American government test 2 study

The election of ________ was a realigning election. a. 1840 b. 1872 c. 1932 d. 1960 e. 1976

c

If Americans vote less than Europeans, why are they more likely to work for a political campaign than are citizens in Europe? a. America's federal system provides more campaign opportunities. b. European candidates seldom need campaign workers. c. Americans have more leisure time than Europeans. d. U.S. candidates pay campaign workers, whereas European candidates do not. e. Laws in some U.S. communities require citizens to participate in campaigns.

a

Many white, working-class citizens failed to vote in the 1968 and 1972 elections because they felt alienated by the centrality of which political issue? a. civil rights b. the Vietnam War c. the economy d. immigration e. youth protest

a

PACs tend to contribute the most money to a. incumbents. b. challengers. c. independents. d. liberal Democrats. e. liberal Republicans.

a

The Tea Party a. has been backed by wealthy conservative donors. b. has urged compromise with Democrats on tax and spending issues. c. has yet to have any of its supporters elected to Congress. d. All these answers are correct. e. is aligned with the moderate wing of the Republican Party.

a

The citizens of ________ are MOST actively involved in interest groups and community causes. a. the United States b. Germany c. Italy d. France e. Great Britain

a

Citizens' interest groups are distinguished from economic interest groups by the fact that a. their leaders are elected by secret ballot among the group's members. b. their members receive no direct economic benefit from attainment of the group's goals. c. they do not lobby government officials directly, but rely instead on public service announcements to get their views across to society. d. they always pursue goals in which there is a high level of agreement among society members. e. All of these answers are correct.

b

In the twenty-first century, voting rates in the United States have a. shown little difference from those of the late twentieth century. b. remained lower than in nearly every other democracy. c. demonstrated that the apathy of young citizens has worsened considerably since the early 1990s. d. increased in all elections. e. declined in all elections.

b

James Madison's solution to the problem of factions (special interests) has, in the modern policy process, actually contributed to the problem by a. suppressing the claims of special interests, thereby making it more difficult for them to get their opinions heard by officials. b. resulting in a fragmentation of authority among policymakers, thereby providing groups more opportunities to get their way. c. eroding the strength of political parties, thereby increasing the opportunity for group influence. d. weakening the legislative branch, thereby allowing groups to bully Congress into accepting their demands. e. eroding the power of the mass media, thereby increasing the opportunity for group influence.

b

Regarding state party organizations, the day-to-day operation is usually the responsibility of the a. central committee. b. state chairperson. c. national chairperson who oversees all state party organizations. d. state governor or top leaders in the legislative branch. e. None of these answers is correct.

b

The chief obstacle to Americans' participation in community activities is the a. lack of opportunity, because there are few groups active at this level. b. lack of personal motivation to get involved. c. low potential for success, since key decisions are made at the national level. d. low potential for success, since key decisions are made at the state level. e. All these answers are correct.

b

Voter identification cards find the most support among a. Democrats. b. Republicans. c. libertarians. d. liberals. e. poorer citizens.

b

What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer? a. Democratic b. Republican c. Green d. Socialist e. Reform

b

Which of the following was NOT part of the 2016 Republican Party platform? a. stimulating the business sector b. cuts in military spending c. lower taxes d. cuts in overall government spending e. strengthening the armed forces

b

In the 1830s, the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that the "principle of ________" was nowhere more evident than in America. a. hard work b. separation of church and state c. association d. citizenship e. statesmanship

c

In twentieth-century American history, the most important minor parties were ________ parties. a. ideological b. single-issue c. factional d. reform e. non-aligned

c

The first American political parties emerged from the conflict between a. slave states and free states. b. the older eastern states and the newer western states. c. small farmers and states' rights advocates, and those favoring commercial and wealthy interests. d. business and labor. e. Protestants and Catholics.

c

The largest number of PACs are those associated with a. single-issue groups, such as environmental groups and right-to-life groups. b. labor. c. business. d. agriculture. e. foreign governments.

c

The major reason for the persistence of the American two-party system is a. that there are naturally only two sides to political disputes. b. regional conflict. c. the existence of single-member election districts. d. the existence of state laws prohibiting the placement of a third major party on the ballot. e. proportional representation.

c

Which of the following statements would NOT be accepted by supporters of the pluralist view of interest groups? a. People's separate interests are a legitimate basis of public policy. b. The idea of the public interest or the collective interest does not have much meaning in cases where the public is sharply divided in its policy opinions. c. The opinion of the majority should always prevail, in a policy dispute, over the opinion of a more intense and directly affected minority. d. Most interests benefit from the workings of the group system, which is a reason to support a policy process that is responsive to groups. e. Public policy should represent the diversity that exists in society.

c

Citizens in which of the following countries are MOST likely to talk to people about politics? a. Germany b. France c. Great Britain d. United States e. There is no difference among the four nations

d

Democrats and Republicans have endured as the two major U.S. parties primarily due to a. the stability of their ideologies. b. the lack of good third-party candidates. c. a high degree of party discipline. d. their ability to adapt to changing circumstances. e. None of these answers is correct.

d

Economic groups have an advantage over noneconomic groups because a. they nearly always have larger memberships. b. they are organized primarily for political purposes. c. they have better leadership. d. they have greater access to financial resources. e. their members are committed to their causes.

d

Roughly how many American workers currently belong to unions? a. one in two b. one in four c. one in six d. one in eight e. one in ten

d

Scholars estimate that turnout would be roughly ________ percentage points higher in the United States if the U.S. had European-style registration. a. 2 b. 5 c. 7 d. 10 e. 15

d

States with the most restrictive voter registration laws also have a. the lowest rates of verified voter fraud. b. turnout rates comparable to the national average. c. the highest rates of verified voter fraud. d. turnout rates well below the national average. e. the highest percentage of eligible voters registered.

d

When the nation was founded, who was eligible to vote? a. everyone—there was universal suffrage b. all males and females who were at least 21 years of age c. only males who owned property d. only citizens who had lived in the nation for at least ten years e. all native-born citizens

d

Which of the following groups is MOST closely aligned with the Democratic Party, voting more than 80 percent Democratic in presidential elections? a. Hispanic Americans b. white Protestants c. Christian fundamentalists d. African Americans e. Roman Catholics

d

Which of the following organizations is NOT an example of a single-issue group? a. Sierra Club b. National Rifle Association c. climate change groups d. right-to-life groups e. American Conservative Union

e

________ representation systems are those in which seats in the legislature are allocated according to each political party's share of the popular vote. a. Plurality b. Populist c. Minority d. Democratic e. Proportional

e