signs and office staff, needed for the politician to get reelected (WRONG)
Among other things, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Provided public funding to all candidates running for federal office (WRONG)
The Teamsters and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) are examples of ________ groups.
Public Interest (WRONG)
If an employee's manager issued an explicit or strongly implied threat that submission to sexual demands is a condition of the employee's job, it would be an example of ________ harassment.
Quid pro quo
The States' Rights Party, also known as the Dixiecrats, split with the national Democratic Party over which issue?
Racial Integration
The goal of the EMILY's List organization is to
Raise money for pro-choice, Democratic women candidates interested in running for office
From the end of the Civil War to the 1890s, the ________ Party was the party of the North, while the ________ Party was the party of the South.
Republican; Democratic
In a speech, President Trump reminded the audience he would protect Second Amendment rights (the right to bear arms). This statement is most likely to convince and persuade which group that they should support his efforts?
Republicans, 72% of whom do not want stricter gun laws
Who was the first president to promote New Federalism?
Richard Nixon
What event marked a significant change in how Texans began to vote not only in presidential elections but also in state elections?
Ronald Reagan was elected as President
The American system for electing members of Congress is often referred to as "winner take all" because
Runner-ups do not gain seats in government
Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to
Select a single candidate to represent that party in the general election
In 1936, pollsters at the Literary Digest were guilty of ________ when they mistakenly predicted a presidential victory for Alf Landon over Franklin Roosevelt by polling people whose names came from the telephone book and automobile registration records.
Selection Bias
One way that interest groups are effective at overcoming the free-rider problem is by providing ________ benefits to its members.
Selective
The process by which the Supreme Court has expanded specific parts of the Bill of Rights to protect citizens against state actions is called
Selective Incoroporation
A liberal voter who only watches liberal shows on YouTube and only follows liberal commentators on Twitter can be said to have
Self-selection bias
The ________ movement was a movement during the 1950s in which conservative Democrats in Texas supported Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency.
Shivercat
Which statement best describes the structure of the Texas legislature?
Since independence from Mexico, Teas has had a bicameral legislature
A selective benefit of group membership that emphasizes friendship, networking, and consciousness raising is called a
Solidarity Benefit
Which of the following statements best describes direct democracy in the United States?
Some state and local governments allow direct democracy, and many hot-button issues are determined by initiatives.
Studies show that people are most likely to participate in politics when
Someone they know asks them to get involved
Support for the Republican Party currently comes from the
South, Great Plains, and Mountain West
In a decision on the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court ruled that
State governments could decline to expand Medicaid coverage without losing their existing Medicaid funds from the federal government
Under the Constitution, ________ the power to control voter registration.
State legislatures
The principle that the states should oppose the increasing authority of the national government is referred to as
States' Rights
The best example of a concurrent power under the U.S. Constitution is the power to
Tax imports and exports
Arguably, the largest and most effective public employee interest group in Texas is made up of
Teachers
The large growth in Austin's population in the second half of the twentieth century was driven by
Tech corporations moving into the area and diversifying the economy of the region
Despite its widespread availability, ________ typically report(s) on the narrowest range of topics and provide(s) the least depth of news coverage.
Television
Which media source is regulated by the federal government?
Television
Who led the Grange and Populist movements of the late nineteenth century?
Tenant Farmers
What stalled Texas's admission into the United States?
That Texas would be a proslavery state
The legalization of same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges illustrates the impact
That an interest group can have through a litigation strategy
Which of the following explains why the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores?
The Affordable Care Act's requirement that employer provide female employees with free contraceptive coverage was in conflict with the free exercise clause of the First Amendment (WRONG)
What does the supremacy clause assert?
The Constitution and all laws made under it are superior to any state laws
The framers of the Constitution of 1876 created a rigid and highly detailed document that provided clear instructions for how government should operate. As a result of this,
The Constitution needs to be amended in order to address policy changes brought about by advances in our society including things like cars, electricity, and the internet
Imagine that you are looking at a Republican platform that favors government regulation, expansion of voting rights, and the creation of a national bureaucracy. This party platform most likely comes from which party system?
The Contemporary Party System (WRONG)
Which of the following outcomes would have been most likely if Ralph Nader had not been a third-party candidate in the 2000 presidential election?
The Democratic candidate would win the election
The fact that only 63% of high school graduates have broadband internet access at home, while almost 90% of college graduates do, is an example of
The Digital Divide
The Lemontest involves what part of the Constitution?
The Establishment Clause
Which of the following statements about grand juries is most accurate?
The Fifth Amendment provision for a grand jury has never been incorporated into the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to state criminal prosecutions
The small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population is called a
The Sample
Which party system saw the formation of the Republican party out of the remnants of the Whig party and had conflicts over slavery as one of the dominant political issues?
The Second Party System
During the early nineteenth century, the Jeffersonian Republican's main base of strength was in
The South
The Federalist Party disappeared, in part, as a result of
The War of 1812
In 1923, the Texas Legislature established ____________________ to prohibit African Americans from voting in the Democratic primary.
The White Primary
During the 2020 Democratic presidential primary elections, candidate and former vice president Joe Biden received favorable national coverage showing his lead in the South Carolina polls. Despite losses in the previous four states, Biden went on to become the party's presumptive nominee in weeks. The increased public support for Biden is partly explained by
The bandwagon effect
The marketplace of ideas refers to
The competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums
What is the gender gap?
The difference in support for Republicans and Democrats among men and women
EMILY's List is a national PAC that is funded by women and focuses on raising money for women candidates at which part of the campaign cycle?
The early part of the campaign cycle
A wealthy businessperson who is very liberal is an example of the
The fact that group memberships never fully explain all of an individual's political views
Which of the following statements best describes the 2005 Supreme Court's ruling on medicinal marijuana?
The federal government has the power to regulate use of medicinal marijuana under the commerce clause
Which of the following best characterizes the components of a party organization?
The formal structure of a political party, including leadership, election committees, members, and paid staff
Which of the following is most likely to happen when a public interest group mobilizes its members to support a piece of legislation?
The interest group would have its members write or call legislators urging them to vote for the legislation
Who is responsible for leading the precinct convention?
The precinct chair
_______ is considered "the oldest institution known to the Constitution."
The right to a Grand Jury
What is one of the biggest problems with federal block grants?
There is a need for greater accountability in how the funds are actually spent by the states.
Which of the following statements about national defense under the Articles of Confederation is most accurate?
There was no national army and the armed forces were composed entirely of state militia
Why are Americans sometimes fearful of pluralism?
They are fearful that organized groups will successfully advance special interests at the expense of the public interests
According to the online processing model, members of the public may appear to be politically uninformed because
They spend a great deal of time each day consuming nonpolitical content on the internet (WRONG)
More affluent and educated citizens wield an outsized influence over policy makers because
They vote at higher rates, and they are more likely to contribute money to political campaigns
During the 2017 legislative session, lobbyists representing ____________________ were influential in shaping legislation that repealed local ordinances.
Uber and Lyft
Parties use social media for which of the following?
Voter Mobilization
Why do some constitutional amendment elections tend to have higher levels of turnout than others?
Voters are more likely to vote when the weather is good
The county chair is selected by the _________________, while the _______________ selects the state chair and vice chair.
Voters in the party primary; state party convention
What is the most basic and fundamental duty citizens have in a democracy?
Voting
________ is the single most important political act for most Americans.
Voting
Why do some constitutional amendment elections tend to have higher levels of turnout than others?
When the issue being voted on is of high importance to a particular group of people, they will be highly motivated to turnout to vote in the election
A political ideology is best defined as
a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about government
Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership, how it is organized, or what policies are going to be is called
a democracy
Direct Action Politics
a form of politics, such as civil disobedience or revolutionary action, that takes place outside formal channels
The National Quota System allowed
a large quota of new immigrants from Northern European Countries and a small quota from Eastern and Southern European Countries
The Pentagon Papers were released as a result of
a leak by a minor Defense Department staffer
The Jeffersonian Republicans were best known for their support of
a weak national government, with the states retaining most powers
Which of the following is the largest expense for most campaigns?
advertising
The Jim Crow era refers to the period
after the Civil War and before the 1960s. (After reconstruction and before the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act)
The Motor Voter Law
allows citizens to register to vote while applying for a driver's license
A liberal would most likely support
an expansion in governmental social services
________ compels state governments to obey costly federal regulations but does not reimburse those costs.
an unfunded mandate
The willingness to be restrained by the power of social institutions, but not by political or legal institutions, is a hallmark of a(n) ________ regime.
authoritarian
The free-rider phenomenon is
becomes increasingly problematic in very large groups
A ________ is an effort by political candidates and their staffs to win backing and support by voters in the quest for political office.
campaign
Retail politics refers to
campaigns where candidates meet citizens face-to-face to discuss politics
Democracy functions best when
citizens are informed
Under the Constitution, state governments are prohibited from:
coining money or entering into treaties with other nations
political culture
commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate
The ability to charter banks is an example of a ________ power.
concurrent
During the late 1840s and early 1850s, both the Democratic and Whig parties were divided by
conflicts over slavery
The goal of political parties is to
control the government by getting their candidates elected
When deciding how to vote, people will use mental shortcuts. Political scientists call these shortcuts
cues
Plurality and majority systems tend to
decrease the number of political parties
The size of the Supreme Court is
determined by congress; 9 justices
When was the Twenty-Sixth Amendment ratified?
during the Vietnam War, 1971
Under Article 7 of the Texas Constitution, the State Board of Education has responsibility for which of the following?
elementary and secondary education
A major benefit of ranked-choice voting is that it
eliminates the "spoiler" effect that occurs when votes for a third-party or minor candidate are discarded
Libertarianism is a political ideology that
emphasizes freedom and voluntary association with small government
The main goal of the group Rock the Vote is to
encourage young people to vote
The 1965 Voting Rights Act
ended literacy tests and poll taxes; allowed officers to register voters
One of the earliest activities in which party workers engage once the general election campaign begins is
ensuring that citizens are registered to vote
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was significant because it
established the principles of land surveying and landownership that governed America's westward expansion
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
established the supremacy of the national government in all matters affecting interstate commerce
Congressional elections are held in the United States on the first Tuesday of November ________ year(s).
every other (every 2) years
The Supreme Court struck down the Civil Rights Act of 1875 because the justices at the time believed it
exceeded Congress's enforcement powers under the fourteenth amendment
The Progressive movement of the early 1900s was motivated, in large part, by the
excessive power, corruption, and abuses of party machines and their bosses
The 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act
expanded the definition of an organization and the individuals that must register to lobby
The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act
expanded the federal government's authority over public education.
Which list of issue positions is most likely to be supported by the national leadership of the Democratic Party?
expanding funding for education, public spending for infrastructure, and raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations
What are agents of socialization?
family, school, peer group, mass media
Shays's Rebellion was an attempt to
force the British government to rescind the Tea Act.
In McCutcheon et al. v. FEC (2014), the Supreme Court ruled that the
government cannot place limits on the amount of money than an individual can give to any one candidate in a two-year election cycle
Programs through which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the condition that the funds be employed for purposes defined by the federal government are called
grants-in-aid
Which of the following statements about the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution is incorrect?
greater centralization of power
A serious candidate for a U.S. House of Representatives race must raise at least several ________ dollars, while a serious candidate for a U.S. Senate race must raise at least several ________ dollars.
hundred thousand; million
The Christian Coalition is a(n) ________ group.
ideological
Thinking about the constitutions of Texas and the United States, both are based upon which fundamental idea?
in order to prevent a tyranny you will want to distribute the powers and keep everyone in check through a series of checks and balances
Federalism is best defined as a system of government
in which power is divided between a national government and lower-level governments
Selective benefits are
incentives that interest groups make available only to those people who are members of their organizations
Which of the following are the most important factors that influence whether or not someone votes?
income level and education
"Packing" occurs when
legislative districts are redrawn in a way that concentrates members of a particular party in as few districts as possible, thereby limiting the overall number of seats that party might win
In Texas, the ____________________ is responsible for redistricting.
legislature
The digital divide refers to the
line separating citizens with Internet access from those without
Which of the following tends to lower voter turnout?
most elections are for low-visibility offices
A party's platform is best understood as a
negotiated agreement between the various factions in the party
A party activist is an individual who
not only votes but also contributes time, energy, effort, and financial resources to party affairs
Near v. Minnesota (1931) established the principle that
only under the most extraordinary circumstances could the government prevent the publication of newspapers and magazines
Articles of Confederation could be amended...
only with a unanimous vote of the Congress
During the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, all Republicans except one voted against impeachment. This illustrates the power of
party polarization
The Alien and Sedition Acts were laws
passed in the 1790s that made it a crime to say or publish anything that would defame the government of the United States
A republic (also known as a representative democracy) is a system of government that
people elect representatives to make policies and laws for them
According to Duverger's law, which political system would most likely result in two dominant parties?
plurality rule elections with single member districts
Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership, how it is organized, or what its policies are going to be is called
political power
A ________ was a state-imposed tax on voters as a prerequisite for voting.
poll tax
The Federalists believed that the most apparent source of tyranny was the
popular majority
Frustration with the two major parties in 2016 led voters to support:
populist candidates
The poor and the homeless are two examples of ________ interest groups.
potential
The _______________ requirement was included in the Voting Rights Act to ensure that states that had previously restricted the political participation of minorities could not use redistricting for partisan gain and against the interest of minority groups.
preclearance
Federal judges are appointed by the ________ and must be approved by the ________.
president; Senate
A _______ is a service that people need but are usually unable to provide for themselves.
public good
Defense against foreign aggression, maintenance of public order, and a stable currency are examples of
public goods
In Texas, special elections are used to
ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution
Economic policies that attempt to benefit the poor through taxing and spending are referred to as
redistributive programs
he best example of a concurrent power under the U.S. Constitution is the power to
regulate commercial activity
The Constitution expressly grants Congress the power to
regulate interstate commerce
On the subject of representation, Antifederalists wanted
representative bodies that resembled those represented to the highest degree
Though the United States is a ________ at the federal level, there are provisions for ________ democracy at the state and local levels.
representative democracy; direct
In Riley v. California (2014), the Supreme Court
ruled that police are constitutionally prohibited from seizing and searching the digital contents of a cell phone during an arrest.
In a proportional representation electoral system
seats in the legislature are allocated to political parties based on their share of the total vote cast in the election
The delegates at the Philadelphia convention turned down the idea of including a list of citizens' rights in the Constitution because they believed that
since the federal government was already limited to its expressed powers, further protection of citizens was not needed.
Money contributed directly to a political party to be used for voter registration or party building is called
soft money
Under the traditional system of American federalism, most of the fundamental governing in the United States was done by
state governments
Under the Articles of Confederation, it was left to the ________ to execute laws passed by the Continental Congress.
states
The doctrine of nullification asserted that
states were not bound by federal laws that they considered unconstitutional
During the ratification debates, the Federalists were those who
supported the Constitution because it contained a strong national government
What stalled Texas's admission into the United States?
that Texas would be a proslavery state
A political party is an organization
that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office
Texas is often characterized as a "low tax, low social service" state. This is a result of
the "traditionalistic individualistic" political culture in Texas.
Judicial review is the power of
the courts to decide on the constitutionality of actions taken by the other branches of government
The separation of powers best describes
the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making
What was Madison referring to when he wrote that "a double security arises to the rights of the people"?
the fact that the Constitution protects the rights of the people through federalism and the separation of powers
The decision to assign jurisdiction over controversies between citizens of different states to the Supreme Court was significant because it meant that
the federal judiciary, rather than the state courts, would ultimately become the primary venue for resolving disputes
An autocracy exists when
the government is controlled by a single individual
Which level of government writes the majority of criminal laws?
the national/federal government (WRONG)
The majority party
the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate
The Constitution of 1869 gave the governor expanded powers, including
the power to appoint members of the plural executive
LItigation
the process of taking legal action
Framing
the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments
The primary function of a PAC is to
to raise and distribute money to election campaigns
Superdelegates are
used by Democrats to ensure a voice for party officials and for particular constituencies
It is important for Americans to have political knowledge so that they will
will better be able to assess their own interests when making political decisions
The domination of Texas politics by Republicans after the Civil War ended
with the election of governor Richard Coke in 1873, who was a Democrat
The main difference between libel and slander is that libel refers to
written statements, while slander refers to oral statements
The weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation became concerning
"radical" forces representing small farmers artisans, and shopkeeprs began to exert control over a number of state governments
A citizen can currently give no more than ________ per candidate for federal office per election in a given two-year election cycle.
$2,700
Large media conglomerates, such as the Hearst, McClatchy, and Gannett corporations, own approximately ________ of daily newspapers.
75%
Approximately what percentage of the state's voting-age population is registered to vote?
79%
Approximately ________ lobbyists are currently registered with Congress.
9,400
________ is the power the media has to shape what issues Americans think about, and ________ is the power the media has to influence how Americans think about those issues.
Agenda Setting; Framing
Suppose you wanted to create a method of redistricting that would make races for the Texas legislature more competitive. Which plan would you recommend be enacted to do so?
Allow politicians in the legislature to devise and implement electoral districts (WRONG)
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was important because it
Allowed for greater concentration of media ownership than had been possible since regulation of the industry began in 1934
Which of the following statements about interest groups is most accurate?
Americans are much more likely to join a political and social organizations than other people in other countries, and America has far more organized interest groups than other countries
Which of the following statements about socioeconomic status and political participation is accurate?
Americans of higher socioeconomic status participate more in politics, including voting
A loose, informal relationship of public officials, interest groups, and activists who are all concerned with the same policies is called
An Issue Network
During the Founding era, ________ were the strongest supporters of adding a bill of rights to the Constitution.
Antifederalists
A closed primary allows only those individuals who________ to participate.
Are a registered member of their political party
Which of the following groups was NOT part of the New Deal coalition?
Asian Americans
As more women, minorities, and LGBTQ individuals gain influence in politics,
Aspects of provincialism are being challenged
Opposition to legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________, while support for legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________.
Conservatives; Liberals
Which of the following statements best describes the prevalence of constitutional democracies throughout history?
Constitutional democracies were very rare before 1800 and only a minority of the world's population currently lives under this form of government
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) have been extremely important in the development of
Constitutional right to privacy
One major way for interest groups to promote the political interests of elected officials who support their viewpoints and oppose the interests of those who do not is by
Contributing to Campaigns
________ is evidenced when national officials fund a project that is actually implemented by state governments.
Cooperative Federalism
Which of the following groups is likely to have the most influence on government?
Corporate and Professional Groups
The ________ convention is a meeting held by a political party following its precinct convention for the purpose of electing delegates to its state convention.
County
The Federalists believed that the powers of government could be limited by
Creating an internal system of checks and controls within government
Why do most people use cues from party elites and elected officials to help them form their political attitudes?
Cues are easy; cues from trusted officials are usually consistent with a person's underlying preferences.
In recent years, response rates for random digit dial surveys have been
Declining steadily and now average less then 10%
Since the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the Border region, including El Paso, McAllen, and Brownsville, has remained politically a ________ bastion.
Democratic Party
An individual who identifies as an independent believes that the United States needs to seriously address climate change and increase taxes on the wealthy. The person is more likely to lean toward which party?
Democratic Party (WRONG)
Large cities have predominantly ________ populations, while ________ are more numerous in rural and suburban areas.
Democratic; Republicans
The two major parties in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s were the ________ and the ________.
Democrats; Whigs
political socialization
Describes the process in which individuals learn the underlying beliefs and values on which a political system is based
________ delegates authority to a lower level of government.
Devolution
What did the framers identify as the greatest source of political conflict for the United States?
Differences between the rich and the poor
Which of the following is the best characterization of digital political participation?
Digital political participation includes activities like visiting a candidate's website or signing an online petition
Latinos and Latinas tend to favor Democratic Party candidates in national elections because they
Disagree with the Republican Party's stance on immigration
Political scientists sometimes describe social media as "the new dinner table" because
Discussions of politics and current events on social media occur within a network of friends and family
Which of the following is a good example of a media monopoly?
Disney
When millions of people used Facebook's tool to add a rainbow-colored background to their profile pictures after the Supreme Court's 2015 decision to legalize same-sex marriage it was an example of
Expressive Politics
By focusing on influencing the Republican primary elections, the Tea Party movement in Texas is trying to
Get Tea-Party-supported candidates on the ballot, but under the Republican Party label
"Commerce among the several states" was first defined in which Supreme Court case?
Gibbons v Ogden
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a good example of a
Government Interest Group
The Constitution of 1836 showed the direct influence of the U.S. Constitution through the inclusion of which of the following?
Government divided into three branches with a system of checks and balances
If you have a job in a "government relations" department, you are a _____________ working for a ______________.
Government employee; state government (WRONG)
What was the main cause for reducing the legal voting age to 18?
Government officials hoped it would lead to a decline in disruptive student protests against the Vietnam War
Which of the following civil liberties was included in Article III of the Constitution?
Guarantee of trial by jury in state where crime was committed
The Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) was significant because it
Guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry in all states
Houston is found in which part of Texas?
Gulf Coastal Plains
________ described politics as "who gets what, when, how."
Harold Lasswell
Donald Trump called himself a "law and order" president. This supports the idea that the president
Has a liberal ideology (WRONG)
The American public's support for same-sex marriage
Has increased by 25% in the last two decades
Laws that automatically register residents to vote in elections
Have been enacted by 19 states and the District of Columbia
Compared to the 1996 presidential election, turnout in the 2008 and 2016 presidential elections has been
Higher
As of 2021, which city in Texas has the largest population?
Houston
According to political scientist John Aldrich, which of the following problems found in democratic governments do political parties help solve?
How to regulate the number of people seeking public office, how to mobilize voters, and how to achieve the majorities needed to accomplish legislative goals once in office
An individual who identifies a problem as a political issue and brings a policy proposal into the political agenda is referred to as a(n)
Idea Capitalist
An individual's psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party
Identification
Political scientists argue that a likely cause of party polarization in Congress is
Ideological diversity that ensures both parties have both liberal and conservative wings (WRONG)
The Republican Party is currently most internally divided over the issues of
Immigration OR Tax policy and government spending
Which of the following statements about voter identification laws is most accurate?
In every state with a voter identification law, a person must have a photo ID issued by the federal government in order to cast a legal ballot (WRONG)
The fundamental principles and positions supported by a political party are explained in the
Party Platform
According to Article 5 of the Texas Constitution, how are judges selected?
Judges in Texas are elected by the people
Which of the following is a consequence of Texas having a part-time legislature?
Legislators may run out of time to be able to formally introduce legislation on the floor of the chamber; since the lobbyists have often written the bills, the lobbyists are also able to introduce the legislation as well (WRONG)
The Supreme Court's decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius is important for American federalism because it
Limits the federal government's ability to impose conditions on states receiving federal funding
The tendency for Black Americans to perceive other Black Americans as members of a group with a common identity and a shared political interest is called
Linked Fate
What distinguishes lobbying from other strategies of influence?
Lobbying is the least expensive and the most democratic strategy of influencing government (WRONG)
Which of the following are employed to express the values of interest groups?
Lobbyists
Which of the following statements about the relationship between state and local governments is NOT accurate?
Local governments can legally dissolve the government of the state in which they reside if every local government votes to do so.
When Tip O'Neill said, "all politics is local," he was talking about how
Local issues are not generally ideological
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) focuses on
Monitoring changes in electoral law that may suppress the votes of minorities
Which of the following statements accurately reflects data on Americans' political knowledge?
Most Americans do not have a lot of political knowledge
Which of the following statements about Native Americans is true?
Native Americans became citizens in 1924
Compared to the national average, Texans tend to rank ______________ on measures that are related to civic engagement.
Near the bottom
By about the 1940s, a split between liberals and conservatives developed in the Democratic Party that focused on
New Deal economic policies and civil rights measures
A ________ is the best example of an informational benefit provided by many interest groups.
Newsletter
Which of the following is the best expression of a "pluralistic society" in action?
People with common interests join together into groups and these groups compete with each other for power and influence
Attempts by Congress to regulate child labor and factory conditions in local workplaces were struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional in the late nineteenth century because regulating local workplaces was
Perceived as beyond the scope of interstate commerce at the time
A state government's authority to regulate the safety, health, and morals of its citizens is called a(n) ________ power.
Police
A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns is called a(n)
Political Action Committee
Private groups that raise and distribute funds for election campaigns are called
Political Action Committees
Most interest groups tend to give campaign contributions to ______________________
Political Parties (WRONG)
Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership, how it is organized, or what its policies are going to be is called
Political Power
The process of ________ is what introduces individuals to the political culture and helps people develop their own political beliefs and values.
Political Socialization
hte process of ________ is what introduces individuals to the political culture and helps people develop their own political beliefs and values.
Political Socialization
A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to
Poorly worded questions
At the most basic and fundamental level, parties are organized into _______________________.
Precincts
The media's reporting of the Watergate affair led to
President Nixon's resignation
"Filter bubbles" appear when
Search engines learn to cater to individual preferences and start to omit results that might challenge such preferences
Which of the following was a consequence of Andrew Johnson's Presidential Reconstruction on the Texas Constitution of 1866?
Since many of the people writing the Constitution of 1866 were former secessionists, this document still reflected many of the same values of the Constitution of 1861, such as denying freed slaves the right to vote or the ability to hold public office.
Which statement about "fighting words" is most accurate?
Since the 1950s, the Supreme Court has reversed almost every conviction based on arguments that the speaker used "fighting words."
What kind of electoral districts are used in Texas?
Single-member districts
One important cause of the two-party system in the United States is
Single-member, winner-take-all electoral districts
Article 4 of the Texas Constitution divides executive power among how many different offices
Six
Which scenario would make a runoff primary most likely to occur?
Six candidates are all running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate
The fact that Americans today are likely to follow the news by briefly reading multiple headlines online rather than by reading longer news articles is referred to as
Skimming and Scanning
Which of the following groups are starting to challenge business groups for influence in Texas politics?
Social Conservatives
Third parties in the United States typically represent
Social and economic interests that are disregarded by the two major parties for certain reasons
The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example of the ________ effect.
Social desirability
Women in the United States are ________ the ________ Party.
Somewhat more likely to support; Democratic
Men in the United States are ________ the ________ Party.
Somewhat more likely to support; Republican
After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a long-term Democratic voter switches party to become a Republican. Since party identification is usually formed in a voter's youth and persists over time, the voter's switch is best explained by
Strong factors that convinced the voter that the Democratic Party was no longer serving his or her interests
By the time of the Iraq invasion in March 2003, the American public was
Strongly supportive of the war, with 70% of Americans endorsing the Bush administration's policy
Privately owned media companies in the United States earn most of their revenue from
Subscriptions (WRONG)
________ are independent, nonprofit groups that receive and distribute funds to influence the nomination, election, and/or defeat of a candidate.
Super PAC's
The ________ clause in the U.S. Constitution affirms that national laws and treaties are "the supreme Law of the Land."
Supremacy
The "traditional system" of American federalism refers to a period when
The national government was quite small and carried out only a narrow and very specialized set of responsibilities
When drafting the Texas Constitution of 1876, the framers wanted to create a government based on which of the following principles?
The necessity of strong limitations on the power of state government
The practice of training reporters to produce a standardized, seemingly neutral news product was the result of
The newspaper industry's reluctance to alienate readers with liberal or conservative political views
Why is it so difficult to get on the ballot as an independent in Texas?
The parties that control government, and therefore control ballot access, want to maintain their power and make it harder for other parties to compete for votes during elections
Which of the following is the best definition of gatekeeping?
The process by which news and information are filtered to the public by the media
The process by which political values are formed is known as
The process by which political values are formed is known as
During the 2016 campaign, Hillary Clinton received half the amount of media coverage as Donald Trump. Which of the following is the best explanation why this came to be?
The profit motive of the news industry. Stories about Trump were much more likely to be consumed and thus attracted more advertising dollars.
Which statement best describes the relationship between public opinion and government policy?
The relationship between government policy and public opinion is dynamic, wherein government policy responds to public opinion but public opinion also shifts based on new government policies.
The trend in concentration of traditional media ownership occurred in large part due to
The relaxation of government regulations in the 1980s and 1990s
What happened in 1937 that decisively ended the era of dual federalism?
The supreme court issued a series of decisions throwing out the old distinction between interstate and intrastate commerceThe era of dual federalism was from the ________ until ________.
To what does the term "Jim Crow" refer?
The system of racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction
What happens when a voter engages in straight-ticket voting?
The voter can check one box at the top of the ballot for one party and this will then cast a vote for each candidate on the ballot with that party's affiliation
While new technologies such as horizontal drilling and fracking have allowed greater access to oil and natural gas in Texas, these technologies also raised environmental concerns mostly due to
Their need for substantial amounts of water
Trump's victory in the 2016 Republican primaries is evidence that
There are limits to party insiders' control of the presidential nomination process
Why doesn't the voice of consumers get heard as clearly by Texas legislators through the lobbying process?
There are no dedicated interest groups that focus on consumers among the biggest spending groups
Which of the following statements best describes current controversies about immigration among conservatives?
There is a division of opinion among conservatives, with pro-business conservatives accepting immigration and social conservatives strongly opposing immigration to the United States.
How much can an individual donate to a campaign for a state-level, nonjudicial office, such as for governor?
There is no limit
Issues such as the environment, health care, retirement benefits, and taxation are on the political agenda in the United States because
These issues are important to the middle class, whose support both parties compete for
Political leaders may prefer communicating through social media because
They can more directly control the content of their communication and speak to the public more directly
Ultimately, what do interest groups want from policymakers?
They want policy that is beneficial for their groups
What was the problem Speaker Sam Rayburn identified with the "steak men" at the beginning of the twentieth century?
They were legislators who would "sell" their votes on a bill for the free steak dinners.
Low-level officials who hope to publicize what they view as their bosses' or the government's improper activities are usually called
Whistle-Blowers
The mass exodus of more affluent Whites from urban areas to suburban areas is sometimes referred to as
White Flight
In a "first past the post" electoral system, the winner of the election is
Whoever gets the plurality of the votes
Which statement correctly describes the requirements for membership in a major political party in Texas?
With no requirements, a registered voter simply chooses which party primary to vote in
Suppose you were hired to work on the campaign of a 2020 presidential candidate. Your job was to reach out to the group of people most likely to vote. Which group should you target first?
Women
Which statement explains why there are less women than men in political office?
Women are less likely to win elections than men when they run (WRONG)
Which statement concerning women's suffrage is correct?
Women were permitted to vote in all elections in Texas with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Which of the following statements about voter participation among young people is most accurate?
Youth voter turnout is much lower in midterm congressional elections than in presidential elections
Jaybird Party
after the white primary was ruled unconstitutional, this offshoot Democratic party preselected candidates for the Democratic primary and prohibited African Americans from participating
The Great Compromise
agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation; each state was given an equal number of Senators but linking representation in the House of Representatives to population
The National Origins Quota System
allowed a large quota of new immigrants from northern European counties but only a small quota of new immigrants from eastern and southern European countries
States like Delaware, Connecticut, and New York opposed the Virginia Plan because they
feared that large states would dominate the new government if representation were to be determined by population, as stipulated by the Virginia Plan
Which of the following is a good example of how state governments use their "police power"?
filing a lawsuit against the federal government for violating the Constitution (WRONG)
National party conventions are held every
four years and attended by delegates from all 50 states
In 1950, the Supreme Court case Sweatt v. Painter
guaranteed African Americans admission to Texas's graduate and professional schools
Generally speaking, in order to be a good citizen in the United States, it is most critical to have
knowledge of the American Political System
Immigrants from Asian countries were
largely prohibited from entering the United States prior to the 1940s.
What is the term length of a federal judge?
life unless impeached
In addition to nominating a presidential candidate, national party convention are important because they
make rules concerning delegate selection for future primaries and draft the party's platform
In addition to nominating a presidential candidate, national party conventions are important because they
make rules concerning delegate selection for future primaries and draft the party's platform
An advertisement emailed only to evangelical Christian voters about a Democratic candidate's support for abortion would be an example of
micro-targeting
The demand that there be no taxation without representation is a good example of what political reform of the eighteenth century?
more popular influence on the government
Party activists are ________ likely to contribute time to party affairs and ________ likely to hold more extreme views than the party's rank-and-file voters.
more; more
Diffusion
policy decisions in one political jurisdiction are influenced by choices made in another jurisdiction
the belief that ordinary citizens can affect what government does is referred to as
political efficacy
Before the 1890s, who was responsible for printing election ballots?
political parties
Political culture is a term used to describe
the broadly shared values and beliefs about government.
What is a media monopoly?
the concentration of media ownership by a few large corporations
The purpose of the Tenth Amendment is to
to limit the powers of the federal government by reserving certain powers to the states and to the people
Among the grievances against the Mexican government listed in the Texas Declaration of Independence was the failure
to provide a system of public education
In 2020, the DNC used performance polls to determine which candidates could participate in televised presidential debates. Despite objections from candidates, the DNC could do this in its capacity
to set rules for primary and caucus elections as a national committee
A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate any challenges to its authority is known as a(n) ________ government.
tolitorian
If a government that previously had no limits on what it could do to its citizens was overthrown and replaced with a government that had strict substantive and procedural limits on what it could do, this change would best be characterized as a shift from a(n)
totalitarian government to a constitutional government
hat is one of the key functions of the county executive committee?
Running the county's primary elections
Which of the following election reforms is designed to make voting easier?
Same-day voter registration
Fake political ads and posts published on Facebook from accounts controlled by Russian operatives are estimated to have reached ________ Americans.
126 million
Texas became an independent republic in ________ and became part of the United States in ________.
1836;1845
The poll tax was made illegal in federal elections with the passage of the
24th Amendment
Based on a 2017 Gallup poll, ____________ of Texans identified as being Republican or leaning Republican, while _______________ of Texans identified as being Democratic or leaning Democratic.
41%; 38%
Texas ranks ________ in the nation in voter participation.
50th
The modern low for voter turnout in a presidential election was ________ of eligible voters in the ________ election.
52%; 1996
Texas has operated under how many constitutions?
7
Which of the following is an example of an issue network?
A network of interest groups and elected officials that seek to reform a set of policies on a diverse set of issues (WRONG)
Which of the following stories would an American news outlet that relies primarily on advertising revenue be least likely to cover?
A sex scandal involving a high-ranking government official (WRONG)
Which of the following statements best characterizes media ownership in the United States?
A small number of giant, privately owned corporations control most of the country's digital media
A democracy in which one party wins all elections and competing parties have little chance to win
Activates citizens that otherwise would not vote (WRONG)
Which of the following is the largest expense for most campaigns?
Advertising
Why did Texas need to create a new constitution in 1861?
After Texas joined the Confederacy in February 1861, a new constitution was needed since Texas was no longer part of the United States
The power of the media to draw public attention to particular issues and problems is called
Agenda Setting
A state with a roughly equal number of Democrats and Republicans in the population is often referred to as a ________ state.
Battleground
In order to vote in Texas, you must meet which of the following requirements?
Be a resident of Texas, a U.S. citizen, and at least 18 years of age
Why are Texas Republicans considered to be in a divided moment?
Because there is tension between pro-business Republicans, who have traditionally dominated Texas politics, and the Tea Party movement that is becoming more influential within Texas politics and government
Why do interest groups offer people things like t-shirts or magazine subscriptions in return for joining the organization?
Benefits or incentives are necessary to overcome the free-rider problem
The Voting Rights Act has been renewed several times since 1965, and new provisions have been added since then. For example,
Bilingual ballots are now required in certain areas where more than 5% of voters speak another language
Conservative Democrats in Texas are also known as
Blue Dog Democrats
Interest groups use judicial strategies in order to
Challenge existing policies and laws within the court system
Which of the following statements about public opinion in America is most accurate?
Citizens with high levels of knowledge are generally better able to evaluate new information to determine its relevancy to their beliefs
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is best described as what kind of interest group?
Civil Rights
Which of the following groups have had notable political success by litigating in federal courts?
Civil Rights Groups
There are very few party machines left today because
Civil service reform and the institution of the merit system mean that party leaders can no longer control who is appointed to government jobs
Digital forms of participation that require little effort and may not actually translate into offline acts of political engagement are often referred to as
Clicktivism
________ generally support abortion rights and oppose state involvement with religious institutions.
Conservatives (WRONG)
Which of the following statements about political parties and voter mobilization is correct?
During the nineteenth century, political parties were more interested in fundraising than in organizing and mobilizing voters (WRONG)
The _________________ begins with primary elections and concludes with general elections.
Electoral cycle
Under Article 7 of the Texas Constitution, the State Board of Education has responsibility for which of the following?
Elementary and Secondary education
One of the primary goals of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was to
Eliminate or lower tariffs among Mexico, the US, and Canada
Which of the following is found in the Texas Constitution, but not in the U.S. Constitution?
Equal Rights Amendment
When millions of people posted an image of a black square on social media to protest police brutality against African Americans, it was an example of:
Expressive Politics
The 1937 case Palko v. Connecticut focused on the
Fifth Amendment's protection against double jeopardy
The most recent census was conducted 2020, with a reapportionment completed soon after based on its results. Assuming the Texas population increased from its 2010 total, as a result of this reapportionment, Texas will most likely
Gain seats in the House of Representatives
The form of federal assistance called ________ provides money to state governments with no strings attached.
General Revenue Sharing
Which of the following was a consequence of one-party dominance in Texas?
General elections tended to be non-competitive during this period
The fact that liberals choose to live in neighborhoods, cities, counties, and states that are more liberal while conservatives move to areas with populations with more conservative views is called
Geographic Sorting
________ warned Americans against the dangers of political parties in his farewell address.
George Washington
In the post-Civil War era, the only parts of Texas that showed significant Republican leanings were
German counties in the Texas Hill Country
Why would a strong supporter of third-party candidate Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential election vote for the Democratic candidate Bill Clinton instead?
In the United States' two-party system, voters have an incentive not to vote for third-party candidates
Which of the following statements best characterizes the relationship between education, income, and voting?
In the United States, but not in other Western democracies, those who vote tend to have a higher income and more education
Which of the following statements best summarizes John Locke's philosophical arguments in his treatises on government?
Individuals create government to protect their lives, liberties, and possessions, and if a government fails in its duties, the citizenry has the right to alter or abolish it
Which individuals are legally disqualified from voting?
Individuals who have been judged by a court to be mentally incompetent
What is the most important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials?
Information
The ability to find and effectively evaluate information online is referred to as
Information Literacy
A full-page, fully paid spread in the New York Times publicizing a major oil company is best described as
Institutional Advertising
"Policy feedback" occurs when
Public opinion shifts in response to changes in government policy
A national park, which everyone can use, is a good example of a
Purposive Benefit (WRONG)
Advertisements and marches are best categorized as a way to
Pursue litigation (WRONG)
A system that allows voters to rank candidates from the most preferred to the least preferred on the ballot is called
Ranked-choice voting
Which of the following statements about ranked-choice voting is most accurate?
Ranked-choice voting has been implemented in some countries (such as Australia) and in a handful of American states and cities
Texas was the first state in the South to
Ratify the women's suffrage amendment
The process of ________ involves recalculating how many congressional districts each state will receive based on the state's population.
Reapportionment
The three steps of John Zaller's model of opinion formation are
Receive, Accept, Sample
Public broadcasting refers to any television, radio, and digital media that
Receives funding from the public through license fees, subsidies, or tax dollars
When compared to the rest of the nation, the population of Texas
Relatively Young
Which of the following statements best describes the media's role in the Watergate affair?
Relentless adversarial journalism revealed various abuses of power by President Nixon and led to his reignation
During the 1980s, the Republicans added ________ to their coalition.
Religious conservatives and working-class Whites
If Texas wanted to encourage the development of more third parties, what steps could it take?
Replace the single member district, "first past the post" electoral system with one that uses proportional representation
Which of the following statements best summarizes the Federalists' view on representation?
Representatives need not be a "true picture of the people," and the best system of representation allows citizens to elect individuals possessing ability, experience, and talent superior to their own
After the Civil War, African American men were more likely to vote for which party?
Republican
From 1896 to 1932, the ________ Party was the nation's majority party.
Republican
In Texas today, rural areas have become more ______________, while urban areas have become more ___________.
Republican; Democratic
What is one of the key functions of the county executive committee?
Running the county's primary elections
Suppose six months before a presidential election, a public-opinion poll shows that the incumbent president will lose in November. If you were trying to reassure the president about his or her chances for reelection, which of the following would be the strongest case to make?
Surveys cannot use simple random sampling when conducted months before an election; this survey probably has a very high margin of error. (WRONG)
Candidates for state office and lobbyists have to file quarterly reports detailing their spending and donations with which agency?
Texas Ethics Commission
Which statement best describes the structure of the Texas legislature?
Texas' first unicameral legislature was established when Texas became an independent country
The Compromise of 1850, which was passed by the U.S. Congress, established
Texas' present boundaries in exchange for a payment from the federal government
Which of the following provisions of Arizona's 2010 immigration law was upheld by the Supreme Court?
That local police check the immigration status of a detained individual
If a lawmaker seeks to cut Social Security benefits to senior citizens, they would most likely face opposition from
The AARP
Why did the British government tell John Adams that they would not negotiate treaties related to Revolutionary War disputes with the national government?
The British claimed that only the United Nations, not the national government, could negotiate treaties between countries at war
What was the overall importance of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
The Court allowed Congress to use the necessary and proper clause to broadly interpret its delegated powers
Which statement best describes the Supreme Court's decisions about federalism during the 1990s?
The Court limited the power of the national government over the state governments
Which of the following is a difference between Democratic and Republican primaries?
The Democratic Party requires that state presidential primaries allocate delegates on the basis of proportional representation while the Republican Party does not
The idea that all persons "born or naturalized" in the United States are citizens can be found in
The Fourteenth Amendment
Which of the following possesses the sole power to create revenue bills?
The House of Representatives
Which offshoot of the Democratic Party preselected candidates for the Democratic primary and prohibited African Americans from participating?
The Jaybird Party
What is one reason that political parties and politicians view Latinos and Latinas as a critically important group?
The Latino and Latina population in the United States is large and rapidly growing
News media reported that in the summer of 2020, more than half of the American public disapproved of the way President Trump was handling the COVID-19 crises. What could be inferred from this information?
The media coverage of the president's handling of the crises is not always favorable
In the United States system of federalism, an individual citizen lives under the direct authority of which of the following?
The national and state government
Who is responsible for fundraising for the party and establishing the party's policies?
The State Executive Committee
Which entity is placed in charge of determining whether a state discriminated against goods or people from another state?
The Supreme Court
Which of the following statements about Supreme Court decisions related to executions under the Eighth Amendment is inaccurate?
The Supreme Court has outlawed the use of lethal injection as a mode of execution
If you advocated limiting the powers of the national government, which part of the Constitution would justify your position?
The Tenth Amendment
Which of the following was the largest PAC in Texas in the 2018 election cycle?
The Texas Association of Realtors
Which of the following is NOT an example of a totalitarian regime?
The United Kingdom
What resource(s) are interest groups able to use to influence politics?
The ability to raise money
What is the fundamental idea of both consitutitions?
The best way to prevent tyranny is to give each branch of government a little bit of control over the branches through checks and balances
The framers of the Constitution of 1876 created a rigid and highly detailed document that provided clear instructions for how government should operate. As a result of this,
The constitution must be amended in order to address policy changes brought about by advances in our society including things like cars, electricity, and the internet
The number of political parties there are in a country is determined primarily by
The country's electoral system and rules
Which statement best describes the Supreme Court's decisions about federalism during the 1990s?
The court limited the power of the national government over the state governments
Which of the following statements best summarizes the federal courts' rulings on internet content?
The courts have declared that service providers are immune from suits regarding the content of material posted by others
The domination of Texas politics by Republicans after the Civil War ended with
The election of Richard Coke in 1873, who was a Democrat
The fact that Democrats referred to the Obama administration's health care initiative as "reform" instead of as "rationing" is an example of
The fact that Democrats referred to the Obama administration's health care initiative as "reform" instead of as "rationing" is an example of (WRONG)
Among the grievances against the Mexican government listed in the Texas Declaration of Independence was
The failure to provide a system of public education
Which of the following statements best describes the 2005 Supreme Court's ruling on medicinal marijuana?
The federal government has the power to regulate use of medical marijuana under the commerce clause
The situation in which individuals receive the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as
The free-rider problem
Men are more likely than women to prioritize economic and national security issues. Women are more likely to prioritize healthcare and education issues. The difference in who men and women tend to vote for is known as
The gender gap
African Americans have been elected to
To represent Texas in the U.S. Senate (WRONG)
When do Texans vote in general elections to elect members of Congress?
Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years
Between 2008 and 2018, countywide elections in Harris County
Were swept by Democrats
What was notable about the 2018 midterm elections?
Turnout reached an all-time high, surpassing turnout seen in most presidential elections (wrong)
At any given time in American politics, how many parties have tended to dominate politics?
Two
Which of the following statements about government regulation of political advertisements is most accurate?
Unlike traditional media, political ads on Google, Twitter, and Facebook are not regulated
Since 1850 there has been a marked shift of the population in Texas from rural to urban areas. This process is known as
Urbanization
Suppose you are working as a data analyst for one of the two major parties during a presidential election. Which approach should you use to micro-target independent voters over the age of 65 who live in suburban areas and regularly shop at Target?
Use voter registration file data in combination with Census and commercial data
The New Deal coalition was severely strained and ultimately broken apart by the
Vietnam War and the issue of Civil Rights
If a number of newspapers published stories exposing an elected official's acceptance of monetary bribes from a corporation in exchange for passing a particular law, it would be an example of the media serving their role as a
Watchdog
Texas has ________ laws dealing with lobbying by former government officials.
Weak
In which two cases did the Supreme Court uphold the constitutionality of state-level restrictions on abortion?
Webster v Reproductive Health Services; Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v Casey
Duverger's law states that
a political system with single-member districts and plurality rule elections will tend to result in a two-party system
The Constitution of 1869 created
a strong governors office
The Texas Constitution requires which of the following for amending the state constitution?
a two-thirds vote in both houses of the state legislature and a majority vote from the voters of Texas
Public broadcasting in the United States
accounts for a much smaller share of the media market than in other Western democracies, such as France, Germany, and Denmark
A push poll involves
asking loaded questions in order to subtly shape the respondent's opinion
In order to win the presidency, a candidate must win
at least 270 electoral votes
Lobbying is
attempting to influence policy makers by exerting indirect pressure, through phone calls or emails, on members of Congress or a state legislature
If a government led by a dictator was replaced with a government where a large number of citizens exercised influence over decision-making, this change would best be characterized as a shift from a(n)
autocracy to a democracy
If a government led by a dictator was replaced with a government where a large number of citizens exercised influence over decision-making, this change would best be characterized as a shift from a(n)
autocracy to a totalitarian
Presidential candidates who accept public funding for their general election campaigns
can spend unlimited amounts of money donated to their campaigns through a political action committee but cannot spend any of their own money
In the so-called top-two primary system
candidates from all parties run against one another and the top two face each other in the general election
What was the penny press?
cheap, tabloid style newspapers produced in the 19th century that expanded access to the news to less affluent readers
Politics can be defined as
conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of any organization to which people belong.
mandate that all school districts receiving state funding require multilingual education for all students.
confront discriminatory practices that prevented Texas Latinos from participating in mainstream political and economic life.
Consider a system of government in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government, yet most governing decisions are controlled by a small group of wealthy people. Which of the following would best describe such a system?
constitutional oligarchy
The fact that 44 states and the District of Columbia have followed in Minnesota's original policy decision and allowed charter schools is an example of
diffusion
Statewide controversial initiatives on the ballot
increase voter turnout in elections
Accidental mobilization occurs when
individuals are exposed to political information that they did not explicitly seek out
Citizenship refers to
informed and active membership in a political community
Government is best defined as the
institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled
The equal protection clause
is part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause, which took effect in 1868, provides that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws"
The Texas Bill of Rights is different from the U.S. Bill of Rights because
it grants rights and protections that are not found in the U.S. Bill of Rights
An example of ________ is when federal officials force state officials to implement more stringent national water pollution regulations.
preemption
The framers employed the separation of powers and federalism in order to
prevent the new government from abusing its power
The White Primary
primary election in which Southern states allowed only whites to vote
The decision to give the national government control over interstate commerce and finance
promote economic development and protect property from radical state legislatures
Third-party candidates are better off under
proportional representation
The Secure Communities program
required state and local authorities to check the fingerprints of people being booked into jail against a Homeland Security database
The 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act
required the government to prove a "compelling interest" before forcing individuals to obey a law that violates their religious beliefs
