Government 2305 Exam 2 Review

Volunteer activity in the United States is LOWEST in the

South

To have great influence, an outside lobbying group must generally have one of two things: a lot of money or

a committed membership

Which of the following is an interest group more likely to champion than a political party?

a controversial issue

"Agency capture" occurs when

regulatory agencies side with the industries they are supposed to regulate rather than with the public

Democrats and Republicans have endured as the two major U.S. parties primarily due to

their ability to adapt to changing circumstances

Political scientist Theodore Lowi has questioned pluralist theory by suggesting that

there is no concept of the public interest in a system that gives special interests the ability to determine the policies affecting them

Ticket splitting was most recently prominent during which decade

1970s

Eighteen-, nineteen-, and twenty-year-old Americans were granted the right to vote by the passage of the ________ Amendment.

26th

A properly drawn sample of one thousand individuals has a sampling error of roughly plus or minus

3 percent

What percentage of states hold their gubernatorial elections in nonpresidential years?

75 percent

Political parties in the United States originated partly as a political feud between

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson

15th Amendment (1870)

All men can vote

Which of the following is a reason that Americans are more likely to work for a political campaign than are citizens in Europe?

America's federal system provides more campaign opportunities

Which of the following organizations is NOT an example of a single-issue group?

American Conservative Union

Friedrich Engels believed that communism would not take root in the United States because

American workers lack sufficient class consciousness

What did Mayer and Cornfield have to say about the modern media?

Pros are independence, interactivity, and depth Cons are access, filterlessness, overload, and cocooning

One consequence of today's high-choice media system is

an increase in the number of people who use partisan outlets as their primary news source

Local party organizations

are still important, but their role in congressional, statewide, or presidential campaigns is secondary to that of candidates

Voter registration in the United States

began as a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has regulatory oversight over which of the following?

broadcast radio

The largest number of PACs are those associated with

business

The most numerous economic groups are

business groups

During the early 20th century, which newspaper developed a reputation as the country's best newspaper?

New York Times

Where in the Constitution are political parties discussed?

No where

Students are most likely to hear stories about America's heroes and greatness when they are in

elementary school

The news provides a refracted version of reality because it

emphasizes dramatic and compelling news stories

What did de Tocqueville believe was a requisite for equal opportunity to exist?

equal rights

Of the following, the news media are most likely to focus on

events that are timely

In 20th-century American history, the most important minor parties were

factional parties

Which of the following groups in the U.S. shows a higher level of support for collective bargaining?

factory workers

James Madison argued

for regulation of interests through a governing system of checks and balances.

In terms of party identification, slightly more than half of adults call themselves

fully republican or democrat

Which of the following is a consequence of the high-choice media system?

general control by people over what they see and hear

The accuracy of polling is diminished when respondents

give what they regard as the socially correct response to certain questions even though they think differently

An informal grouping of officials, lobbyists, and policy specialists who come together temporarily around a policy problem is a(n)

issue network

Reputational Cascades

people do not subject themselves to social influences because they think that others are more knowledgeable

What does Sunstein claim is the result of polarization

people tend to have stronger feelings after talking with people that have the same ideas

Informational Cascades

people with little personal information about a particular matter base their own beliefs on the apparent beliefs of others

A sustained action taken by citizens disenchanted with government in order to express their opposition and work to bring about social or political change is a

political movement

The process of which individuals acquire their political opinions is called

political socialization

What are the two distinguishing characteristics of political socialization

political socialization is cumulative and is most heavily developed during childhood

Public Opinion Polling

polls can be erroneous at times sampling error decreases as the size of sample increases opinion polls are the most relied upon method of measuring public opinion polling accuracy diminishes when respondents are unfamiliar with the issues in question

A person who favors government intervention in both social and economic affairs is a(n)

populist

Grassroots lobbying is based on the assumption that officials will respond to

pressure from constituents

George W. Bush attempted to ____________________________________, only to ______________________________________________

privatize aspects of Social Security: back down in the face of determined resistance

The term framing is used to describe the

process of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them the most salient part of the communication, thereby conveying a particular interpretation of a situation

The FCC's requirement for radio stations relating to equal airtime

prohibited broadcasters from selling or giving time to political candidates without offering the same to their opponents

Effective inside lobbying is based upon

providing useful and persuasive information to key officials.

The most powerful religious force in contemporary American society is the

religious right

What was Madison's solution to the mischief of factions

removing its causes and controlling its effects

Americans who attend religious services at least once a week are most likely to vote for which political party?

republican

The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of

sampling error

Agenda-setting is an action that falls under which of the major roles played by the press?

signaling

Regarding state party organizations, the day-to-day operation is usually the responsibility of the

state chairperson

According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, young adults are substantially more likely than senior citizens to support

stronger environmental regulations

In recent decades, lobbyists in Washington, D.C., have increasingly

targeted the executive branch in their efforts to influence policy decisions

The reason the news product is designed to fascinate as well as to inform is

that news organizations are fundamentally business and must obtain revenue to survive

What was the primary cause for an increase in the public's support for a military invasion of Iraq during the six-month period leading to the start of the war?

the Bush administration's efforts to press the case for war

Which of the following is true of age differences in news consumption?

the average cable news viewer is over the age of 50

Which of the following represents the greatest blow to the organizational strength of U.S. parties

the direct primary

Negative campaigning was first used in

the early years of the country

The yellow journalism of the late 19th century was characterized by

the emphasis on sensationalism as a way of selling news papers

A basic reason for the existence of so many interest groups in the United States is

the extent of diverse interests in American society America's federal system of government the American tradition of free association the separation of powers in American government

Why have issue networks become more prevalent?

the increasing complexity of policy problems

A flaw in pluralism theory is the fact that

the interest group system is unrepresentative because some interests are far better organized and more powerful than others

Some analysts predict that soon the most important medium of election politics will be

the internet

The most recent party realignment had a realigning election in

the most recent party realignment had no single realigning election

What does King claim are three effects of the vulnerability of American politicians?

the power it accords to lobbyists and special- interest groups, more likely than those in other countries to engage in symbolic politics, and it's even harder for them to take tough decisions

The news media's common-carrier role is based on the idea that

the press should provide a channel through which political leaders can communicate their views to the public

Occupy Wall Street's main target has been

the private wealth of the wealthiest Americans

To accurately poll the citizens of the United States as opposed to the citizens of a single state,

the sampling requirements will nearly be the same

A purposive incentive is defined as

the satisfaction of contributing to a worthy goal or purpose

The key factors in determining the accuracy of an opinion poll are

the size of the sample and whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method

Economic groups have an advantage over noneconomic groups in part because

they have greater access to financial resources

Which of the following statements about political participation and lower-income Americans is true?

they need the most government help but are least likely to engage in collective action to seek it

Unlike other democracies, the United States

uses primaries to select political candidates

The adoption of voter identification card requirements by states

will likely cause a decline in voter turnout

Proportional representation systems encourage the formation of smaller parties by enabling parties to

win legislative seats even though they do not receive a majority of votes in elections

Voter turnout is LOWEST in which age group?

young adults

What demographic is most likely to support the new party during a major realignment

younger voters

Scholars estimate that turnout would be roughly ________ percentage points higher in the United States if the U.S. had European-style registration.

10

African American men technically gained suffrage with passage of the ________ Amendment.

15th

The most embarrassing Gallup poll failure in predicting a presidential election was

1948 Truman-Dewey

Partisan talk radio got its start

after the abolition of the Fairness Doctrine

PACs tend to contribute the most money to

incumbents

The dominant labor interest group is

AFL-CIO

The limits of interest groups' use of extreme tactics might be gauged by the congressional Democratic backlash against the ________, which tried to block the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993.

AFL-CIO

A general belief of about the role and purpose of government is called

an ideology

When democratic governments came into existence, tax and food riots and other forms of protest greatly diminished. Why?

Citizens had less disruptive ways to express themselves

The Democratic Party's long-time regional stronghold, "The Solid South" stemmed from a realignment during which historical time period

Civil War era

What did political scientist Larry Bartels demonstrate in his book Unequal Democracy?

Elected officials are substantially more responsive to the concerns of their more affluent constituents than to those of their poorer constituents

What are the two opposing ideals that run against each other throughout American history?

Equality v. Freedom

Influences on a person's political socialization

Family, Media, Peers, Education level, Where you got an education, Geography, Income, Ethnicity, Gender, Opinion leader, Religion - denomination, religion - commitment, and Lifestyle - generation effect

Who was the leader of the Federalists? Who was the leader of the early Republicans?

Feds- Alexander Hamilton Rep- Thomas Jefferson

Which of the following states is a competitive state, meaning that it could potentially vote either Democratic or Republican?

Florida

Which of the following groups is not typically a part of the Democratic coalition

Fundamentalist Christians

Who warned Americans of the baneful effects of factions in his 1797 farewell address

George Washington

Which of the following states had its voter ID law upheld by the Supreme Court despite the Court's admission that the law was created with partisan intentions?

Indiana

According to David Brooks, how do the left and right explain the divide in America? How does Brooks explain the divide?

Left/Liberals: social class ranks and haves/have nots Right/Conservative: conception of self and religion and morals Brooks: sensibility, not class and culture

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Which of the following statements has been shown by scholarly research to be true?

Network journalist tend to be negative

The issue of slavery gave birth to what party as a major political party

Republican Party

Voter identification cards find the most support among

Republicans

Which region of the country overall has the LOWEST connectivity to the Internet?

South

Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections

Supreme Court held the use of poll taxes in state elections violates the 14th amendments equal protection clause

Smith v. Allwright (1944)

The denying of African Americans the right to vote in a primary election was found to be a violation of the 15th Amendment

What does it mean when the text suggests that parties are "linkage institutions"

They connect citizens and the government

Citizens in which of the following countries are most likely to talk to people about politics?

United States

In which of the following countries are rates of protest the LOWEST?

United States

The citizens of ________ are most likely to take an active part in campaigns during an election.

United States

Which of the following countries had the LOWEST estimated voter turnout in major national elections in recent decades?

United States

Who does not have a competitive multiparty system

United States

Which of the following states is Democratic; Georgia, Texas, Washington, Idaho, or Utah

Washington

19th Amendment (1920)

Women gain the right to vote

What state became the first to enfranchise women

Wyoming on January 27, 1920

As distinct from alienation, apathy is

a general lack of interest in politics

Party Identification refers to

a person's sense of loyalty to a political party

Historically, the American press has shifted from

a political to a journalistic orientation

A member of Congress who wants to act on what the majority of his or her constituency thinks on a particular issue would be advised to respond to which of the following indicators

a poll based on a random selection sample of constituents

The term iron triangle refers to

a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with promoting a particular interest.

Regular voters tend to be characterized by a

a strong sense of civic duty.

Some groups pursue collective goods. A collective good is one that

cannot be selectively granted or denied by individuals; it belongs to all

Prospective voting is characterized by

choices based on what candidates promise to do if elected

Which of the following would not be considered a secondary socializing agent? Peers, church, leaders, and the media

church

The air we breathe is an example of a

collective good

Which of the following statements about party identification is true?

currently more people identify as democrats than republicans

Americans' pride in their democracy has _________ rapidly in recent decades, largely as a result of _______________________.

decreased; increasing partisanship

Literacy tests were used to

disenfranchise African Americans in the South

What are the two interpretations of democracy mentioned by Anthony King

division of labor and the agency view

Women gained the right to vote

early 20th century

Journalist Walter Lippmann suggested that

effective government cannot be run by politicians that base their public opinions on poll results.

Which of the following is associated with people's exposure to partisan news outlets?

greater political interest and engagement

Presidential candidates in the 1960s, compared with today,

had longer sound bites, on average, in broadcasts television newscasts

One special contribution of Internet-based news is that it

has expanded freedom of press to a larger number of Americans

A conservative is opposed to government intervention

in an economic sphere, but not in a social sphere

The frequency of elections in the United States reduces voter turnout by

increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections

In the United States, the primary responsibility for registration of the individual voter rests with the

individual

The media perform the signaling role by

informing the public of breaking events and new developments.

public opinion

is strongest during a presidential election

Aeschylus shows that a democratic legal order can't just put a cage around retribution; it must also... What is " Transition Anger"?

it expresses a protest, but faces forward: it gets to work finding solutions rather than dwelling on the infliction of retrospective pain.

The chief obstacle to Americans' participation in community activities is the

lack of personal motivation to get involved

Historically, dramatic change in party identification is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of

major upheaval

Scholarly research has shown that, overall, the traditional media

might have a slight liberal bias, and it depends on the outlet

Education and income affect voter turnout

more in the United States than in Europe

Compared with U.S. citizens of higher incomes, those of lower incomes are

much less likely to vote in elections

What term do scholars use for a purported opinion offered by a respondent who is unfamiliar with the specific issue?

nonopinion

The process of political socialization in the United States is

normally cumulative, political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree

Which of the following is true of the relationship between public opinion and shifts in major government policies?

on highly salient and emotional issues in particular, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion

When the nation was founded, who was eligible to vote?

only males who owned property

letter writers and demonstrators

opinions tend to be more extreme than those of the population as a whole

The Tea Party's key initial issue was

opposition to high taxes.

As an agent of political socialization, the American family will likely have its greatest effect on an individual's

party identification

The main reason for the high cost of American political campaigns is the cost of

paying for television ads

Which of the following is not a primary socializing agent? peers, family, school, and church

peers