AP GOV

When party members meet to nominate a candidate for office, they participate in which of the following?

Caucus

Which of the following would result from the direct election of presidential candidates?

Each vote would count equally in determining which candidate won the election.

Critics of the winner-take-all aspect of the electoral college are most likely to make which of the following arguments?

The winner-take-all system of the electoral college encourages presidential candidates to focus their time and effort disproportionately on battleground states with larger populations.

Which of the following arguments best supports a claim that the Electoral College does not fully support democratic principles?

At times, a candidate who receives the most popular votes may not win the presidential election.

When none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the electoral college, the winner is chosen by the

House of Representatives only

The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates results in which of the following? A weakening of party control over nominations A reduction in the costs of election campaigns An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections

I and III only

The data in the graph best illustrate which of the following common criticisms of the electoral college?

Individuals in small-population states have a greater impact on the electoral college than individuals in large-population states.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the relative functions and electoral success of the two major political parties (Democratic and Republican) and third parties?

Majority party: The rules of the electoral college favor the major-party candidates in presidential elections. 3rd party: Winner-take-all voting districts hinder the electoral success of third-party candidates.

Which of the following most accurately describes media coverage of elections?

Network news coverage is usually dominated by reporters who offer relatively short sound bites from the candidates.

Which of the following portrays an accurate example of horse race media coverage?

News media outlets report the results of public opinion polls that show the relative popularity of presidential candidates.

A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48 percent of that state's popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40 percent of the vote, and an independent candidate receives 12 percent of the vote. If the state is similar to most other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated?

The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 electoral votes.

An important Senate race takes place in the state of Georgia. Rather than focus on the issue positions taken by the candidates, a 24-hour cable news station instead focuses primarily on poll results and campaign strategies using a "big board" to show the counties where each candidate has the most support. Which of the following is an effect of this type of new coverage?

The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.

Which of the following describes the potential impact on the electorate when daily media coverage of elections focuses primarily on the newest poll results?

The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.

Based on the data in the chart, which of the following best explains a likely impact of third-party votes in the 2016 election?

The third-party vote in the three states depicted in the chart helped Donald Trump acquire enough electoral votes to win the election.

Which of the following took place after presidential candidates Truman in 1948, Nixon in 1968, and Clinton in 1992 won only pluralities of the popular vote?

The winning candidate took office after receiving less than 50% of the popular votes cast.

A primary election in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket is called

a closed primary

The primary reason for the current existence of only two major political parties in the United States is that

a winner-take-all electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive

The term "horse-race journalism" refers to the tendency of the media to

cover campaigns by emphasizing the relative standings of the candidates in the polls rather than the issues they discuss

The agenda-setting function of the media refers to the power to

decide which issues are important enough to bring to public attention

Typically, presidential candidates implement their campaign strategies by

focusing on larger, competitive states, because they might tip the balance of the electoral college

The media's effect on public opinion can best be described as

influencing which issues the public sees as important

Tom believes that the government should be limited in its regulation of the economy, but he wants to find out more about economic policy. As he researches the topic, he increasingly relies on a well-respected conservative blog as his main source of information. Tom's actions demonstrate the tendency of individuals to seek out information from sources that

reinforce existing political beliefs