American Politics (7a, 8a, 9a)
Beginning in 1800, the Federalists and Jefferson's Republicans held _____ to nominate candidates for president and vice president. a. caucuses b. direct primaries c. conventions d. open primaries e. closed primaries
a
Beginning with the presidential elections of 2000, the term blue state has been used to describe a state in the United States whose citizens primarily vote for _____. a. the Democratic Party b. the Republican Party c. the Green Party d. the Libertarian Party e. the American Independent Party
a
A sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chosen is a _____ sample. a. random b. straw c. biased d. nonscientific e. useless
a
A(n) _____ can be defined as a group of individuals who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine policy. a. political party b. congressional committee c. parliament d. union e. electorate
a
In 1832, the National Republicans and the Democratic Party settled on a new method of choosing candidates for president and vice president called the _____. a. national nominating convention b. presidential caucus c. closed primary d. presidential primary e. invisible primary
a
In a polling survey, people are asked, "How would you rate the epic movie Titanic?" In this case, which of the following issues associated with a polling survey is most likely to affect the results? a. The issue of framing misleading questions b. The house effect c. The issue of inadequate information in questions d. The issue of weighting e. The biased sampling error
a
In survey research, a group of people typical of the general population is called ____. a. a sample b. a straw poll c. the electorate d. a subgroup e. a town hall
a
Which of the following best describes soft money? a. It refers to the campaign contributions that are independent of federal regulations. b. It is a candidate's contribution for his or her own campaign. c. It is the money spent by a corporation on independent political activities. d. It refers to the money raised through social networking sites. e. It is the money provided by the government to conduct presidential primaries.
a
Which of the following is true of political parties? a. The concept of political parties is undefined in the U.S. Constitution. b. The development of political parties was foreseen in the American political history. c. The founders of the U.S. Constitution considered political parties as a practical need that would link the citizens to the government. d. There are four major political parties in the United States. e. The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists were formed after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
a
Which of the following statements is true of a special election? a. It is used to fill vacancies that occur by reason of death. b. It is held every four years at the national level to elect the president. c. It is held at the national level when a bureaucrat is removed from office due to treason. d. It is a regularly scheduled election held in even-numbered years. e. It is held annually in the month of October.
a
Which of the following statements is true of the winner-take-all system? a. In this system, the candidate who receives the largest popular vote in a state is credited with all that state's electoral votes. b. In this system, the top two candidates who receive the largest number of votes have to contest in another round of elections. c. In this system, an elector must receive 538 electoral votes to win. d. In this system, the electoral votes must be distributed equally among the top three candidates. e. In this system, the party that wins all the electoral votes controls both chambers of Congress.
a
_____ in his Farewell Address said that the "spirit of party . . . agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection." a. George Washington b. John Adams c. Thomas Jefferson d. Andrew Jackson e. Daniel Webster
a
A(n) ____ poll is a campaign tactic used to feed false or misleading information to potential voters, under the guise of taking an opinion poll. a. straw b. exit c. push d. tracking e. Internet
c
By the end of George Washington's eight years in office, political divisions among the nation's leaders had solidified into political parties. One such political party was _____. a. the Democratic Party b. the Libertarian Party c. the Federalist Party d. the National Republican Party e. the Anti-Federalist Party
c
In self-nomination, the most common way to become a candidate for a local government post, a candidate _____. a. is first nominated by a political party b. writes his or her name on the ballot on Election Day c. files a petition to be listed on the ballot d. should be a popular local personality e. should belong to a minority
c
In the 2012 election, many major polling firms a. weighted independent turnout too heavily. b. deliberately skewed the results. c. overestimated Republican turnout. d. said the election was too close to call. e. did not use random sampling.
c
Which of the following instances of the 1930s was referred to as the New Deal? a. George Washington's farewell address that legalized slavery b. Franklin D. Roosevelt's programs to fight the Great Depression c. The splitting of Jefferson's Republicans into two groups d. The new Republican coalition cemented by Ronald Reagan e. The support gained by the Whigs from bankers, business owners, and many southern planters
b
In the context of American political parties, the party in government helps to organize the government's agenda by: a. coaxing and convincing its own party members in office to vote for its policies. b. gaining the financial support of lobbyists. c. supporting nonpartisan elections. d. electing the delegates to the national party committee. e. influencing the national party chairperson to take decisions in its favor.
a
In the context of politics, _________ is a system of rewarding the party faithful and workers with government jobs or contracts. A. patronage B. party membership grant C. party-aid D. sponsorship
a
The Literary Digest tried to predict the outcome of the presidential elections of 1936 by using a nonscientific poll and an unrepresentative sample. As a result, the pollsters forecast that Republican Alfred Landon would easily defeat Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt. This is an example of _____. a. a straw-polling error b. weighting c. a house effect d. the bandwagon effect e. a push poll
a
The true result of a poll is a. a range of probabilities. b. a single figure. c. a house effect. d. a statistical model. e. sampling error.
a
The true result of a public opinion poll: a. is a range of probabilities. b. is a single figure. c. needs to be kept anonymous. d. is not statistical. e. gives a clear winner.
a
The vice president serves a term of _____ years. a. four b. two c. six d. five e. eight
a
Today, the most reputable polls sample between _____ and _____ people. a. 1,500; 2,000 b. 8,000; 9,500 c. 12,500; 15,000 d. 20,000; 25,000 e. 35,000 ;40,000
a
Unlike super political action committees, 527 committees: a. were prohibited from directly supporting or opposing a specific candidate. b. were prohibited from expressly advocating specific issues pertaining to the general public. c. could make limited contributions directly to campaigns. d. could run negative ads to damage a candidate's opponents. e. accentuated the positives about a specific candidate.
a
Beginning with the presidential elections of 2000, the term red state has been used to describe a state in the United States whose citizens primarily vote for _____. a. the Democratic Party b. the Republican Party c. the Green Party d. the Libertarian Party e. the American Independent Party
b
By 1856, the Whig coalition had fallen apart, and most northern Whigs were absorbed into the new _____, which opposed the extension of slavery into new territories. a. People's Party b. Republican Party c. Democratic Party d. Libertarian Party e. Socialist Party
b
Electors are selected during each presidential election year by _____. a. the representatives of Congress b. the states' political parties c. members of the Credentials Committee d. presidential candidates e. members of the Senate
b
For a given poll, a professional polling firm states that it has "95 percent confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points." What is the firm trying to say by claiming "95 percent confidence"? a. There is a 95 percent chance that the poll is off by four points or more. b. There is a 5 percent chance that the poll is off by four points or more. c. There is a 95 percent chance that the poll is off by five points or more. d. There is a 4 percent chance that the poll is off by five points or more. e. There is a 5 percent chance that the poll is off by ninety-five points or more.
b
In most states, the _____ provides the list of registered voters and makes certain that only qualified voters cast ballots. a. super political action committee b. election board c. electorate d. credentials committee e. 527 committee
b
In the 1890s, the Populists—the People's Party—advocated _____ as a way of lessening the debts of farmers in the West and South. a. farming b. inflation c. slavery d. trading e. labor growth
b
In the context of the second realignment in American history, the Democrats appealed to: a. merchants. b. small farmers. c. bankers. d. business owners. e. foreign traders.
b
Jeffersonian Republicans believed that the nation's welfare would be best served if: a. it was ruled by its wealthiest and best-educated citizens. b. government policies served farming interests. c. the government had more power than the states. d. government policies promoted the development of commerce. e. the government dominated Congress.
b
Polling firms respond to the difficulties of obtaining a body of respondents that truly reflects the population at large by: a. sampling the responses of the target group. b. weighting the responses of various groups. c. randomly selecting the best responses. d. counting the number of positive responses. e. counting the number of negative responses.
b
The 501c's ability to hide its contributors created a new campaign-finance issue. Which of the following best describes the views of Democrats? a. Democrats argued that the right to freedom of association would be violated if donor anonymity is encouraged. b. Democrats argued that anonymous contributions were simply a further corruption of the political process. c. Democrats argued that revealing the identity of donors would limit the amount contributed to political campaigns. d. Democrats argued that unaccounted contributions would provoke the Supreme Court to limit campaign financing. e. Democrats argued that donors needed the right to remain anonymous so that they would not have to fear retribution.
b
The District of Columbia has: a. no electoral votes because it is not a state. b. three electoral votes, even though it is not a state. c. five members in the House of Representatives, so it has five electoral votes. d. thirteen electoral votes, representing the thirteen original colonies. e. two members in the Senate, so it has two electoral votes.
b
The Federalists supported a strong central government that would: a. oppose the ratification of the Constitution. b. encourage the development of commerce and manufacturing. c. promote a shared political perspective or ideology, such as climate change. d. support the two-party political system. e. encourage the development of the farming sector.
b
The United States has a two-party system which means that: a. only two parties nominate candidates to run in general elections. b. the two major parties—the Democrats and the Republicans—dominate national politics. c. candidates must belong to one of the two major parties to run in state elections. d. all voters identify with either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. e. third parties are not allowed to be formed in this country.
b
To be elected, a presidential candidate must receive: a. half of the 538 electoral votes available. b. more than half of the 538 electoral votes available. c. three-fourth of the 538 electoral votes available. d. more than half of the 600 electoral votes available. e. three-fourth of the 600 electoral votes available.
b
Which of the following public positions is chosen by voters during a national general election? a. The position of the mayor b. The position of the president c. The position of the governor d. The position of the sheriff e. The position of the viceroy
b
Which of the following was a consequence of the Great Depression of the 1930s? a. It resulted in dealignment. b. It destroyed the belief that the grand old party could better manage the economy. c. Abraham Lincoln became the president of the United States. d. The Republican Party came back to power at the national level. e. The Whig coalition fell apart, and most northern Whigs were absorbed into the new Republican Party.
b
_____ are representatives from each political party who are allowed to monitor voting places to make sure that the election is run fairly. a. Delegates b. Poll watchers c. Electors d. Political consultants e. Pollsters
b
_____ is a process in which the popular support for and relative strength of the political parties shift, and the parties are reestablished with different coalitions of supporters. a. Flipping b. Realignment c. Dealignment d. Tipping e. Segregation
b
The Populists are also called _____. a. the Green Party b. the Socialist Party c. the Federalist Party d. the People's Party e. the Republican Party
d
Unlike special elections, general elections are held _____. a. to appoint mayors b. in odd-numbered years c. to choose the president d. every year e. in emergency situations
c
Which of the following statements best defines a straw poll? a. A survey of the public's opinion on a particular topic at a particular moment b. In the context of opinion polling, a group of people selected to represent the population being studied c. A nonscientific poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population d. In the context of opinion polling, a sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chosen e. In the context of opinion polling, the difference between what the sample results show and what the true results would have been had everybody in the relevant population been interviewed
c
Which of the following statements is true of a house effect? a. Polling firms with a house effect are always right. b. All polling firms face the house effect during elections. c. A firm with a house effect is not always wrong. d. Polling firms that exhibit a house effect miss out on important points unlike its competitors. e. Polling firms with a house effect are disqualified from voting in elections.
c
Which of the following statements is true of nonpartisan elections? a. Lobbyists sponsor the major parties. b. Candidates need to be endorsed by a political party. c. Party identification never appears on the ballot. d. Party labels appear on the ballot. e. More than one candidate from a single party competes in the general elections.
c
Which of the following statements is true of the history of American political parties? a. Political parties were embraced by America's founding fathers as a necessary element of a functioning democracy. b. The role of political parties was clearly defined by America's founders. c. Two major political factions were formed in America even before the Constitution was ratified. d. Throughout the course of American history, the major political parties have not changed their ideologies. e. The Democratic Party was the first political party in America.
c
A representative in Congress resigns from office because of ill health, leaving his seat in Congress vacant. In this case, to fill the vacancy, a(n) _____ must be held. a. interim election b. general election c. indirect election d. special election e. recall election
d
A single-member district: a. does not allow independent candidates to contest in state elections. b. is where the parliament elects one member from each district to their state legislature. c. is represented by multiple elected officials from different parties, according to the proportion of the vote each party receives. d. is where voters elect one member from their district to the House of Representatives and to their state legislature. e. does not include federal and state legislative districts.
d
Complications for telephone poll takers include: a. the lack of network coverage. b. the rising costs of getting a cell phone connection. c. the high costs of installing a landline. d. the increase in the use of cell phones. e. its limitations to prerecorded messages.
d
In the run-up to the 1828 elections, a new party known as _____ grew up around John Quincy Adams. a. the Democratic Party b. the Federalist Party c. Jefferson's Republicans d. the National Republicans e. the Anti-Federalist Party
d
Sampling error is the a. error that results when random sampling is used. b. difference between what the push poll results show and what the exit poll results show. c. result of the way the questions are phrased. d. difference between what the poll shows and what the results would have been if everyone in the relevant population had been interviewed. e. error that is introduced when polls create public opinion instead of measuring it.
d
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002: a. eliminated public financing for presidential primaries and general elections. b. set the amount that an individual could contribute to a federal candidate at $8,000. c. prohibited special interest groups from making independent expenditures in election campaigns. d. banned soft money at the national level and regulated campaign ads paid for by interest groups. e. allowed issue-advocacy commercials within thirty days of a primary election.
d
The first step to winning an election is: a. to contact a media house. b. consultation with the electoral college. c. the fund-raising process. d. the nomination process. e. the appointment of a campaign manager.
d
The small, short-lived changes in polling results are caused due to random error known as: a. sampling bias. b. biased sampling. c. random sampling. d. statistical noise. e. polling bias.
d
Which of the following statements best defines a random sample? a. A poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population b. In the context of opinion polling, a group of people selected to represent the population being studied c. An atypical subgroup of the population d. In the context of opinion polling, a sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chosen e. A campaign tactic used to feed false or misleading information to potential voters, under the guise of taking an opinion poll
d
Which of the following statements is true of American politics? a. Americans who are unhappy with the two major political parties cannot participate in American politics. b. A key characteristic of recent politics has been the extreme nonpartisanship of party activists and members of Congress. c. The rules governing campaign financing hinder the major parties as well as the minor parties. d. Minor parties have found it extremely difficult to compete with the major parties for votes. e. The rolling realignment after the elections of 1968 has resulted in parties that are much more heterogeneous.
d
Which of the following statements is true of a general election? a. It is used to fill sudden vacancies that occur by reason of death. b. It is carried out to elect the governors of states. c. It is held by the Senate to decide an issue before an upcoming special election. d. It is a regularly scheduled election held in even-numbered years. e. It is scheduled in an emergency situation to fill federal vacancies that occur by reason of resignations.
d
Which of the following statements is true of the procedure of voting for governors in the majority of U.S. states? a. It allows more than one candidate to contest from a single party. b. It allows the splitting of electoral votes. c. It is held at the district level. d. It takes place on a statewide, winner-take-all basis. e. It makes it easier for third-party candidates to win.
d
A senior senator from a state met his demise in the middle of his fifth term, leaving his Senate seat vacant. In order to fill the vacancy, a(n) _____ must be held. a. interim election b. general election c. double direct election d. recall election e. special election
e
According to some lawyers, a 501(c)4 organization could make limited contributions directly to a candidate's campaign: a. as long as it used the 527 designation when it did so. b. during the primaries but not in general elections. c. as long as the candidate belonged to a third party. d. provided that it also contributed to the party committee. e. without revealing the identities of its donors.
e
All of the following affect the outcome of polls EXCEPT a. international pressure. b. house effects. c. the timing of polls. d. question framing. e. statistical modeling.
e
As the Whigs and Democrats competed for the White House from 1835 to 1854, which of the following was common to both groups? a. Both the Whigs and the Democrats tried to favor rural development. b. Both the Whigs and the Democrats tried to prevent child labor. c. Both the Whigs and the Democrats tried to favor women empowerment. d. Both the Whigs and the Democrats tried to avoid the issue of immigration. e. Both the Whigs and the Democrats tried to avoid the issue of slavery.
e
The 501c's ability to hide its contributors created a new campaign-finance issue. Which of the following best describes the views of Republicans? a. Republicans argued that the right to freedom of association would be violated if donor anonymity was encouraged. b. Republicans argued that anonymous contributions were simply a further corruption of the political process. c. Republicans argued that revealing the identity of donors would limit the amount contributed to political campaigns. d. Republicans argued that unaccounted contributions would provoke the Supreme Court to limit campaign financing. e. Republicans argued that donors needed the right to remain anonymous so that they would not have to fear retribution.
e
Which of the following American political parties picked up the nickname "grand old party?" a. The Green Party b. The Socialist Party c. The Federalist Party d. The Democratic Party e. The Republican Party
e
Which of the following is true of contemporary polling techniques? a. A satisfactory sample can be obtained by phone polling. b. In-person interviews continue to be the preferred means of polling. c. The size of reputable samples is from 8,000 to 9,500 people. d. Internet surveys are replacing phone surveys, and accuracy is greater than before. e. The use of Internet phone systems and cell phones has complicated sampling.
e
Which of the following statements demonstrates the belief that compromise with the other party in the legislature is a form of betrayal? a. The minority party should not oppose majority-party measures. b. The independent voters are likely to increase in number over the years. c. The realignment process is often replaced by the dealignment process. d. The two-party system should be promoted in the United States. e. The minority party should not attempt to improve legislation proposed by the majority.
e
