American Gov. Test #2 (ch. 5-8)
Which of the following statements about the ideological preferences of Americans is true?
The percentage of Americans who consider themselves moderates, liberals, or conservatives has remained relatively constant for the past 15 years
Which of the following occurs when one party replaces another party that has dominated national politics for a lengthy period of time?
an electoral realignment
A loose, informal relationship of public officials, interest groups, and activists who are all concerned with the same policies is called
an issue network
Today, advertising revenue at print newspapers is ________what it was in 2005
half
The Christian Coalition is a(n) ________ group
ideological
The fact that many middle-class and lower-middle-class citizens who did not stand to benefit from President George W. Bush's tax cuts seemed to favor them is an example of the
importance of political knowledge
What is the most important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials?
information
The right of candidates to spend their own money on running for office
is protected absolutely by the Constitution according to the Supreme Court
The Teamsters and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations are examples of ________ groups
labor
The major organizational factors shared by most interest groups are
leadership, money, an agency or office, and members
If a person supports a candidate because he or she is the front-runner in a poll, it is an example of the
bandwagon effect
In the 2012 presidential election, Gallup surveys significantly overestimated
Latino support for Mitt Romney
The term public opinion is used to describe
beliefs and attitudes toward different issues, events, and people
Large media conglomerates own approximately ________ percent of daily newspapers
75
Opposition to legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________, while support for legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________
conservatives; liberals
Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is the most accurate?
Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans are greater today than during any other period in the last 40 years
________ generally support abortion rights and oppose state involvement with religious institutions
liberals
Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that
more affluent and more educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions
What is "niche journalism"?
news reporting targeted for a demographic of readers based on content or ideological presentation
Liberalism and conservatism are examples of
political ideologies
A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to
poorly worded questions
Grandparents, tall people, and undergraduates are all examples of
potential interest groups
The New Politics movement gave rise to ________ groups
public interest
The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example of the ________ effect
social desirability
Between the Civil War and the 1960s, the ________ was a Democratic stronghold
south
The fact that only 63 percent of high school graduates have broadband Internet access at home while almost 90 percent of college graduates do is an example of
the "digital divide"
Much of the national news that is published in local newspapers is provided by
the Associated Press
"Me too" Republicanism refers to
the tendency of Republican politicians during the New Deal to support popular programs such as Social Security rather than advocate alternative policies
What is the primary function of a PAC?
to raise and distribute money to election campaigns
Which of the following is true of trust in government?
very low trust in government is a reality in contemporary politics
Politicians attempt to "balance the ticket" with members of many important groups because
voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background
Historically, realignments occur
when new issues combine with economic or political crises to mobilize new voters and persuade large numbers of voters to reexamine their traditional partisan loyalties.
Low-level officials who hope to publicize what they view as their bosses' or the government's improper activities are usually called
"whistle-blowers"
Facebook has over _______ users worldwide
1 billion
The Communications Decency Act was struck down by the Supreme Court because it violated the
First Amendment's right to freedom of speech
Which statement about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is true?
Following passage of the act, several mergers between telephone and cable companies produced a greater concentration of media ownership
Why does the marketplace of ideas often have a moderating effect on people's opinions?
Given constant exposure to other people's ideas, it is almost impossible for one not to modify one's own viewpoints
The fact that interest groups favor the wealthy and well educated can be understood as a reflection of what dilemma in American politics?
Liberty is often inconsistent with equality
________ occurs when interest groups take out advertisements and hold marches
Mobilizing public opinion
Which of the following statements is true about the forces that shape public opinion?
Presidents often attempt to influence public support for the policies they are promoting
From the end of the Civil War to the 1890s, the ________ Party was the party of the North, while the ________ Party was the party of the South
Republican; Democratic
Which of the following statements about public opinion is true?
Shifts in public opinion on particular issues can lead to changes in public policy
What is one of the main differences between those who have gone to college and those who have not?
There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education
Which of the following statements about age and political participation is true?
Young people are far less likely to participate in politics than older people
The campaign funds raised and spent by 501(c)(4) organizations are called "dark money" because
donors and amounts contributed do not have to be made public
If a television station sold commercial time to a Republican candidate for governor but refused to sell time to the Democratic candidate for governor, this station would be in violation of the
equal time rule
A wealthy businessperson who is very liberal is an example of the
fact that group memberships never fully explain all of an individual's political views
State ballot access laws, such as registration fees and petition requirements, have the effect of
reducing the number of third-party and independent candidates who can run for office
The small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population is called a
sample
What is the "social desirability effect"?
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