Unit Five - U.S. Government and Politics

Which of the following amendments immediately doubled the size of the electorate in the United States?

19th Amendment

Although the First Amendment provides that "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech," ...prohibition on corporate independent expenditures is an outright ban on speech, backed by criminal sanctions. It is a ban notwithstanding the fact that a PAC created by a corporation can still speak, for a PAC is a separate association from the corporation. Because speech is an essential mechanism of democracy---it is the means to hold officials accountable to the people---political speech must prevail against laws that would suppress it by design or inadvertence. Which of the following cases is associated with the quote?

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

A meeting is held of political party supporters whose purpose is to elect delegates to choose whom they believe should be the party candidate in a given election. The participants come together at a given time in local communities to decide who would make the best candidate. The chosen convention delegates pledge to support the majority candidate selected by the group. Which state is famous for holding this form of election early in the party nomination period?

Iowa

Each state shall establish procedures to register to vote in elections for federal office by application made simultaneously with an application for a...driver's license... Each state shall designate as voter registration agencies: all offices in the state that provide public assistance, unemployment compensation, or related services... Voter registration agencies...may include...public libraries, public schools...fishing and hunting license bureaus... Which of the following law is described in the text?

Motor Voter Act

In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. ...The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Which of the following court cases provided the decision in the text?

New York Times v. United States

Which of the following voter would be most likely to support a Democratic candidate for president?

a black woman from Atlanta

A meeting is held of political party supporters whose purpose is to elect delegates to choose whom they believe should be the party candidate in a given election. The participants come together at a given time in local communities to decide who would make the best candidate. The chosen convention delegates pledge to support the majority candidate selected by the group. Which of the following form of election is described in the text?

a caucus

Which of the following is the method used by political parties to officially name their presidential and vice presidential nominees?

a national convention of delegates held by each political party

Which of the following scenarios describes straight-ticket voting?

a person who casts a ballot for all candidates from the same party

Which of the following is a consequence of the United States winner-take-all electoral system?

a two-party system that discourages legislative representation of other parties

Which of the following groups is best represented by political action committees (PACs) in Washington, D.C.?

business

Which of the following is the LEAST frequently used technique of an interest group to promote its view on policy?

conducting political protests and demonstrations designed to catch the attention of the media

In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. ...The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Which of the following media rights referred to in the text is most likely to be protected from government intervention?

confidentiality of sources

Which of the following was a new election feature that many states added to their voting procedures after the 2000 election?

early voting systems

Each state shall establish procedures to register to vote in elections for federal office by application made simultaneously with an application for a...driver's license... Each state shall designate as voter registration agencies: all offices in the state that provide public assistance, unemployment compensation, or related services... Voter registration agencies...may include...public libraries, public schools...fishing and hunting license bureaus... Which of the following describes the purpose of the law in the text?

ease the process of voter registration

Which of the following description of leadership recruitment is matched properly with the model of democracy it represents?

elitist - from limited sources such as leading political families

Which of the following represents the purpose of a "watch-dog press"?

fact-checking statements of political groups, public officials and candidates providing oversight for the public

Which of the following reforms was provided for in the Help America Vote Act, 2002?

federal funds to states in order to update voting equipment

In the United States, a two-party system

has essentially existed throughout American history

Which of the following scenarios is an important reason for low voter turnout in the United States?

individual state voter registration requirements make voting more difficult than in other countries

Which of the following is an important difference between interest groups and political parties?

interest groups tend to try and influence political policy; political parties' goal is to create political policy

Which of the following combinations accurately describes the three-way relationship in the iron triangle?

interest groups, congressional subcommittees, bureaucrats

Which of the following is the most common criticism of proposals for online voting?

it cannot be adequately protected from fraud

Which of the following descriptions represent the purpose of interest groups in a democratic society?

narrow group-based activism by non-government organizations in an attempt to influence political policy

Which of the following correctly describes the way the Constitution dealt with the issue of voting requirements?

permitted the states to determine voter qualifications

Which of the following linkage institutions provides a platform of goals that represents its ideology, legislative leadership to accomplish those goals and candidate recruitment to provide legislative and executive leadership?

political parties

...the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. ...There is an opinion that parties in free countries are usual checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true---and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest instead of warming it should consume. Which of the following statements reflects President George Washington's view regarding political parties?

political parties can be dangerous in a republic as their purpose may become divisive in society

Which of the following is specifically prohibited by the Constitution with regard to voting?

poll taxes

Which of the following elections result in a dramatic shift in party allegiance in a particular region of the country?

realigning election

Which of the following voting behaviors is correctly matched with its description?

retrospective voting - based on how the party or candidate has performed in the recent past

Which of the following is a correct description of elected political officials?

the Constitution sets term limits for the presidency but not for members of Congress

Although the First Amendment provides that "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech," ...prohibition on corporate independent expenditures is an outright ban on speech, backed by criminal sanctions. It is a ban notwithstanding the fact that a PAC created by a corporation can still speak, for a PAC is a separate association from the corporation. Because speech is an essential mechanism of democracy---it is the means to hold officials accountable to the people---political speech must prevail against laws that would suppress it by design or inadvertence. Which of the following statements explains the importance of the court decision?

the Court ruled that the First Amendment protects freedom of expression including the of corporations

Which of the following correctly describes the power of a "coattail effect" in an election?

the ability of the presidential popularity to affect governor and congressional elections

Virtually every means of communicating ideas in today's mass society requires the expenditure of money. The distribution of the humblest handbill or leaflet entails printing, paper, and circulation costs. Speeches and rallies generally necessitate hiring a hall and publicizing the event. The electorate's increasing dependence on television, radio and other mass media for news and information has made these expensive modes of communication indispensable instruments of effective political speech. Supreme Court decision, Buckley v. Valeo (1976) Which of the following statements indicate the importance of the Supreme Court decision in Buckley v. Valeo (1976)?

the court ruled that limits on campaign contributions and spending was the same as limits on speech

Virtually every means of communicating ideas in today's mass society requires the expenditure of money. The distribution of the humblest handbill or leaflet entails printing, paper, and circulation costs. Speeches and rallies generally necessitate hiring a hall and publicizing the event. The electorate's increasing dependence on television, radio and other mass media for news and information has made these expensive modes of communication indispensable instruments of effective political speech. Supreme Court decision, Buckley v. Valeo (1976) Which of the following statements correctly expresses the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) regarding the same issue addressed in Buckley v. Valeo?

the court ruled that political spending by corporations, associations and labor unions was also protected under the First Amendment and could not be limited

...the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. ...There is an opinion that parties in free countries are usual checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true---and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest instead of warming it should consume. Which of the following situations may have influenced President Washington's expressed view of political parties?

the disputes between the political views of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson during his administration

A linkage agent is an institution within society that provides a vital role in connecting the people to the government in the hope of turning their concerns into government policy. Which of the following is a linkage agent based on the text?

the media

Which of the following situations created a controversy regarding the Electoral College in the presidential elections of 2000 and 2016?

the winner of the Electoral College was not the same candidate that won the popular vote

Which of the following is true concerning political participation of Americans who regularly attend religious services?

they are more likely to vote than those who do not attend religious services

Which of the following scenarios has been used by the states wanting more influence in the selection of party presidential candidates?

they began frontloading the time of their primaries

Which of the following explains why interest groups submit amicus curiae briefs?

to the courts regarding a case in which they have an interest in the outcome