Combine, American Politics: Chapter 9 Pre and Post Test, American Politics Chapter 7 Pre and Post Tests

Members of the House of Representatives are selected by a. voters in single-member districts. b. proportional representation. c. the Senate. d. the state legislatures.

a. voters in single-member districts.

Which of the following is the best description of party organizations in America? a. America does not really have party organizations. b. Party organizations are decentralized and not hierarchical. c. Party organizations are made up of the voters who support a party. d. Elected officeholders in Congress control party organizations.

b. Party organizations are decentralized and not hierarchical.

The rules of presidential primaries and caucuses are determined a. by the federal government. b. by the national party organizations. c. by the Supreme Court. d. by state party organizations.

d. by state party organizations.

Fivethirtyeight and The Upshot are websites that focus on data-driven stories. They are examples of what kind of news? a. yellow b. soft c. investigative d. hard

d. hard

Turnout in presidential elections is __________ when compared to midterm elections. a. slightly lower b. relatively equal c. slightly higher d. significantly higher

d. significantly higher

__________ is defined as one party controlling Congress but not the presidency or different parties controlling the House and Senate. a. Divided government b. Unified government c. Polarized politics d. Gridlock politics

a. Divided government

The __________ was created with the central goal of preventing any single media company from dominating the airwaves in a geographical area. a. Federal Communications Commission b. Equal Opportunity Commission c. Federal Trade Commission d. Securities and Exchange Commission

a. Federal Communications Commission

There is a common (if unfortunate) saying in the press that "if it bleeds, it leads," meaning that if a story involves violence or crime, it is likely to make the news. Why is this the case? a. The media is a business and as such has to constantly worry about attracting viewers and readers. b. The media has the ability to shape the way people view the world through filtering and framing. c. Reporters prefer to work on gritty "true-life" stories rather than more positive features. d. Politicians are so wary of reporters these days that journalists are forced to rely on crime-related stories to fill their quota.

a. The media is a business and as such has to constantly worry about attracting viewers and readers.

If the Democrats control the Senate and the White House and the Republicans control the House of Representatives, what is this an example of? a. divided government b. conditional party government c. unified government d. Duverger's Law

a. divided government

Which part of the news is most often "horse race coverage"? a. election coverage b. stock market coverage c. foreign affairs coverage d. health care coverage

a. election coverage

Select the correct party coalition for the modern Democratic party: a. ethnic and racial minorities, the religiously unaffiliated, and the Millennial generation b. white evangelicals, Mormons, and white southerners c. ethnic and racial minorities, white southerners, and the Millennial generation d. white evangelicals, white southerners, and Asian Americans

a. ethnic and racial minorities, the religiously unaffiliated, and the Millennial generation

News Corp. is a major corporation that owns Fox Broadcasting, Fox News, DirecTV, more than 40 other cable channels, several major newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, several weekly magazines, and a variety of film studios. News Corp. is an example of which of the following media concepts? a. media conglomerate b. yellow journalism c. soft news outlet d. penny press

a. media conglomerate

If President Obama's chief of staff meets with an individual reporter with the understanding that the information gathered from the interview can be used only if the source is not referenced, this interview is considered a. off the record. b. immune from the fairness doctrine. c. a right of rebuttal. d. illegal due to the equal time rule.

a. off the record.

The MOST important method by which campaigns are conducted in America today is a. paid campaign advertising b. social media c. news coverage d. retail politics

a. paid campaign advertising

Juan considers himself a Republican, while Mariah considers herself a Democrat. These are examples of their a. party ID b. party coalition c. caucus d. party in government

a. party ID

If a voting system has a rule that whichever candidate receives the most votes wins, even if he or she does not get over 50 percent of the votes, we describe that system as what kind of voting? a. plurality b. single-member c. majority d. Australian

a. plurality

All Democratic primaries and caucuses (and some Republican primaries and caucuses) use a system where the number of delegates a candidate receives is determined by the percentage of the popular vote he or she received. This is known as what kind of system? a. proportional allocation b. winner-take-all c. open primary d. plurality voting

a. proportional allocation

The Second Party System ultimately split over the issue of a. slavery. b. Reconstruction. c. the creation of the greenback. d. the Spanish-American War.

a. slavery.

Which tools do virtually every political organization in America use some or all of for keeping in touch with supporters and offering their own point of view on the issues they care about? a. social media sites b. monthly newsletters c. op-ed columns in local newspapers d. op-ed columns in national newspapers

a. social media sites

Framing is the influence on public opinion as a result of a. the way a story is presented or covered, including the details, explanations, and context offered in the report. b. a story that covers one candidate or policy favorably without providing similar coverage of the other side. c. journalists' decisions about which news stories to cover. d. positive or negative coverage of a candidate or issue.

a. the way a story is presented or covered, including the details, explanations, and context offered in the report.

What is the Democratic Party's goal in creating superdelegates? a. to ensure the nominee is someone the officials believe can win the general election b. to help increase the fund-raising advantage for the nominee c. to reduce the risk of partisan in-fighting in selecting the party's nominee d. to reduce the importance of the party in selecting the nominee

a. to ensure the nominee is someone the officials believe can win the general election

A __________ is a tax-exempt group that is not subject to contribution limits and spending caps and that is formed primarily to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose a candidate. a. political action committee (PAC) b. 527 organization c. political party d. union

b. 527 organization

Andrew Jackson was the founder of which political party? a. Republican b. Democratic c. Whig d. Federalist

b. Democratic

The noted benefits of __________ include a diversity of viewpoints, lower barriers to publication, and a depth of available information. a. the penny press b. Internet news c. traditional newspapers d. local news stations

b. Internet news

Even though the proliferation of the Internet has created thousands of potential sources for Americans, citizenry remains poorly informed about politics. Which is the MOST likely cause of this? a. Few have access to the Internet. b. Most people are disinterested in following politics. c. Even though there are millions of Internet sites, few deal with politics. d. The quality of information on the Internet is poor.

b. Most people are disinterested in following politics.

According to the by-product theory, which of the following is the MOST likely method by which Americans learn about politics? a. They read two or three newspapers each day with the primary aim of understanding the major issues occurring in state and national politics. b. They watch The Daily Show and learn about politics while laughing at Trevor Noah's reports. c. They rely on primary sources, such as congressional debates and presidential speeches, to understand their political world. d. They rely on a mix of primary sources and major newspapers' political pages to examine the most important public policy debates facing our nation.

b. They watch The Daily Show and learn about politics while laughing at Trevor Noah's reports.

This kind of news pits the press and politicians as opponents, wherein the media focuses on scandals and controversies that politicians find themselves in. a. hard news b. attack journalism c. yellow journalism d. horse race

b. attack journalism

Which of the following is NOT an example of a voting cue? a. party ID b. election rules c. economic conditions at the time of the vote d. personal characteristics of candidates

b. election rules

What is "soft news"? a. investigative journalism b. news that is sensational or entertaining c. news stories from wire services d. news focused on campaigns and which candidates are surging ahead or falling behind

b. news that is sensational or entertaining

Which type of rules allow for the most possible people to participate in a primary? a. closed b. open c. proportional allocation d. semi-closed

b. open

From 1897 until 1932 one of the major parties, the Republicans, won most presidential elections, while the other major party, the Democrats, won when the Republicans were divided. The major issues of the time were industrialization and immigration. The Republicans had the support of business, while the Democrats relied on urban immigrants and southern whites. This description is an example of a a. party organization. b. party system. c. realignment. d. party in the electorate.

b. party system.

A citizen's judgment of an officeholder's job performance since the last election is called a. prospective evaluation. b. retrospective evaluation. c. reflective election. d. calculated expectation.

b. retrospective evaluation.

Garland votes for a Democrat for Senate and a Republican for president. This is best described as an example of what kind of voting? a. retrospective b. split-ticket c. prospective d. straight-ticket

b. split-ticket

Modern presidential campaigns are primarily conducted through what kind of advertising? a. Internet b. television c. print, billboard, and bumper sticker d. personal contact with the candidate

b. television

Which of the following is NOT considered a "fundamental" of an election? a. the breakdown in party ID b. the quality of each candidate's campaign c. the economic conditions in the country d. the rules under which the election takes place

b. the quality of each candidate's campaign

The state of New Jersey has 12 U.S. House members, and therefore the state of New Jersey is allocated __________ members in the Electoral College. a. 10 b. 12 c. 14 d. 15

c. 14

Which of the following groups identify overwhelmingly as Democrats? a. seniors b. white evangelical Protestants c. African Americans d. Libertarians

c. African Americans

How are the number of electors for each state determined in the Electoral College? a. Each state has an equal number of electors. b. States receive electors based on the size of their population. c. Each state receives an elector for every member of the House and Senate it has. d. Congress decides the number of electors for each state after the census is completed each decade.

c. Each state receives an elector for every member of the House and Senate it has.

______ are generally told to reporters with the goal of getting positive press coverage, though often they are told ______ the record, so that sources can stay anonymous. a. Frames; off b. Frames; on c. Leaks; off d. Leaks; on

c. Leaks; off

Newspaper readership has __________ over the past decade. a. increased b. remained stable c. decreased d. experienced both sharp increases and decreases

c. decreased

A candidate's efforts to mobilize voters all come together on Election Day through his or her a. legal challenges. b. coattails. c. ground game. d. fund-raising.

c. ground game.

A runoff election is likely when a state uses __________ voting. a. compulsory b. plurality c. majority d. partisan

c. majority

Runoff elections are usually found in combination with what other election rule? a. plurality voting b. proportional representation c. majority voting d. superdelegates

c. majority voting

Newspapers, television stations, and podcasts are all examples of a. media conglomerates. b. soft news. c. mass media. d. horse race coverage.

c. mass media.

What do we call the principal or main body in each party organization in America? a. party caucus b. party conference c. national committee d. political action committee

c. national committee

Which of the following is the earliest form of media in the United States? a. television b. the radio c. newspapers d. the internet

c. newspapers

Which of the following is an organization that runs candidates for office and coordinates the actions of affiliated elected officials? a. caucus b. interest group c. political party d. social movement

c. political party

Imagine there are two parties, the Klingons and the Ferengis. Usually the two parties are pretty competitive, but over the course of a decade the Klingons start winning more and more elections until they are clearly the dominant party. This is an example of what phenomenon? a. party ID b. party coalitions c. realignment d. caucusing

c. realignment

Duverger's Law states that in a democracy with __________, only two parties' candidates will have a realistic chance of winning political office. a. single-member districts and majoritarian voting b. multimember districts and majoritarian voting c. single-member districts and plurality voting d. multimember districts and plurality voting

c. single-member districts and plurality voting

In a plurality voting system a. whoever gets 50 percent or more of the votes wins. b. each elected official represents a single geographic area. c. whoever gets the most votes wins. d. if no one gets 50 percent or more of the vote, you have a run-off election.

c. whoever gets the most votes wins.

Why do campaigns care about GOTV/ground game efforts? a. GOTV efforts are more closely regulated by the FEC. b. The more large rallies a campaign holds, the better chance it has of winning. c. Television advertising is more cost effective than other forms of advertising. d. In close elections, mobilizing voters can make a big difference.

d. In close elections, mobilizing voters can make a big difference.

Which statement best characterizes the nature of political action committees and 527s? a. They generally coordinate closely with the political parties. b. They are run by party leadership. c. They almost always agree with the party's positions. d. They are not part of the political party organization.

d. They are not part of the political party organization.

Which of the following individuals would be MOST likely to vote? a. a young white male who is unemployed b. a middle-aged Hispanic female c. a high school-educated white male d. a white, middle-aged college graduate

d. a white, middle-aged college graduate

Media that is transmitted over airwaves, such as radio and basic television stations, is known as _______ media. a. conglomerate b. yellow c. soft d. broadcast

d. broadcast

A straight ticket is a ballot on which voters select a. only candidates whose names they recognize. b. only incumbent candidates. c. all male or all female candidates. d. candidates from only one political party.

d. candidates from only one political party.

Which of the following represents a legal hurdle for reporters when publishing controversial government information? a. fairness doctrine b. equal time rule c. right of rebuttal d. clear and present danger test

d. clear and present danger test

Money that is used specifically to elect or defeat a specific candidate is known as _____ money. a. soft b. real c. fiat d. hard

d. hard

During election season, many nightly news shows focus primarily (if not entirely) on the latest polls and the latest campaign strategies. Rarely are policy disagreements discussed. This is an example of what kind of coverage? a. hard news b. attack journalism c. yellow journalism d. horse race

d. horse race

The __________ is one in which individuals who work for the winning party are rewarded with benefits such as jobs in government. a. New Deal Coalition b. party principle c. caucus system d. spoils system

d. spoils system

When Donald Trump hosted Saturday Night Live during the Republican presidential primary season, NBC had to give other candidates free advertising slots so that they did not violate which rule? a. the fairness doctrine b. the shield law c. the norm of unbiasedness d. the equal time provision

d. the equal time provision

The __________ parties defined the First Party System on the issue of the proper role and size of the national government. a. Federalist and Democratic-Republican b. Whig and Democratic c. Federalist and Whig d. Freedom and Socialist

a. Federalist and Democratic-Republican

__________ refers to the media's ability to decide which issues are covered and which are ignored and to provide either more or less information about important political issues. a. Filtering b. Priming c. Blissful ignorance d. News elitism

a. Filtering

When do nominating conventions happen? a. every four years when a party must pick its presidential candidate b. at the start of every new Congressional session c. throughout the campaign season during election years d. whenever the Supreme Court has an opening

a. every four years when a party must pick its presidential candidate

J. Jonah Jameson, editor of the newspaper the Daily Bugle, has to decide every day which stories his paper will cover and which they will not. He will generally cover any story involving crime and punishment, but he rarely runs stories about political corruption. This is an example of what media effect? a. filtering b. framing c. priming d. slant

a. filtering

A __________ is a set of promises explaining what the party's candidates will do if elected. a. party platform b. primary platform c. caucus covenant d. campaign covenant

a. party platform

The ability of parties to ensure that those who run for office do so effectively and that those who win responsibly uphold their elective positions most clearly demonstrates which benefit of political parties? a. recruiting good candidates b. working together in campaigns c. working together in office d. citizens' behavior

a. recruiting good candidates

What is opposition research? a. sending staffers to attend opponents' events with video cameras in the hopes of recording embarrassing behavior or statements b. combing through a candidate's old voting records to find votes that contradict policy statements c. using push polls to shift public perception of the candidate d. using focus group interviews to determine what viewers think the opponent's weaknesses are

a. sending staffers to attend opponents' events with video cameras in the hopes of recording embarrassing behavior or statements

Whom does a shield law protect? a. sources b. reporters c. newspaper editors d. story subjects

a. sources

In a spoils system, a. supporters of the winning party are rewarded. b. opponents of the winning party are punished. c. elections rarely have consequences. d. political jobs are given to those with the most merit and qualifications.

a. supporters of the winning party are rewarded.

Who is the incumbent? a. the current officeholder, running for reelection b. the candidate who raises the most money during the campaign c. the official candidate for a political party, running in the general elections d. the label for whoever is leading in the polls on the day of the election

a. the current officeholder, running for reelection

When surveyed, Democrats believe that the media favors Republicans and Republicans believe it favors Democrats. This is known as a. the hostile media effect. b. yellow journalism. c. the filtering effect. d. the framing effect.

a. the hostile media effect.

The view that "my vote will not make a difference" is an important part of what question in political science? a. the paradox of voting b. issue voting c. retrospective voting d. political apathy

a. the paradox of voting

Which of the following is an example of wholesale politics? a. writing mass newsletters to constituents b. making phone calls to prominent community members in the constituency c. going to coffee shops and shaking hands d. driving from church to church on Sundays to meet parishioners as they leave the service

a. writing mass newsletters to constituents

The __________ parties defined the Second Party System on the issue of the tariffs (farmers versus merchants) and slavery. a. Federalist and Democratic-Republican b. Democratic and Whig c. Republican and Socialist d. Freedom and Capitalist

b. Democratic and Whig

__________ states that in a democracy with single-member districts and plurality voting, only two parties' candidates will have a realistic chance of winning political office. a. Democratic theory b. Duverger's Law c. Responsible party government theory d. Federalist's Law

b. Duverger's Law

The __________ is (are) in charge of administering election laws, including the complex regulations pertaining to how campaigns can spend money. a. Department of Justice b. Federal Election Commission c. Republican and Democratic National Committees d. Treasury Department

b. Federal Election Commission

Which of the following is the MOST likely reason that soft news has become so prevalent? a. Journalists feel the need to demonstrate their independence from politicians. b. Soft news attracts a bigger audience than does hard news. c. Newspapers have lowered their standards to attract young journalists. d. Politicians are making themselves more vulnerable to attack than they used to.

b. Soft news attracts a bigger audience than does hard news.

How has the Internet affected news for the average American? a. Because the Internet costs money to access, Americans have lost access to regular news. b. The Internet has expanded the amount and scope of news available to most Americans. c. The Internet has had no real effect for most Americans. d. Most Internet sites are run by small groups of volunteers and thus the information on them is questionable.

b. The Internet has expanded the amount and scope of news available to most Americans.

What does it mean when someone talks to a reporter "on background"? a. The information the source gives can help a reporter learn about an issue but cannot be used in an article. b. The reporter can use the information given to him or her by the source so long as it is not attributed to that source. c. The conversation cannot be recorded, and no notes of direct quotes can be written down. d. It involves confidential or otherwise classified material.

b. The reporter can use the information given to him or her by the source so long as it is not attributed to that source.

What is the paradox of voting? a. Why do candidates run for office when the campaign is so likely to involve negative attacks on them? b. Why do people vote when the chance of their individual vote changing the outcome is small? c. Why do people donate to political campaigns when their individual contribution is unlikely to make a difference? d. Why don't people vote more often given that it is such an important part of democracy?

b. Why do people vote when the chance of their individual vote changing the outcome is small?

What is a party platform? a. a set of objectives outlining the party's issue positions and priorities, which candidates are required to support b. a set of objectives outlining the party's issue positions and priorities, which candidates are not required to support c. a nationwide media strategy meant to announce the party's issue positions and priorities d. a local or statewide media strategy meant to announce the party's issue positions and priorities

b. a set of objectives outlining the party's issue positions and priorities, which candidates are not required to support

The Washington Post decides to run a series on the risks of a new brand of car. Because of the articles, Congress decides to call a hearing to investigate the safety claims. This is an example of a. yellow journalism. b. filtering. c. soft news. d. framing.

b. filtering.

Mordor has just been added as the 51st state in the United States. When people go to vote in presidential primaries in Mordor, they get to decide on the day of the election if they are going to vote in the Republican or Democratic primary. This is an example of what kind of primary? a. runoff b. open c. plurality d. closed

b. open

When the United States goes from one party system to another, this is known as a a. coalition switch. b. realignment. c. party in the electorate. d. party machine.

b. realignment.

According to Duverger's Law, if we want to know how many major political parties a country will have, what should we look at? a. how voters are distributed along the ideological spectrum from conservative to liberal b. the rules for determining how many votes are needed to win an election, along with other electoral rules c. how difficult the law makes it for a party to get onto the ballot as well as laws related to public funding for parties d. the number of major parties in existence at the time of a country's founding or its declaration of independence

b. the rules for determining how many votes are needed to win an election, along with other electoral rules

What is by-product theory as it relates to the media? a. Media companies pay for reporting as a by-product of their advertising sales. b. Politicians provide reporters with information as a by-product of their public service role. c. Many Americans acquire political information as a by-product of other media activities. d. Framing occurs as a by-product of unintentional human biases.

c. Many Americans acquire political information as a by-product of other media activities.

Which of the following BEST summarizes the political views of "independents"? a. They often change which party they vote for depending on the election. b. They are better informed than strong partisan voters. c. They are usually closet partisans and favor one party over another. d. They vote at higher levels and are more politically active that strong partisans.

c. They are usually closet partisans and favor one party over another.

In 2005, New York Times reporter Judith Miller went to jail for refusing to divulge her source for an article she had earlier written. Miller could have been protected if the federal government had had what in place? a. prior restraint b. freedom of the press c. a shield law d. an off-the-record law

c. a shield law

In Congress, the Democrats are organized by a ______, while the Republicans are organized by a _______. a. party; convention b. conference; convention c. caucus; conference d. convention; caucus

c. caucus; conference

To win a party's nomination, a candidate must win the a. general election. b. secondary election. c. primary election. d. party caucus vote.

c. primary election.

What does party identification refer to? a. the groups that define a party's governing coalition b. the identification cards that members of Congress must present before voting c. the standard of requiring photo identification for voting in closed primaries d. a citizen's loyalty to a specific political party

d. a citizen's loyalty to a specific political party

The American political parties are a. unified organizations with citizen-members at the top and party leaders at the bottom. b. unified organizations with party leaders at the top and citizen-members at the bottom. c. decentralized organizations in which dues-paying members make all policy decisions. d. decentralized organizations with loose coordination across groups.

d. decentralized organizations with loose coordination across groups.

Over the last several decades, the number of ideologically moderate members in Congress has a. increased significantly. b. slightly increased. c. remained stable. d. decreased significantly.

d. decreased significantly.

What is the Electoral College? a. the board of electors for the American university system b. the formal selectors of nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court c. congressional electors responsible for choosing the Speaker of the House d. electors from each state who cast ballots for president and vice president

d. electors from each state who cast ballots for president and vice president

The national committee is the most important part of which "facet" of parties? a. party in the electorate b. party in government c. party in the media d. party organization

d. party organization

Framing occurs when a. public opinion shifts because of the stories that the media chooses to cover. b. the media focuses on things such as which candidates are ahead or behind in the polls. c. the media fabricates or makes up stories in order to drive ratings. d. public opinion shifts because of the way a story is presented by the media.

d. public opinion shifts because of the way a story is presented by the media.

The idea that people view balanced coverage as biased against their preferred candidate is known as a. pessimistic bias. b. the Limbaugh effect. c. yellow journalism. d. the hostile-media phenomenon.

d. the hostile-media phenomenon.

__________ is made up of politicians who were elected as candidates of a party, while __________ involves the structure of national, state, and local parties, including party leaders and workers. a. the party in the electorate; the party organization b. the party in government; the party in the electorate c. the party organization; the party in government d. the party in government; the party organization

d. the party in government; the party organization