POSC 1010 MC (Ch. 10-15)
a
"Budget sequestration" was a package of spending cuts that would go into effect if Congress could no reach agreement on taxation rates and government spending. A.True B.False
a
"Pack journalism" refers to journalists following the same story in the same ways because they talk to one another while reporting and read each other's copy for validation of their own reporting. A.True B.False
c
"Though not all young invincibles are playing the odds by choice," explains one 2009 study, "about ______% of uninsured people between the ages 18 and 24 have received affordable offers of insurance through their employers . . . Another ______% could afford to buy coverage on the private market."1 A. 6; 30 B. 15; 20 C. 9; 14 D. 20; 10
a
"We reaffirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman" is an example of a Republican Party platform. A.True B.False
a
Party labels provide useful information for performance voting so voters can easily vote for the in-party when the voter thinks the government is doing well and vote for the out-party when the voter thinks the government is doing badly. A.True B.False
b
People choose which leaders to follow and which messages to heed according to: A. the values and beliefs they have heard most recently. B. the values and beliefs they accumulate over a lifetime. C. whichever argument is most persuasive. D. what their friends say.
a
People's opinions on most political issues rely heavily on the cues and signals that the leaders of their preferred political party send to them. A.True B.False
c
Regular, free, and competitive elections: A. are reserved for the most efficient democracies B. require citizens to be well informed C. ameliorates the problem of delegation D. lead to high quality elected officials
a
Regular, free, competitive elections guard the nation against the dangers that inevitably arise when citizens delegate authority to governments. A.True B.False
c
Typically, _______________ of voters tell pollsters that the two major parties do such a bad job that a third party is needed. A. less than one third B. about 20% C. over one half D. almost 100%
a
Typically, half of Senate incumbents and 70-80% of House incumbents win by default because their opponents spend too little money to make a race of it. A.True B.False
a
U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable are two examples of the federal government encouraging the proliferation of groups. A.True B.False
c
Unemployment and Social Security are two prominent examples of _____________. A. policies that only impact seniors B. fiscal cliffs C. entitlements D. sequestration
b
Uninformed opinions tend to be very stable. A.True B.False
a
Universal suffrage for White men was not fully achieved until the 1840s. A.True B.False
b
Universal suffrage for women was achieved in the 19th century with the passage of the 15th amendment. A.True B.False
b
Veteran journalists point to two specific events—the Korean War and the Cuban Missile Crisis—as critical in fostering a pervasive and enduring credibility gap. A.True B.False
a
Voters who coalesce around causes such as gun control or gun rights are examples of single issue voters. A.True B.False
a
Voting, like any delegation of authority, raises the possibility of agency loss. A.True B.False
a
We have met the special interests, and they are us. A.True B.False
a
When a government seeks to prevent the publication and dissemination of written and recorded speech, it is exercising prior restraint. A.True B.False
a
When a policy like tax reform promises to bring small benefits to a large group, paradoxically, it is a challenge to get this group mobilized. A.True B.False
a
When issues have arisen that split the existing party coalitions in the United States, partisan identities weaken, and the party label may not provide the information voters want. A.True B.False
b
When it comes to principles instead of programs, Americans most likely think of themselves as conservative. A.True B.False
b
When it comes to reforming Medicare and Social Security, there is so much to lose, politically, from offering a painful solution, and so much for each party to gain by letting the other party go first in proposing it, it puts Democrats and Republicans into a: A. tragedy of the commons. B. prisoner's dilemma. C. collective action problem. D. game of cat and mouse.
b
When it comes to voter identification, the Democratic party supports legislation to require photo identification for voting and to prevent election fraud. A.True B.False
c
When people who have not been sick (and would probably rack up smaller medical bills if they were insured, making them cheaper for insurance to cover) decide not to buy insurance, it is known as: A. rational ignorance. B. strategic insurance. C. pulling out of the risk pool. D. an insurance market.
c
When politicians participate in newsmaking, they usually have two audiences in mind: A. the president and those in Congress. B. Supreme Court Justices and the lower federal court judges. C. the public and fellow politicians. D. television and radio viewers.
c
When politicians strategically give important information to the news media on the condition that its source not be identified by name, this is referred to as: A. a Watergate B. a trial balloon C. a leak D. a stopper
c
When public opinion is not stable, its movements can usually be explained by which of the following? A. polling-method errors B. measurement errors that have failed to cancel one another out C. real-world events and circumstances D. a lack of knowledge on the part of the respondent
a
When the National Rifle Association wants to prevent new restrictions on firearms, its members shower Congress with letters, e-mails, faxes, and phone calls supporting its position. This is an example of grassroots lobbying. A.True B.False
a
When you work, you pay into both Social Security and Medicare through earmarked taxes that are withdrawn from every paycheck. A.True B.False
c
Which Washington D.C. address has become synonymous with the lobbying firms that represent America's biggest and most powerful interests: A. Pennsylvania Avenue B. Capitol Hill C. K street D. Wall Street
c
Which nation is the largest in per capita emissions? A. China B. the U.S. C. Gibraltar D. Luxembourg
b
Which of the following areas best represents the idea that as links between diverse problems have become more transparent, a wider range of organized interests has pushed into formerly isolated issue Domains? A. abortion B. farm policy C. social welfare D. none of the above
a
Which of the following contributed to the break-up of iron triangles? A. the ability of legislators to learn from past mistakes B. the desire to represent the highest bidder C. the decline of public interest groups and the fragmentation of the interest group universe D. Congressional consistency in operations
a
Public figures largely forfeit legal recourse to protect their reputation. Slander and libel do not apply here. A.True B.False
b
Public opinion's influence on politics is simple: polls tell elected officials what to do, and when and how to do it. A.True B.False
b
Rather than present an argument, presidents now typically speak in: A. code. B. sound bites. C. tongues. D. shorter sentences with simple words.
b
Regardless of religious affiliation, the more active people are in religious life, the less socially conservative they are likely to be. A.True B.False
a
The typically low approval rating in Congress is an example of our cynicism about government. A.True B.False
a
Both newspapers and broadcast media cover the regular sources of important stories in a systematic fashion by permanently assigning reporters to certain venues, traditionally called beats. A.True B.False
a
Interest group leaders and their constituents are involved in a(n) ____________ relationship with all the familiar problems and challenges such relationships pose. A. principal-agent B. negative territory C. cost-benefit D. unhealthy
a
Interest groups can be construed as an example of the factions Madison cautioned against in Federalist 10. A.True B.False
b
PAC contributions to candidates increased by close to ______% between 1974 and 1986: A. 100 B. 200 C. 300 D. 400
b
Paradoxically, the Progressive Era left the Republican Party and the Democratic Party organizationally much stronger but in a much weaker electoral position. A.True B.False
d
A staple of political advertising is: A. repetition. B. simplicity and symbolism. C. exaggeration. D. all of these.
a
A truly random sample of any population is rarely feasible, because: A. there is no single directory where everyone is conveniently listed and so can be given a perfectly equal chance of being selected. B. there is always some amount of bias in the selection. C. most people choose not to participate in surveys. D. too many people would be required to participate.
c
According to Madison, factions were by definition: A. "those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed." B. a necessary evil in democracy—ensuring representation, but limiting participation. C. pernicious, pursuing selfish aims contrary to the rights of others or to the public interest. D. worth encouraging in the developing country.
a
Age and education have the strongest influence on voting. A.True B.False
a
Aggregate public opinion is not easily malleable because: A. the raw individual material that goes into the construction of public opinion is not easily changed. B. people are unwilling to change their minds. C. people are unable to change their minds. D. it is a combination of factors, and we don't understand the exact process by which it forms.
a
Aggregate public opinion on abortion is both highly stable and acutely sensitive to how the issue is framed. A.True B.False
c
Aggregate public opinion, is, given its coherence and focus by: A. issue publics. B. pollsters. C. opinion leaders. D. Jon Stewart.
a
Americans in recent years have been inclined to believe that public officials are crooked and that the government wastes tax money, cannot be trusted to do what is right, is run by a few big interests for their own benefit, and does not care about ordinary people. A.True B.False
a
Americans seem to support a wide range of economic and social policies that commonly are classified as: A. liberal B. conservative C. socialist D. fascist
a
Americans, renowned since Alexis de Tocqueville's day for their egalitarian social and political values, tolerate huge—and growing—differences in wealth and well-being among individuals and groups due to the lack of popular support for mandating equal outcomes. A.True B.False
c
An organized and consistent manner of thinking, feeling, and reacting with regard to people, groups, social issues, or, more generally, any event in one's environment is often referred to as an: A. ideology. B. opinion. C. attitude. D. explanation.
a
Anyone trying to mobilize the citizens to vote has to overcome the electorate's tendency to ____________. A. free ride B. make random selections at the voting booth C. ignore politics D. ignore campaign messages
c
Because candidates are the focus of modern political campaigns: A. they are required to do most of their fundraising without party assistance. B. most fundraising comes directly from the party machine. C. the party's activities are aimed more at helping individual candidates compete more effectively than at promoting the party brand. D. the candidate's activities are aimed more at helping the party compete more effectively than at promoting the individual's brand.
c
Because carrying capacity is limited, on factor used by news organizations in deciding to run a story is: A. whether it presents both sides of the story evenly. B. the accuracy of the information. C. its level of controversy: conflict and disagreement are preferable to consensus. D. whether it reflects the government in a positive light.
a
Because no nation exerts exclusive control over the air above it, greenhouse gasses from multiple countries mix, stressing the atmosphere. A.True B.False
a
Because of the basic constitutional guarantees that allow citizens to express their views and compel government leaders to take those views into account, it is both possible and essential for political leaders and policy advocates to try to: A. shape and mobilize public opinion on behalf of their causes. B. avoid considering the role of public opinion in the success of their causes. C. mobilize public opinion on behalf of their causes, because they are incapable of also shaping public opinion on behalf of their causes. D. shape public opinion on behalf of their causes, because they are incapable of also mobilizing public opinion on behalf of their causes.
c
Because the fit between the words and concepts used in polling questions and how people actually think about issues is never perfect, even the most carefully designed question: A. can fail to provide any accurate information. B. can result in an inaccurate representation of opinion. C. is subject to some measurement error. D. is only right about 50% of the time.
b
Before a rule or regulation can be adopted, the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 requires administrative agencies to: A. obtain an advisory opinion about the constitutionality of the rule or regulation from the Supreme Court. B. publish the rule or regulation in the Federal Register and hold public hearings if anyone objects to it. C. obtain prior approval of the specifics of the rule or regulation from the President. D. obtain prior approval of the specifics of the rule or regulation from Congress.
b
Beginning January 1, 2013, if tax increases and spending cuts went into effect together, so the logic went, what would ensue? A. a stronger middle class B. financial pandemonium C. challenges to Republican doctrine D. Reaganomics
b
Bill Clinton was the first president to have an in-house pollster taking regular reading' of the public's pulse. A.True B.False
a
Blogs have changed the media in another important way by providing media outlets and entrepreneurs with space to develop digital-only content. A.True B.False
a
Broadly speaking, campaign finance operates through two parallel systems: A. money given directly to candidates, which is regulated, and money spent outside of the candidate's campaign, which generally is unregulated. B. negative advertising and positive advertising. C. money given directly to candidates, which is regulated, and money given directly to the party, which generally is unregulated. D. money given directly to candidates, which is regulated, and money donated to the candidate from outside the United States, which generally is regulated.
a
Campaign messages are often chosen opportunistically, rather than thought out well in advance. A.True B.False
a
Casting a vote is making a prediction about the future: A. that electing one candidate will produce a better outcome in some relevant sense than electing another candidate. B. that one candidate will implement the policies you want exactly as you would like. C. that one candidate cannot—and should not—win. D. in which you hope for improvements over the past.
a
China's total emissions lead the world, but when diluted by its huge population its ranking drops down the per capita list. A.True B.False
a
Collective action logic can explain how interest groups might line up in a policy debate, but it does not predestine legislative failure. A.True B.False
a
Deciding how we feel about an issue by noting who is for it or against it is an example of a(n) _________________. A. cognitive shortcut B. opinion leader C. issue public D. aggregation technique
c
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention agreed to meet behind locked doors and to keep their deliberations secret until the convention was over in order to: A. make the lobbying efforts of the special interest groups less obvious to the public. B. ensure that they would be able to give full attention to the lobbyists, without regard for how such actions might appear to the public. C. avoid becoming "beset by a horde of citizens seeking to advance their own interests." D. advance their own causes and ignore those of the public.
a
Democracies differ from other forms of government: A. in terms of which private persons governments find it prudent to heed B. in how they choose to measure public opinion. C. in the frequency of public opinion polls. D. in ways we cannot understand.
a
Despite their expressed disdain for parties, voters still rely heavily on party cues in making their decisions because: A. party labels continue to provide useful, cheap information about candidates. B. their membership in the party is a source of pride. C. they share identical policy preferences to that of their party D. they don't know any better
a
Developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil argue that they need to burn fuel from the cheapest possible sources, even if these are the dirtiest, until they catch up with other nations' prosperity. After all, they charge, the United States and Western European countries relied on cheap coal to bring them from the Industrial Revolution into their postwar affluence, starting the trend toward climate change in the first place. A.True B.False
d
Divided government: A. is unconstitutional pursuant to Article II B. is such a rare a phenomenon in American politics that it is virtually nonexistent C. has not happened at the federal level since the end of the Progressive Era D. allows each party to block the other party's more extreme proposals and forces both to compromise when making policy
d
During his years in the White House, Franklin D. Roosevelt conducted ______________ biweekly press conferences with a regular group of White House correspondents. A. very few B. about 200 C. about 500 D. about 1000
b
During his years in the White House, Franklin D. Roosevelt conducted very few press conferences with a regular group of White House correspondents. A.True B.False
c
Duverger's law explains: A. why plurality elections always lead to party systems with more than two major competitors. B. why office seekers will frequently pursue office as independents or third-party nominees. C. why in any election in which a single winner is chosen by plurality voting, there is a strong tendency for serious competitors to be reduced to two. D. why the Electoral College is used in Presidential elections.
c
E. E. Schattschneider's observation: "The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent" implies: A. interest groups are often out of tune with individual preferences. B. interest groups are often in tune with individual preferences. C. organizational resources are distributed unevenly across political interests. D. organizational resources are distributed evenly across political interests.
d
Elections allow ordinary citizens to, in aggregate: A. pay for government services they receive. B. express how they feel about government although elected officials do not take the voters' views into account when they make policy choices. C. celebrate democracy. D. reward or punish elected officials for their performance in office.
a
Elections create strong links between public opinion and government action in the United States. A.True B.False
a
Electoral incentives can help mitigate some of the problems that come with interest groups—including the fact that some interests are favored over others and narrow private interests enjoy an advantage over broader ones. A.True B.False
a
Entitlements are: A. the federal programs that Americans are entitled to benefit from once they reach a certain age or condition. B. state policies, funded by the federal government, that deliver benefits to citizens. C. the benefit pools state workers are enrolled in. D. gifts from the government to citizens.
c
Every expansion of suffrage since the adoption of the Constitution has had to do which of the following? A. be approved by the states B. be agreed upon at the local level C. overcome both philosophical objections and resistance rooted in the mundane calculations of political advantage D. overcome challenges from the political parties interested in maintaining the status quo
b
For most people, basic political orientations fluctuate throughout their lives as a function of their experience and income. A.True B.False
a
For most people, basic political orientations, whether reflections of ideologies, a few core values, or simple party preferences, are quite resistant to change. A.True B.False
c
Fox News became a conservative media outlet because: A. they were paid to do so by the Koch Brothers. B. the owners had sincerely held conservative beliefs they wanted represented in the news. C. it saw an opportunity to gain a profitable market niche by differentiating its product from that of CNN and the broadcast networks, Fox News introduced a conservative slant by hiring conservative news anchors and loosening traditional constraints on editorializing while presenting the news. D. none of these
a
Fractious coalitions are a common thread running across all the different party systems over the course of U.S. history. A.True B.False
b
Framing coverage of the Ku Klux Klan as a free speech issue resulted in lower support than when the group was framed as a public order issue. A.True B.False
a
Franklin Roosevelt's first fireside chat saw such a large audience and the outpouring of support, it prompted him to deliver more national radio addresses. A.True B.False
a
Grassroots lobbying is used: A. by large groups with conspicuous and contentious issues and focuses on mobilizing members to send messages that reiterate the groups' demands. B. primarily by groups focused on environmental issues—hence the term "grassroots." C. almost exclusively by PACs. D. less frequently in today's political climate because of technological innovations that make it easy to get out the message.
a
Greenhouse gas emissions are a classic case of the tragedy of the commons. A.True B.False
b
How is a cod fishery an example of the tragedy of the commons? A. Every boat must fish at a pace to sustain the ecosystem, and in the end no one gets enough fish. B. Every boat faces an incentive to catch as many fish as it can as quickly as possible because it knows that other boats will do the same thing—eventually leading to the collapse of the fishery's ecosystem. C. The fishing, while at a reasonable pace, is unregulated. D. A cod fishery is not like the tragedy of the commons.
d
How many people were on Senator Joseph McCarthy's lists of the so-called communists in the state department? A. 205 B. 81 C. 199 D. it changed daily
a
If 45% of the respondents in a poll of 1,500 people say they approve of the president's job performance, chances are 19 in 20 that the interval from 42% to 48% (45% plus or minus 3 points) covers the actual level of approval throughout the whole U.S. population. A.True B.False
a
Party entrepreneurs, for their part, have simply redesigned party organizations to operate more effectively in today's media-based electoral arena. A.True B.False
a
If one country acts unilaterally, while the others continue to produce greenhouse gases unabated, it will only gain a marginal reduction in worldwide emissions (the benefits of which will be shared equally by every nation) in exchange for: A. paying all the costs for retooling its energy infrastructure. B. a decrease in industry production. C. an increase in industry production. D. none of these.
b
If the healthy (and cheap!) patients get out of the risk pool, leaving the sicker (and more expensive) Americans in it, premiums for everyone will go down the following year. A.True B.False
a
If they could, politicians and the media would exploit the other since each possesses (and would prefer not to surrender) something the other needs. A.True B.False
d
Ignorance about an issue does not necessarily prevent people from expressing opinions. Pollsters: A. believe most people guess when they do not know how to feel about an issue. B. claim the fundamentally irrational way people approach their opinions means no attitudes are informed. C. are responsible for respondents giving ambivalent answers. D. can get as many as one third of the people they interview to offer opinions on entirely imaginary issues.
c
Illustrating the power of bloggers, in 1998, ____________ scooped Newsweek's Michael Isikoff by suggesting an inappropriate relationship existed between President Bill Clinton and a White House intern. A. the Huffington Post B. Jezebel C. the Drudge Report D. the Washington Pose
c
In 1972, the Democratic candidate, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, displayed his ignorance rather than appreciation of Jewish culture when he ordered __________ to go with his kosher hot dog while campaigning in a Jewish neighborhood in Queens, New York. A. beer B. wine C. milk D. orange juice
c
In An Economic Theory of Democracy, Anthony Downs defined a political party as: A. a collection of like-minded citizens, united in their purpose to advocate relevant policy preferences. B. any organization that seeks to influence the outcomes in elections. C. a team of men seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election. D. a machine-like apparatus with interchangeable parts (people).
a
In Federalist 10, the purpose of the term "republic" is to emphasize the distinction between democracy as the 18th-century Americans saw it and the proposed new system. A.True B.False
a
In a trial balloon: A. a politician "floats" a policy or some other idea with a reporter on the condition that the source of the story remain anonymous. B. a reporter "floats" around the halls of the White House waiting for a story. C. a reporter "floats" around the Supreme Court waiting for news on a trial. D. a politician "floats" a plan toward Congress—introducing a law anonymously.
b
In examining the case of the New York Times and the Pentagon papers, the Supreme Court's decision "any system of prior restraints of expression comes to this Court bearing a heavy presumption against its constitutional validity" means: A. the government had to demonstrate—and in this case did—that publication of the documents would damage national security. B. the government had to demonstrate—and in this case had failed to do so—that publication of the documents would damage national security. C. the burden of proving prior restraint was on the Supreme Court. D. the burden of proving prior restrain was on the President.
b
In general, opinion on whether to take a tougher or more conciliatory approach to dealing with the Soviets varied: A. as a function of the American economy. B. with U.S. perceptions of Soviet behavior. C. with involvement in other conflicts overseas. D. by age.
d
In general, the more government does: A. the less need there is for organized political action. B. the more it costs—in terms of taxes and transaction costs. C. the less accountability it has. D. the more incentives it creates for organized political action.
a
In measuring public opinion, as a sample gets larger (beyond 1,200-1,500 people): A. the rate of improvement in accuracy declines. B. the rate of improvement in accuracy increases. C. the rate of improvement in accuracy does not change. D. the rate of improvement in accuracy increases to about 10,000 people and then begins to decline.
a
In order to make entitlement reform as exciting as stealing automobiles or crushing candy, in 1994 the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform took the innovative step of designing the "Budget Shadows" video game, letting players solve the looming Medicare and Social Security shortfalls. A.True B.False
b
In theory, ideologies promote consistency among political attitudes by connecting them to a more general principle or set of principles. In practice, ideologies: A. are incoherently connected beliefs. B. often combine attitudes linked more by coalitional politics than by principle. C. are inherited from your parents. D. reflect little more than the emotion of the moment for most people.
a
In today's politics, primaries and caucuses effectively determine the parties' nominees. A.True B.False
a
Issue publics are subsets of the population that are better informed about an issue than everyone else because it touches them more directly and personally A.True B.False
b
Issue voting is: A. made more difficult by party labels because the typical positions of Republicans and Democrats do not differ in predictable ways on very many issues. B. made easier by party labels because the typical positions of Republicans and Democrats differ in predictable ways on many issues. C. not affected by party labels. D. is reserved for people who do not have a party identification.
b
It makes perfect sense to stay uninsured—as long as you remain healthy. A.True B.False
a
It was Mancur Olson who pointed out in 1965 that in order to organize effectively, people need to be motivated to join and lead groups. A.True B.False
b
James Madison would be comforted by the lack of organized "factions" in contemporary American politics. A.True B.False
a
Joseph McCarthy always appeared before television cameras with loose sheets of paper, which he could wave at the camera and claim contained the names of known: A. communists in the State Department. B. communists in the Justice Department. C. Soviet spies in the White House. D. "spies, vagrants, and other persona non grata."
a
Lobbying as a profession thus emerged with modern representative government and has flourished with the growing scope and complexity of government activities. A.True B.False
a
Lobbying expenditures are far greater than campaign contributions to Congress. A.True B.False
d
Lobbying is defined as: A. the press's habit of waiting just outside congressional hearings to interview politicians as they depart. B. the movement of a bill back and forth between the House and Senate. C. informal news conferences held by politicians on the steps of the legislature. D. appeals from citizens and groups to legislators for favorable policies and decisions.
b
Lobbyists dictate what goes on in Washington D C. A.True B.False
a
Local TV news broadcasts are typically rated more positively in terms of believability than any other mainstream news outlet. A.True B.False
b
Mandating primary elections has weakened the role of parties as official components of the electoral system. A.True B.False
a
Many early observers of the presidential selection process expected the House to make the choice most of the time. A.True B.False
a
Mary Landrieu's inability to get 60 votes on the Keystone Pipeline was a contributing factor to her loss in the next election. A.True B.False
a
Members of Congress are in a much stronger position to influence PACs than PACs are to influence them. A.True B.False
a
Modern efforts to measure, shape, and exploit public opinion have spawned two linked industries: A. scientific polling and public relations. B. scientific polling and advertising. C. public relations and political science. D. statistics and advertising.
a
Most policy Domains are of concern only to issue publics, so it is usually their opinions, not mass opinion, that matter to politicians. A.True B.False
b
Most scholarly research has found that political action committee are more influential on legislators than partisanship, ideology, or constituent preferences. A.True B.False
c
Most scholarly research has found that political action committees: A. control policy outcomes through their activities. B. easily circumvent the policy preferences of political constituents. C. exert, at most, only a modest effect on a legislator's decisions. D. exert, a strong, direct effect on a legislator's decisions.
b
Most scholars who study public opinion believe that expressed opinions seldom represent underlying attitudes. A.True B.False
b
Most successful large organizations circumvent the collective action problem by offering "selective incentives," which are benefits available to everyone regardless of membership in the group. A.True B.False
a
News producers, from journalism professors to corporate owners, fondly refer to themselves as occupying the "fourth branch of government." A.True B.False
c
No matter how well organized, electoral alliances fail: A. if one leader tries to take over. B. due to different goals and different factions competing for power. C. if they cannot get enough people to vote for their candidates. D. because there are always too many divisions within an alliance.
d
Once newspaper publishers and editors freed themselves from party control: A. they quickly went out of business without the financial support B. the coverage drifted away from politics and towards human interest stories C. the readership of the papers dropped sharply D. they discovered they were able to influence public opinion and, in turn, national politics
b
One consequence of the electoral reforms of the Progressive Era was to: A. shift the focus of electoral politics from candidates to issues. B. shift the focus of electoral politics from parties to candidates. C. implement restrictions on who could vote. D. shift the focus of electoral politics from candidates to parties.
c
One implication of our winner take all system is: A. unqualified candidates. B. a larger number of political parties. C. a smaller number of political parties. D. strange, often comical, legislation introduced into Congress.
a
One implication of the Electoral College is that the largest states do not necessarily see the most action. A.True B.False
a
Opinion leaders provide the cues that the rationally ignorant majority uses as shortcuts to forming its opinion. A.True B.False
b
Opinion polls find that almost every American supports the institutional underpinnings of modern democracy. When it comes to the practical application of these abstract values: A. consensus is still shared. B. consensus breaks down. C. about 50% of Americans want to remove the traditional freedoms. D. about 25% of Americans want to remove the traditional freedoms.
a
Organizations that rely on so called "moral incentives" for joining interest groups tend to grow when opponents run the government. A.True B.False
c
Pluralist politics is all about building coalitions, which means: A. the formation of interest groups for key policies. B. getting people to agree to disagree. C. getting people to agree on an action even in the absence of agreement on the purposes of the action. D. getting people to agree to an action as long as there is an agreement about the purpose of the action.
a
Political parties are: A. not mentioned in the Constitution B. prohibited by the Constitution, although the First Amendment overrides the prohibition
c
Political scientist John Aldrich observed, "A new form of party has emerged, one that is in service to its ambitious politicians but not ______ them." A. underneath B. an agent of C. in control of D. a product of
d
Political scientist V. O. Key Jr. defined public opinion as: A. "an unknown known" B. "the summary of what the media shares with the populous" C. "those opinions generated by information" D. "those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed"
b
Politicians can never trust the information provided by a lobbyist, so the costs of doing business are very high. A.True B.False
a
Politicians pay close attention to group differences in polling data because they determine feasible coalition building strategies. A.True B.False
a
Poll taxes, literacy tests, the requirement that voters reregister, and Voter ID laws are all examples of legislative efforts to discourage some groups from voting. A.True B.False
a
Pork projects in a district are examples of a tragedy of the commons because it is individually rational for each representative to overgraze the commons of the federal budget by spending too much in his or her district. A.True B.False
a
President Obama and his Republican Congress are an example of divided government. A.True B.False
c
Presidents have discovered what lead(s) to more favorable news coverage. A. working on domestic policy rather than foreign policy B. acting like a regular person—dinners out, family vacations, attending church C. foreign travel and visits to disaster sites D. supporting a position of American exceptionalism
a
Prior to scientific polling, members of Congress used to read the walls of bathrooms to understand how people felt about issues. A.True B.False
a
Prior to the 2012 election, more than a dozen states adopted a requirement that voters show a picture ID at the polls, which: A. raised the cost of participation for poor and minority voters. B. raised the cost of participation for wealthy, White voters. C. lowered the cost of participation for poor and minority voters. D. lowered the cost of participation for wealthy, White voters.
b
Prominent public interest groups: A. are limited to only those allowed by the federal government. B. tend to grow when opponents run the government and shrink when sympathetic politicians are in power. C. tend to shrink when opponents run the government and grow when sympathetic politicians are in power. D. are limited to only a certain set of issues
a
Republican party identifiers have _______________ overtime. A. become increasingly conservative B. become increasingly liberal C. stayed at the same level of conservative D. become somewhat more conservative, followed by somewhat less conservative
a
Republicans typically favor a smaller, cheaper federal government; they advocate lower taxes, less regulation of business, and lower spending on social welfare. They would be more generous only to the Defense Department. A.True B.False
a
Research suggests the most persuasive appeal to encourage turnout is a message that stresses the closeness of the election—and therefore increasing people's chances of being pivotal to the outcome. A.True B.False
a
Sarah Palin's use of twitter—rather than traditional campaign speeches—meant every tweet was covered extensively by the media. A.True B.False
b
Screaming headlines and sensational stories tempted newsstand browsers—this was known as blue journalism—a reference to the blue ink in which the comic strips were printed. A.True B.False
b
Since 1972, on average, about ______% of all eligible voters register and vote in presidential elections. A. 45 B. 58 C. 65 D. 73
b
Small groups are harder to organize because transaction costs are higher and free riding is more severe. A.True B.False
a
Specialized, fragmented groups are dependent on members of Congress or White House officials to build and lead legislative coalitions. A.True B.False
c
Tea Party activist Herman Cain is famous for which proposal? A. "No New Taxes" B. "Liberty or Death" C. "9-9-9" D. "New Dawn"
a
The "autopen," a mechanical device that can replicate the President's signature from afar. A.True B.False
a
The "good old days" can best be described as when the print journalists ruled the news and worked closely with politicians on the basis of mutual trust and profit. A.True B.False
b
The "party organization" refers to one part of a connected three-part system that is: A. composed of those voters who identify with the party and regularly vote for its nominees. B. dedicated to electing the party's candidates. C. only the party that is affiliated with the majority of the population. D. an alliance of current officeholders cooperating to shape public policy.
b
The 2010 and 2014 elections both saw large gains by the Democrats in Congress—not previously seen since the Johnson administration. A.True B.False
d
The 2012 Fiscal Cliff was avoided by the passage of: A. the Obama-Boehner Act. B. The Debt Reduction Act of 2012. C. Sequestration. D. the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.
b
The 2012 fiscal cliff occurred due to conflicts between Republican members of Congress and President Obama over: A. the Affordable Care Act and the federal marketplace. B. implementation of tax cuts and expiration of spending cuts. C. expiration of tax cuts and implementation of spending cuts. D. increasing taxes for the top 1%.
a
The 2012 focus on the appropriate strategy for invigorating the economy and bringing down the deficit is an example of candidate's opportunistic choice of issues. A.True B.False
c
The Affordable Care Act is an example of the ______ approach to a policy problem. A. direction B. illustrative C. command D. order
a
The Affordable Care Act stops free riding by making it illegal—everyone is required to purchase health insurance. A.True B.False
c
The Affordable Care Act's individual mandate was a prominent feature of ____________ health care reform in Massachusetts. A. Ted Kennedy B. Bill deBlasio C. Mitt Romney D. Bernie Sanders
b
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, brought much larger tax increases than the ones due to go into effect, with only the poorest few Americans seeing their taxes rise at all, in return for delaying the sequestration cuts. A.True B.False
b
The Civil War amendments did which of the following? A. ensured universal suffrage for all African Americans B. did not effectively extend the vote to African Americans C. ensured universal suffrage for African American males who owned property D. provided universal suffrage for women
a
The Democrat-Republicans protested the aristocratic inclinations of the federalists, eventually becoming known just as Democrats. A.True B.False
b
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act requires: A. hospitals to accept all forms of health insurance. B. an emergency room must provide you with services and care regardless of your ability to pay. C. people seek emergency medical treatment if they are in active labor. D. Congress to regulate the definition of "emergency."
a
The European Union, whose members have pledged to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030. A.True B.False
a
The Federalists, one of the first two major parties, faded as a national force when which of the following occurred? A. their pro-British leanings put them on the wrong side of the War of 1812 B. President Washington denounced them from the well of the Senate C. President Adams resigned from the party while in office D. their opposition to judicial review led Congress to ban them
a
The Framers, reacting against the arbitrary authority exercised by a king, created a system in which no one can dictate a solution on his or her own. A.True B.False
a
The National Automobile Dealers Association found itself exempt from oversight by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) due to a successful lobbying strategy focusing on: A. their role as an underdog, populist rhetoric, and wide distribution across the country B. their wealth and high level of campaign contributions C. their strategic interests in the political system D. the problems with Wall Street
d
The New Deal coalition of Democrats began to unravel due to which of the following issues? A. civil rights for African Americans B. the Vietnam War C. new economic initiatives such as housing subsidies and school nutrition programs D. all of these
a
The Republicans' competitive status is threatened, however, by demographic trends. The Republican coalition includes a disproportionate share of White (87%), male, older, religiously active, and socially conservative people, all shrinking portions of the electorate. A.True B.False
a
The Sedition Act in 1798: A. expressly forbade any criticism of the president and Congress. B. expressly forbade any printed commentary on the government. C. encouraged criticism of the president and Congress. D. encouraged printed commentary on the government.
b
The Sons of Liberty were an early public interest group well known for their subversive activities, including the publication of the Federalist Papers. A.True B.False
a
The Tax Reform Act of 1986 delivered on its promise of helping many, while hurting the finances of a few who had taken advantage of the many loopholes built into the tax code over time. A.True B.False
a
The United States holds ____________ elections for more public offices than any other nation in the world. A. more B. less C. about the same D. sometimes more and sometimes less, depending on the year
c
The United States withdrew from the Kyoto protocol because: A. they did not want to engage in treaties with third world countries. B. it held the United States to a stricter standard than other countries to make up for previous years of pollution. C. China and other developing nations did not ratify it. D. it would have required a disproportionate financial commitment.
a
The Watergate scandal broke and Richard Nixon was forced to resign largely due to which of the following? A. the Senate investigation spurred by the "leaks" of "Deep Throat," later revealed to be FBI bureaucrat Mark Felt B. the House investigation into impropriety in the savings and loan industry C. the Senate banking scandal D. the media coverage of his campaign finance scandal
d
The _____________ ballot, introduced during the Progressive Era and still in use today, lists candidates from all parties and is marked in the privacy of a voting booth. A. Pendleton B. Jackson C. Bipartisan D. Australian
a
The average politician has trouble getting his or her message to voters because he or she attracts too little news coverage and direct communication is far too expensive. A.True B.False
a
The basic necessities of any campaign are a candidate, a message, and a way to inform voters about both. A.True B.False
c
The best single predictor of how someone will vote in federal elections is: A. race. B. gender. C. party identification. D. religion.
c
The campaign to give women the right to vote was fueled by the hope that their presence in the electorate would: A. support the candidates their husbands supported. B. increase spending on social programs. C. improve the moral tone of political life. D. support Democratic candidates.
a
The chief reason for their longevity is that the institutions created by the Constitution make the payoffs for using parties—to candidates, voters, and elected officeholders—too attractive to forgo. A.True B.False
a
The civil rights movement inspired and instructed the subsequent stream of organizations that agitated for social change because organizers of social movements quickly imitate successful innovations, and each new group can draw on the experience of its predecessors. A.True B.False
b
The clamor of competing interest groups is blamed for: A. high transaction costs. B. policy gridlock. C. high conformity costs. D. a free rider problem.
a
The comprehensive report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in November 2014 warned that unless the unrestricted use of fossil fuels is phased out by the year 2100, the world faces: A. "severe, pervasive and irreversible damage." B. "a dangerous precedent." C. "the potential for extreme rain." D. "a dangerous depletion of fuels."
b
The demise of iron triangle has ended the criticism of pluralist politics. A.True B.False
a
The fact that in 2008 Barack Obama's vote ran about 7 percentage points higher among women than among men is an example of the gender gap in politics. A.True B.False
a
The fact that nonprofit organizations are exempt from most taxes make forming a group appealing. A.True B.False
c
The fact that people with lower incomes are more inclined to support spending on government services helpful to people like them: Social Security, student loans, food stamps, child care, and help for the homeless and people with higher incomes are notably less enthusiastic about government spending on social programs or taxing higher incomes at higher rates is best explained by: A. democracy. B. partisanship. C. economic self-interest. D. race and ethnicity
b
The federal system offers powerful incentives for _____________ to win and exercise political power. A. candidates B. political parties C. the media D. interest groups
c
The financial decline of modern newspapers can best be attributed to: A. the loss of newspaper barons. B. the decline of an educated readership in the United States. C. the loss of ad revenue caused by the Internet. D. escalating printing costs.
c
The framers knew self-government by direct democracy was impossible in the new nation due to: A. high conformity costs B. low conformity costs C. high transaction costs D. low transaction costs
d
The franking privilege: A. gives members of Congress free unlimited broadcast time. B. allows members of Congress early access to newspaper articles to check on how they are portrayed in the media. C. is responsible for the hostile relationship between elected officials and the press. D. allows members of Congress free access to the postal system for official correspondence.
c
The gender gap in politics is best defined by: A. women more supportive than men of civil rights and men more supportive of civil liberties. B. women more supportive than men of civil liberties and men more supportive of civil rights. C. women are more supportive than men of the Democratic Party and its candidates, and men more supportive of Republicans. D. women are more supportive than men of the Republican Party and its candidates, and men more supportive of Democrats.
a
The ultimate barrier to a more egalitarian campaign finance system is the First Amendment to the Constitution as it is currently interpreted by the Supreme Court. A.True B.False
c
The generation of journalists and social critics who exposed the lobbying methods used by the newly emerging industrial corporations and trusts in the post-Civil War era are collectively referred to as: A. yellow journalists. B. the mixers. C. muckrakers. D. the Know-Nothings.
a
The golden age of newspapers was so named because they held a monopoly over mass communication and were the only outlet for national political news. A.True B.False
a
The greatest barrier to successful media exposure: A. is the sheer volume of competing news stories chasing media outlets on any given news day. B. is the bias towards those sitting in office rather than those currently campaigning. C. is the number of newspapers currently printing. D. is the negative websites that tend to get the most traffic and therefore yield the most influence.
b
The greatest danger to a group is: A. the removal of non profit status. B. similar groups appealing to the same supporters. C. the defection of members to opposing groups. D. lack of access to elected officials.
b
The health-care bill demonstrated: A. that interest groups dominate the policy process—irrespective of elected officials' wishes. B. that a president claiming a policy mandate and legislative leaders using every trick up their sleeves are still the primary forces in the policy process. C. that a president claiming a policy mandate, combined with the help of interest groups are still the primary forces in the policy process. D. presidents can—and do—often work alone
c
The implications for social security of the long life span of baby boomers: A. Medicare and Social Security will pay out less money to retirees than they take in from workers. B. Medicare and Social Security will pay out the same amount of money to retirees than they take in from workers. C. Medicare and Social Security will pay out more money to retirees than they take in from workers. D. None of these
b
The largest interest group in the United States, AARP, was formed to market insurance to senior citizens, and it thrives by: A. also allowing nonmembers to buy insurance. B. providing members with a variety of selective benefits. C. delivering important services at a low price point. D. providing members with unique services available nowhere else.
a
The legality of political party activities are ensured by the first Amendment's guarantees of freedom to speak, write, and assemble. A.True B.False
a
The logic of lobbying is: A. People who want to influence government decisions quickly recognize the advantages of banding together and asking powerful friends to help out B. People who want to influence government decisions quickly recognize the advantages of paying someone to seek influence on their behalf C. People who want to influence government decisions quickly recognize the advantages of working alone to minimize conformity costs D. nonexistent. It does not make sense to lobby on behalf of policies that affect your life.
a
The messages candidates use in their campaigns depend very much on two things: A. the national context and what they can afford. B. who is running against them and what they can afford. C. the national context and who is running against them. D. the national context and their political party.
a
The most famous leaker in American history was "Deep Throat," who continuously provided news reporters at the Washington Post leads for investigating the June 1972 break-in at Democratic headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. A.True B.False
b
The most important information shortcut voters use to make predictions is the candidates recorded policy positions. A.True B.False
a
The most important logic of a fiscal cliff or a debt ceiling is that it motivates both sides to reach a compromise. A.True B.False
b
The most recent expansion of voting rights lowered the voting age of citizens to 18 years through the motor voter act. A.True B.False
a
The most recent expansion of voting rights—the Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971), which lowered the voting age of citizens to 18 years—also was a political move, one provoked by the Vietnam War. A.True B.False
b
The news media serve as a strictly neutral conduit for the flow of civic information to their intended audience. A.True B.False
c
The news media: A. can publish anything without fear of criminal or civil penalties because of freedom of the press. B. have unfettered access to the U.S. military, even during times of war. C. are the organizations that gather, package, and transmit the news through some proprietary technology. D. are responsible for publishing the Congressional Record.
a
The nomination process enables the parties to solve the coordination problem posed by competing presidential aspirants. A.True B.False
a
The object of the Federalist was to sway educated public opinion in favor of the Constitution. A.True B.False
a
The organization of modern Democrat and Republican parties can be depicted as pyramidal organization that function hierarchically. A.True B.False
b
The parties are the focus of modern political campaigns. A.True B.False
a
The party system is one durable institutional by-product of political ambition pursued under American electoral rules. A.True B.False
c
The political incentives for parties can best be explained by: A. man's natural desire to belong in a group—known as belongingness. B. the need to make voting easier through cues such as party identification. C. the idea that action requires winning majorities on a continuing basis in multiple settings, organization is absolutely essential. D. none of these
b
The process of acquiring political attitudes is known as political learning. A.True B.False
b
The profusion of news across the spectrum of political ideology has resulted in a better-informed citizenry. A.True B.False
d
The proliferation of alternative media gives viewers the opportunity: A. to select the news sources they find most congenial with their political views. B. to see even more sensationalized news. C. to opt out of political information all together D. all of these
a
The reason the challenge of reforming Medicare and Social Security has persisted for so long is that there is so much to lose, politically, from offering a painful solution, and so much for each party to gain by letting the other party go first in proposing it. A.True B.False
a
The relationship between politicians and reporters is built on a tension between reciprocity and competition. A.True B.False
a
The rise of public interest groups and the fragmentation of the interest group universe as well as the ability of legislators to learn from past mistakes, broke up the ______ made up of members of Congress, lobbyists, and regulatory agencies. A. iron triangles B. gridlock C. policy experts D. government
b
The rise of public interest groups and the fragmentation of the interest group universe has increased concern about the role of iron triangles and captured agencies. A.True B.False
a
The superdelegates accounted for almost 20% of the votes at the 2008 Democratic Party's presidential nominating convention. A.True B.False
b
The term "dead end" is used to describe the teetering finances of federal, state, and local governments. A.True B.False
c
The term "straw poll," an analogy for finding out what public opinion is, refers to: A. political parties choosing candidates when delegates drop straws in a box as they vote for one candidate or another. B. the colonial practice of allowing cows to choose from two different bales of hay to test the flavor. C. tossing straws in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. D. drawing straws to see who gets the short straw.
a
The threat of collective punishment by the voters gives the majority party a strong incentive to govern in ways that please voters. A.True B.False
c
The threat of replacement provides elected officials with: A. a powerful desire to do nothing. B. a fear of doing the wrong thing. C. a powerful incentive to listen to their constituents. D. none of these.
c
The transformation of newspapers into instruments of mass communication meant that: A. the number of subscribers increased. B. politicians had more papers to monitor and therefore spent more of their time dealing with the media. C. politicians frequently found themselves bowing to powerful editors and publishers. D. the public no longer got its political news from the newspapers.
a
The two most prominent entitlements are: A. Medicare and Social Security. B. Medicare and foodstamps. C. Social Security and foodstamps. D. Medicare and welfare.
b
The two-party system arises from ______________ in the winner-take-all competition for the presidency. A. constitutional requirements B. strategic voting C. personal preference D. compulsory voting
a
The two-party system has been strengthened by laws that treat the parties as official components of the electoral machinery. A.True B.False
d
The vast network of organizations engaged in measuring or trying to influence public opinion underlines the reality that: A. measuring public opinion is a straightforward task. B. measuring public opinion is a challenging, if not impossible, task. C. public opinion's influence is fairly simple. D. public opinion's influence is rarely simple or unmediated.
b
The women's suffrage movement grew directly out of: A. the lack of constitutional attention to women. B. the antislavery movement. C. the reconstruction period. D. none of these.
b
The years of the Monroe presidency were dubbed the Era of Good Feelings because unemployment was low, GDP was high, and there were no international conflicts. A.True B.False
b
There is little to no incentive in an electoral system for officeholders to remain faithful agents. A.True B.False
d
Thomas Jefferson explained to a friend: "The basis of our government being, the very first object should be to keep that right.": A. consent of the governed B. the continuation of the Constitution C. a very strong federal government D. the opinion of the people
d
Thomas Jefferson once declared that, with respect to political parties: A. "without parties, elections are like a fire bell in the night, striking fear in my heart" B. "a division of the republic into two great parties . . . is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution." C. "They are the only proper restraint to the mischief of factions" D. "If I could not get to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all"
d
Throughout U.S. history, party coalitions have shifted periodically in response to: A. constitutional amendments. B. the party in power. C. desires, facts, and preferences. D. new national issues and conflicts.
a
To attract audience attention in the ever changing media environment, producers and editors will often package the news in more sensational ways. A.True B.False
b
To characterize the news media businesses discredits their integrity as suppliers of vital civic information. A.True B.False
b
To maintain the freedoms specified in the First Amendment—to speak, publish, assemble, and "petition the Government for a redress of grievances"—a political system should remove any evidence of factions. A.True B.False
a
To succeed, politicians should not worry about changing minds, but instead focus on framing the choice they are facing favorably. A.True B.False
d
Today, almost percent of television households subscribe to cable or to satellite services: A. 25 B. 40 C. 60 D. 90
b
Turnout in midterm elections, generally is higher for the least educated, who don't realize the futility of voting. A.True B.False
d
Typically more than half of voters tell pollsters that the two major parties: A. are a solid representation of American opinions. B. need at least one more party to represent minority voters. C. do such a great job that a major third party is not needed. D. do such a poor job that a third major party is needed.
b
Typically only 20% of voters tell pollsters that the two major parties do such a bad job that a third party is needed. A.True B.False
b
Which of the following describes the distribution of those willing to call themselves Democrats or Republicans—that is, partisan identification—from 1952 through 2010? A. it fluctuated wildly B. it remained surprisingly stable C. it has steadily and gradually declined D. it has steadily and sharply increased
d
Which of the following helps to solve the massive coordination problem faced by millions of voters trying to act collectively to control or replace their agents? A. polling B. voting C. campaigns D. elections
a
Which of the following is a factor in what the news media chooses to cover? A. the story's level of controversy B. sensitivity—"safe" topics are preferred to divisive topics C. positivity—good news is preferred to bad news D. accuracy—who has the more accurate information
b
Which of the following is a reason the surfrider foundation was successful in mobilizing members? A. The issue threatened something trivial in their daily lives. B. Surfrider had also assembled an organizational structure that allowed its members to quickly mobilize. C. They were focused on many achievable goals. D. They avoided protests—which took too much time—and focused instead on letter writing campaigns.
b
Which of the following is a resource needed to gain influence? A. products B. access C. donations D. time
a
Which of the following is a strategy used to monitor elected leaders? A. frequent elections B. executive orders C. memoranda D. reports
a
Which of the following is an example of a free rider problem? A. voting B. soft money donations C. women's suffrage D. none of these
a
Which of the following is an example of an entitlement? A. Medicare B. federal highway funding C. property tax D. sales tax
b
Which of the following is an example of an infotainment news program? A. Anything on Fox news B. the Daily Show C. House of Cards D. Sports Center
c
Which of the following is true about opinion leaders? A. They are limited to the media elite who tell individuals how they should think. B. They are limited to the political elite who tell individuals how they should think and who make the decisions for the country. C. They are a small segment of the public that forms opinions by paying close attention to political events and issues and from whom the uninformed majority takes cues about the issues. D. They are those who agree with the majority.
a
Which of the following is true about the practices of selecting leaders by ballot and limiting suffrage? A. These ideas arrived with the settlers from England, and many of the suffrage restrictions survived the Revolution. B. These ideas were meant to remedy the failures of the Articles of Confederation. C. These ideas failed to be adopted by the colonists. D. These ideas were primarily used in the South.
b
Which of the following is true about the two-party system in the United States? A. it is mandated by Article II of the Constitution B. it has continued with a few exceptions since shortly after the nation's founding C. it is like most other modern democracies in the world D. it was a goal of the Framers who believed parties were essential to maintaining democracy
d
Which of the following is true of The Tax Reform Act of 1986? A. The measure was "revenue positive," meaning that it increased the total amount of money that the government was projected to take in through tax receipts. B. The Tax Reform Act increased the individual income tax rates that most American workers pay. C. The Tax Reform Act increased taxes on the top 1% of the population. D. The Tax Reform Act increased taxes on corporations and on capital gains, and eliminating US$30 billion in loopholes.
b
Which of the following terms best describes the Young Invincibles? A. resourceful young people B. free riders C. strategic consumers D. vagrants
d
Which of the following was a consequence of expanding the voting franchise? A. The propertyless despoiled the propertied. B. Votes for women immediately transformed electoral politics. C. Wealthy, White men were no longer elected in large numbers. D. A decline in the percentage of those eligible who turn out to vote
c
Which of the following was a government demand made by Republicans of President Obama to postpone a government default by another year during the 2013 government shutdown? A. a repeal of the Affordable Care Act B. a decrease in taxes for the wealthiest 10% C. fast tracking the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline D. increase in immigration deportations
a
Which of the following was part of Representative Dave Camp's plan to revise the tax code? A. flattening the progressive income tax out into just two rates B. increasing many tax deductions and loopholes C. removing surtaxes on the biggest banks and the wealthiest individuals D. creating a flat, nationwide sales tax of 10%
a
Which of the following was true about the 2012 party platforms, which were statements of the policy positions of each party? A. Few voters learn of the differences between the parties from them; rather, voters learned about the parties' positions through political news and campaign advertising. B. They were most voters' primary sources for learning the differences between the parties. C. They were very similar in the policies advocated by both major parties. D. They avoided controversial topics such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and guns in order to appeal to the swing voters.
b
Which of the following weakened traditional party organizations and ended their monopoly control of campaigns? A. the primary system B. progressive era reforms C. the emergence of national party conventions D. none of the above
b
Which of the following would be most liberal? A. resident of the mountain states B. city dweller C. evangelical Christian D. senior citizen
a
While minorities show distinct opinion and voting patterns, their views tend to reflect the group's economic status rather than particularly ethnic views. A.True B.False
b
Who began a description of a fellow partisan's tax bill with "Blah, blah, blah." A. Barack Obama B. John Boehner C. Nancy Pelosi D. Marcy Kaptur
a
With so many groups capable of vigorously defending themselves, some observers argue that it is impossible to initiate any change that imposes concentrated costs to achieve general benefits even if the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. A.True B.False
b
Within a few decades of ratification of the First Amendment, the notion that the free press would guard the citizenry's liberties against the designs of ambitious politicians: A. had proven to be precisely the way the free press developed. B. had been replaced by the press as dedicated partisan boosters. C. had been enshrined in the Constitution as part of the first amendment. D. was undermined by the Supreme Court when it struck the words "press" from the Bill of Rights.
a
Without a job that provides health care, you pay a larger insurance bill all on your own. A.True B.False
b
Women first gained the right to vote in certain western territories because they were hotbeds of radical democracy. A.True B.False
b
Working journalists are so eager to cover politics that they are willing to appear as though they are working as their paid publicists. A.True B.False
b
You can retire as early as 50 or as late as 80, and your social security check will be smaller or larger based on when you retire. A.True B.False
a
_____________ explains how both the mass media and political campaigns can affect people's expressed political opinions. A. Framing B. Priming C. Measurement error D. Respondent bias
d
_________________ was a sign put up by Bill Clinton's campaign manager in 1992 to keep focus on the campaign's most powerful message. A. "Compassionate conservatism" B. "Change we can believe in" C. "Forward" D. "the economy, stupid"
a
_______________—getting people to agree on an action in the absence of agreement on the purposes of the action—is what pluralist politics is all about, and it is as fundamental to electoral politics as it is to governing. A. Mobilizing B. Voting C. Building coalitions D. Registering
