AP Gov Chapter 3 Collab Questions

527 groups are a. non-profits that collect political donations without having to pay taxes on the money. b. committees representing corporations, labor unions, or special interest groups. c. combinations of groups of states a presidential candidate needs to win the necessary 527 votes in the Electoral College. d. Democratic and Republican party leaders who have the right to vote at their party's national convention e. the states that move their presidential primary elections to the early part of the campaign to maximize their impact on the nomination.

a

A latent interest is a. an interest that is not recognized or represented by an interest group. b. an interest represented by the actions of a group. c. a reason for supporting the activities of a group based on agreement with the group's goals. d. the ability of interest groups to mandate or defeat policies needed for the public good. e. the inability of an interest group to defeat policies it opposes.

a

An interest group a. seeks to control government. b. attempts to influence political leaders and policy-making processes in the United States. c. attempts to win elections and then write policy. d. only will lobby Congress and the President; not the courts. e. is only capable of lobbying the courts.

b

For a federal Political Action committee (PAC) to be legitimate, it must a. contribute to at least fifty federal candidates. b. raise money from at least fifty volunteer donors. c. represent at least five corporations, interest groups, or unions. d. align itself legally to one of the main political parties. e. qualify for matching funds from the Federal Elections Commission.

b

Linking oneself to a particular political party is known as a. alignment. b. party identification. c. patronage. d. straight-ticket voting e. tipping

b

Major functions of the mass media in the United States include all of the following except a. entertainment. b. conducting elections. c. reporting the news. d. providing a political forum. e. making profits.

b

Realignment a. is of necessity tied to specific elections. b. takes place when a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance c. takes place when one dominant party replaces another one. d. took place on schedule in 2004. e. has been predicted as an inevitability in the foreseeable future.

b

Republicans have emphasized a. the need for governmental regulation of the economy. b. the importance of the marketplace and less emphasis on social programs. c. social freedoms like the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. d. the need to increase taxes on the wealthy and large corporations. e. national authority versus the states.

b

In Madison's views, a multitude of interests a. places a stranglehold on the system of checks and balances. b. creates a tyranny. c. works to discourage the formation of an oppressive majority interest. d. encourages factionalism and discontent among the citizenry. e. endangers the interests of minorities.

c

James Madison in Federalist #10 argued that a. multiple interests would be unimportant in a democracy. b. a multitude of interests would undermine democracy. c. a multitude of interests would protect minority views. d. only a small number of interests would protect America's fledgling democracy. e. interests would not form because of citizens' multitude of competing individual interests.

c

Most of the media in the United States are a. more concerned about pleasing the government than pleasing advertisers. b. employee-owned enterprises. c. private for-profit corporate enterprises. d. owned in part by the government. e. identified with one of the two major parties.

c

Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of a. United States Senator. b. United States Representative. c. President of the United States. d. Governor. e. Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

c

A political party differs from an interest group in that a. political parties want to operate the government and interest groups do not. b. political parties do not want to operate the government and interest groups do. c. individuals must pay dues to belong to a political party. d. individuals in a political party agree on all major policy issues. e. political parties deal with matters of campaign finance and interest groups do not.

a

A situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls the chambers of Congress is known as a. a divided government b. a faction. c. a splinter party alignment d. ticket splitting. e. a two-party system

a

Alexis de Tocqueville observed in 1834 that "in no country of the world has the principle of association been a. more successfully used or applied to a greater multitude of objectives than in America." b. put to more abuse than in current-day America. Over fifty factions exist within each state, where each attempts to gain at the other's expense." c. reduced to such a level where two, but only two, factions have control over the government." d. of less importance than in the United States. People are willing to put God and country ahead of their associations in factions, or what has become known as political parties." e. as perverted or distorted as it has been manipulated by the Machiavellian charlatans of the United States of America."

a

Buckley v. Valeo involved a constitutional question regarding the a. First Amendment. b. Second Amendment. c. Fourth Amendment. d. Fifth Amendment. e. Sixth Amendment.

a

During the last half-century, the Democrats have been known as the party of a. the working class and racial and ethnic minorities. b. economic depression. c. the economic elite. d. conservative political ideas e. states' rights.

a

Early newspapers usually a. were sponsored by politicians. b. were politically neutral. c. linked advertising rates to the number of readers. d. were required to be approved by a censorship board. e. specialized in self-improvement rather than political news.

a

Generally, in presidential debates a. challengers have much more to gain from debating than do incumbents. b. incumbents have much more to gain from debating than do challengers. c. the minority party enjoys an advantage. d. it is difficult to find sponsors. e. they almost never affect the election outcome.

a

In the winner-take-all system a. whoever gets the most votes wins. b. one must get a majority of votes cast to win. c. votes are allocated on a proportional basis. d. only parties receiving more than five percent of the vote are allocated seats. e. a party must have competed in a previous election to be placed on the ballot.

a

People who become members of interest groups for solidary incentives are joining a. for a sense of belonging to the group. b. to improve their economic opportunities. c. for ethical beliefs or ideological reasons. d. to obtain political, economic, or social change. e. as free riders.

a

Progressivism was a. a belief that honest, impartial government could effectively curb the growing power of large corporations b. a belief that the conditions faced by African Americans needed improvement. c. limited to the Republican Party. d. limited to the Democratic Party. e. a continuation of traditional Democratic Party positions.

a

Publicly owned media outlets a. often are subsidized by the government. b. do not exist in the United States. c. link advertising rates to viewer/listener ratings. d. are independent of viewer contributions. e. are prohibited from addressing political issues.

a

Radio talk shows have been dominated by a. conservative commentators. b. liberal commentators. c. middle-of-the-road commentators. d. apolitical humorists. e. opponents of organized religion.

a

Studies of bias in the media have reached a. different conclusions: Some found a liberal bias whereas others found a conservative bias. b. a clear conclusion: There is a liberal bias in the media. c. a clear conclusion: There is a conservative bias in the media. d. a clear conclusion: There is no bias in the media. e. different conclusions: There is an ideological bias but there is no racial bias.

a

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 a. bans soft money contributions to national parties. b. bans campaign ads by special interest groups. c. bans independent expenditures. d. bans the practice of lobbying. e. eliminated the Federal Elections Commission.

a

The Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that ___________ cannot be banned under the Constitution. a. the amount a candidate spends on a campaign b. making unlimited contributions to a congressional campaign c. accepting campaign contributions from a corporation or union d. contributions to members of the Federal Elections Commission e. making unlimited contributions to a presidential candidate

a

The most numerous types of interest groups in the United States are a. economic interest groups. b. social interest groups. c. liberal interest groups. d. environmental interest groups. e. public-interest interest groups.

a

The press secretary is a. responsible for representing the White House to the media. b. selected by the White House press corps to represent the press to the White House. c. the head of the newest Cabinet level office. d. the head of the president's clerical staff. e. appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

a

The protections of the _____ Amendment are intended to keep the flow of news as free as possible, because it is an essential part of the democratic process. a. First b. Second c. Fourth d. Fifth e. Sixth

a

Tracking polls are used a. on a daily basis to determine last-minute changes in the mood of the electorate. b. by the government to determine if a candidate is receiving illegal campaign contributions. c. to encourage voter turnout d. primarily in countries that have a multiparty political structure. e. by the media throughout the election year.

a

When only declared party members can vote in a primary election, it is called a(n) a. closed primary. b. open primary. c. run-off primary. d. blanket primary. e. caucus.

a

A political party is a group of individuals who a. agree on all policy issues. b. organize to win elections and operate the government. c. pay monthly dues to an ideological organization. d. have been elected to office and have obtained positions of power. e. accept the decisions of the party's leaders.

b

A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called a. a bipartisan government. b. a two-party system. c. a bicameral system. d. bifurcated government. e. representative democracy.

b

A sound bite is a. restricted information that is secretly revealed to the media. b. a brief, memorable comment that easily can be fit into news broadcasts. c. the revision of a news story to protect the source(s) of information. d. the leak of a proposal to gauge the public's response without risking an official release. e. an interpretation of campaign events that is favorable to the campaign's strategy.

b

All of the following statements about social movements are true except a. they may be the voice of weaker or oppressed groups. b. they typically represent social elites. c. they are often the precursors of interest groups. d. they represent the demands of a substantial section of the population for political, economic, or social change. e. they gave rise to the creation of groups such as the National Organization for Women and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

b

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) a. has in excess of 25 million members. b. is, in a sense, a union of unions. c. has been ruled illegal under anti-trust statutes. d. includes only a minority of the currently existing labor unions. e. was forced to disband by Congress after allegations of connections with organized crime

b

The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) are examples of a. economic interest groups. b. single interest groups. c. public interest groups. d. foreign interest groups. e. fringe interest groups.

b

The economic and political expression of working-class interests is known as the a. socioeconomic movement. b. labor movement. c. social movement. d. mass movement. e. union movement.

b

The economic benefit a person receives from joining an interest group is known as a(n) a. solidary incentive. b. material incentive. c. purposive incentive. d. dubious incentive. e. elastic incentive.

b

The practice of moving presidential primary elections to the early part of the campaign season is called a. regional strategizing. b. front-loading. c. campaign caucusing. d. primary slide. e. Super Tuesday.

b

Third parties have influenced American politics by a. refusing to allow their policies to be adopted by a major party. b. determining whether the Republicans or Democrats win an election c. focusing their efforts on getting judges appointed to the bench rather than winning elections for the executive or legislative branches. d. winning elections to state legislative bodies e. gaining control of several municipal governments.

b

Voting exclusively for the candidates of one party is known as a. tipping. b. straight-ticket voting. c. patronage. d. party identification e. alignment

b

When voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation, it is called a(n) a. closed primary. b. open primary. c. run-off primary. d. blanket primary. e. caucus.

b

Which of the following best describes Madison's views of interest groups? a. Multiple organizations at war with one another would divide the Republic. b. Multiple organizations would prevent the possibility of an oppressive majority forming, thereby protecting the rights of the political minority. c. Multiple organizations would control government by contributing massive amounts of money to campaigns. d. Multiple organizations would allow smaller states to check larger states. e. Multiple organizations would most likely allow larger states to oppress smaller states.

b

A lobbyist is a. any association of individuals. b. inevitably affiliated with one of the two major political parties. c. an individual or organization who attempts to influence legislation and regulatory decisions. d. a member of Congress who challenges the majority position. e. a member of the congressional leadership who is in a position to shape the legislative agenda in a way that benefits powerful interest groups.

c

Advertising by interest groups that support or oppose a candidate or a candidate's position on an issue without mentioning voting or elections is a. a PAC advertisement. b. a soft-money contribution. c. issue advocacy advertising. d. a hard money expenditure. e. payola, profiteering, and pilfering.

c

An atmosphere of party polarization a. is traditional in American politics b. has become rare in recent years. c. is enhanced in Congress because of the creation of safe seats, in which winning candidates need only appeal to the members of their own party. d. is discouraged by media commentators who argue the necessity of cooperation in government. e. is embraced by the majority of Americans who are intolerant of opposing political views.

c

An interest group is a. any association of individuals. b. a group of people who want to gain control of the government. c. an organization that actively attempts to influence government policy. d. any organization that requires members to pay dues. e. an organization set up to support a specific candidate for public office.

c

Democrats have emphasized a. limited government b. a flat tax that would eliminate the progressive income tax system. c. social welfare and protection of senior's benefits. d. a major reduction in most social programs that result in direct payments to individuals. e. an ethic of self-reliance

c

During the last half-century, the Republicans have been known as the party of a. liberal political ideas b. social welfare programs. c. business. d. the working class. e. racial and ethnic minorities.

c

Functions of political parties in the United States include all of the following except a. operating the government. b. acting as an organized opposition to the party in power. c. signing up large numbers of committed members. d. recruiting candidates for public office. e. presenting alternative policies to the electorate.

c

George Washington viewed political parties as a a. necessity for the functioning of democracy. b. tradition from colonial times that would always exist. c. threat to national unity and popular government. d. legitimate means for interest groups to attempt to gain control of the government. e. vestige of politics under Great Britain and thus a thing of the past.

c

President George Washington a. believed that the public did not have a right to be informed of government activities. b. did not believe in managed news. c. believed that news that might damage the image of the United States should be censored. d. did not believe that any government matters should be kept secret. e. believed that the press should be controlled.

c

Soft money a. refers to contributions made directly to candidates for political office. b. refers to money that will be spent on elections. c. was no longer available to the national political parties after 2002. d. cannot be used for voter registration. e. can be used only by candidates who sign a written pledge to obey the law.

c

The "rifle" technique of lobbying consists of a. having as many constituents as possible contact legislators. b. concentrating on gun control issues. c. having influential constituents contact legislators. d. contacting only members of Congress who appear to be undecided. e. making campaign contributions only in close races.

c

The effect of campaign commercials is limited because a. very few people hear them. b. they only state the negative side of issues. c. individuals are only selectively attentive to what the commercials say. d. there are so many in a short period of time. e. they are too long.

c

The first partisan political division in the United States was between the a. Democrats and the Republicans. b. Whigs and the Democrats. c. Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. d. Whigs and the Tories. e. Whigs and the Republicans.

c

The largest and perhaps most powerful interest group in the United States is a. NOW. b. NRA. c. AARP. d. LULAC. e. NAACP.

c

The part of the economy that deals with health care, banking, and education is called a. the public employee sector. b. the military-industrial sector. c. the service sector. d. the manufacturing sector. e. the industrial sector.

c

Under Woodrow Wilson the Democratic Party a. rejected the policies of progressivism. b. continued to adhere to the same basic policies that it did in the nineteenth century. c. endorsed the idea that government should become involved in the economy. d. shattered into three very distinct parties that were extraordinarily antagonistic toward each other. e. adopted a policy of isolating the United States from the affairs of the rest of the world.

c

_______ is the ability of interest groups to mandate or defeat policies needed for the public good. a. Elitism b. Extraminoritarianism c. Hyperpluralism d. Hypomajoritarianism e. Pluralism

c

A free rider is a. an interest group member. b. a participant in a social movement. c. someone granted free passage to Washington to lobby or demonstrate. d. someone who benefits from the actions of a group without joining it. e. a civil rights activist.

d

A paradox in Republican and Democratic policies over the last 25 years has been that a. both parties have supported limited government in practice b. despite their rhetoric, the Democrats have implemented large tax cuts. c. the Democrats are seen as supporting the less well off, while the Republicans are seen as favoring the prosperous d. despite their support for tax cuts, the Republicans have sometimes outdone the Democrats in voting for government spending. e. the Democrats support universal health insurance.

d

A party leader or elected official who is given the right to vote at the national convention is called a. an elector. b. a primary winner. c. a front-runner. d. a superdelegate. e. an alternate.

d

A striking feature of today's political campaigns is the a. large number of people who are willing to volunteer their time. b. positive theme that most candidates use exclusively through the election. c. lack of money contributed to candidates for major political office. d. importance of paid professionals rather than volunteers. e. refusal of so many candidates to take advantage of the media.

d

American farmers and their workers represent approximately two percent of the U.S. population. This fact supports the proposition that a. because of their size, farmers have been unsuccessful as interest groups. b. there are more farmers today than there were forty years ago. c. most farmers are too busy to be politically active. d. even a small percentage of the populace can be effective if they organize. e. geographical dispersion works against the formation of effective interest groups.

d

Interest Groups a. would greatly increase in numbers if the Supreme Court would reverse its position and allow the First Amendment to be interpreted to protect the activities of interest groups. b. function with the disadvantage that our government operates with so few points at which pressure can be applied to influence the decisions of government. c. are the only entities that have the constitutional right to bring suit against the federal government when policies are pursued that are unpopular with the American people. d. allow individuals' opinions to appear more powerful as they join with other like-minded individuals and attempt to influence the course of governmental policy. e. are viewed by the pluralist theory as largely irrelevant in explaining the actions of American government and politics.

d

Which of the following is an obstacle for third parties? a. Established major parties need to gather fewer signatures than do minor parties. b. All rules and procedures of Congress divide committee seats and staff on party memberships. c. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) places restrictions on minor party candidates. d. Major political parties absorb issues of third parties. e. All of the above are obstacles.

e

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) are known as "umbrella groups" because a. they are the only types of groups to use lobbyists, who are said to offer protection for a "rainy day." b. they combine with other types of interest groups, such as public interest groups and professional organizations in order to achieve their objectives. c. their priority is addressing environmental concerns, especially the issue of acid rain. d. they represent certain types of businesses or companies that deal in a particular type of product. e. they are based in the Pacific Northwest, where rainfall is such a frequent occurrence.

d

The media are most influential with those persons who a. are college graduates. b. are highly opinionated on a given topic. c. have moderate income levels. d. are undecided voters. e. have a relatively limited education.

d

The organizations that came to be known as "527s" a. have been ruled to be unprotected by the First Amendment by the Supreme Court. b. have been outlawed under regulations issued by the Federal Elections Commission. c. are required to be created by the final section of the Campaign Finance Reform Act. d. offered an alternative for interest groups to use money to influence the course of elections. e. were allowed to run issue ads but were precluded from mentioning particular candidates.

d

Today, a faction is a. a term that means the same thing as a political party. b. a subgroup within an interest group. c. an umbrella term for both interest groups and political parties. d. a subgroup within a party. e. the percentage of Congress that must agree to a constitutional amendment.

d

Which of the following is true? a. The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Democratic economic competence. b. The Great Depression solidified the Republican Party as the dominant and most trusted party in American government and politics. c. Roosevelt's relief programs were generally not available to African Americans, resulting in African American antagonism toward the Democratic Party that lasted for decades. d. The Great Depression resulted in the final transformation of the Democrats from a party of limited government to a party of active government. e. Republicans held the presidency from the early 1930s until the late 1960s.

d

Campaigns that narrowcast a. provide confidential information secretly to the press. b. distribute information in order to give government interests priority over candor. c. interpret campaign events in a manner that is favorable to the campaign's strategy. d. leak a proposal to determine public reaction without risk. e. target and broadcast to one small sector of the population.

e

Sensationalistic, irresponsible journalism is known as a. horse-race journalism. b. hog-race journalism. c. sound biting. d. spin. e. yellow journalism.

e

States that have been tagged as ____ states will see intense campaigning up to the very day of the election. a. blue b. red c. large d. undecided e. battleground

e

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a. lobbies Congress on U.S.-Israeli issues, but has learned that it cannot successfully lobby the executive branch. b. has consistently interfered with the relationship between the United States and Israel with its controversial tactics that inevitably cause friction between the two nations. c. has been able to achieve success with Democrats in Congress but has failed to influence Republicans in the House and the Senate. d. is consistently ranked as one of the least effective interest groups in America. e. has succeeded in influencing the United States to bestow between $6 and $8 billion a year on Israel.

e

The ___________ emerged in the 1850s as an antislavery party and consisted of former northern Whigs and antislavery Democrats. a. Democratic Party b. Democratic-Whigs c. Free Soil Party d. Jacksonian Democrats e. Republican Party

e

The two-party system has dominated the American political landscape for all of the following reasons except a. there has often been a single overriding issue that splits the electorate in two. b. the election of governors and the president by the people and not by a vote of a legislative body. c. state and federal laws favor the two major parties d. many people believe that the only practical way to gain power is to be a Republican or a Democrat. e. third parties are illegal in many jurisdictions.

e

When a person votes for a Republican presidential candidate and for a Democratic congressional candidate, she is a. dividing government b. polarizing the party-in-government. c. realigning the party-in-government. d. swing voting. e. ticket splitting

e

When we say the media help set the public agenda, we mean that the media a. allow candidates for election to appear on news programs. b. report what top officials such as the president have said in their news conferences. c. introduce political ideas into entertainment programs. d. teach young people what it is to be an American. e. identify issues that merit public attention and government action.

e

Which of the following is true? a. Pluralism sees the political struggle pitting different groups against each other to reach a compromise. b. Pluralism is the ability of interest groups to mandate policy or to defeat policies needed by the nation. c. Hyperpluralism sees the political struggle pitting different groups against each other to reach a compromise. d. Hyperpluralism is the ability of interest groups to mandate policy or to defeat policies needed by the nation. e. Both a and d are true.

e