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section 501(c)(4) organization

A non-profit organization that can lobby and campaign but whose donations are not tax deducatble

section 501(c)(3) organization

A non-profit organization that can't lobby or campaign but donations are tax deducatble

At what point in U.S. history did political parties develop

After the adoption of the Constitution

ratings

Assessments of a representative's voting record on issues important to an interest group.

_____ threatens a state-based enemy with swift and overwhelming retaliation for actions such as nuclear attacks or other acts of aggression

Deterrence

Name Recognition

Public awareness of a candidate - whether they even know his or her name

Television Malaise

Generalized feelings of distrust, cynicism, and powerlessness stemming from television's emphasis on the negative aspects of American life

Bribery

Giving or offering anything of value in an effort to influence government officials in the performance of their duties

Focus Group

In a political context, a small number of people brought together in a comfortable setting to discuss and respond to themes and issues, allowing campaign managers to develop and analyze strategies

Challengers

In politics, a reference to people running against incumbent officeholders

Mobilize

In politics, to activate supporters to work for candidates and turn out on Election Day

What is one difference between the nomination campaign and the general election campaign?

In the general election campaign, the candidate is running against opponents from other political parties.

What was the purpose of the Hatch Act?

To prohibit civil servants from actively participating in partisan politics.

incumbent

elected official that is already in office

The role of the Electoral College

encourages candidates to focus on battleground states

The National Rife Association (NRA) works to advance the protection of gun ownership by all citizens. In recent years, the NRA _______.

saw a rise in membership

What is the budgetary process sometimes called?

Appropriations

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Agency charged with enforcing federal election laws and disbursing public presidential campaign funds

political cue

a signal telling a legislator what values are at stake in a vote, and how that issue fits into his or her own political views on party agenda

The American two-party system promotes

broad coalitions of party supporters

The amount by which a government's expenditures exceed its revenues is referred to as the

budget deficit

In recent elections, candidates have experimented with more social media tools to ___

bypass the news media and make a more personal connection with voters

American foreign policy generally emphasizes

individual legal rights and civil liberties over economic and social rights

Lobbying refers to

influencing public policy by contacting public officials

Lobbying refers to _______.

influencing public policy by contacting public officials

Lobbyists in Washington, DC. share the ultimate goal of

influencing, making, and enforcing laws

The power of the presidency has been increased by the _____ powers of the office that have grown since the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt

informal

The major American political parties are made up of

loose coalitions of individuals and groups

Direct _____ is information sent to a large number of people to advertise, market concepts, or solicit orders

mail

The goal of the Motor Voter Act was to

make it easier for people to register to vote

A criticism of state laws requiring voters to show identification has been that the laws

make it unfairly difficult for some groups of people to vote

The diffusion of responsibility within the bureaucracy...

makes the coordination of policies both time-consuming and difficult. (giving the bureaucracy its reputation for being slow and inefficient)

Perception of popular support for a program or policy based on the margin of electoral victory is called a(n) ________.

mandate

Featured stories

media stories about events that, though public, are not regularly covered by reporters

A majority of independents identify themselves as ______.

moderate

Candidates' advertisements focus mainly on ___________, and unpaid media coverage focuses mainly on ______________.

policy issues; the campaign

Political organizations created to raise and spend money to influence electoral outcomes are known as

political action committees.

One explanation for the decline in political participation in recent years is the decline in local-level ________ organizations.

political party

Which of the following expresses pluralist theory?

political power is distributed among a wide range of diverse and competing interest groups

examples of how interest groups look to educate the American public

posting a town hall meeting social media newsletters

In its 2002 National Security Strategy for the United States, the Bush administration advanced a new strategic doctrine of _____ in dealing with terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

preemption

social movement

a widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order

Experienced lobbyists develop a reputation for

accurate information

A(n) _____ is a list of issues and ideas to be discussed or actions to be undertaken

agenda

An example of a "free rider" is a person who...

benefits from lower student loan rates without joining a student advocacy interest group that fought for such legislation.

You volunteer to work for the Reform Party because you want to institute a flat tax. You are operating in accord with the ____________.

responsible party model

Poll taxes had been used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in order to

restrict the ability of African Americans to exercise their right to vote

To combat one form of workplace discrimination, ____________ laws were passed so that nonunion employees could work beside union members.

right-to-work

The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security provides an example of the

role of public opinion as a source of policy innovation

Matching funds refer to money provided by ___ when donations are made by ___

the federal government, private donors

Matching funds refer to money provided by _______________ when donations are made by ______________.

the federal government; private donors

coattails

the alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better-known candidate, such as the president

purposive incentives

the benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle from which one does not personally benefit

The term federal bureaucracy refers to...

the departments and agencies responsible for implementing and administering federal laws.

The two institutions most directly responsible for overseeing the implementation of policy are

the president and the Congress

To be the presidential candidate of a major political party, a person must

win a majority of the delegates at the party's national convention

The United States Congress operates under a(n) _______________ system

winner-take-all

A political party comprises people _______.

with similar beliefs seeking control of the government through elections

Since ____________, neither party has dominated the government of the United States following the fall of the New Deal coalition

1968

After Franklin Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented fourth term, Congress enacted the _____ Amendment, which limits presidents to serving only two terms.

22nd

In 2004, most of the outside spending for elections came from ___________.

527 Political Committees

office-bloc ballot

A ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office; also called a "Massachusetts" ballot

party-column ballot

A ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party; also called an "Indiana" ballot

Which of the following is an example of parties in government?

A caucus of Democrats who serve on the city council

political action committee

A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations

What is hyperpluralism?

A condition in which the government defers to too many interest groups

political party

A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office

Background

A public official's statement to a reporter that is given on condition that the official not be named.

The disturbance theory states that interest groups form as a result of changes in the political system. What is an example of disturbance theory?

A religious advocacy group forms to speak out against the breakdown of family values in society.

According to pluralist theory, who is generally able to participate in the American political system?

A wide range of diverse and competing interest groups.

Delegates

Accredited voting members of a party's national presidential nominating convention

Lobbying

Activities directed at government officials with the hope of influencing their decisions

Runoff Primary

Additional primary held between the top two vote-getters in a primary in which no candidate has received a majority of the vote

Decision making by a bureaucratic agency that settles disputes between persons or businesses not in compliance with federal laws in a manner similar to a court hearing is called ________.

Adjudication

Who was the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee?

Al Gore

What is the potential group for a consumer advocacy interest group?

All Americans

Mass Media

All means of communication with the general public, including television, newspapers, magazines, radio, books, recordings, motion pictures, and the internet

Which of the following was NOT one of Alexis de Tocqueville's observations regarding American democracy

American democracy depends on economic equality established by the large working class.

What is an example of a government corporation?

Amtrak

position issue

An issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions.

What is a 527 organization?

An organization that can raise money for issue advocacy without funding limits

Patronage

Appointment to public office based on party loyalty

Grassroots Lobbying

Attempts to influence government decisions making by inspiring constituents to contact their representatives

An _________ is the first step in the funding process where Congress defines the amount of money an agency may spend in a particular program.

Authorization

What groups commonly give sizable monetary donations to politicians through their PACs?

Banks and labor unions

Why do some candidates not take matching funds?

Because they do not want to place a limit on fundraising

act that banned soft money, increased the amount INDIVIDUALS could donate, and barred groups from running "interest ads" within 60 days of a general election

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002

Collective goods are those that cannot be withheld from anyone. Example?

Clean air

Public Relations

Building and maintaining goodwill with the general public

What is one way a candidate could lose ground in appealing to the voters during the nomination campaign?

By appearing too extreme in ideology. Scandal.

Which agencies are particularly subject to lobbying from outside organized interests?

Clientele agencies

To improve electability, the candidate will hire a ________ _______ who brings technologies, strategies, and services to the campaign.

Campaign Consultant

In 2005, Toyota decided to build a new plant in Canada rather than in the United States, primarily because

Canada's system of universal health care allowed the company to save on workers' health care costs

Incumbent

Candidate currently in office seeking reelection

The _____ _______ system was created to ensure employees were hired based on merit and not on patronage to the federal government.

Civil service

What kind of lawsuits do interest groups often file on behalf of certain people?

Class action

What kinds of governments are more likely to occur in democracies with multiparty systems?

Coalition governments

One intention of interest groups such as the _____________ is to monitor other interest groups

Common Cause

Which group approves the budgets for different agencies?

Congress

A majority of political action committee donations go to _____________.

Congressional Candidates

Which of the following is an example of micro targeting?

Contacting voters based on their personal habits and past voting behavior

What is an example of microtargeting?

Contacting voters based on their personal habits and past voting behavior.

Sullivan Rule

Court guideline that false and malicious statements regarding public officials are protected by the First Amendment unless it can be proven they were known to be false at the time they were made or were made with "reckless disregard" for their truth or falsehood

national chairman

Day-to-day party manager elected by the national committee.

______ give candidates a chance to show off their oratory skills and discuss campaign platforms.

Debates

Newsmaking

Deciding what events, topics, presentations, and issues will be given coverage in the news

Agenda Setting

Deciding what will be decided, defining the problems and issues to be addressed by decision makers

Dealignment

Declining attractiveness of the parties to the voters, a reluctance to identify strongly with a party, and a decrease in reliance on party affiliation in voter choice

In a winner-take-all primary the candidate who gets the most votes in a state secures all of that state's _______.

Delegates

national committee

Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions.

In 1968, the ______________ party lost favor with voters because of the ____________

Democratic; Vietnam War

Retail Politics

Direct candidate contact with individual voters

Which of these is an example of how local grassroots party organizations are filling the void created by the decline of inner-city party machines?

Distributing yard signs and campaign literature

Ward

Division of a city for electoral or administrative purposes or as a unit for organizing political parties

The two basic methods of voter canvassing are ______________.

Door to door solicitations and phone banks.

malapportionment

Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population.

Which of the following best describes the organization of American political parties?

Each level of the party is relatively independent

Which of the following statements about the voting rights of felons is accurate?

Each state makes their own laws regarding the ability of felons to vote.

General Election

Election to choose among candidates nominated by parties and/or independent candidates who gained access to the ballot by petition

Citizen control of the government's agenda is facilitates primarily by which of the following?

Elections

Nonpartisan Elections

Elections in which candidates do not officially indicate their party affiliation, often used for city, country, school board, and judicial elections

Primary Election

Elections to choose party nominees for public office, may be open or closed

Sparse and ambiguous treatment of policy issues and the emphasis on past performance and personal competence fits better with which of the following models?

Electoral reward and punishment

Proportional Representation

Electoral system that allocates seats in a legislature based on the proportion of votes each party receives in a national election

What is the primary function of national party organizations in the United States?

Establish a cohesive vision for partisan identifiers nationwide.

Which of the following is NOT an obstacle to mobilization for an interest group?

Excessive government regulation

the president can issue _______ ______ to agencies, which carry the force of laws.

Executive orders

The ___ is an independent federal agency that was created to enforce national election laws.

FEC (Federal Election Commission)

T/F Congress can NOT write legislation to limit bureaucratic discretion.

False

T/F Union members are no more likely to vote.

False

Equal-Time Rule

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirement that broadcasters who sell time to any political candidate must make equal time available to opposing candidates at the same price

created FEC

Federal Election Campaign Act

_____ policy involves the taxing and spending decisions enacted by Congress in cooperation with the president

Fiscal

The federal Social Security program was created during President

Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal Program

Franking Privilege

Free use of the US mails granted to members of Congress to promote communication with constituents

What are created by Congress to undertake mainly commercial activities on behalf of the government?

Government Corporations

Prior Restraint

Government actions to restrict publication of a magazine, newspaper, or books on grounds of libel, obscenity, or other legal violations prior to actual publication of the work

A political candidate who campaigns almost entirely on environmentalism is most likely to belong to which of the following parties?

Green Party

A political candidate who campaigns almost entirely on environmentalism is most likely to belong to which party?

Green Party

Lobbying reform that: Banned gifts to members of Congress and their staffs Toughened disclosure requirements Increased time limits on moving from the federal government to the private sector

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007

The Libertarian Party is an example of a party that is centered on _______.

Ideology

What is a feature associated with a model bureaucracy?

Impersonality

"Feeding Frenzy"

Intense media coverage of a scandal or event that blocks out most other news

Many of the key cases brought to the federal courts are initiated by _____ _____.

Interest groups

Trade Associations

Interest groups composed of businesses in specific industries

Public-Interest Groups

Interest groups that claim to represent broad classes of people or the public as a whole

Ideological Organizations

Interest groups that pursue ideologically based (liberal or conservative) agendas

What was the importance of the 1896 election?

It shifted party coalitions and entrenched the Republicans for another generation

According to the Constitution at the time, Thomas Jefferson became John Adams' VP because...

Jefferson lost to Adams in the presidential election.

The first two political parties in the United States were

Jefferson's Federalists and Adams' Democratic-Republicans

Muckraking

Journalistic exposes of corruption, wrongdoing, or mismanagement in government, business, and other institutions of society

Which of the following types of interest groups is most likely to use public activities such as protests to draw attention to their cause and influence poly makers?

Labor unions

Litigation

Legal dispute brought before a court

Which of these was NOT a factor in the beginning of a strong two-party system after 1877

Lincon's election

The ______________ requires lobbyists to register with the federal government, bars some lobbying activities, and limits the gifts members of Congress can accept.

Lobbying Disclosure Act

requires that, if lobbying in the White House, you must disclose the issue they are advocating for, their clients, and the agency or house they lobbied

Lobbying Disclosure Act

Why might some large lobbying groups not register as lobbyists?

Lobbying is not their principal activity

Realignment

Long-term shift in social-group support for various political parties that creates new coalitions in each party

A professional who produces a candidate's television, radio, and print advertisements is called a _____ _______.

Media Consultant

Horse-Race Coverage

Media coverage of electoral campaigns that concentrates on who is ahead and who is behind, and neglects the issues at stake

Insider stories

Media stories about events that are not usually made public.

Routine stories

Media stories about events that are regularly covered by reporters.

Access

Meeting and talking with decision makers, a prerequisite to direct persuasion

Selective Perception

Mentally screening out information or opinions with which one disagrees

The selection of employees for government agencies on the basis of competence, with no consideration of an individual's political stance and connections, is called the _____ ______.

Merit system

A majority of independents identify themselves as _______.

Moderates

Voters whose positions are middle-of-the-road are politically termed ________.

Moderates

Iron Triangle

Mutually supportive relationships among interest groups, government agencies, and legislative committees with jurisdiction over a specific policy area

Which of the following is an example of a trade association?

National Association of Manufacturers

Which interest group is most likely to lobby for a law regulating the use of firearms for hunting?

National Rifle Association (NRA)

The organization based inside the White House and responsible for advising the president about foreign policy problems is the

National Security Council

In the 1930s, President Franklin Roosevelt's ______________ increased government responsibility giving the Democratic Party a boost.

New Deal

Convention

Nominating process in which delegates from local party organizations select the party's nominees

Caucus

Nominating process in which party leaders select the party's nominee

Divided Party Government

One party controls the presidency while the other party controls one or both houses of Congress

Slander

Oral statements that are false and malicious and are intended to damage an individual

Interest Group

Organization seeking to directly influence government policy

Which of the following is true concerning parties in the United States?

Organizationally, state parties are on the upswing throughout the country

Single-Interest Groups

Organizations formed to support or oppose government action on a specific issue

The battle between the two major political parties for control of public offices is _______ ________.

Party competition

National ____ ________ meet every four years to nominate a candidate for president.

Party conventions

Which factors weaken political campaigns' effects on voters?

Party identification and incumbent name recognition

super delegates

Party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses.

The system under which a successful political candidate or party would use political appointments to the bureaucracy as a way of rewarding loyal supporters and allies by providing government jobs and by firing the supporters of the opposing party was known as ________.

Patronage

Mandate

Perception of popular support for a program or policy based on the margin of electoral victory won by a candidate who proposed it during a campaign

realignment period

Period when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties; a.k.a. critical period.

Amicus Curiae

Person or group other than the defendant or the plaintiff or the prosecution that submits an argument in a case for the court's consideration

Lobbyist

Person working to influence government policies and actions

The _____ Doctrine argues for the decisive use of American military force only when there is clear public support and when an exit strategy is in place

Powell

Spin Doctor

Practitioner of the art of spin control, or manipulation of media reporting to favor one's own candidate

For primaries and general elections For candidates who raise $5,000 in at least 20 states Federal treasury will "match" individual contributions of up to $250 If candidate takes funds, they must meet conditions, like limiting overall spending ($42 million for presidential campaigns) In 2012, Romney and Obama declined this

Presidential Election Campaign Fund

Which campaign may be eligible for public funds?

Presidential campaigns

Presidential Primaries

Primary elections in the states in which voters in each party can choose a presidential candidate for its party's nomination. Outcomes help determine the distribution of pledged delegates to each party's national nominating convention

Open Primaries

Primary elections in which a voter may cast a ballot in either party's primary election

Which of these is an example of retrospective judgment?

Reelecting the president during times of economic prosperity

With whom do lobbyists work most closely?

Representatives who share their interests.

Which major American political party did the Whig Party give way to?

Republican Party

Which political party traces its origins to anti-slavery activism in the 1850s?

Republican Party

In the 1930s, opposite to the New Deal coalition made which party the minority for decades?

Republican party

In the 1930s, opposition to the New Deal coalition made which party the minority for decades?

Republican party

mugwumps/progressives

Republican party faction of the 1890s to the 1910s composed of reformers who opposed patronage.

Who does the public interest group AARP re .....

Retired Americans

Who does the public interest group AARP represent?

Retired Americans.

The first president to make use of paid pollsters to aid decision making was

Richard Nixon

Despite asserting that he would balance the budget throughout his campaign, President _______________ ran up the largest deficit in American history

Ronald Reagan

President Obama was ___________, and therefore able to avoid running a nomination campaign.

Running unopposed

The National Rifle Association (NRA) works to advance the protection of gun ownership by all citizens. In recent years, the NRA...

Saw a rise in membership.

Party Identification

Self-described identification with a political party, usually in response to the question, "Generally speaking, how would you identify yourself: as a Republican, Democrat, independent, or something else?"

Which is an example of a lobbyist performing a positive act while working for an interest group?

Serving as a consultant for a member of the White House staff trying to fashion a piece of legislation

Trigger mechanisms are most closely associated with which step in the policy process

Setting the agenda

Information Overload

Situation in which individuals are subjected to so many communications that they cannot make sense of them

Organized Sclerosis

Society encrusted with so many special benefits to interest groups that everyone's standard of living is lowered

Negative Campaigning

Speeches, commercials, or advertising attacking a political opponent during a campaign

independent expenditures

Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them.

The selection of employees for government agencies on the basis of party loyalty, electoral support, and political influence is called the ______ ______.

Spoils system

Precinct

Subdivision of a city, country, or ward for election purposes

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama won in _____ states such as Colorado and Pennsylvania, which are typically closely contested between the Dem and Rep parties.

Swing

_____ are interest-bearing IOUs issued by the Treasury Department

T-bills

Majoritarianism

Tendency of democratic governments to allow the faint preferences of the majority to prevail over the intense feelings of minorities

What did David Axelrod, Obama's chief political strategist, think about the President's reelection?

That it would be challenging because of the economy

What is the benefit of a political action committee (PAC) receiving funds from a non-profit education and organizing group called a 501(c) group?

The 501(c) group faces less strict rules requiring disclosure of donors' identities

Electoral College

The 538 presidential electors apportioned among the states according to their congressional representation (plus three for the District of Columbia) whose votes officially elect the president and vice president of the United States

Which document prohibits the national government from limiting the right of individuals to join together regarding political issues?

The Constitution

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the relatively large number of interest groups in the United States

The Constitution affords special recognition for organized groups.

Which of the following has NOT been a type of ruling the Supreme Court has produced with regard to foreign policy

The Court has consistently ruled that the U.S. Senate has the final decision on appointments pertaining to foreign policy

Who has the authority to remove agency heads or other top bureaucrats?

The President

What is another term for a party's core supporters?

The base

Socialization

The learning of a culture and its values

Matching funds refers to money provided by __________ when donations are made by ________

The federal government; private donors

Which of these is one of the explanations for low voter turnout in the United State

The frequency of elections and voter burnout

In the 2010 Senatorial elections, 90 percent of senators up for reelection were reelected to their seats. This is an example of ____________.

The incumbency advantage.

The argument that every group in the American system has an opportunity to be heard is based on...

The large number of access points for influence at different levels and branches of government.

According to critics of pluralism, which of the following groups is most likely to take advantage of the American political system?

The middle class

Revolving Doors

The movement of individuals from government positions to jobs in the private sector, using the experience, knowledge, and contacts they acquired in government employment

Which of these is NOT part of the tripartite view of government

The party-in-power

personal following

The political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks.

Political parties are useful in encouraging _________________.

The recruitment of candidates for political office.

Front-Loading

The scheduling of presidential primary elections early in the year

solidary incentives

The social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations.

Party Polarization

The tendency of the Democratic Party to take more liberal positions and the Republican Party to take more conservative positions on key issues

What is a factor driving the length of a general election campaign?

The timing of state primaries.

What is often seen as a major weakness of American political parties?

Their ability to enforce ideological rigidity among elected officials is limited

Why do party organizations favor closed primaries over open primaries?

They favor ideological purity

Which of the following is TRUE about political

They must report their contributions to the FEC

How do the boards directing independent regulatory agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, serve their terms?

They serve staggered terms so that no one president can replace the entire board or commission.

Which of the following is true of interest groups?

They try to affect political policy by taking their case to members of the legislature

What is true of interest groups?

They try to affect political policy by taking their cases to members of the legislature.

Which of the following would be considered a party focused on a single issue?

Third Party

The author of the Declaration of Independence was

Thomas Jefferson

Who are most likely to support Democrats in elections today?

Trial lawyers

T/F Federal employees can run for office in a nonpartisan election.

True

T/F Interest groups try to affect political policy by taking their case to members of the legislature.

True

T/F PACs raise money for direct contributions to candidates in national elections.

True

T/F: PACs must report their contributions to the Federal Election Commission.

True

T/F: This is an example of a contrast ad. A republican candidate says his voting record on economic issues represents his constituents better than his opponent's record.

True

The disturbance theory states that interest groups form as a result of changes in the political system. T/F: A religious advocacy group forming to speak out against the breakdown of family values in society would be an example.

True

Selective attention

paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees

Based on a percentage of its gross national income, the country that was the least generous provider of foreign aid in 2005 was

USA

When analyzing the characteristics of federal civilian employees, which group is the most over-represented in the federal workforce, when compared with their population in the general population?

Veterans

Who does the bulk of the voter canvassing for a campaign?

Volunteers

Which of the following exemplifies issue voting?

Voting based solely on a candidate's stand on abortion

prospective voting

Voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues.

retrospective voting

Voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office.

straight ticket

Voting for all the candidates from one political party

split ticket

Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election

Retrospective Voting

Voting for or against a candidate or party on the basis of past performance in office

The Ethics in Government Act was enacted in the wake of the _______ scandal.

Watergate.

When is it most likely that a government corporation will be created?

When a market need exists but private companies are unable or unwilling to step up and fill that need.

What has NOT been a reason why serious business with foreign governments is rarely accomplished during presidential elections

When foreign governments have publicly backed a presidential candidate, that candidate usually loses.

In what situation can the House of Representatives determine the winner of an election?

When neither candidate receives a majority of electoral votes

In what situation can the House of Representatives determine the winner of an election?

When the Electoral College cannot produce a majority

What is true about female voters?

Women make up a majority of the U.S. electorate. (usually more liberal)

Libel

Writings that are false and malicious and are intended to damage an individual

Why is it important for citizens in a democracy to have good info about politics and policies?

a democracy requires accurate info so that people can make informed decisions about their government

Political parties focus on a broad range of concerns known as

a platform

public-interest lobby

a political organization whose goals will principally benefit nonmembers

In order to be effective, a lobbyist depends on ____

a reputation for providing accurate info and playing fair

Nomination campaigns begin...

as soon as the candidate decides to run for office.

Why does the media tend to focus on Congress?

because it is more interesting to read about and will sell better than covering Congress actually doing its job in a decent fashion.

Which of the following is the main reason why some candidates do not take federal matching funds?

because they do not want to place a limit on fund raising

According to the Federal Election Campaign Act (1971), candidates must....

disclose who contributed to their campaigns and how the money was spent.

When resources become scarce, the idea that interest groups form in order to contest the influence of other interest groups is known as

disturbance theory

regulated by Lobbying Disclosure Act & Honest Leadership and Open Gov act

executive lobbying

Anthony Downs' rational theory of voting suggests that people vote if they

expect to benefit more from the policies of one party than those of any other

Compared with European countries, candidates in the United States

hold more similar positions to one another

NOW is an example of a(n)

multi-issue group

Presidential and vice presidential nominees are decided during each party's ________, which is held every four years.

national convention

Who do lobbyists usually target?

presidential cabinet

The role of a policy advisor in a campaign is to

provide the candidate with expert information about public issues

The strongest effect of election campaigns is to

reinforce voters' existing preferences for candidates

The large number of variety of interest groups in the United States generates a tension between

self-interest and the public good

The Whig Party dissolved primarily over the issue of

slavery

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama won in ________ states such as Colorado an Pennsylvania, which are typically closely consisted between the Democratic and Republican parties.

swing

John Quincy Adams won the 1824 election despite losing the popular vote because

the House of Representatives awarded him the election when the Electoral College could not produce a majority.

The Social Security tax is an example of a regressive tax because

the tax burden for Social Security falls more heavily on those with lower incomes

Party image is ____________

the voter's perception of what parties stand for

How are 501(c) committees different from other groups?

they don't have to disclose their donors

Even though civil servants may campaign for candidates in partisan elections, they have...

to be nonpartisan in their behavior on the job.

A primary is decided by _______

voters

With regard to presidential debates, candidates have no control over _________________.

what the media will focus on after the debate

Major differences between interest groups & political parties

- IG do NOT run candidates - IG support candidates who mirror their interests - IG advocates for issues, not people

What is one reason that interest groups must have money to maintain their organization?

Advertising campaigns and other outreach activities are expensive

When an interest group seeks to directly advance a group's policy position, what type of advertisement are they most likely to use?

Advertorial

The right of all persons born in the United States to U.S. citizenship is guaranteed by the

14th amendment

_____ are groups not officially aligned with a political party that are allowed to raise unlimited sums of money.

527 organizations

Social Security taxes make up _____ percent of the Gross Domestic Product

6.5

According to a recent public opinion survey, approximately _____ percent of Americans believe that special interest groups have more influence than voters in political decision making

80

What was a key provision of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007?

A ban on gifts to members of Congress and their staffs.

What type of interest group is likely to be composed of the chief executive officers of the largest corporations in America?

A group serving elitist interests

Which is an example of a collective good, for which one interest group has fought but that has benefited everyone?

A higher minimum wage

Coalition

A joining together of interest groups (or individuals) to achieve a common goal

sponsored party

A local or state political party that is largely supported by another organization in the community.

national convention

A meeting of party delegates held every four years

caucus

A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidates

congressional campaign committee

A party committee in congress that provides funds to members and would-be members

political machine

A party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage.

ideological party

A party that values principled stands on issues above all else.

Issue Ads

Ads that advocate policy positions rather than explicitly supporting or opposing particular candidates

What is one of the main factors explaining the low level of voter turnout in the United States?

Cumbersome registration laws reduce voter turnout.

Sound Bites

Concise and catchy phrases that attract media coverage

Photo Ops

Staged opportunities for the media to photograph the candidate in a favorable setting

The presidency of Andrew Jackson brought about a struggle between

Democrats and Whigs

What were the first three Cabinet departments created by the first Congress in 1789?

Department of the Treasury, Department of the State, & Department of War (now defense)

Historically, it was generally held that inflation and unemployment were inversely related: that when one went up, the other went down. When did this prove not to be the case

During the stagflation of the 1970s

_____ is the combination of a stagnant GDP, rising unemployment, and rapid inflation

Stagflation

_____ have occupied prominent foreign policy positions in the George W. Bush administration

Neoconservatives

Political Parties

Organizations that seek to achieve power by winning public office

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Organizations that solicit and receive campaign contributions from corporations, unions, trade associations, and ideological and issue-oriented groups, and their members, then distribute these funds to political candidates

527 organizations

Organizations that, under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, raise and spend money to advance political causes

Raiding

Organized efforts by one party to get its members to cross over in a primary and defeat an attractive candidate in the opposition party's primary

Which of the following have proliferated since FECA and Buckley v. Valeo

PACs

most of their funds are donated to incumbents over challengers, and most often congress over all other branches of government

PACs

Which of the following statements is true of political action committees (PACs)?

PACs cannot contribute unlimited funds to a single candidate

What is one difference between a political action committee (PAC) and an interest group?

PACs raise money for direct contributions in national elections.

Which of the following statements is true of political action committees (PACs)?

PACs raise money for direct contributions to candidates in national elections

Which of the following best predicts how people will vote?

Party Identification

The _____ curve is an economic model that assumes an inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation

Philips

Campaign Strategy

Plan for a political campaign, usually including a theme, an attempt to define the opponent or the issues, and an effort to coordinate images and messages in news broadcasts and paid advertising

_____________ are officially recognized fundraising organizations and can contribute directly to a candidate's campaign.

Political Action Committees

the most powerful predictor for candidate preference among voters is _______________.

Political Party Identification

Nominee

Political Party's entry in a general election race

What is a result from the enactment of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

Political committees became more active in campaigns.

ideological interest groups

Political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles.

Which of the following is NOT a category of interest group in the United States?

Political parties

Nominating candidates to run under the party label is the key differentiating factor between _______ ______ and ______ _____.

Political parties; interest groups

Nomination

Political party's selection of its candidate for a public office

________________ are professional firms that conduct opinion research to tell candidates what voters think of them?

Pollsters

Front-End Strategy

Presidential political campaign strategy in which a candidate focuses on winning early primaries to build momentum

Closed Primaries

Primary elections in which voters must declare (or have previously declared) their party affiliation and can cast a ballot only in their own party's primary election

The Department of Transportation hires an outside company to build roads for a new highway. This is an example of ______ __________.

Private contracting

What is one way in which interest groups educate the public?

Produce issue-oriented ads

Which associations rival businesses and trade organizations in lobbying influence?

Professional

Which electoral reform would make it easier to elect third-party candidates to Congress?

Proportional representation

Name Recognition

Public awareness of a political candidate - whether they know his or her name

By emphasizing his "Southern strategy", President ____________ was able to begin a period of realignment in which Southern states abandoned the Democratic Party for the Republican Party beginning in 1968.

Richard Nixon

Which of the following is(are) most responsible for regulating political parties?

State governments

Platform

Statement of principles adopted by a political party at its national convention (specific portions of the platform are known as planks); a platform is not binding on the party's candidates

Which of the following trends most accurately describes the nature of presidential elections

States can choose to use primary elections or caucuses.

Swing States

States that are not considered to be firmly in the Democratic or Republican column

Responsible Party Model

System in which competitive parties adopt a platform of principles, recruiting candidates and directing campaigns based on the platform, and holding their elected officials responsible for enacting it

sound bite

a radio or video clip of someone speaking

hard money

individual donations or PAC contributions both regulated by federal laws

When the soft money loophole was closed, how did money continue to find its way into political campaigns?

Through 527 groups

In 1989, 5,000 protestors gathered in _____ to demand democratization in China

Tiananmen Square

Machine

Tightly disciplined party organization, headed by a boss, that relies on material rewards - including patronage jobs - to control politics

What system did the Founders create for parties in America?

Wary of the existence of parties, they designed a system that greatly restrained them

Many lobbyists are former

Washington insiders

The 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission is controversial because it

allows corporations and unions to spend money without limit to exercise their "free speech" rights in electoral campaigns.

Despite the popular impression that policy is decided by the president and Congress and merely implemented by the federal bureaucracy, policy is, in fact,....

also made by the bureaucracy.

Forms of judicial lobbying

amicus curiae "legal education" seminars

equal time rule

an FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates.

sophomore surge

an increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection

interest group

an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

What key difference in network and cable news explains the difference in their ratings and growth?

cable news is more popular than network news because it offers more diverse programming and 24-hour coverage, which attracts a variety of viewers

When it gets closer to Election Day, _______ get out the vote by contacting supporters.

campaign volunteers

Because agency officials interact with numerous political actors and are influential in establishing public policy, the bureaucracy....

can be a pathway for political action

Because agency officials interact with numerous political actors and are influential in establishing public policy, the bureaucracy...

can be a pathway for political action.

Long campaigns can result in expansions of the government's activities because

candidates tend to make promises as they vie for office

The responsible party model calls for _____________.

candidates to offer clear policy positions

Issues or candidates? individual, PAC, super PAC, 527, 501(c)

candidates, issues, candidates, issues, issues

"Floating voters" are voters who

choose the candidate they think is best, regardless of the candidate's political party

A primary election in which only a party's registered voters are eligible to participate is called a(n) ________.

closed primary

The act of securing the participation of individuals in interest groups is a form of

collective action

Which of the following is NOT a type of benefit that can overcome organizational barriers

collective benefits

A partisan voter is a

committed supporter of a political party

Providing incentives (such as city jobs) for loyalty to the party machine is

patronage

According to John Locke's social contract theory, the only legitimate basis of government is

concent of the governed

A majority of PAC donations go to _____

congressional candidates

Lobbyists must register, be very transparent about their activities (comparatively) Can NOT give gifts/public speaking fees

congressional lobbying

From the 1930s to the 1970s, the role of political parties in the United States

declined dramaticaly

In a proportional representation primary, ________

delegates are rewarded in proportion to votes won in the primary

gerrymandering

drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party

The choice of presidential nominees is most influenced by voters in states with the

earliest primaries

A desire to engage in _____________ has led some interest groups to form PACs

electioneering

Citizen control of the government's agenda is facilitated primarily by which of the following

elections

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an example of an

equality interest group

In the case of U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton the Supreme Court upheld the power of states to impose term limits on their members of Congress.

false

The intangible rewards people obtain from joining a group they support and working to advance an issue in which they believe are referred to as solidary benefits.

false

Few candidates accept public funding/federal matching funds, as part of the conditions for their acceptance is putting a cap on campaign spending Candidates must raise at least $5,000 in at least twenty states to qualify for matching funds (3rd party candidates only get funds AFTER election)

federal matching funds

As of 2010, the federal bureaucracy employs _______ employees than in the 1940s and 1950s.

fewer

_____ are moments that bring a particular problem to the attention of both the public and policymakers

focusing event

The rapid growth in the number of political action committees (PACs) began...

following the campaign reforms of the 1970s.

Critical elections result in the

formation of new coalitions for each political party

Individuals who do not join a group representing their interests yet benefit from the group's influence are called ______.

free riders

Individuals who do not join a group representing their interests yet benefit from the group's influence are

free-riders

In general, Americans exhibit a preference for

freedom and equality in balance depending on the issue

soft money

funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate

One major reason states engage in frontloading of primaries and caucuses is because states with early primaries

get more media attention and can have more influence on the nomination

By passing regulatory legislation for which it has established goals, Congress...

grants power to regulatory agencies to develop guidelines and enforce compliance.

Interest groups sometimes lobby with lawmakers and other gov officials, which is called inside lobbying. _____ occurs when interest groups campaign with the public to encourage political activity.

grassroots lobbying

When an interest group encourages its members to write letters to members of Congress, it is ____

grassroots lobbying

The selling of westward expansion by entities interested in expansion, such as railroad companies, through appeals to the public involving the ease of obtaining property, the lure of the frontier, and the chance of finding wealth by moving west, is an example of

grassroots mobilization

_____ can be defined as the identification, and recruitment, of constituent-based political strength capable of influencing political decisions

grassroots mobilization

Which of the following describes disturbance theory?

groups form as a result of changes in the political system

$$ given directly to candidate (legal but regulated)

hard money

The void created by the decline of urban political machines _______________.

has been filled in party by county party organizations

Congressional oversight is an important tool for...

holding the executive branch accountable.

During campaign season, ___________ is media attention that cannot be controlled by campaigns and can have an effect on public opinion.

horse-race coverage

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years is called an

ideology

When an interest group tries to create a positive climate of opinion by focusing on the public good they claim to provide and the public services they perform, what type of advertorial are they most likely to use?

image

The balance of trade measures the difference between

imports and exports

The role of primaries and caucuses in the presidential election has been altered by voters ______

in states that front load primaries

When did the railroad industry become a powerful interest group?

in the mid to late 1800s

Making Election Day an official holiday would ______

increase voter turnout

As a result of the Watergate scandal, campaign finance laws were

increased, imposing strict limits on monetary donations to campaigns.

According to the American National Election Study, the younger a person is, the more likely they are to consider themselves as a(n)_______________

independent

The electoral system represents geographical constituencies, but the _____________ represents economic, professional, ideological, religious, racial, gender, and issue constituencies.

interest group system

Many of the key cases brought to the federal courts are initiated by ______.

interest groups

purpose is to advocate for certain issues and interests in politics

interest groups

In order to promote their common goals, individuals will often form or join

interest groups.

Most voters and many political scientists believe that the Electoral College

is no longer useful and should be discontinued

According to Anthony Downs' theory of the _______________ cycle, many matters fade from the public eye rather quickly

issue-attention

valence issues

issues on which virtually everyone agrees

It's often said that the Federal Reserve Board has to be "right twice," by which it is meant that the Fed must

know where the economy is headed and then make correct responses to anticipated circumstances

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment enfranchised the group _______

least likely to vote

he number of electoral votes in a state is equal to the number of senators and representatives in the state. In this system, ________.

less populated states receive disproportionately high representation

Much of the public perceives the Democratic Party to be

liberal

the activities of a group or organization that seek to persuade political leaders to support the group's position

lobbying

given the job of lobbying members of government in order to further their group's cause

lobbyist

material incentives

money or things valued in monetary terms

A proportional-representation system for electing members to a nation's legislature is more likely to lead to

more political parties holding seats

One explanation for the rapid proliferation of interest groups is that Americans are _____ educated and have _____ disposable income today

more, more

The supreme authority in each major party is the

national convention

Cable v. network news

network news stations must remain nonpartisan

In a(n) _____ rank-and-file party members attend a neighborhood meeting, share ideas about particular candidates, and cast a ballot for pledged delegates to attend a statewide meeting.

nomination caucus

Typically, Election Day is held _______

on the tuesday after the first monday in november

Which of the following is the most common reason for nonvoting according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008?

other time commitments

When an interest group launches a publicity campaign to draw attention to the plight of immigrant workers, it is engaged in

outside lobbying

The battle between the two major political parties, Democrats and Republicans, for control of public offices is _________.

party competition

National _______ meet every four years to nominate a candidate for president.

party conventions

Officials elected under a party banner collectively represent the ____________.

party in government

National convention delegates endorse a ___________, a statement of their party's principles, goals, and plans.

party platform

Outcome of NYT v. US (1971)

prior restraint can only be used in rare cases (ex: national security at stake) prior restraint = When a government prevents a material from being published

What is one way in which interest groups educate the public

produce issue-oriented ads

President LBJ's Great Society program...

produced additional growth in the bureaucracy.

The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 specifically permits agreements between employers and unions which

prohibit nonunion employees from being hired

Compared with network news outlets, cable news ___

provides news from many different perspectives and in a variety of ways

When an interest group launches a publicity campaign to draw attention to the plight of immigrant workers, it is trying to win its way to Congress by getting ____________ on their side

public opinion

The U.S. election process has earned the label "permanent campaign" because

public participation throughout the election process makes the process very long

According to pluralist theory, policymaking in a democracy is the result of special-interest groups

reaching equilibrium

The majority of federal employees are...

recruited through the civil service. (Merit system)

Progressive era reforms of the voter registration process were imposed primarily in order to

reduce the level of corruption in the voting process

A ________ is similar to a ballot initiative and asks citizens on election day to reaffirm or reject an existing law.

referendum

Independent regulatory commissions are designed to operate...

relatively freely from direct presidential control.

The 1993 Motor Voter Act ______

required that eligible citizens be allowed to register to vote when applying to renew a driver's license or for social services

If you volunteered to work for the Reform Party because you wanted to change public tax policy and institute a flat tax, you'd be operating under the

responsible party model

In a nomination campaign, candidates are...

running against others from the same party.

The Twelfth Amendment _____

separated the election of president and vice president in the electorate

When an interest group releases a study illustrating the failure of government regulation of the food supply, it is

serving as a consumer interests advocate

When an interest group releases a study illustrating the failure of government regulation of the food supply, it is performing its function of

serving as a government watchdog

People who join Greenpeace because they care about the environment are joining a

single-issue group

The Electoral College system allows each state the same number of electors as the state's number of members of Congress. A criticism of this system of dividing the electoral college is that

smaller states receive disproportionately high representation

$$ given to political parties for purposes other than supporting candidates for public office

soft money

incentive

something of value one cannot get without joining an organization

Theodore Roosevelt's presidential candidacy as a member of the Progressive Party is an example of a

splinter party of a major party

The Constitution originally afforded the _____ the right to determine voting regulations and requirements

states

When predicting voting behavior, party identification of voters is generally seen as

static

The Million Mom March was organized in May 2000 in order to

strickter gun control laws

The Supreme Court is considering an appeal in a lawsuit that involves an issue of great importance to your interest group, but your group is not directly involved in the case. What would be the best way for your group to influence the court's decision?

submit an amicus brief on the case to the court

The distribution by the U.S. government of goods and services to part or all of society would be an example of

tangible benefits

Most observers regard _____ as the two most successful interest groups in terms of influencing American foreign policy

the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee and the Cuban-American National Foundation

The vice presidential nominee was originally intended to be elected by ______

the Electoral College, which chose the person with the second highest amount of votes from the pool of presidential nominees

Party strength was affected when social services were taken over by ______.

the government

Party strength was affected when social services were taken over by _______.

the government

Party strength was affected when social services were taken over by ____________.

the government

The period ...

the invisible primary

The argument that every group in the American system has an opportunity to be heard is based on _______.

the large number of access points for influence at different levels and branches of government

According to John Locke and the Founders, when a ruler acts against the purposes for which government exists

the people have a right to resist

Many reforms to the presidential election system have been proposed. Reforms target many parts of the system, including ______

the primary system, the Electoral College, and campaign finance laws

Political parties are useful in encouraging ________.

the recruitment of candidates for political office

Third parties in the United States typically arise when one of the major parties is collapsing or

to challenge the two-party system and provoke change

Which of the following statements about female voters is accurate

too busy

Turnout among young voters has been increasing in recent elections

true

Interest groups are ____________ that seek to influence government

voluntary associations

In open primaries,

voters may choose on Election Day which party primary to participate in

Which voters are most likely to get their political information via the internet?

voters under age 50

Which of the following exemplifies partisan voting?

voting based on a candidates party


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