Govt - CH 10,11,12 & 14 - Exam 3
With which statement would both an American liberal and an American conservative agree?
"The government rightfully has a role in people's lives."
If you were a registered Democrat, which statement should you most likely agree with?
"We need to get money out of politics and reform our campaign spending system as much as we possibly can."
What factor differentiates a social movement from a traditional interest group?
A formal organization or a lack thereof.
Which statement correctly articulates the relationship between the concept of political attitudes and political ideologies?
A series of attitudes forms an ideology.
Which statement accurately reflects the majority of Americans' collective opinion on abortion today?
Abortion should be available to women in at least some circumstances.
Today, Americans almost invariably say they support the freedom of speech in public opinion polls. But they did not support allowing fascists to hold meetings in the United States in the 1940s, did not support the publication of Communist tracts during the Cold War, and today dispute allowing terrorist groups to have a public forum. These beliefs exemplify what facet of American public opinion?
Americans believe in values in the abstract, but not always in specific cases.
The policies of which man became the focus of the second party system, which lasted from the 1820s to the 1850s?
Andrew Jackson
The rise of public interest groups and the fragmentation of the interest group universe, as well as the ability of legislators to learn from past mistakes has had what effect?
Broke up the iron triangles and liberated (or eliminated) the captured regulatory agencies.
How have whites in the United States responded to the country's growing ethnic diversity?
By becoming more conservative and Republican.
The American Association of Sorghum Consumers (AASC) has just heard the Supreme Court is considering hearing a case about Congress's recent legislation to make sorghum an illicit substance. What is the most effective means for the AASC to get its opinion in front of the Court, given that it is not a party to the case?
By filing an amicus curiae brief with the Court.
California has the most electoral votes, numbering fifty-five, yet presidential candidates routinely do not campaign in the Golden State. Why?
California is solidly Democratic.
Historically abolition, temperance, civil rights, nuclear disarmament, and "right to life," advocacy groups emerged initially from what institutional base?
Churches and synagogues.
The Supreme Court's landmark 2010 decision in ________ removed the function limit on spending by political action committees (PACs).
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Why were colonial elites unwilling to expand the ballot even to other, less prosperous, white men?
Doing so might threaten the social order on which elites relied and benefited.
If you were one of the Framers of the Constitution, what would you have expected to happen regarding a presidential election?
Each section would nominate a candidate and if the Electoral College can't reach a majority, then the House of Representatives would decide the election.
Which aim of political parties has not changed over the course of American history?
Elect those who share their views so that they may shape public policy to their liking.
Imagine that there is a hypothetical conversation between James Madison and Alexis de Tocqueville. Despite many ideas which they might have in common, which statement about associations or factions should they disagree on?
Factions are essential to an egalitarian social and political system.
The first party system pitted ______ against each other.
Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
Rep. Clem Miller's anecdotal evidence about walnut growers and the poultrymen in California should instruct U.S. citizens in what lesson about interest group effectiveness?
Geographically concentrated and well-organized interest groups achieve better results.
What is the relationship between the United States' demographic and geographic makeup and the rise of political parties?
Given the diversity and geographic scope of American society, it is impossible for stable alliances of any appreciable size to be built solely on shared interests or values.
Brenda is a self-identified Democrat who lives in a Baltimore suburb. Daniel is a self-identified Democrat who lives in a Denver suburb. Based on current trends in party makeup, on which issue should they most likely disagree?
If health care policy should have priority over climate change policy.
As political scientist E. E. Schattschneider has pointed out, the ______ undermines David Truman's rosy picture of interest groups in American politics.
Imbalance of resources between interest groups.
Which statement accurately articulates the relationship between political action committees (PACs) and interest groups?
Interest groups sometimes have PACs to bolster their clout.
How did the Australian ballot alter American elections?
It allowed split-ticket voting and thus weakened party control of voters.
How does the tax code assist in the proliferation of interest groups in the United States?
It allows these groups to file as non-profits, proving them tax-deductible income and cheaper postage.
How has the proliferation of interest groups in Washington affected iron triangles?
It has ended their effectiveness in favor of more fluid issue networks.
Why do politicians resent outsider lobbying much more than they do insider lobbying?
It imposes real pressure, even threats, to get them to act often in undesirable ways.
Imagine that you are a nineteenth century political party elite in the United States. Why should you support the system of patronage?
It maintains the electoral machinery.
What do the ratification of the Constitution, and movements dedicated to the abolition of slavery and prohibition of alcoholic beverages have in common regarding public opinion?
Leaders sought to mold public opinion to accomplish specific ends.
Why did interest groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) primarily make use of the courts in the 1940s and 1950s to push for civil rights?
Many NAACP members lacked effective suffrage and its movement lacked popular sympathy.
Which statement accurately describes the role of opinion leaders in public opinion?
Opinion leaders provide cues that free riders use to form opinions.
Why has the incidence of ticket-splitting fallen in recent elections?
Partisans have grown more loyal to their party's candidates.
Why did parties coalesce after property requirements for voting were lessened or eliminated, at least for white men?
Party organizations were needed to mobilize newly enfranchised voters.
Based on the stances listed here, which person is most likely to vote for Republicans?
Person C, who supports free enterprise, wants to see domestic spending lowered, and denies human responsibility for climate change.
A new interest group in Washington does not have access to policymakers. What actions should it take if members want to make effective use of their resources get noticed?
Send its lobbyists to loiter in the hallways of Capitol Hill.
For a candidate to appeal to the fastest growing segment of the American electorate, they should take what action?
Speak some colloquial Spanish.
Founded in 1966, the mission statement of the National Organization for Women (NOW) reads that its "purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life." Based on NOW's mission statement, which hypothetical organization would be the greatest threat to NOW's survival?
The Convention of Feminist Women (COFW), an organization seeking to encourage feminism, bring about social change, and break down the barriers of gender discrimination for all females.
Why do people pursue cognitive shortcuts in public opinion?
The costs of obtaining information are too high.
Which statement about the growth of political action committees (PACs) is historically accurate?
The number of PACs grew dramatically in the 1970s but then leveled out in the mid-1980s and has remained near that level since then.
Which statement best describes the role of the political party in modern electoral politics in the United States?
The party's activities are aimed more at helping individual candidates compete more effectively than at promoting the party brand.
What effect does limited political knowledge have on Americans' political participation, especially their voting behavior?
These Americans rely on shortcuts like political parties to make political decisions.
What benefit did George W. Bush, Elizabeth Dole, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump share from the outset as presidential candidates?
They all had instant name recognition with the American people.
Why are interest groups acting collectively so influential in modern Washington, DC?
They are the main source of the technical and political information that shapes public policy.
Why did the leaders of the new American government in the 1790s take the steps that led to the creation of the first political parties?
They considered them a temporary solution and expected them to disband after they had destroyed the opposition.
Why must elected politicians in a democracy consider public opinion when performing their duties?
They face regular elections and they often prefer to keep their jobs.
Why are minority groups less likely to express support for police than whites?
They have a communal history and often a personal experience with discrimination by police.
Which of the following statements about the origin of lobbying organizations in the United States is true?
They predated independence and go back to the colonial period.
How specifically have the institutions created in 1787 led to the creation of political parties?
They prompt voters to use labels to simplify their decisions.
How did interest groups respond when Congress debated a massive stimulus package to support American families and businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020?
They rushed to Congress to get special exemptions and provisions for their clients.
Civil service reform, the Australian ballot, primary elections, and popular election of senators share what common characteristics?
They were all successful reforms proposed by progressives around the turn of the twentieth century.
Why does the general public welcome lobbying?
To influence government collectively.
Why do some local candidates join national party alliances even though they may have no logical relation to the issues that national parties fight about?
To take advantage of the electorate's cue-taking habits.
The Republican Party innovated its procedures and organization in reaction to what scandal of the early 1970s?
Watergate
Assume you are the chief executive officer of the Environmental Defense Fund, a public interest group focusing on climate change, oceans, wildlife and habitats, and health. When the Republican Trump administration took office in 2017 with a Republican-controlled Congress, what effect should you have expected it to have on your budget and membership?
You expected your budget and membership would increase dramatically.
You agree with Cooper Andrews, a prominent TV personality on many policy issues, including health care, fiscal policy, and education policy. Gun rights are not high on your list of priorities and you have not thought about them too much, but Andrews thinks that background checks for gun purchases should be stricter, so it is reasonable you do as well. On gun policy, you used ______ to reach a conclusion.
a cognitive shortcut
Mark just left a two-hour meeting where he was compensated to discuss political candidates, issues, and events with others in his region. Behind a two-way mirror, campaign strategists, clipboards at the ready, noted how Mark and his fellow participants reacted to the political ideas and candidates introduced. Mark just participated in ______.
a focus group
If you were a political scientist covering elections in the middle of the twentieth century, i.e. around 1950, which voter should you argue is most likely to support the Republican Party?
a professional high-income white male from New York City
Given historical trends in "moods" in public opinion, if conservative Republicans control Congress and the presidency for an extended period, American should reasonably expect ______ after a decade or two.
a swing towards liberal Democrats
Both members of Congress and political action committee (PAC) officials admit that, at minimum, contributions ensure ______ members of Congress.
access to
In any campaign, ______ is the largest expense.
advertising
Historically, a voter's ______ is more likely to determine if he or she votes more than the other three factors listed here.
age
A member of Congress just received seven-hundred copies of a form letter with the same text, supposedly signed by seven-hundred different constituents asking the member to vote against a forthcoming bill. Upon further investigation, a staffer discovered that the interest group Campaign for Change sent out the patently artificial letters to many members' offices. The member should label these letters as a form of _______.
an astroturf campaign
In which electoral contest does it make most logical sense for one to be deeply informed, according to the text?
an election for a city council district
Elections are skewed toward wealthy, well-educated, older white people instead of poor, uneducated, young, nonwhite people. This is because the former ______.
are cheapest to reach and likeliest to respond to campaigns' outreach efforts
Lobbyists in Washington, DC or the various state capitals are akin to attorneys in a courtroom in that they both ______.
are specialist agents who represent people before government actors
The U.S. political system is so highly fragmented that local parties come together only to ______.
choose the party's presidential candidate
Alexandria is a candidate for Congress who wants to measure public opinion most accurately. She should ______ in order to get the most accurate results.
commission a scientific poll
In the American political context, ______ distrust the government and have greater faith in private enterprise and free markets, but they are more willing to use the government to enforce traditional moral standards than their political rivals.
conservatives
Among the various tasks of interest groups, ______ is the most frequent source of citizen concern about the government being "bought and sold."
contributing to campaigns
In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court extended First Amendment protections to ______ for the purpose of campaign contributions.
corporations and labor unions
Based solely on their religion, a white ______ is most likely to be politically conservative than the other three choices.
evangelical Protestant
Even though the United States holds fewer elections for more public offices than any other nation in the world, Americans still feel faithfully represented.
false
Many Americans have come to support equal pay for equal work and generally oppose workplace discrimination of all kinds and have come to support mandating equal outcomes as well.
false
Public opinion is routinely manipulated by self-serving elites. t/f
false
The United States has always been characterized by a two-party political system pitting Republicans against Democrats.
false
While it is difficult to accomplish, national campaigns can be run in the United States on the cheap if campaign managers effectively use resources.
false
The Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 requires that rules and regulations proposed by congress be published in the ______ before they are promulgated and that public hearings be held on them if anyone objects, providing interest groups the opportunity to influence implementation of federal policy.
federal register
What is the surest path to success for a politician when it comes to public opinion?
framing the choice favorable
As evidenced by its decisions in Buckley v. Valeo (1976) and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court generally sees restricting money in federal campaigns as a ______ issue.
free speech
On economic matters, Americans disagree on which factors?
government actions that regulate business and address social inequalities
Heinrich claims to be and is registered as a Democrat. That said, he watches all the debates and often makes a determination for whom to vote based on the issues. He votes for Democrats about half the time, but he votes for candidates from other parties just as often. If you worked for a Democratic political campaign, you should work to mobilize Heinrich because you can characterize Heinrich as ______.
having a weak part identification
Except for Maine and Nebraska, the other forty-eight states and the District of Columbia apportion their votes ______.
in a winner-take-all system
What characteristic distinguishes soft money in campaigns from hard money in campaigns?
its regulation by the Federal Election Campaign Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was historically significant because it _______ in the United States.
made African Americans' suffrage rights effective
A pollster called a potential voter named George as part of a poll about the forthcoming presidential election. He asked how George felt about the Green New Deal. George never heard of this program but had heard of the New Deal of the 1930s, which he liked, so he said he supported the Green New Deal. Asking George to offer an instant opinion on something about which he never thought before exemplifies introducing ______ into polling results.
measurement errors
As the real insiders, ______ are in the best position to know when particular interests are likely to be at stake in the tug of war between Congress and interest groups.
members of Congress
Roger, a political independent who pays very little attention to politics but does vote in presidential elections, just received a postcard in the mail. It mentioned that he just purchased a home and that if he votes for a particular candidate, that real estate investment will be secure for his children. In the context of an election, Roger should recognize that he has been an object of ______.
microtargeting
What is the most important predictor of a person's opinion?
party identification
In the nineteenth century, Democratic politicians from the Tammany Society dominated New York City politics. Though numerous bosses, Tammany relied on corruption, often embezzlement, and patronage to win elections and distribute city jobs and money to supporters. By this description, Tammany is perhaps the most notorious example of a(n) ______ in American history.
party machine
In 1880, Thomas worked diligently to deliver his hometown's votes for the Republican candidate for governor. In exchange, the new governor rewarded Thomas by naming him county tax commissioner, a position that controlled numerous other jobs in the tax office that Thomas could distribute to political friends. The expectation is that these men would use their influence to work for the governor's re-election in four years. This scenario is an example of the use of _______ for political ends.
patronage
Economist Mancur Olson in The Logic of Collective Action (1965), begins by pointing out that classical pluralists such as David Truman were mistaken in assuming _______.
people would form interest groups spontaneously to promote or defend shared interests
In elections, candidates form relatively stable coalitions with other would-be leaders, called ______, thus narrowing the choices to a manageable number for voters.
policial parties
The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund is the funding arm of the League of Conservation Voters. The fund provides campaign money to political candidates that support its environmental mission. In this context, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund can be considered a(n) _______.
political action committee (PAC)
Lobbyists provide two types of information to policymakers: ______.
political and technical
The process of acquiring political attitudes is known as ______.
political socialization
In republics, elections are mainly held to combat which type of collective action problem?
principal agent
By the 1840s, the American electorate had been expanded by lowering or eliminating ______ qualifications to vote.
property
Common Cause advocates for more efficient government in the United States. While it solicits donations and gladly accepts them, it does not work on behalf of any specific membership but instead seeks to make the government more efficient to benefit all Americans. By this definition, we can characterize Common Cause as a(n) _______.
public interest lobby
At present, the _______ Party seeks to attract the votes of affluent economic conservatives (and, since 2010, antigovernment Tea Party enthusiasts) with white middle-class and working-class nationalists and social conservatives, particularly from what is called the Christian Right.
republican
Based in the nation's capital, the American Political Science Association (APSA) is a collection of political science students and scholars. To encourage people to pay its membership fees so it can support the discipline, it publishes academic journals wherein members can read the latest scholarship in the field, offers fellowships, and awards prizes for exceptional teaching and research to its members. These journals, fellowships, and awards can be considered ______ in the context of interest groups.
selective incentives
Black Lives Matter (BLM) brings together African Americans and their allies to press for social change to overcome systematic racism, especially in policing, without having a formal organization. BLM, by this definition, is best characterized as a ______.
social movement
More than other groups, ______ have changed political parties with the most important partisan effect since World War II.
southern whites
In the 1930s, Literary Digest conducted presidential polls by ______.
straw polls, sending out returnable postcards to subscribers
Cory is a Democratic senator from New Jersey. At the 2020 Democratic Party Convention, he could have a free vote on the party's presidential nomination, one equal to importance to those delegates to the convention elected by popular vote, but only if it went to a second round of voting. By this definition, Cory should identify himself as a(n) ______ at the convention.
superdelegate
One result of the general distrust of government has been the proposal of measures to curb politicians, such as ______.
terms limits for legislators
Sandy works for the Denison County Republican Party. She is the county party's spokesperson, a paid position, wherein she interacts with the press in Denison County. Which system of the Republican Party should Sandy describe herself as participating in?
the party organization
Which factor distinguishes a political action committee (PAC) from a super PAC?
the permitted level of spending
When the Framers thought of political parties, they thought of ______.
the political wars of England's past and the internal strife that destroyed Greek and Roman republics
Today, which foreign policy issue dominates American public opinion?
the threat of terrorism
Why are simplicity, repetition, exaggeration, and symbolism mainstays in campaign advertising?
to appeal to rationally ignorant, marginally involved voters
Imagine that you work for a voter-registration organization and are trying to identify impediments to voting. Like the literacy tests and poll taxes of the Jim Crow era, you should oppose modern picture ID requirements to vote because such requirements are put in place _______.
to raise the costs of voting for racial and ethnic minorities
When created in the 1830s, national political conventions were convened initially for what purpose?
to unite behind a single presidential ticket
Why have Democrats recently emphasized issues such as abortion rights and gun control?
to woo highly educated voters, especially women
AARP is unique among interest groups in Washington, DC because the size of its membership means that it can exercise significant political clout individually, without having to join with other organizations.
true
If Americans did not vote for president, it would make it more likely that other elections would be seriously contested by more parties.
true
Imani works as a polling expert for a political news desk at a major newspaper. She tries to provide trustworthy, reasonable predictions in her reporting on polls. She would be more likely to trust a poll with a margin of error of 3 percent than one with a margin of error of 5 percent.
true
One of the major political innovations that the Democratic-Republicans developed was to build a broad coalition of supportive voters and government electors to bring about an ousting of their political rivals, the Federalists.
true
Organized political interests like interest groups have been attacked and criticized from their earliest days for political paralysis, policy gridlock, and other problems the public blames on them.
true
Over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, women have become more democratic and men have become more republican, creating a gender gap between each party.
true
People derive personal satisfaction from voting, which can be psychological in nature because they have a stake in politics.
true
The New Deal coalition of the Democratic party was unraveled by the party's pursuit of legislation that undermined segregation and promoted civil rights.
true
The number of people who identify as politically independent in the United States has declined since the 1970s.
true
Today, educational level and support for liberal political positions and the Democratic Party is inversely proportional.
true
Typically, a woman will identify more with the Democratic Party than she will with the Republican Party.
true
While all political action committees (PACs) contribute money to campaigns, a few also provide campaign workers, offer endorsements, produce advertising, advise on campaign strategies, get out the vote, as well as recruit and train candidates.
true
An interest group leader is most likely to spend their time with which of the following individuals?
wealthy patron
When do quality candidates choose to run for office?
when they think they have the best chance of winning
According to James Madison, in an argument laid out in Federalist No. 10, the difference between a democracy and a republic lay in ______.
who makes public policy for the political entity
