PSC 101 Unit 3, Part 3 (Political Participation)

527 committees are an important part of the American political system because they a. operate the caucuses of each of the two main political parties. b. work closely with political parties to coordinate election campaign strategies and fund-raising efforts. c. are charged with enforcing the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. d. are able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as they do not coordinate their activities with a political party.

d. are able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as they do not coordinate their activities with a political party.

Match the U.S. Supreme Court case to the effect it had on campaign spending.

McCutcheon et al. v. FEC (2014): removed limits on how many PACs or candidates an individual can give to Buckley v. Valeo (1974): introduced idea that campaign contributions count as speech Citizens United v. FEC (2010): government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations

Why can it be difficult to find quality candidates to run for office?

correct answers: - Candidates expect to have their lives scrutinized during a campaign. - Party leaders are rarely willing to offer monetary support unless a candidate can raise some funds on his or her own. - Even running for a lower office requires raising large sums of money. incorrect answers: - Political parties do not invest a lot of energy in candidate recruitment.

Which of the following statements is best supported by this figure?

even unpopular candidates win the vast majority of their own party's voters

Winners of _____ elections go on to face each other in the _____ election.

primary, general

Rank the following elections by voter turnout levels, from highest participation rate to lowest.

1. Presidential elections 2. Midterm elections 3. State and local elections

Put these major moments in the history of American political parties in order from earliest to latest.

1. The federalists represent New England merchants and argue for protective tariffs 2. The Democrats and Whigs become the two major political parties 3. The Republican Party comes into excistence 4. The New Deal realignment leaves the Democratic Party dominate for several decades

Which statement best characterizes the influence average citizens and party elites have over the nomination process in the United States? a. Although average citizens have some influence in the nominations process, party elites play an outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election. b. Although party elites have some influence in the nominations process, average citizens play an outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election. c. Party leaders and average citizens play roughly equal roles in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election. d. Party leaders are legally prohibited from playing any role in the nominations process.

a. Although average citizens have some influence in the nominations process, party elites play an outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election.

_____ has led to an increasing number of people who would be disappointed that their child marry someone of an opposing party. a. Polarization b. Dealignment c. Realignment d. Divided government

a. Polarization

From 1896 to 1932, the ________ Party was the nation's majority party. a. Republican b. Democratic c. Populist d. Whig

a. Republican

Which of the following statements about age and political participation is true? a. Young people are far less likely to participate in politics than older people. b. Young people are just as likely to participate in politics as older people. c. Neither young people nor older people participate much in politics. d. Both old people and young people participate in politics at a very high level.

a. Young people are far less likely to participate in politics than older people.

Which of the following occurs when one party replaces another party that has dominated national politics for a lengthy period of time? a. an electoral realignment b. proportional representation c. divided party government d. external mobilization

a. an electoral realignment

Presidential candidates who accept federal funding for their general election campaigns a. are subject to strict expenditure limits. b. can spend unlimited amounts of their own money but cannot spend any money donated to their campaign through a political action committee. c. can spend unlimited amounts of money donated to their campaign through a political action committee but cannot spend any of their own money. d. face no limits on their expenditures.

a. are subject to strict expenditure limits.

Which of the following characteristics constitutes one's socioeconomic status? a. level of income, level of education, and prestige of occupation b. level of income, level of political participation, and number of friends c. level of income, level of political participation, and level of intelligence d. level of education, number of friends, and age

a. level of income, level of education, and prestige of occupation

Generally speaking, a recall effort begins with a a. petition campaign. b. lawsuit. c. law passed by the state legislature. d. decree by the governor.

a. petition campaign.

In which of the following years was there an electoral realignment? a. 1864 b. 1896 c. 1942 d. 1976

b. 1896

From the end of the Civil War to the 1890s, the ________ Party was the party of the North, while the ________ Party was the party of the South. a. Democratic; Republican b. Republican; Democratic c. Federalist; Whig d. Whig; Federalist

b. Republican; Democratic

Partisan loyalty is likely to be highest in the election of a. the president. b. a state legislator. c. a U.S. senator. d. a governor.

b. a state legislator.

Political parties facilitate electoral choice by a. nominating multiple candidates to run against each other in the general election. b. creating a brand that can be used as a shortcut for voters. c. making primaries or caucuses as closed as possible. d. funding campaign advertisements.

b. creating a brand that can be used as a shortcut for voters.

The campaign funds raised and spent by 501(c)(4) organizations are called "dark money" because a. they are technically illegal under an unenforced provision of federal campaign finance law. b. donors and amounts contributed do not have to be made public. c. they can only be used during nonelection years. d. they are only used to support candidates from relatively unknown third parties.

b. donors and amounts contributed do not have to be made public.

Direct democracy allows voters the opportunity to directly translate their preferences into government policy. Match the following characteristics of direct democracy to their respective form—ballot initiatives or referenda.

ballot initiative: - allows citizens to place proposed law directly on ballot referendum: - state legislature refers laws to voters for popular vote - present in 50 states

Which of the following politicians was recalled from office? a. President Warren Harding (1921) b. New York City mayor David Dinkins (1993) c. California governor Gray Davis (2003) d. President Richard Nixon (1972)

c. California governor Gray Davis (2003)

Which three types of factors influence the decisions of voters at the polls? a. wealth, education, and issues b. advertising, partisan loyalty, and personality c. partisan loyalty, issues, and the characteristics of candidates d. advertising, debates, and issues

c. partisan loyalty, issues, and the characteristics of candidates

Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to a. take nominations for leadership positions within the party. b. vote on the party's platform. c. select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election. d. raise money to spend on the party's preselected candidate for the general election.

c. select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election.

Politicians attempt to "balance the ticket" with members of many important groups because a. interest groups frequently engage in direct lobbying to enhance diversity in campaigns. b. affirmative action legislation from the 1960s requires proportional representation in all elections. c. voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background. d. the Constitution requires at least minimal levels of representation in election campaigns.

c. voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background.

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the stability of party identification?

correct answers: - Individuals rarely change their party identification. - Looking at the electorate as a whole, party identification is stable. incorrect answers: - Individuals commonly change their party identification.

Why are third parties often short-lived?

correct answers: - The major parties absorb their programs and their popular ideas. incorrect answers: - Nearly all third parties disappear after their first electoral setback. - Successful third-party politicians decide to run for major-party spots. - Ballot access requirements get more stringent for older parties.

When is party identification most likely to influence a person's vote choice?

correct answers: - when that person is unfamiliar with the issues - when that person knows little about the candidates - when that person is voting on state legislative candidates incorrect answers: - when that person is voting on presidential candidates

_____ is the theory that plurality voting rules in single member districts leads to there being only two viable parties that can win elections in those districts. a. The Lemon test b. Party theory c. Common law d. Duverger's Law

d. Duverger's Law

External mobilization occurs when a. conflicts within the government create divided factions that try to mobilize popular support. b. party leaders try to rally support for their platforms once they are in the government. c. citizens deemed to be undesirable outsiders are excluded from the party. d. a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power.

d. a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power.

A _____ is an organized event where a candidate presents information about theirself and their policies. a. party b. protest c. holler d. stump speech

d. stump speech

In general, _____ enact(s) laws that expand voting access, and _____ enact(s) laws that restrict voting. a. the national government; state governments b. state governments; the national governments c. local governments; state governments d. referendums; initiatives

not b

What is the key feature that makes American political parties different from interest groups?

they try to control the government by winning elections

More stringent voter ID laws reduce overall turnout. (t/f)

true

Which of the following groups was NOT part of the New Deal coalition? a. Jews b. Catholics c. Asian Americans d. African Americans

not d lol

Match each example of political participation to whether it represents digital or traditional participation.

traditional: - has existed since the founding of the country - includes voting digital: - becoming more popular over time - includes signing an online petition