Unit: Political participation

Based on the above chart, approximately what percent was spent on elective defense or other elective federal programs in the 2016 federal budget?

31%

Which of the following is the LEAST important underlying factor affecting the outcome of a presidential election?

Candidate's southern heritage

Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the chart?

The United States election cycle lasts significantly longer than other countries around the world.

Political scientists use the term "political realignment" to describe which of the following?

A profound shift in the balance of power between major political parties

Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Although bloggers can cover stories as they happen, they do not have the training to provide good quality news coverage

Based on the information in the graphic, which of the following claims would an opponent to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010) most likely make?

Campaign finance laws allow a small proportion of the US population to influence elections unfairly through unlimited political contributions

Based on your knowledge and the infographic, which of the following is true regarding the role of social media in modern elections?

Candidates have used social media as an avenue to tailor their political messages and reach out to voters directly.

Based on the information in the bar chart, which of the following is the most likely implication of long election cycles in the United States?

Candidates running for reelection spend a significant portion of their terms campaigning for reelection.

Which two interest group sectors in the chart show the greatest percentage difference between their contributions to each of the two major parties?

Energy/Natural Resources and Labor

Which aspect of the 2016 presidential election has fueled a debate about how democratic the constitutional process is for electing US presidents?

Even though Democrat Hillary Clinton outpolled Donald Trump by nearly 2.9 million popular votes, Trump won with a majority of electoral votes

Of these six states, which of the following pairs would have swung the 2016 election the other way if they had both voted Democrat?

Florida and Ohio

Contributions listed in the chart above include "hard" and "soft" money donations. Which best explains the difference between hard and soft money contributions?

Hard money donations go straight to the party or candidate, while soft money can only be used for general "party-building" activities

Which type of organization is specifically excluded from the Federal Election Commission's contribution limitations chart, based on Supreme Court and appellate First Amendment rulings in the 2010s?

Independent-expenditure-only political committees or super PACs

Which of the following is a true statement about the role media plays in providing citizens with political knowledge?

It enhances people's access to political information so they can make thoughtful decisions about their representatives and policy.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of a closed primary and a caucus?

Limited to registered members of a political party Party members choose nominees after hours of speeches and debates

Which of the following is a likely effect of the trend depicted in the line graph on elections?

Members of Congress have to spend a significant portion of their time fundraising to win reelection.

Which of the following statements best describes the information in the infographic?

Most candidates use social media at high rates to engage with voters directly.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the information presented in the line graph?

Newspapers started mentioning the use of political consultants in 1970, and it has continued to increase.

What term describes these politically contentious areas of the country?

Perennial swing states

Which of the following accurately describes the term for this political activity?

Presidential caucus

Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the table?

Registered voters are more likely to turn out for open primaries than for a caucus

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a social movement directly influencing policymaking?

Several leaders in the LGBTQ Rights movement testify before a congressional committee to report on laws that unfairly apply to transgender people.

Which statement below best explains what limitations, if any, might be placed on this campaign message?

Smith's opponent could use "soft money" to pay for the ad and does not have to claim support for it

Based on the information in the graphic, which of the following claims would an opponent of the use of social media most likely make?

Social media and how candidates use it takes attention away from policy issues and towards political scandals

According to this Amendment, how is the president chosen if no candidate receives a majority of votes by the Electoral College?

The House of Representatives votes on the top three vote-getters, with each state having one vote

Based on the results shown in the table, who won the election?

The Republican Party

Which of the following is the best explanation for the change in contributions from 2010 to 2016?

The Supreme Court's 2010 decision appears to have had a positive impact on soft/outside contributions to single issue or partisan recipients, leading to a significant funding increase

Which of the following statements best explains how the winner-take-all allocation of Electoral College votes works?

The candidate who wins the popular vote in a state wins all of its Electoral College votes

Which of the following statements reflects a pattern in the line graph?

The cost of congressional campaigns has risen over the past thirty years.

Based on the data shown in the table, which of the following statements is true about the Electoral College?

The person who is elected to office may win the majority of Electoral College votes, but lose the popular vote

The data in the graph best illustrates which of the following common criticisms of modern elections?

The rising costs of political campaigns make it harder for unknown challengers to beat incumbents who have had years to fundraise for their reelection campaigns.

Based on the above bar graph, which of the following best describes the trend in ideology/single-issue group contributions from 1990 to 2016?

There is a significant increase of ideology/single-issue contributions

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes what the National Rifle Association, American Association of Retired Persons, the National Right to Life Committee, Reproductive Rights Action League, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) all have in common? Choose 1 answer:

They all represent cause groups representing members that care intensely about a single issue or small group of related issues

Based on the Federal Election Commission's chart, how do contribution limits from non-multicandidate political action committees compare with those from individual donors?

They are the same as those for individual contributors across all types of recipient

Which of the following statements would the constitutional founders most agree with in regards to this excerpt from the Twelfth Amendment?

This indirect method prevents voters across the country from ignoring better qualified candidates outside their region, and allows less populous states greater influence in presidential selection

Which of the following statements accurately explains why a majority of states chose either a closed primary or caucus over an open primary?

To encourage party unity and prevent members of other parties from voting to nominate weak candidates

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the information shown in the chart?

Trump and Clinton voters consumed most of their campaign news from different sources

At what point in the federal budget process does the Defense Department have the most input?

When executive branch agencies submit budgets for review before the president's proposal is submitted to Congress

Based on the information in the line graph, which of the following is the most likely implication of the increasing dependence on political consultants?

a change in how candidates work with political parties and interact with voters

Which of the following makes a correct comparison between interest groups and social movements in the United States?

aim to influence the formulation and implementation of policy aim to influence which problems the government prioritizes

Which of the following makes a correct comparison between political parties and interest groups in the United States?

indirectly influence public policy through party members are one of the three participants that make up an iron triangle

Which of the following makes a correct comparison between political parties and protest movements in the United States?

offer packages of policies to attract voters bring attention to issues in the agenda-setting stage

At what stage in the policy process are social movements most successful at impacting policy?

the agenda-setting stage

Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend illustrated in the line graph?

the professionalization of elections as most candidates have relied on political consultants