POLS 1113 Exam 2 (CH6-10)
A situation in which one party controls a state governorship and the other controls the state legislature is known as _____.
A divided government
Party platform
A document drawn up at each national convention outlining the policies, positions, and principles of the party.
Indiana ballot
A form of general-election ballot in which all of a party's candidates for elective office are arranged in one column under the party's label and symbol. It emphasizes voting for the party, rather than for the office or individual.
Party-column ballot
A form of general-election ballot in which all of a party's candidates for elective office are arranged in one column under the party's label and symbol. It emphasizes voting for the party, rather than for the office or individual.
Massachusetts ballot
A form of general-election ballot in which candidates for elective office are grouped together under the title of each office. It emphasizes voting for the office and the individual candidate, rather than for the party.
Office-block ballot
A form of general-election ballot in which candidates for elective office are grouped together under the title of each office. It emphasizes voting for the office and the individual candidate, rather than for the party.
Boycott
A form of pressure or protest—an organized refusal to purchase a particular product or deal with a particular business.
Peer group
A group consisting of members sharing common social characteristics. These groups play an important part in the socialization process, helping to shape attitudes and beliefs.
Electoral college
A group of persons called electors selected by the voters in each state and the District of Columbia; this group officially elects the president and vice president of the United states.
Political party
A group of political activists who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy.
Factions
A group or bloc in a legislature or political party acting in pursuit of some special interest or position.
Generational effect
A long-lasting effect of the events of a particular time on the political opinions of those who came of political age at that time.
Whig Party
A major party in the United States during the first half of the 19th century, formally established in 1836. The Whig Party was anti-Jackson and represented a variety of regional interests.
A candidate must win which of the following to win the general election?
A majority in the Electoral College
Caucus
A meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policies.
Electors
A member of the electoral college, which selects the president and vice president. Each state's electors are chosen in each presidential election year according to state laws.
Opinion poll
A method of systematically questioning a small, selected sample of respondents who are deemed representative of the total population.
Social movements
A movement that represents the demands of a large segment of the public for political, economic, or social change.
James Madison, in Federalist Paper No. 10, argued that _____.
A multitude of interests protects minority views in a democracy
Splinter parties
A new party formed by a dissident faction within a major political party. Often, splinter parties have emerged when a particular personality was at odds with the major party.
Plurality
A number of votes cast for a candidate that is greater than the number of votes for any other candidate but not necessarily be a majority.
Political consultant
A paid professional hired to devise a campaign strategy and manage a campaign.
Which of the following is a name for a powerful leader of a political party, able to control votes and dictate appointments?
A party boss
Superdelegates
A party leader or elected official who is given the right to vote at the party's national convention. Superdelegates are not elected at the state level.
Tipping
A phenomenon that occurs when a group that is becoming more numerous over time grows large enough to change the political balance in a district, state, or country.
Super PACs
A political committee that can accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations to spend supporting a candidate as long as its efforts are not coordinated with the candidate's own campaign.
Third parties
A political party other than the two major political parties (Republican and Democratic).
Two-party system
A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning.
Tracking polls
A poll taken for the candidate on a nearly daily basis as election day approaches.
Beauty contests
A presidential primary in which contending candidates compete for popular votes but the results do not control the selection of delegates to the national convention.
Open primary
A primary in which any registered voter can vote (but must vote for candidates of only one party).
Realignment
A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.
Communications director
A professional specialist who plans the communications strategy and advertising campaign for the candidate.
Purposive incentives
A reason for supporting or participating in the activities of a group based on agreement with the goals of the group. For example, someone with a strong interest in human rights might have a purposive incentive to join Amnesty International.
Material incentives
A reason or motive for supporting or participating in the activities of a group based on economic benefits or opportunities.
Solidary incentives
A reason or motive for supporting or participating in the activities of a group based on the desire to associate with others and to share with others a particular interest or hobby.
Unit rule
A rule by which all of a state's electoral votes are cast for the presidential candidate receiving a plurality of the popular vote in that state.
Australian ballot
A secret ballot prepared, distributed,and tabulated by government officials at public expense. Since 1888, all U.S. states have used the Australian ballot rather than an open, public ballot.
Corrupt practices act
A series of acts passed by Congress in an attempt to limit and regulate the size and sources of contributions and expenditures in political campaigns.
Divided government
A situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls the chambers of Congress, or in which one party controls a state governorship and the other controls the state legislature.
Focus group
A small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues.
According to The Social Contract, which of the following is not true of Rousseau's beliefs about government?
A social contract can be maintained without social participation.
National committee
A standing committee of a national political party established to direct and coordinate party activities between national party conventions.
Battleground states
A state likely to be so closely fought that the campaigns devote exceptional effort to winning the popular and electoral vote there.
Presidential primaries
A statewide primary election of delegates to a political party's national convention, held to determine a party's presidential nominee.
Indirect techniques
A strategy employed by interest groups that uses third parties to influence government officials.
Today, a faction is _____.
A subgroup within a party
Reverse-income effect
A tendency for wealthier states or regions to favor the Democrats and for less wealthy states or regions to favor the Republicans. The effect appears paradoxical because it reverses traditional patterns of support.
Closed primary
A type of primary in which the voter is limited to choosing candidates of the party of which he or she is a member.
Independent
A voter or candidate who does not identify with a political party.
Lobbyists
An organization or individual who attempts to influence legislation and the administrative decisions of government.
An interest group is defined as _____.
An organization that actively attempts to influence government policy
Interest groups
An organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policymakers.
_____ and his supporters formed the Democratic Party.
Andrew Jackson
Limited presidential campaign spending
Any candidate accepting federal support must agree to limit campaign expenditures to the amount prescribed by federal law.
In the early 1990s, environmental, labor, and consumer groups formed an alliance called _____ to oppose the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Citizens Trade Campaign
The 2009 decision of the Supreme Court in _____ makes it possible for unions, interest groups, and corporations to spend money directly on advertising for and against candidates.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee
The requirements to register to vote are _____.
Citizenship, age, and residency
The use of public relations techniques to create favorable public opinion of an interest group, industry, or corporation is known as _____.
Climate control
When only declared party members can vote in a primary election, it is called a(n) _____.
Closed primary
An interest group's ability to defeat a candidate or contribute extra money when needed is an example of that group's _____.
Cohesiveness
The political arm of the AFL-CIO is the _____.
Committee on Political Education (COPE)
Studies suggest that the influence of parents on the political socialization of their children is due to two factors, _____.
Communication and receptivity
The _____ plans appearances, the themes to be communicated by the candidate at specific points in the campaign, and the response to the attacks.
Communication director
People who join groups in response to solidary incentives do so for _____.
Companionship
Both Arend Lijphart and Martin Wattenberg have promoted _____ as a way to increase voter turnout.
Compulsory voting
Life cycle effect
Concept that people change as they grow older because of age-specific experiences and thus are likely to hold age-specific attitudes.
Which of the following statements about state and federal laws favoring the two-party system is correct?
Congress divides seats, staff members, and other privileges based on membership in one of the two major parties.
A Gallup poll that indicates that 89 percent of adults believe that birth control is morally acceptable represents a _____ of opinion.
Consensus
Legislators and government officials are often more impressed by contact from _____.
Constituents than from interest groups
The intent of a groundswell of public pressure is to _____.
Convince policymakers that public opinion overwhelmingly supports the interest group's position
A decline in party loyalties that reduces long-term party commitment is known as a _____.
Dealignment
To increase voter turnout, a possible option that has not been tried in the United States but has been considered is _____.
Declaring election day a national holiday
The author of Why Trust Matters explains the erosion of public support for welfare, food stamps, and universal health care in terms of _____.
Declining political trust
Which statement about voter identification is true?
Democrats generally oppose photo-ID requirements because they believe it restricts voters who might not have identification cards.
Which statement about geographic region and political preference is correct?
Democrats have an advantage in 29 states and the District of Columbia
Which of the following statements about parties' core constituents is true?
Democrats receive disproportionate support from the least well-educated voters.
Lobbyists who represent foreign governments must register with the _____.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Because there is no single "public," but rather many different publics, surveying public opinion actually means _____.
Describing attitudes typically shared by some portion of the adult population
Third parties have influenced American politics by _____.
Determining whether the Republicans or Democrats win elections
Agenda setting
Determining which public policy questions will be debated or considered.
An interest group activity that involves interaction with government officials to further the group's goals is known as a(n) _____.
Direct techinque
The following is an example of a(n) _____ opinion: To reduce the threat of terrorism, would you be willing or not willing to allow government agencies to monitor the telephone calls and e-mail of ordinary Americans on a regular basis? (Willing: 41%; Not willing: 52%; Don't know/No answer: 7%)
Divisive
Historically low levels of trust in government occurred _____.
During the Vietnam War and Watergate
The National Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation are examples of _____.
Environmental interest groups
The political party "out of power" is _____.
Expected to force debate on policy alternatives
In the summer of 2006, the Voting Rights Act was _____.
Extended for an additional 25 years in legislation signed by President Bush
A grassroots social movement is one that originates with political leaders and then catches on with the public.
False
An incumbent is an individual who challenges an officeholder in an election.
False
As an example of the major parties' failure to bring other voices into the system, Hispanices recently split from the Republicans and Democrats to form a strong third party.q
False
In his farewell address, George Washington advocated strong parties because he felt that they would help unify the country.
False
Opinions are the most fundamental element in Zaller's pyramid of public opinion because they shape our view of politics over a lifetime.
False
Political socialization is the process by which a country changes from a free-market economic system to one in which the government owns all the means of production.
False
The Founders wrote the Constitution specifically to promote the formation of interest groups.
False
The primary effect of the media on political socialization is to reinforce citizens' attitudes regarding the political process.
False
The first partisan political division in the United States was between the _____.
Federalists and the Anti-Federalists
All of the following parties were active during the period of Jacksonian democracy except the
Federalists.
The _____ plans the fundraising strategy and finds the legal and accounting expertise needed for the organization.
Finance chairperson
Buckley v. Valeo involved a constitutional question regarding the _____ Amendment.
First
In the United States, all federal general elections are normally held on the _____.
First Tuesday in November
A small group of individuals that is gathered to identify in-depth feelings about candidates and issues is called a _____.
Focus group
People who become members of interest groups in response to purposive incentives join _____.
For ethical beliefs or ideological reasons
Which of the following is NOT a role of public opinion?
Forcing politicians to pass legislation.
In 2005, a commission headed by former president Jimmy Carter and former secretary of state James Baker recommended that _____.
Four regional primaries be held over a four-month period from April through June
Which of the following statements about other democracies in the world is true?
France has political parties that represent the anti-immigrant fringe of the population, that advocate the interests of hunting and fishing, and that embrace communist doctrines.
African Americans voted principally for Republicans up until the election of _____.
Franklin Roosevelt
Who was elected president in 1932?
Franklin Roosevelt
Someone who benefits from the actions of a group without joining it is known as a(n) _____.
Free rider
A Gallup poll that indicates that 22 percent of respondents approve of the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement, that 16 percent disapprove, and that a majority doesn't know enough to answer exemplifies a _____.
Fringe opinion
The practice of moving presidential primary elections to the early part of the campaign season is called _____,
Front-loading
The presidential candidate who appears to be ahead at a given time in the primary season is the _____.
Front-runner
This group prowls the skyboxes at the conventions, trying to enlist the support of powerful politicians and wealthy campaign donors.
Future presidential hopefuls
Consensus
General agreement among the citizenry on an issue.
Labor movement
Generally, the economic and political expression of working-class interests; politically, the organization of working-class interests.
Which of the following statements about political socialization is true?
Genetics may explain one-third of the differences in people's political attitudes.
Which of the following was NOT favored by the Democratic-Republicans during the first party era?
Government by elites
The National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) initiated a strike against _____ growers in California.
Grape
Political contributions and campaign spending that are recorded under the regulations set forth in law and by the Federal Election Commission is called _____.
Hard money
Political parties are responsible for nominating candidates for offices but _____.
Have no true members
In 2004, this former governor of Vermont became the first presidential candidate to raise funds from grassroots supporters via the Internet.
Howard Dean
_____ is the ability of interest groups to mandate or defeat policies needed for the public good.
Hyperpluralism
The 1960 presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon _____.
Illustrated the importance of the candidates' televised images
A striking feature of today's political campaigns is the _____.
Importance of paid professionals rather than volunteers
Political endorsements by interest groups are _____.
Important because groups publicize their choices in their membership publications
Following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, British Petroleum launched television advertisements with the purpose of _____.
Improving the public image of the company
Democratic Party
One of the two major American political parties evolving out of the Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson.
Republican Party
One of the two major American political parties. It emerged in the 1850s as an antislavery party and consisted of former Northern Whigs and antislavery Democrats.
Opinion leader
One who is able to influence the opinions of others because of position, expertise, or personality.
When only half of the voting-age population participates in close presidential elections, it means, among other things, that _____.
Only about one-fourth of the voting-age population elected the winner
In which kind of primary are voters NOT required to declare party allegiance?
Open
When voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing party affiliation, it is called a(n) _____.
Open primary
The purpose of introducing the primary as a means of nominating candidates for office was to _____.
Open the nomination process to ordinary party members and to weaken the influence of party bosses
The systematic questioning of a small, selected sample of respondents who are representative of the total population is known as a(n) _____.
Opinion poll
Holders of political office in the United States today are usually _____.
Overwhelmingly white and male
Which of the following is a form of political expression?
Participating in a demonstration.
The longest-lived third parties in the United States have been _____.
Parties with strong ideological foundations
Linking oneself to a particular political party is known as _____.
Party identification
The rewarding of faithful party workers with government jobs or contracts is known as _____.
Patronage
Peer groups are more likely to influence political opinions when _____.
Peers are actively involved in political activities
Which statement about political preferences and voting behavior is true?
People who share similar characteristics are able to influence each other and may also share common political concerns because of their common background
_____ sees political struggle as the pitting of different groups against each other to reach a compromise.
Pluralism
A winner-take-all system is also known as a _____ voting system.
Plurality
A spin doctor is a _____.
Political campaign adviser who tries to convince journalists of the truth of a particular interpretation of events
Spin doctors
Political campaign advisers who try to convince journalists of the truth of a particular interpretation of events.
A paid professional hired to devise a campaign strategy and manage the campaign is a _____.
Political consultant
The process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes is known as _____.
Political socialization.
The degree to which individuals express trust in government is known as _____.
Political trust
Because the media tend to cover the primary season as if it were one long horse race, candidates must do which of the following?
Poll constantly and worry about their pack position
The _____ will track polls and focus groups to monitor public opinion for the campaign.
Pollster
Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of _____.
President of the United States
In today's campaigns, volunteers and amateurs are _____.
Primarily used for last-minute registration and voter turnout activities
The purpose of a _____ is to choose a candidate who will become the party's nominee for the general election.
Primary election
In _____, children, without much instruction, easily adopt democratic decision-making tools such as "taking a vote" and democratic procedures such as "the majority wins."
Primary school
Which of the following is not among the personal qualities a successful presidential candidate needs?
Prior political experience
In recent years _____.
Professionals with advanced degrees have become more Democratic
Politicians who run for a lower office and then aspire to a higher one may be said to have _____.
Progressive ambitions
By federal law, unsolicited calls to cell phones that use automated dialing devices are _____.
Prohibited
The electoral system in which minor parties acquire seats in a legislature based on the percentage of votes that they receive in national elections is known as _____.
Proportional representation
Which of the following is NOT a reason for the continued existence of a two-party system in the United States?
Proportional voting
In 1946, legislation to regulate lobbying _____.
Proved largely ineffectual because it provided for public disclosure more than for regulation
One of the ways in which lobbyists make themselves particularly valuable to decision makers is by _____.
Providing information, expertise, and advice
Since 1960, the greatest growth in unionization has occurred among _____.
Public employees
The national government is very responsive to the public's demand for action when _____.
Public opinion shifts dramatically
Divisive opinion
Public opinion that is polarized between two quite different positions.
Latent interests
Public-policy interests that are not recognized or addressed by a group at a particular time.
People who join social movements are most likely to join interest groups because of _____ incentives.
Purposive
Persons who support the activities of a group based on agreement with its goals would respond to membership appeals that employ _____ incentives.
Purposive
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) induces people to join its ranks with _____ incentives.
Purposive
The Occupy movement, although as yet a fairly unformed interest group, is an example of a group that unites individuals with _____ incentives.
Purposive
In _____ polls, respondents are given misleading information in the questions they are asked in order to persuade them to vote against a candidate
Push
"Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for Congressman Jones, who voted to raise your taxes 22 times?" Which type of poll includes this kind of question?
Push poll
The most important principle in sampling, or poll taking, is _____.
Randomness
_____ give interest groups a shorthand way of describing congressional voting records to interested citizens.
Rating systems
The process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape, is known as _____.
Realignment
In 2012, the governor of Wisconsin faced a(n) _____ because of his approval of legislation aimed at limiting the bargaining rights of public employees.
Recall election
Interests groups recognize that _____ is the greatest concern of legislators.
Reelection
The _____ Party was created by Ross Perot as a moderate group opposed to federal budget deficits; today the group represents right-wing nationalism and opposition to free trade.
Reform
The entry of a person's name into the list of eligible voters is called _____.
Registration
Which of the following reasons is not a plausible explanation as to why quota sampling is less accurate than random sampling and may also be biased?
Relevant segments of the population are not identified by researchers
The Human Rights Campaign, which represents the gay, lesbian, and transgender community, is currently lobbying to _____.
Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) are known as umbrella groups because they _____.
Represent certain types of businesses or companies that deal in a particular type of product
Traditionally, Protestant families tended to be _____.
Republican
Which party won 7 of the 9 presidential elections from 1860-1892?
Republicans
Which political party has controlled the White House for most of the last four decades?
Republicans
Business PACs tend to support _______________ while labor union PACs tend to support __________________.
Republicans, Democrats
The Hatch Act of 1939 (Political Activities Act) is best known for _____.
Restricting the political activities of civil servants
The _____-income effect may explain that some urban areas are more prosperous, culturally liberal, and democratic than the countryside.
Reverse
_____ won the first election in which the presence of a gender gap was detected.
Ronald Reagan in 1980
Which of the following two third-party candidates won enough votes to affect the outcome of a general election?
Ross Perot and Ralph Nader
When the top two candidates in a primary compete in a second primary for the majority of votes, it is called a(n) _____.
Runoff primary
In opinion polling, the difference between the sample result and what the true result would be if the entire population had been interviewed is termed _____.
Sampling error
Which of the following statements is true of political socialization?
Scholars believe that greater access to political information may explain why young Americans are more liberal than their parents on many social issues.
_____ get involved in political activities to further their careers, to carry out specific political programs, or in response to certain issues or events.
Self-starters
People who choose to run for office can be divided into two groups, _____.
Self-starters and those who are recruited
To discover the concerns of undecided voters, campaigns typically do all except which of the following?
Send out direct mail
Many political scientists contend that third parties _____.
Serve as a safety valve for dissident political groups, preventing major confrontations and political unrest
The fact that American farmers and their workers represent only 2 percent of the U.S. population supports the proposition that _____.
Small percentages of the populace can be effective if they organize
Which of the following is NOT true of the connection between social capital and politics?
Social capital is not necessary for democracies to flourish.
Which of the following statements best characterizes social movements?
Social movements may express the opinions of the weak and oppressed
American women are more likely than American men to support _____.
Social welfare programs
What is the strongest predictor of political participation?
Socio-economic status
_____ incentives incite people to join groups because of the sense of belonging that they offer.
Solidary
An opinion leader is _____.
Someone able to influence others' opinions
A free rider is _____.
Someone who benefits from the actions of a group without joining it
Which of the following has been true of U.S. politics since 1968?
Southern whites have largely changed their party allegiance from the Democrats to the Republicans.
An election held among candidates competing for an office that has been left vacant due to death, resignation, or elevation to a higher office is a _____.
Special election
The election of 2000 changed the political culture of the United States because _____.
States, since then, have been labeled as "red states" or "blue states," depending on the leanings of their voters
Voting exclusively for the candidates of one party is known as _____.
Straight-ticket voting
Which of the following is NOT a method of conventional political participation?
Strikes
The attempts by campaign staffs to influence the quantity and type of coverage their candidates will receive from the media _____.
Succeed frequently because campaign staff understand the technical aspects of media coverage, such as camera angles and deadlines, and plan events to accommodate the press
A political committee that can accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations to spend supporting a candidate as long as their efforts are not coordinated with the candidate's own campaign is a(n) _____.
Super PAC
The main difference between a 527 organization and a super PAC is that a _____.
Super PAC must report its donors to the Federal Election Commission on a regular basis
A party leader or elected official who is given the right to vote at the national convention is called a(n) _____.
Super delegate
Realignment _____.
Takes place when a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance
Which of the following issues inspired a conservative social movement?
Term limits
One of the reasons that campaigns no longer depend on political parties is _____.
That fewer people identify with them
Watergate break-in
The 1972 illegal entry into the Democratic National Committee offices by participants in President Richard Nixon's reelection campaign.
Interest groups are protected by _____.
The 1st Amendment
Which statement about the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 is true?
The BCRA only addressed direct contributions to candidates and funds spent that are coordinated with the candidates own campaign.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) generally enters into legal disputes related to _____.
The Bill of Rights
Which of the following characteristics of an opinion poll probably has the least influence on its outcome?
The gender of the poll-taker.
Pursuing the best interests of the overall community, rather than the narrow interests of a particular group, is known as pursuing _____.
The public interest
The process of nominating presidential candidates is now controlled by ______.
The public, rather than party elites
Service sector
The sector of the economy that provides services—such as health care, banking, and education—in contrast to the sector that produces goods.
The writers of the Constitution allowed _____ to decide who should vote.
The states
Climate control
The use of public relations techniques to create favorable public opinion toward an interest group, industry, or corporation.
Socioeconomic status
The value assigned to a person due to occupation or income. An upper class person, for example, has high socio economic status.
During the last half-century, the Democrats have been known as the party of _____.
The working class and racial and ethnic minorities
Era of good feelings
The years from 1817 to 1825, when James Monroe was president and had, in effect, no political opposition.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of voters in a battleground state?
They are not up for grabs, according to candidates' polling
Which of the following is not true of de Tocqueville's impressions of Americans?
They joined groups with only their own interests in mind.
Which of the following is NOT true of representatives in the English parliamentary system?
They nominate themselves for office.
Same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts in 2004 as a result of
a Massachusetts supreme court decision.
Affirmative action is
a government initiative to encourage employers to hire more minorities.
Judicial activism would include
a judge that rendered a decision because it is best for society.
One of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's reasons for writing The Social Contract was to provide
a justification for government.
A confidence limit in a poll indicates
a percentage statistic that indicates the degree of confidence a pollster has in the outcome of a poll.
A lobbyist is
a person who works to influence members of Congress to pass legislation.
The members of the "attentive public" are those people who
become informed on issues but do not usually get actively involved in policymaking.
All of the following are activities of delegates to the national conventions except
behaving solemnly, in keeping with the importance of the occasion.
The abolitionist movement of the 19th century was concerned with
slavery.
The maximum amount of "hard" money that an individual may contribute to a candidate is
$1,000.
In 2012, the presidential campaigns spent about _____.
$2 billion
TARP
(Troubled Asset Relief Program)
Generally, in presidential debates _____.
Challengers have much more to gain from debating than do incumbents
Media
Channels of mass communication.
The presidential election in __________ marked the point at which the Democrats and Republicans came to control U.S. politics.
1856
Modern polling was developed in the _____.
1930s by George Gallup and Elmo Roper
The process for choosing presidential nominees changed after riots broke out at which of the following party conventions?
1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago
The Twenty-sixth Amendment, which reduced the voting age to 18, was ratified in the _____.
1970s
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 established a maximum donation of $_____ by an individual to any single candidate.
2,000
A majority of the votes in the Electoral College is at least ___ votes.
270
Every state in the union as well as the District of Columbia has a minimum of ____ electoral votes.
3
In 2012, the number of voters who identify themselves as independent is _____ percent.
30
To meet the constitutional qualifications to become president, a candidate must be at least how many years old?
35
In U.S. national elections, around _____% of the voting-age population votes.
50
In 2010, how many states/jurisdictions in the United States had legalized same-sex marriage?
6
The total cost for all federal elections in the 2010-2012 cycle was estimated at more than $_____ billion.
6
According to a recent Gallup Poll, _____ percent of Americans said they would vote for a qualified woman for president.
86
By 2007, the number of African American elected officials was estimated to number more than _____.
9,500
A situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls the chambers of Congress is known as _____.
A divided government
Dealignment
A decline in party loyalties that reduces long-term party commitment.
Safe seats
A district that returns a legislator with 55 percent of the vote or more.
A presidential primary in which contending candidates compete for popular votes but the results do not control the selection of delegates to the national convention is referred to as _____.
A "beauty contest"
Which of the following is not a basis for interest-group formation?
A booming economy
Political action committees (PACs)
A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special-interest group. PACs raise and give campaign donations.
Credentials committee
A committee used by political parties at their national conventions to determine which delegates may participate. The committee inspects the claim of each prospective delegate to be seated as a legitimate representative of his or her state.
General agreement among the citizenry on an issue constitutes _____.
A consensus
Tracking polls are used _____.
On a daily basis to determine last-minute changes in the mood of the electorate
The largest and perhaps most powerful interest group in the United States is _____.
AARP
Candidates running for office who wish to use their own money to fund their campaigns are _____.
Able to spend as much as they wish as a practice of free speech
Which of the following is the term for public relations workers who set up media events before a candidate's appearance?
Advance staff
Issue advocacy advertising
Advertising paid for by interest groups that support or oppose a candidate or a candidate's position on an issue without mentioning voting or elections.
Determining which public policy questions will be debated or considered is known as _____.
Agenda setting
The party-in-government is _____.
All elected and appointed officials who identify with a party
The party with a Congressional majority can shape Congress and influence legislation in the following way
All of the above.
Party-in-government
All of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party.
One reason for the success of the National Rifle Association is that it offers members
All the above
The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 was amended in 1974 to _____.
Allow any candidate running for president who is able to obtain contributions in at least 20 states to receive public money to help pay for primary campaigns
Interest groups _____.
Allow for more powerful representation of the opinions of individuals
Critics of Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone have pointed out that
Americans are still joining groups, just not those tracked by Putnam.
Hatch Act
An act passed in 1939 that restricted the political activities of government employees. It also prohibited a political group from spending more than $3 million in any campaign and limited individual contributions to a campaign committee to $5,000.
Lobbying is _____.
An attempt by an individual or an organization to influence government decisions by electing candidates to office
Rational ignorance effect
An effect produced when people purposely and rationally decide not to become informed on an issue because they believe that their vote on the issue is not likely to be a deciding one; a lack of incentive to seek the necessary information to cast an intelligent vote.
A lobbyist is defined as _____.
An individual who or an organization that attempts to influence legislation and the administrative decisions of government
Direct techniques
An interest group activity that involves interaction with government officials to further the group's goals.
Spin
An interpretation of campaign events or election results that is favorable to the candidate's campaign strategy.
Spin refers to _____.
An interpretation of campaign events that is most favorable to the candidate
Provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections
Any candidate running for president who is able to obtain sufficient contributions in at least 20 states can obtain a subsidy from the U.S. Treasury to help pay for primary campaigns. The Bush-Kerry race in 2004 was the last time both candidates accepted public money for the general election campaign.
Gallup or Roper pollsters generally interview _____.
Approximately 1,500 respondents in a nationwide sample
A party-column ballot _____.
Arranges candidates in one column under their respective party's label
A ballot that is secret and is prepared, distributed, and tabulated by government officials in order to make it harder to pressure people to change their votes is known as a(n) _____ ballot.
Australian
The United States uses a secret ballot that is prepared, distributed, and counted by officials at public expense This ballot is called the _____ ballot.
Australian
Which of the following is not typically part of a candidate's early campaign strategy?
Choosing a vice-presidential candidate
Which of the following groups is more likely than the others to affiliate with the Democratic Party?
Women
Lobbyists may gain credibility and trust with members of Congress by
forming personal relationships with them.
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 _____.
Bans soft money contributions to national parties
In political science terms, the activists who identify strongly with a political party and work to promote its success are known as the party's what?
Base
Jewish voters tend to _____.
Be more liberal on economic and cultural issues than voters of other faiths
In recent years, cultural values have _____.
Become increasingly important in defining the differences between the parties
In the years following the adoption of the Constitution, many states placed legal restrictions on the right to vote because of the _____.
Belief that voters should own property
Direct techniques used by interest groups include _____.
Building alliances with other groups to enhance their collective effectiveness
Which party would more likely be classified as a splinter party than the others?
Bull Moose
During the last half-century, the Republicans have been known as the party of _____.
Business
Which of the following groups is represented by the most PACs and raises the most money for PACs?
Business
Which of the following is not an activity that figures into a candidate's general strategy during the primary season?
Choosing a vice-presidential nominee
Which of the following groups is more likely than the others to affiliate with the Republican Party?
Christian churchgoers
Soft money
Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.
In a plurality voting system during a presidential election, if Candidate Diaz receives 44% of the vote, Candidate Jones receives 26%, and Candidate Smith receives 30% _____.
Candidate Diaz has won because she has the most votes
Which statement about the nomination process is true?
Candidates from the two major parties have fewer requirements to get on ballots than independent or minor-party candidates, in most states.
During presidential primary contests, polling is important to _____.
Candidates, contributors, and voters
Between 2004 and 2008, most religious groups moved toward the Democratic candidate Barack Obama, with the largest shifts occurring among _____.
Catholics and those unaffiliated with any religion
Which of the following resembles a primary, except that the voting is done in small gatherings of voters, rather than by secret ballot.
Caucus
A viable presidential candidate will probably be affiliated with one of the two major political parties, which can offer their candidate all of the following except what?
Certain victory
One way candidates try to stand out from a crowd of competitors in a primary is by attacking their opponents. However, this strategy can be risky because of which of the following reasons?
Criticizing primary opponents too severely can be seen as an attack on the party
Which of the following minority groups is predominantly Republican?
Cuban Americans
_____ is a group that raises money to recruit and support liberal women candidates.
EMILY's List
Required disclosure
Each candidate must file periodic reports with the FEC listing who contributed, how much was spent, and on what the funds were spent.
The party-in-government is best described as _____.
Elected and appointed officials who identify with a party
Which statement about voter turnout and age is true?
In 2008, the number of young voters who turned out to vote in the primaries greatly increased but no significant difference in turnout among young voters in the general election was seen in comparison with 2004.
In the last twenty years, the number of women running for office at the federal and state level has _____.
Increased significantly
The _____ ballot allows voters to simply mark a single "X" or pull a lever to vote for all candidates of the same party running for different offices.
Indiana
A strategy employed by interest groups that uses third parties to influence government officials is known as a(n) _____.
Indirect technique
Because the economically disadvantaged cannot afford to join interest groups, they are _____.
Indirectly represented, with only little direct voice of their own
Which statement about voting restrictions is true?
Individuals deemed mentally incompetent have their voting rights restricted
Managed news
Information generated and distributed by the government in such a way as to give government interests priority over candor.
Which of the following is NOT an area in which political parties attempt to put their ideas into practice?
Interest groups
The period of intense campaigning occurring for a year or more before the first primary election is known as what?
Invisible primary
Which of the following are the first two states to select delegates during the primary season?
Iowa and New Hampshire
An office-block ballot _____.
Is disliked by political parties
An atmosphere of party polarization _____.
Is enhanced in Congress because of the creation of safe seats
The transfer of political attitudes and beliefs _____.
Is more likely to occur from parents to children
Having a college education _____.
Is no longer associated with a greater tendency to vote Republican
The Australian ballot _____.
Is secret and is prepared, distributed, and tabulated by government officials
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) _____.
Is, in a sense, a union of unions
Which of the following statements about the Indiana ballot is true?
It increases the coattail effect for strong presidential and gubernatorial candidates.
Which of the following is not true of the party platform?
It is written with forceful, concrete words.
The 2004 presidential election was decided by the results in this battleground state.
Ohio
The economic and political expression of working-class interests is known as the _____ movement.
Labor
An interest that is neither recognized nor represented by a group at the present time is known as a _____.
Latent interest
Common Cause, a public-interest group focused on political reform, was actively involved in _____.
Legislation to limit campaign spending
Successful interest groups and their representatives try to cultivate long-term relationships with _____.
Legislators and government officials
Voter turnout for local elections is _____ the turnout for presidential elections.
Less than
African Americans tend to be more _____ on issues of social welfare, civil liberties, and foreign policy.
Liberal than whites
The state of Vermont prompted political controversy and legal challenges in 1997 when it enacted legislation _____.
Limiting the amount of money spent by candidates for state offices
Party identification is _____.
Linking oneself to a particular political party
Party identification
Linking oneself to a particular political party.
Local party organizations are still important to local campaigns today because _____.
Local party leaders are influential in determining candidates for national elections
Dealignment occurs when _____.
Loyalties and long-term party commitment decline
One of the most effective political ads was a thirty-second spot for _____, depicting a little girl picking daisies in a field and then an image of a mushroom cloud emanating from a nuclear explosion.
Lyndon Johnson in his campaign against Barry Goldwater
In the 2000 presidential election, when Oregon voters were allowed to _____, voter participation was more than 80 percent.
Mail in their ballots
Which of the following characteristics does NOT represent a major cleavage in American politics?
Marital status
Examples of _____ benefits to AARP members would be discounts on automobile insurance and travel.
Material
The economic benefit a person receives from joining an interest group is known as a(n) _____ incentive.
Material
Negative advertising _____.
May demoralize the supporters of a candidate who is under attack and as a result, the supporters may not decide to vote
If spending limits were placed on campaigns, _____.
Media companies would not be able to generate as much profit during election season as they had previously generated
When polled, Americans are more likely to name a particular problem as the most important problem facing the country when _____.
Media coverage of that problem increases suddenly
Indirect techniques used by interest groups include _____.
Mobilizing the general public to influence the government on issues of concern to them
Voters who exhibit high degrees of religiosity and attend services regularly, regardless of church affiliation, are _____.
More likely to vote Republican
Which statement about media and political campaigns is true?
Most national political figures plan every public appearance and statement to attract media coverage.
A major reason for the death of city machines is that _____.
Most social services are now controlled by state and national agencies
A striking difference between public-interests groups Common Cause and MoveOn.org is that _____.
MoveOn is primarily an online interest group, whereas Common Cause is not
Which of the following statements best describes Madison's views of interest groups?
Multiple organizations would prevent the formation of oppressive majorities, thereby protecting the rights of political minorities.
Senator
Must be a citizen for at least nine years, have attained the age of 30 by the time of taking office, and be a resident of the state from which elected.
Representative
Must be a citizen for at least seven years, have attained the age of 25 by the time of taking office, and be a resident of the state from which elected.
President
Must be a natural-born citizen, have attained the age of 35 years, and be a resident of the country for 14 years by the time of inauguration.
Vice president
Must be a natural-born citizen, have attained the age of 35 years, and not be a resident of the same state as the candidate for president.
A candidate for the U.S. Senate _____.
Must be a resident of the state from which elected
A candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives _____.
Must have attained the age of 25 years
Cesar Chavez, a farm worker, organized a union called the _____.
National Farm Workers Association (NFWA)
Democratic presidential candidates typically seek the endorsement of which of the following organizations?
National Organization for Women
The followers of John Quincy Adams called themselves the _____.
National Republicans
Which of the following statements about majorities is true?
Neither political party has dominated the federal government since 1968.
By state law, _______________ holds the first presidential primary.
New Hampshire
Women could vote in all states with the ratification of the _____ Amendment in 1920.
Nineteenth
Independent expenditures
Nonregulated contributions from PACs, organizations, and individuals. The funds may be spent on advertising or other campaign activities, so long as those expenditures are not coordinated with those of a candidate.
The last state to eliminate its property test for voting was _____ in 1856.
North Carolina
Anna Chang, a 38-year-old woman from China, is interested in running for office at the federal level. She immigrated to the United States in 1970, passed her citizenship test in 2009, and lives in California. Anna is _____.
Not eligible to run for any of these federal offices at this time
The organizations that came to be known as "527s" _________.
Offered an alternative for interest groups to use money to influence the course of elections
The K Street Project _____.
Offers lobbying firms greater access to its party's lawmakers in return for cooperation with its goals
The _____ ballot allows voters to view all the candidates for a particular elective office under the title of that office, placing greater emphasis on the office and the individual candidate, rather than on the party.
Office-block
Which of the following statements about third parties is true?
The Socialist Party was an example of a party with strong ideological foundations and beliefs at odds with those of the majority of Americans.
Which of the following statements concerning the "Daisy Girl" ad from the 1964 Presidential campaign is true?
The ad is an example of classic negative campaign advertising.
Public opinion
The aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population.
The Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that _____ cannot be banned under the Constitution.
The amount a candidate spends on a campaign
Public interest
The best interests of the overall community; the national good, rather than the narrow interests of a particular group.
Finance chairperson
The campaign professional who directs fund raising, campaign spending, and compliance with campaign finance laws and reporting requirements.
The nomination process in use today can be traced back to _____.
The changes made by the Democratic National Committee following the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago
A challenge to new democracies being established in countries which were once headed by oppressive regimes is that _____.
The control of the educational system, the media, and religion was, for so long, in the hands of the oppressors
Political trust
The degree to which individuals express trust in the government and political institutions, usually measured through a specific series of survey questions.
Sampling error
The difference between a sample's results and the true result if the entire population had been interviewed.
Gender gap
The difference between the percentage of women who vote for a particular candidate and the percentage of men who vote for the candidate.
Free rider problem
The difficulty interest groups face in recruiting members when the benefits they achieve can be gained without joining the group.
Registration
The entry of a person's name onto the list of registered voters for elections. To register, a person must meet certain legal requirements of age, citizenship, and residency.
The party organization is _____.
The formal structure and leadership of a political party
Party organization
The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff.
The difference between the percentage of women who vote for a particular candidate and the percentage of men who vote for that candidate is called _____.
The gender gap
Which statement about candidates is true?
The higher the office and the more prestige attached to it, the more candidates are likely to want to run for that office.
Republicans of today emphasize _____.
The importance of the marketplace and put less emphasis on social programs
Press secretary
The individual who interacts directly with the journalists covering the campaign.
Coattail effect
The influence of a popular candidate on the electoral success of other candidates on the same party ticket.The effect is increased by the party column ballot, which encourages straight-ticket voting.
How is a relatively small group like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) able to be so effective?
The intensity of its members' beliefs carries over into all of its activities.
Politically, the organization of working-class interests is known as _____.
The labor movement
Nonopinion
The lack of an opinion on an issue or policy among the majority.
Coalitions are common in multiparty systems because _____.
The leading party usually lacks a majority
Which of the following people would probably have the hardest time establishing name recognition early in a presidential race?
The mayor of a small town in Alaska
National convention
The meeting held every four years by each major party to select presidential and vice presidential candidates, to write a platform, to choose a national committee, and to conduct party business.
The party-in-the-electorate refers to _____.
The members of the general public who identify with a political party
Which statement about debates is true?
The morning-after interpretation is just as important as the debate in shaping public opinion.
Which of the following is NOT true of modern presidential campaigns?
The nominating process is easier now than in the past
Which of the following is true?
The number of voters who obtain election information online is increasing.
Until the 1970s, advertising each candidate's positions and character was minimal because _____.
The party label communicated that information to voters
The leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff, are part of _____.
The party organization
The structural framework for the political party that recruits volunteers to become party leaders and identifies potential candidates is _____.
The party organization
The elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party are known as _____.
The party-in government
Individuals who may or may not participate in election campaigns yet who feel loyalty to a political party would best be described as _____.
The party-in-the-electorate
The members of the general public who identify with a political party are known as _____.
The party-in-the-electorate
Voter turnout
The percentage of citizens taking part in the election process; the number of eligible voters who actually "turn out" on election day to cast their ballots.
Pollster
The person or firm who conducts public opinion polls for the campaign.
Front-loading
The practice of moving presidential primary elections to the early part of the campaign to maximize the impact of these primaries on the nomination.
Patronage
The practice of rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government employment and contracts.
Front-runner
The presidential candidate who appears to be ahead at a given time in the primary season.
State central committee
The principal organized structure of each political party within each state. This committee is responsible for carrying out policy decisions of the party's state convention.
Political socialization
The process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes.
Created the Federal Election Commission
This commission consists of six nonpartisan administrators whose duties are to enforce compliance with the requirements of the act.
Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
This phrase describes the multiple efforts expended by campaigns to get voters out to the polls on election day.
Hard money
This refers to political contributions and campaign spending that is recorded under the regulations set forth in law and by the Federal Election Commission.
Party-in-the-electorate
Those members of the general public who identify with a political party or who express a preference for one party over another.
The tension over regulating campaign finance lies between _____.
Those who believe that a campaign is a form of freedom of speech and those who believe that campaigns need to be fair
George Washington viewed political parties as a _____.
Threat to national unity and popular government
Voting for candidates of two or more parties for different offices is known as _____.
Ticket splitting
When people vote for a Republican presidential candidate and for a Democratic congressional candidate, they are _____.
Ticket splitting
Which of the statements about campaign finance is true?
To avoid the limitations imposed by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, corporations, unions, and wealthy individuals have redirected their campaign contributions to 527 groups.
People who become members of interest groups in response to material incentives join _____ .
To receive direct economic benefits
Which of the following is not a function of political parties?
To vote on amendments to the Constitution
A party platform is a document written by a committee at the party's national convention stating the party's basic beliefs.
True
An example of a single-issue interest group is the National Rifle Association.
True
An outside strategy for a lobbyist might try to generate grassroots support for a cause through advertising or by directly contacting the groups concerned.
True
Conviction for a major felony may affect a person's voting status.
True
Federal law does not permit interest groups to donate money directly to political candidates. Therefore, many interest groups form political action committees to support candidates.
True
In 1994, congressional Republicans misinterpreted data showing support for massive cuts in government programs.
True
Pat Buchanan had more impact as a presidential candidate in 1996 than he did in 2000 because in 1996 he ran as a Republican and in 2000 he represented the Reform Party.
True
Soft money is money contributed to state or local party organizations. The money is unregulated and does not have to be reported to the Federal Election Commission.
True
A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called a _____.
Two-party system
The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 _____.
Unconstitutionally limited the amount candidates could contribute to their own campaign
Limited contributions
Under the 1974 amendments, citizens could contribute up to $1,000 to each candidate in each federal election or primary; the total limit on all contributions from an individual to all candidates was $25,000 per year. Groups could contribute a maximum of $5,000 to a candidate in any election. (As you will read shortly, some of these limits were changed by the 2002 campaign reform legislation.)
The most important aspect of debates for political candidates is taking advantage of an opportunity to _____.
Use the power of television to project an image
Which statement about declining voter turnout is true?
Voter turnout percentages are misleadingly low because they compare actual voters with the entire voting-age population, not just eligible voters.
Swing voters
Voters who frequently swing their support from one party to another.
If political parties in the United States did not search out and encourage political hopefuls _____.
Voters would have limited choices
Which of the following is NOT true of ethnicity and voting?
Voting data show that some ethnic groups care more about politics than others do.
Straight-ticket voting
Voting exclusively for the candidates of one party.
Ticket splitting
Voting for candidates of two or more parties for different offices. For example, a voter splits her ticket if she votes for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate.
The success of the Democratic Party in the 1820s _____.
Was in part a product of events like parades and rallies, which attempted to draw common citizens into the political process
In his farewell address, President _____ warned against the dangers of political parties.
Washington
Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times reporter and author, identified the empowerment of _____ as a moral imperative for the twenty-first century.
Women and girls
Agenda setting is determining _____.
Which public policy questions will be debated or considered
Which of the statements about political action committees (PACs) is true?
While there are many kinds of PACs currently in existence, they are all subject to the same Federal Election Commission regulations regarding limits and disclosure.
Most political consultants _____.
Will work only for candidates of one political party
The goal of a political campaign is to _____.
Win the election, since the candidate who comes in second gets no reward
Which of the following is NOT one of the ways delegates to the Democratic National Convention may be chosen?
Winner-take-all primary
The Constitution and the political system encourage the formation of interest groups by
fragmenting power among local, state, and federal governments.
All of the following are regular operations of the national party committees except
providing patronage jobs
A random sample means that
all members of the target population have an equal chance of being selected for the sample.
A free rider is
an individual who enjoys benefits from collective action without paying for them.
Mobilizing the public to influence elected officials is an example of
an outside strategy.
Parties that win Congress and the presidency
can more easily form legislative coalitions
The social abilities necessary to understand the political system and to work within it to accomplish one's goals is a definition of
civic skills.
Opponents of same-sex marriage have affected policy primarily through what mechanism?
constitutional amendments
Unconventional political participation includes all of the following except
contributing money to campaigns.
In lobbying terms, to "astroturf" means to
create the image of grassroots support where none exists.
For many people in the United States, the Vietnam War
created skepticism about government.
The primary skill of interest groups is providing
credible information on policy issues.
Elected officials sometimes form PACs to
raise money for candidates they hope to see elected.
Socio-economic status (SES) includes all of the following characteristics except
religion
A "push poll" is a poll
designed to influence voters.
PACs may not legally
donate up to $10,000 to each congressional candidate.
Presidential candidates must attend numerous fund-raising dinners. Because of the low quality of the food served to them, these fund-raisers have become known collectively as what?
rubber-chicken circuit
The importance that the public places on an issue is called
salience.
Political parties try to
simplify politics for the public
A connected PAC is
formed by a company or labor union to advocate the organization's interests.
To win elections, political parties
encourage people to vote and try to persuade voters
The model of responsible party government contains all of the following points except
expelling party members who do not subscribe to every point in the platform.
An inside strategy for an interest group is one in which the group tries to mobilize other groups to influence members of Congress.
false
Delegates to the national conventions represent people of all levels of political activity.
false
In presidential elections from 1964-2004, the highest voting rates were found in those age 18-24.
false
Only politically active groups produce social capital.
false
The party platform is essentially a ballot, regarding important governmental issues, that party members must vote on before it becomes official.
false
One reason for the recent decline in political participation in the United States is that
families have recently exerted a weaker influence on children and adolescents.
In the U.S., elected officials
feel free to vote the way their constituents want them to vote.
Retired members of Congress must wait ___________ years before they can become lobbyists.
five
Which of the following is not a group immediately affected by a presidential campaign?
foreign citizens
Under a proportional voting system, minor parties
gain seats in the legislature based on the percentage of votes they receive.
Interest groups have proliferated in American politics for all of the following reasons except
groups are completely unrestricted in their activities.
In political terminology, a "parochialist" is a person who
is interested in a single issue
The Chamber of Commerce has been successful in getting Congress to pass much of its legislative agenda because
it has members in almost every congressional district.
The percentage of people who run for office in the U.S. is
less than 1%.
The Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (FRLA)
limits the ability of interest groups to lobby Congress directly.
Social movements may end due to all the following reasons except
loss of a charismatic leader.
Traditionally, the Republican Party has been identified with
lower taxes.
The two-party system has been criticized most strongly for
making it difficult to bring outside voices into government.
According to the Constitution, a president must be all of the following except
male.
In a primary election there are generally __________ candidates, but in the general election there are usually __________ main ones.
many; two
Before 2002, "soft" money referred to
money contributed to political parties.
According to Tip O′Neill, former Speaker of the House, the most important component of any political campaign is the
money.
A sit-in is a
nonviolent occupation of space in a public or other location.
A line-item veto is a veto
of a specific part of a spending bill
In California in 2008 a California supreme court decision allowing same-sex marriage was overcome by what method?
passage of a state constitutional amendment
Peer groups may be less influential in attitude formation than social scientists originally believed because
people have a tendency to select peers with similar attitudes.
As a rule, in American elections 50% of campaign funds come from citizen contributions and an additional 10% come from candidates' personal funds, loans, or political parties. The remaining 40% comes from
political action committees.
According to John Zaller, public opinion contains all of the following elements except
political action.
A state's delegates to the national convention are usually proportional to the state's
population.
All of the following are functions of the parties' national conventions except
projecting a negative image.
Traditionally, the Democratic Party has been identified with
protection of the environment.
A synonym for "battleground state" is "__________ state."
swing
All of the following are reasons for the continued importance of the television audience for conventions except
televised images are no longer as potent as they once were.
All of the following give rise to social movements except
temporary shifts in public opinion.
The law that prevents legally married same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits is
the Defense of Marriage Act.
The Reverend Jerry Falwell is associated with
the Moral Majority.
On May 24, 2001, Senator James Jeffords of Vermont left the Republican Party and declared himself an independent. This was significant for all of the following reasons except
the Republicans were reduced to insignificance by his action.
A lobbyist seeking to persuade a member of Congress may employ an inside strategy, that is, one that tries to influence
the member's congressional staff.
In the general election, a campaign concentrates its energies on winning over all but which of the following groups of voters?
the party's base
A party's national chairman is chosen by
the party's presidential nominee.
Interest groups have certain constitutionally protected rights. These include all the following except
the right to disrupt public meetings
The number of electors in a state is determined by
the total number of the state's congressional delegation (representatives and senators).
The political scientist Mancur Olson hypothesized that people would not join interest groups to change a public policy because doing so takes time and money and because
they can benefit if the group succeeds even if they don't participate.
One position in favor of wealthy candidates running for office argues that
they may be more independent than candidates who must raise money from special interest sources.
Political action committees (PACs) tend to donate the most money to all of the following except
third-party candidates.
Parties often simplify their platforms to make them more accessible and understandable to the general public.
true
Party advocates are faithful party members who are more ideological than the general public.
true
Presidential candidates today are likely to choose running mates for
viewpoint compatibility.
To communicate with politicians, the public often uses all the following direct actions except
visiting all senators in Washington.
A __________ issue—a position issue that divides members of a political party—is used by candidates to try to attract disaffected voters away from an opponent's party.
wedge
Most people's attitudes change from a belief in noble leaders to a feeling of skepticism during
young adulthood.
