Exam #4 Govt

Why do House members and Senators tend to be less active on foreign policy matters than domestic ones?

Constituents are more directly affected by domestic policy topics than foreign ones, and members of congress are driven by the imperative of reelection

Which of the following is considered a discretionary spending item in the U.S. federal budget?

Defense spending

According to surveys, most adults in the U.S. get their news through newspapers or television.

False

According to surveys, most adults in the U.S. get their news through social media.

False

Americans are less likely to participate actively in campaigns than are people in other democratic countries.

False

Because of its proximity to the people, local levels of the party organization (precinct and county) are more visible than are state and national levels of the party organization.

False

Congress is the most influential government institution in the development of foreign policy.

False

Due to government regulation, there has been a decentralization in corporate ownership of the media since 1980.

False

In the U.S., voting turnout is highest in midterm elections.

False

Like most Western democracies, the U.S. has a multiparty system.

False

Many of the framers of the U.S. Constitution viewed collective activity and organized interests as necessary in promoting good democratic governance.

False

Most elections in the U.S. are based on proportional election systems.

False

Only government officials are involved in the policymaking process.

False

Since the late 1700s, policymakers in the United States have supported government involvement in regulating social and economic policy areas.

False

The Federal Communications Act was the first federal law to specifically address regulating the internet.

False

When the media serve as a common carrier, they alert the public about important issues and events.

False

The ________ created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Federal Communications Act

Which of the following is an example of a progressive tax?

Income taxes

Which of the following types of mass media has greatly expanded opportunities for citizen journalism?

Internet

Which of the following is considered a distributive social program?

Medicare

The ________ was the first congressional attempt to regulate broadcast media.

Radio Act

_________________ refers to a transition period when a party system dominated by one of the two major parties is replaced by another system dominated by the other party.

Realignment

__________ move benefits from one group to another in an attempt to equalize society.

Redistributive policies

Which of the following is an example of a regressive tax?

Sales taxes

________ refers to unregulated campaign contributions by individuals, groups, or parties that promote general election activities but do not directly support individual candidates.

Soft money

Which of the following is NOT a tool used by the Federal Reserve when engaging in monetary policy?

Tax subsidies

The ________ was the first confessional regulation of the media to specifically address the internet.

Telecommunications Act

What is a deficit?

The annual budget shortfall between revenues and expenditures

What is disturbance theory?

The belief that people are more likely to mobilize collectively when external events make them feel as if their interests are being threatened

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about third parties in the U.S.?

Third parties are typically cautious in terms of policy ideas

Although the U.S. Congress creates and establishes eligibility standards for entitlement programs, states are responsible for administering and, in many cases, partially funding these programs.

True

Government may choose to employ a plan of inaction in response to a problem.

True

Incumbents are more likely to win competitive seat election races than are their challengers.

True

Most Western democracies have a multiparty system.

True

Most social welfare programs in the United States are considered means-tested programs that require participants to provide documentation demonstrating they meet eligibility requirements.

True

Political campaigns use different strategies during the primary phase and general election phase.

True

The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate communications by radio, television, satellite, and cable.

True

The government may choose to take direct action through the creation of a new program or indirect action through the use of incentives to solve a public issue or problem.

True

The media employ a range of strategies to cultivate and grow viewership in order to increase revenue generation from advertisements.

True

The media's watchdog function helps maintain democracy and keeps the government accountable for its actions, even if a branch of the government is reluctant to open itself up to public scrutiny.

True

Today, groups can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in support of political campaigns as long as they do not directly coordinate with the candidate.

True

Which of the following prompted the U.S. to begin incorporating policy measures that reflected a liberal internationalist approach to foreign policy?

World War I and World War II

Which of the following prompted the U.S. to shift away from isolationism and begin incorporating policy measures that reflected a liberal internationalist approach to foreign policy?

World War I and World War II

Which of the following is an aspect of iron triangles?

a symbiotic relationship among congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups

A local station that broadcasts national network programming is called a/an __________ station.

affiliate

In what ways are lobbyists regulated?

all of the above

The goals of U.S. foreign policy include _________.

all of the above

Why might several competing corporations join together in an association?

all of the above

"Hard money" refers to ___________.

campaign funds donated directly to candidates, which are limited by federal election laws

ABC, which is owned by Disney, chooses not to report a story relating to controversy surrounding Mandalorian body armor out of concerns that it will not please Disney. What form of media bias would this be considered?

corporate bias

Which level of the party organization is responsible for finding volunteers for Election Day?

county

The __________ posits that media have a significant impact on public opinion and election outcomes because the media develop a person's view of the world by presenting a perceived reality based on norms established for audiences through the content covered by the media.

cultivation theory

When acting as an agenda setter, the media ____________.

decides which issues deserve public attention

When engaging in agenda setting, the media ____________.

decides which issues deserve public attention

Trust in the media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly has___________ since the 1980s.

decreased significantly

When an interest group makes direct contact with an elected official regarding an issue of importance to the group, it is engaging in _______________________.

direct lobbying

Which of the following refers to an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that reinforce their own views?

echo chamber

In the context of elections, what is an "open seat"?

election races in which no incumbent is running for reelection

When covering homelessness, journalists engaging in ________ would likely report the current percentage of homeless people, interview some homeless people, and/or look at the city's current services for homeless populations.

episodic framing

Which FCC rule requires radio and television broadcasters to provide all candidates running for office the same airtime opportunities?

equal time rule

Policy analysts seek ________.

evidence

Which FCC rule required holders of broadcast licenses to cover controversial issues in a balanced manner?

fairness doctrine

A government's _______ involves regulating the economy through taxation and government spending.

fiscal policy

A country's __________ consists of its official positions, practices, and procedures for dealing with actors outside its borders.

foreign policy

Today, the media rely heavily on _____________________, focusing on the competitive aspects of politics rather than on actual policy proposals and political decisions.

horse-race journalism

According to the _________, the media have a significant impact on public opinion and election outcomes because they shoot information into the minds of the audience, who readily accept it.

hypodermic theory

When was U.S. voting turnout reach its highest point/peak?

idk -not: 2000-present; 1900-1949; 1800-1849

In the U.S., we use ___________ elections to select who will represent us in the U.S. Senate.

idk -not: midterm; single member district -may: at-large

Which foreign policy approach holds that nations should actively engage in international affairs?

interventionism

Muckraking occurs when newspapers __________.

investigate problems in government and business

The Supreme Court determined that the right of the press to print classified material ________.

is partial, and the press may print classified material only if it does not compromise troops or covert operatives

Which foreign policy approach holds that nations should stay out of international activites?

isolationism

Which of the following is the best example of a solidary benefit?

joining a group to be with others like you

A government's _______ involves regulating the economy by manipulating the interest rate and the money supply.

monetary policy

What characterizes those most likely to vote in the next election?

over 45 years of age

A conglomerate is a corporation that _________.

owns many businesses and media networks

What best characterizes the political party system since the 1960s?

parity between the Republican and Democratic parties

What is the primary heuristic on which people rely when voting?

party identification

Which of the following is an example of a flat tax?

payroll taxes (FICA)

Susan is currently working two part-time jobs and is frustrated about the poor economy. On Election Day, she votes for every challenger on the ballot, because she feels the president and Congress are not doing enough to help her. What type of vote did she cast?

pocketbook

In which type of election are you most likely to see coattail effects?

presidential

In ______ campaigns, candidates target members of the party-in-the-electorate by focusing on issue positions and seeking to increase name recognition.

primary

In which type of electoral system do voters select the party of their choice rather than an individual candidate?

proportional representation

According to the _____________________ voting model, voters choose one or another responsible party (a party that takes a clear stand on the issues and enacts them as policy) based on opinions and considerations of future consequences.

prospective

What type of incentives appeal to someone's concern about a cause?

purposive incentives

Which type of policy directly benefits the most citizens?

regulatory policy

Public policy _________________.

requires multiple actors and branches to carry out

In the U.S., we use ___________ elections to select who will represent us in the U.S. House of Representatives

single member district

A country's ___________ consists of policies that seek to improve the quality of citizen's lives.

social policy

According to the _____________________ voting model, voters evaluate incumbent candidates at a societal level, asking "what have you done for the nation lately?"

sociotropic

The minimal effects theory argues that the media have little impact on public opinion and election outcomes because what influence it does have in disseminating information is diminished as a result of _________.

the audience's discussion of information with peers

Social Security and Medicare are distributive social policies notable for their assistance to which group?

the elderly

What is priming?

the process in which the media predispose an audience to think a particular way about an issue

When covering homelessness, journalists engaging in ________ would likely look at more widespread, longitudinal trends relating to homelessness, examine the reasons people become homeless, and discuss the trends in cities' attempts to address homelessness.

thematic framing

During the late 1800s, newspapers and journalists began to engage in _____________________, relying on techniques such as the exaggeration of news events, scandal-mongering, and sensationalism to increase readership.

yellow journalism