POSC 100 - FINAL (MC Only)

Labor groups represent ________ percent of the total number of interest groups registered to lobby in Washington a. 2 b. 22 c. 42 d. 62

a. 2

________ is the power the media have to shape what issues Americans think about and ________ is the power the media has to influence how Americans think about those issues. a. Agenda-setting; framing b. Framing; agenda-setting c. Framing; priming d. Priming; framing

a. Agenda-setting; framing

The practice of lobbying is protected by a. the First Amendment b. state and federal laws dating back from the 1930s c. internal rules of Congress d. a 1961 Supreme Court decision

a. the First Amendment

"Me too" Republicanism refers to a. the tendency of Republican politicians during the New Deal to support popular programs such as Social Security rather than advocate alternative policies. b. the tendency of southern Republican politicians after the Civil War to demand that all federal laws apply equally to the northern and southern states. c. the tendency of northern Republican politicians after the Civil War to demand that all federal laws favor the northern states over the southern states. d. an ideology that argues a strong federal government should promote economic equality.

a. the tendency of Republican politicians during the New Deal to support popular programs such as Social Security rather than advocate alternative policies.

Members of interest groups in the United States are typically people a. with higher incomes, more education, and management or professional occupations b. with lower incomes, less education, and manual labor occupations c. who identify as Republicans d. who identify as Democrats

a. with higher incomes, more education, and management or professional occupations

The average American a. exhibits little knowledge of political institutions, processes, leaders, or policy debates. b. exhibits generally strong knowledge of political institutions, processes, leaders, and policy debates. c. exhibits little knowledge of political institutions and processes but generally strong knowledge of political leaders and policy debates. d. exhibits generally strong knowledge of political institutions and processes but little knowledge of political leaders or policy debates.

a. exhibits little knowledge of political institutions, processes, leaders, or policy debates.

The percentage of Americans who indicate they trust the government "just about always or most of the time" has a. fallen from over 70 percent in 1960 to just 15 percent in 2017. b. fallen from 95 percent in 1960 to just 65 percent in 2017. c. increased from just 15 percent in 1960 to more than 70 percent in 2017. d. remained unchanged since 1960.

a. fallen from over 70 percent in 1960 to just 15 percent in 2017.

The solidary benefits of interest groups include a. friendship and consciousness-raising b. special services and goods c. information and money d. identification with the purpose or ideology of the group

a. friendship and consciousness-raising

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. a. Democratic; Republican b. Republican; Democratic c. Federalist; Whig d. Whig; Federalist

b. Republican; Democratic

Which of the following news sources reaches the MOST Americans? a. radio b. Television c. the internet d. newspapers

b. Television

A benefit that is sought by an interest group and that once achieved cannot be denied to nonmembers is called a a. free rider b. collective good c. solidary benefit d. purposive benefit

b. collective good

Declining levels of trust in government are important because declining trust has been linked to a. increases in political participation and voting. b. declines in political participation and voting. c. higher rates of violent crime. d. more citizens emigrate from the country.

b. declines in political participation and voting.

Which statement best characterizes the influence average citizens and party elites have over the nomination process in the United States? a. Although average citizens have some influence in the nominations process, party elites play an outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election. b. Although party elites have some influence in the nominations process, average citizens play an outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election. c. Party leaders and average citizens play roughly equal roles in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election. d. Party leaders are legally prohibited from playing any role in the nominations process.

a. Although average citizens have some influence in the nominations process, party elites play an outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election.

Which of the following statements about primary elections is MOST accurate? a. The United States is one of the few nations in the world to hold primary elections. b. About half of the countries in the world hold primary elections. c. Approximately, three-quarters of the countries in the world hold primary elections. d. Every country in the world holds primary elections.

a. The United States is one of the few nations in the world to hold primary elections.

Which of the following statements about age and political participation is true? a. Young people are far less likely to participate in politics than older people. b. Young people are just as likely to participate in politics as older people. c. Neither young people nor older people participate much in politics. d. Both old people and young people participate in politics at a very high level.

a. Young people are far less likely to participate in politics than older people.

Privately owned media companies in the United States earn most of their revenue from a. advertising. b. Subscriptions. c. government grants. d. charitable donations.

a. advertising.

Which of the following is a theoretical assumption of pluralism? a. competition among interests will produce balance, with all interests moderating each other. b. competition among interests will produce extreme public policy, with one interest dominating all others c. only some interests should be free to compete for influence in the United States d. all interests are not equally free to compete for influence in the United States

a. competition among interests will produce balance, with all interests moderating each other

The free-rider phenomenon is a. more problematic in very large groups b. more problematic in very small groups c. not affected in any way by the size of the group in question d. not related to groups in any way because it is an individual-level problem

a. more problematic in very large groups

Political scientists call voters' choices that focus on future behavior ________ voting, while those based on past performances are called ________ voting. a. prospective; retrospective b. retrospective; prospective c. partisan; issue d. issue; partisan

a. prospective; retrospective

The Sierra Club is a(n) ________ group. a. public interest b. ideological c. labor d. business

a. public interest

Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is the most accurate? a. Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans are smaller today than during any other period in the last 40 years. b. Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans are greater today than during any other period in the last 40 years. c. The differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans have been the same throughout American history and have not become more intense over the last 40 years. d. Republicans and Democrats have similar opinions on all political issues with the exception of national security.

b. Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans are greater today than during any other period in the last 40 years.

________ states currently allow voters to register and cast a ballot on the same day. a. Two b. Fifteen c. Thirty-four d. Forty-eight

b. Fifteen

Which of the following statements best characterizes the traditional news media's relationship to objectivity? a. Given that completely objective reporting is unattainable because people inevitably have biases that shape their understanding of events, journalists do not attempt to be objective and instead report only one side of a story. b. While completely objective reporting is unattainable because people inevitably have biases that shape their understanding of events, journalists attempt to be objective by reporting both sides of a story. c. Journalists are trained to be objective in their reporting, so their personal biases rarely matter and their coverage of events almost always succeeds in objectively presenting both sides of a story. d. The Federal Communications Commission requires that all journalists sign a "pledge of objectivity" before being employed at a media company.

b. While completely objective reporting is unattainable because people inevitably have biases that shape their understanding of events, journalists attempt to be objective by reporting both sides of a story.

Lobbying is a. an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting indirect pressure, through advertisements and media coverage, on members of Congress or a state legislature b. an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of Congress or a state legislature c. an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting indirect pressure, through phone calls or emails, on members of Congress or a state legislature d. the act of working on a reelection campaign

b. an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of Congress or a state legislature

The fairness doctrine required that a. all network news reports be balanced and fair-minded or they would be labeled editorials. b. broadcasters who aired controversial issues provide time for opposing viewpoints. c. all regulated newspapers establish a section of the editorial page for letters from readers. d. all broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office with equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public.

b. broadcasters who aired controversial issues provide time for opposing viewpoints.

A(n) ________ occurs when a voter must be registered with a party prior to voting in that party's election. a. open primary b. closed primary c. majority system d. Referendum

b. closed primary

In order to overcome the________, interest groups often provide ________ to their members. a. free-rider problem, collective goods b. free-rider problem, selective benefits c. principal-agent problem, collective goods d. principal-agent problem, selective benefits

b. free-rider problem, selective benefits

During the 2016 campaign, Hillary Clinton received a. double the amount of media coverage as Donald Trump. b. half the amount of media coverage as Donald Trump. c. 1/10th the amount of media coverage as Donald Trump. d. roughly the same amount of media coverage as Donald Trump.

b. half the amount of media coverage as Donald Trump.

Journalists exhibit selection biases in favor of news stories they view as a. favorable to leaders and issues they support. b. having a great deal of dramatic or entertainment value. c. sympathetic to the government as a whole. d. critical of leaders and issues they oppose.

b. having a great deal of dramatic or entertainment value.

What is the MOST important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials? a. money b. information c. campaign workers d. legal assistance

b. information

The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that a. the public good should always trump individual interests b. interest groups should be free to compete for governmental influence c. interest groups are factions that endanger liberty d. democracy is best served by legalizing but regulating the influence of interest groups

b. interest groups should be free to compete for governmental influence

The increased number and importance of interest groups a. causes a subsequent expansion in government b. is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government c. is a response to a decrease in the size and activity of government d. is due to the decline in the United States' multiparty system

b. is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government

A criticism of interest group pluralism is a. its inherent propensity for compromise, the character of which tends to be antidemocratic b. its class bias in favor of those with greater financial resources c. that its ideals are too closely associated with Marxist-Leninist ideology and are therefore unacceptable to the majority of Americans d. that it gives too much influence to religious organizations and therefore threatens the separation of church and state

b. its class bias in favor of those with greater financial resources

Political party leaders are a. usually willing to provide financial backing to all candidates running for their party, regardless of whether the candidate has raised funds on their own. b. not willing to provide financial backing to candidates who are unable to raise substantial funds on their own. c. prevented by federal campaign contribution laws from providing financial backing to any candidate. d. only allowed to provide financial backing for candidates that have served at least two terms in elected office.

b. not willing to provide financial backing to candidates who are unable to raise substantial funds on their own.

The "poor" and the homeless are two examples of a. public interest groups b. potential interest groups c. citizen interest groups d. grassroots interest groups

b. potential interest groups

Priming refers to the a. bias that news organizations show toward covering dramatic and entertaining stories. b. process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue. c. tendency that people have to seek out news sources that confirm their prior beliefs about politics. d. fact that many important news stories go uncovered by the mainstream media.

b. process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue.

It is difficult for political scientists to categorize unrepresented interests because a. there are no constitutional means for unorganized interests to compete for attention b. there are no organizations that can present their identities and demands c. there are no measurements of interests and needs outside of representation d. these interests often want to stay hidden from public view

b. there are no organizations that can present their identities and demands

Which of the following stories would an American news outlet that relies primarily on advertising revenue be LEAST likely to cover? a. a celebrity wedding b. a sex scandal involving a high-ranking government official c. an economics professor providing testimony to a congressional committee on the effect of tariffs d. an attack advertisement from a presidential candidate that accuses her opponent of racially insensitive remarks

c. an economics professor providing testimony to a congressional committee on the effect of tariffs

When Richard Nixon employed his "southern strategy," he a. used the FBI to help collect secrets and blackmail southern Democratic leaders. b. ignored the southern states in favor of voters in the Midwest and Northeast. c. appealed to disaffected white voters in the South. d. appealed to black southerners who had recently mobilized for civil rights.

c. appealed to disaffected white voters in the South.

What is the MOST important factor in predicting whether an individual votes? a. sexual orientation b. Race c. education level d. religious affiliation

c. education level

When an oil company is invited to participate in negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency over a proposed rule on offshore drilling, it illustrates that a. the First Amendment to the Constitution only allows corporations to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances." b. Supreme Court decisions banning iron triangles have largely failed to limit interest group influence c. federal agencies almost always attempt to consult relevant stakeholders before implementing a new rule d. interest groups no longer attempt to influence representatives in Congress or judges and focus almost all of their attention, instead, on administrative agencies

c. federal agencies almost always attempt to consult relevant stakeholders before implementing a new rule

A person who enjoys the benefits of a group's collective efforts but does not contribute to those efforts is called a a. citizen b. subject c. free rider d. lobbyist

c. free rider

"Selective benefits" are a. government programs that provide tax cuts for people at the top of the income distribution b. government programs that distribute food, housing, or monetary assistance to people who make less than a predetermined amount of money each year c. incentives that interest groups make available only to those people who are members of their organizations d. incentives that interest groups distribute to people who do not belong to their organizations in order to win public support for their causes

c. incentives that interest groups make available only to those people who are members of their organizations

Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to a. take nominations for leadership positions within the party. b. vote on the party's platform. c. select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election. d. raise money to spend on the party's preselected candidate for the general election.

c. select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election.

The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example of the ________ effect. a. Hawthorne b. Coattail c. social desirability d. Bandwagon

c. social desirability

The free-rider problem occurs because a. members of Congress are presented with many opportunities to amend a piece of legislation b. the benefits of a group's actions are available only to a specific segment of society c. the benefits of a group's actions are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers d. members of Congress listen only to organized interest groups and not to public opinion polls

c. the benefits of a group's actions are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

What is the social desirability effect? a. the bias in surveys that comes from the failure of pollsters to interview respondents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds b. the strong desire that people have to express their opinions to survey researchers c. the fact that respondents report what they think the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable, rather than what they actually believe d. the impression conveyed by polls that something is important to the public when actually it is not

c. the fact that respondents report what they think the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable, rather than what they actually believe

Pollsters use random digit dialing to gather national samples for surveys because a. sampling errors are typically too low when other techniques are used. b. sampling errors are typically too high when other techniques are used. c. there is not a complete list of all Americans that can be used to identify the population. d. it is the only method that generates high levels of measurement error.

c. there is not a complete list of all Americans that can be used to identify the population.

Primary elections were introduced by a. the Federalists in the late eighteenth century. b. the Democrats in the 1830s. c. the Republicans in the 1870s. d. Progressive reformers at the start of the 1900s.

d. Progressive reformers at the start of the 1900s.

It is likely that eliminating state-level voter registration laws would ________ voter turnout among ________. a. decrease; younger people b. decrease; older people c. decrease; all voters d. increase; younger people

d. increase; younger people

In order for a survey accurately generalize to the entire population, the survey must a. sample at least 10 percent of the target population. b. sample at least 25 percent of the target population. c. sample at least 10,000 individuals from the target population. d. select respondents randomly and everyone in the target population must have an equal chance of being selected.

d. select respondents randomly and everyone in the target population must have an equal chance of being selected.