exam 3 pols

what is the most important information shortcut voters use to make predictions? A) endorsements B) party label C) advertisements about specific policy proposals D) religious affiliation

B

Universal suffrage for women was achieved ... A) in 1920 with the adoption of the 19th amendment B) through state-level action alone; the national government has never formally changed the Constitution but has simply reinterpreted it to include women C) at the end of WW2 with the adoption of the Universal Women's Suffrage Act D) after the Civil War with the adoption of the 14th amendment

A

following the adoption of Progressive reforms, what happened to voter turnout in the US? A) the various changes combined to produce a significant decrease in voter turnout B) the candidates worked much harder to mobilize voters so voter turnout increased C) there was no appreciable change in voter turnout because the incentive structure really did not change very much D) it increased dramatically because people were able to vote for candidates of different parties

A

political parties are... A) not mentioned in the Constitution B) prohibited by the Constitution, although the 1st Amendment overrides the prohibition C) explicitly provided for in Article II of the Constitution D) prohibited by the Constitution, although the Supreme Court struck down the prohibition shortly after the first Congress met

A

the insider and outsider strategies interest groups use to affect policy are... A) not mutually exclusive, and the groups use either or both depending on circumstances and opportunities B) indistinguishable from each other in either from or impact C) mutually exclusive, and the groups never use both D) usually not disclosed to the groups' constituencies

A

the scope of interest group activity has... A) increased substantially during the periods of significant change or social and economic upheaval B) shrunk considerably after Congress passed new laws limited how much contact lobbyists could have with legislators C) remained constant at the federal level but exploded at the state level because devolution has shifted more policies to the states D) remained steady because the policy gridlock in Washington DC has meant fewer opportunities to lobby

A

the two types of strategies that interest groups use to influence policy are A) insider and outsider B) left and right C) ideological and pragmatic D) interest groups have no strategies

A

what factor increases the challenge of the prisoner's dilemma for organizing interest groups? A) the size of the group B) the goal of the group C) divided government D) whether or not the Speaker of the House is a Democrat

A

what factors have the strongest influence on voting? A) age and education B) gender and race C) trust in government and gender D) gender and sexual orientation

A

which of the following accurately describes public opinion on economic issues? A) large majorities typically support stable or increased government spending on programs that will serve or eventually serve almost everyone B) large majorities of the public believe that private businesses should be unregulated and the things people value should be allocated by an unfettered free market C) the public sends very clear signals that balanced budgets are important and any new spending should deb offset by new taxes D) there is growing support for fundamental reforms of America's entitlements, especially Social Security

A

which of the following is true about the two-party system in the US? A) it has continued with a few exceptions since shortly after the nation's founding B) it is like most other modern democracies in the world C) it is mandated by Article II of the Constitution D) it was a condition before most of the original states would agree to be bound by the Constitution

A

which of the following statements about the establishment of the Republican Party is not true? A) it was at its care a single-issue party that was devoted to the abolition of slavery B) it appealed to business and commercial interests by promoting a protective tariff and transcontinental railroad C) it drew support from a variety of existing parties such as the Know-Nothings and dissident Democrats D) it was formed in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act

A

A republic differs from a democracy because... A) democracies have a large number of interests and one person is selected to mediate between the competing interests B) republics delegate power to a smaller number of elected citizens and republic often have a greater number of citizens and a greater sphere of country C) republics are generally small and the people are generally responsible for making all of the major decisions D) democracies have parliamentary governments and the people are directly responsible for making all major decisions

B

aggregate public opinion on abortion is... A) highly stable bu not responsive to framing B) both highly stable and acutely sensitive to how the issue is framed C) unstable but actually responsive to framing D) unstable but also not responsive to framing

B

an organized group of individuals or organizations that makes policy-related appeals to government is called... A) a congressional caucus B) an interest group C) an idea club D) a think tank

B

elections allow ordinary citizens to, in aggregate, ... A) avoid working for the duration of election day B) reward or punish elected officials for their performance in office C) essentially support the status quo D) express how they feel about government although elected officials do not take the voters' views into account when they make policy choices

B

issue voting is... A) made more difficult by party labels because the typical positions of Republics 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) has been rendered obsolete by party labels

B

the constellation of costs and benefits that surround the decision of individuals to vote raises what type of collective action problem? A) tragedy of the commons B) free riding C) transaction costs D) pareto optimization

B

the effect of the Supreme Court decision in Buckley v. Valeo (1979) was that .... A) corporations were entitled to the same free speech protections in the 1st Amendment as individuals B) reporting requirements and contribution limits were constitutional, but limits on spending violated the free speech protections of the 1st Amendment C) limits on aggregate contributions from individuals was unconstitutional D) congress did not have the authority to establish campaign finance laws because elections were regulated by the states

B

the most salient different between the current and the New Deal party systems is which of the following? A) the newly gerrymandered Electoral College B) the Republican Party's increased strength C) the absence of party loyalty among voters D) the decline in the strength of the parties

B

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government is called... A) quantum mechanics B) pluralism C) socialism D) happy happy joy joy

B

the use of courts for interest groups is... A) the dominant strategy for groups with few resources since the court system can be accessed at low cost B) especially attractive to groups that can rest claims on constitutional rights and that do not have the clout to influence elected politicians C) the most effective strategy for securing long-term changes in existing policies D) relatively rare because the multiple access points means that there is always a way to influence elected officials

B

the years of the Monroe presidency were dubbed the Era of Good Feelings because.... A) they were not interrupted by any armed conflict B) they lacked any significant party conflict C) they represented the most robust economic situation ever experienced by this country D) monroe was reelected by acclamation and elected to a third-term with no serious opposition

B

which of the following is a simple definition of public opinion proposed by the political scientist V.O. Key Jr.? A) "policy positions determined primarily by the media and political elites" B) "those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed" C) "nothing more than the outcome of elections" D) "something that can never be determined in a pluralist society"

B

which of the following is not part of how voters assess performance efficiently? A) voters can compare the future policy options each party represents B) voters systematically collect information because each voter has the potential to be decisive C) the news media can influence voters' information by giving a greater emphasis to certain news D) personal experiences supply a good deal of politically relevant information

B

which of the following is true about voting in the US prior to the American Revolution? A) there were robust laws protecting voting rights for blacks, Catholics, and Jews B) every colony imposed a property qualification for voting C) most of the colonies allowed women to vote D) voting was not introduced because of all the major decisions were made in England

B

which of the following statements about attitudes is correct? A) most individuals hold widely shared attitudes in the united states B) they combine feelings, beliefs, thoughts, and predispositions to react in a certain way C) most people have an elaborate set of informed, organized, and internally consistent attitudes D) when stating opinions or casting votes, Americans rarely respond in ways that express their underlying attitudes

B

which of the following statements about spending by efforts of interest groups to influence government is accurate? A) the amount of money spend on campaign contributions dwarfs all other types of spending by interest groups B) interest groups spend billions more every cycle on lobbying that they do on campaign contributions C) most of the attention is focused on campaign contributions, but interest groups spend considerably more on research D) despite public concerns about campaign contributions, the amount of money donated to candidates has decreased

B

why does the constitution create incentives for party organization? A) the unicameral nature of the legislature with many interests from the states requires an organizational force to overcome barriers to collective action B) the provision for enacting laws and electing leaders puts a huge premium on building majority alliances across institutions and electoral units C) the government cannot function until formal party organizations are instituted because parties clearly identify the common good D) only by developing party organizations in the elected unites of government can they effectively counter individuals serving in the judiciary and bureaucracy

B

Duverger's law explains... A) why plurality elections always lead to party systems with more than two major competitors B) why office seeks will frequently pursue office an 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 so frequently unable to choose the President

C

What are the consequences of Duverger's Law for political candidates? A) joining one of the major parties guarantees that a candidate will have sufficient financial resources to run a competitive campaign B) it forces candidates to strategically align their positions on the issues with the party so they can take full advantage of the party label C) office seeks usually join one of the two competitive parties rather than pursuing office as independents or third-party candidates D) they must join one of the many different existing parties

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 a essentially fabricated gauge of public opinion C) is subject to some measurement error D) is only right about 47 percent of the time

C

for James Madison, factions were by definition... A) critically important for the efficient operation of a unitary executive B) not a serious problem in a democracy C) pernicious because they pursue selfish aims contrary to the rights of other or the public interest D) the only real check on congressional power

C

in An Economic Theory of Democracy, Anthony Downs defined a political party as... A) a body of men united for promoting by their joint endeavors and the national interest, based on some particular principle on which they are all agreed B) any organization that seeks to secretly influence the outcome of elections C) a team of men seeking to control the government apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election D) a machine with interchangeable parts

C

lowering the voting age to 18 in 1971 reflected... A) supreme court decisions that the drinking age and the voting age needed to be the same B) a deep desire among political reformers to increase electoral turnout C) political needs provoked by the Vietnam War as antiwar activists were young, but supporters of the war wanted to enfranchise the troops fighting for the country D) regulations issued by the Department of Justice following the passage of the Voting Rights Act that any discriminatory barriers in elections needed to be removed

C

party labels... A) no longer mean anything to most members of the electorate or candidates B) are basically misleading and tend to confuse voters C) offer a serviceable shorthand cue that keeps voting decisions cheap and simple for the voters D) are usually downplayed during elections so voters do not normally know the party affiliation of the candidates

C

regular elections, broad suffrage, freedom of speech and the press, and freedom to join or form political organizations are significant because.. A) they mean that government leaders must guess what public's opinion is. B) they are mechanisms through which the government distracts the public from policy C) they compel government leaders to take the public's opinion into account if they want to keep their jobs D) they ensure that government leaders can simply do their jobs without worrying about public opinion

C

selective benefits such as discounted insurance rates or fancy duffel bags are what type of benefit? A) informational B) purposive C) material D) solidary

C

spending in presidential campaigns... A) is increasingly devoted to efforts that will mobilize voters more efficiently B) is distributed nationally because that is the only way to win the national popular vote C) is focused on television advertising especially in the battleground states D) has decreased substantially since all candidates accept public financing

C

the "party in the electorate" refers to one part of a connected three-part system that is... A) an alliance of current officeholders cooperating to shape public policy B) dedicated to electing the party's candidates C) composed of those voters who identify with the party and regularly vote for its nominees D) only the party affiliated with the majority of the population

C

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) an alliance of current officeholders cooperating to shape public policy C) dedicated to electing the party's candidates D) only the party that is affiliated with the majority of the population

C

voters who coalesce around causes such as gun control or gun rights are... A) not frequent voters B) irrational supporters of politicians C) single-issue voters D) typically just manipulated by a special interest group

C

what are two of the more important reforms of the Progressive Era? A) patronage and the provision of national pensions B) the poll tax and the spoils system C) the Australian ballot and primary elections D) the "coal brigade" and the provision of civil war pensions

C

what ideological label do we use to describe those who distrust government, have greater faith in private enterprise and free markets, and are more willing to sue government to enforce traditional moral standards? A) liberals B) keynesians C) conservatives D) libertarians

C

what is term used to describe politicians' awarding jobs, officers, government contracts, and other benefits to their supporters? A) graft B) kickback C) patronage D) soft money

C

what is the political attitude that shapes opinions and organizes other political attitudes most consistently for most Americans? A) morality B) separation of church and state C) partisanship D) homeland security

C

what kind of incentive entice individuals to join and contribute to groups? A) moral B) personal C) selective D) doctrinal

C

what lessons about public opinion can we draw from the Federalist Papers? A) during the earliest days of the republic, political elites paid little attention to public preferences since most of the nation was illiterate B) public opinion can never be swayed by skillful arguments C) american public opinion from the beginning has been treated as a political force to alternatively be shaped, mollified, or exploited D) public opinion has only played a role in American politics since the advent of scientific polling methods in the twentieth century

C

what types of people are most likely to be a members of groups? A) high school drop outs B) people who are addicted to illegal drugs C) people with higher incomes and higher levels of income D) people on the bottom rungs of the socio-economic ladder

C

which of the following issues did not cause the New Deal coalition of Democrats to being to unravel? A) civil rights for african americans B) new economic initiatives such as housing subsidies and school nutrition programs C) maintaining to gold standard D) the Vietnam War

C

which of the following statements about PACs is not true? A) they must raise money from at least fifty people B) they must donate money to at least five candidates C) they are only permitted to donate money in congressional elections D) the maximum contribution is $5,000

C

Which of the following is not a way that elections ameliorate the problem of delegation of authority? A) they give ordinary citizens a say in who represents them B) the prospect of future elections gives officeholders who want to keep their jobs a motive to be responsive agents C) they provide powerful incentives for those who want to replace officeholder to monitor and report on their activities D) the requirement that all citizens must vote ensures that the electorate is representative of all interests

D

foreign policy issues tend to be remote from the everyday experiences of most americans, and few people pay sustained attention to foreign affairs except.. A) when they live in towns with manufacturing industries B) during all election years C) during presidential election years D) when Americans are dying oversees

D

interest group activity raises problems for democracy because... A) organized interests are always opposed to democracy in general B) all interests are equally represented in the system C) only the interests of the poor are represented by large groups D) the resources needed to gain influence are distributed unevenly

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

D

political alliances... A) occur because participants agree to cooperate on action only when they have the same reason for doing so B) exist largely in Congress and are completely separated from elections C) require a strong central figure who can coordinate action so that all members can easily free ride D) are coalitions that need sustained political efforts to hold together because individuals cooperate only as it serves their purposes

D

the "party in government" refers to the part of a connected three-party system that is... A) only the party that is affiliated with the majority of the elected officials B) composed of those voters who identify with the party and regularly vote for its nominees C) dedicated to electing the party's candidates D) an alliance of current officeholders cooperating to shape public policy

D

the Federalists, one o the first two major parties, faded as a national force when which of the following occurred? A) president Adams resigned from the party while in office B) President Washington denounced them from the well of the Senate C) their opposition to judicial review led Congress to ban them D) their pro-British leanings put them on the wrong side of the War of 1812

D

the fact that some people in the US may not have a telephone or only have a cell phone or refuse to participate in polls illustrates what about scientific polling? A) nothing really because these people don't normally have opinions about things B) pollsters can overcome any problems with the sample to make sure the results are not biased C) there is really no such thing as scientific polling and these problems make polls unreliable D) no poll is completely free of the biases they introduce in drawing the sample

D

the most accurate statement about the differences in opinion between party activists and regular voters is... A) there really are no differences in their opinions B) regular voters are most likely than party activists to consistently vote for their party C) party activists are less ideological anymore pragmatic, whether conservative or liberal, than regular voters D) party activists may hold more extreme views, whether conservative or liberal, than regular voters

D

the process of acquiring political attitudes is known as... A) political coordination B) political substantiation C) political reification D) political socialization

D

the ultimate barrier to a more egalitarian campaign finance system is which of the following? A) the house and the senate unanimously oppose it B) such a system is expressly prohibited by the 5th Amendment to the Constitution C) the parties oppose it D) the 1st Amendment to the Constitution as it is currently interpreted by the Supreme Court is the ultimate barrier to such a system

D

what is the term used to describe elaborately organized sets of political attitudes? A) political socialization B) political partisanship C) political realignments D) political ideologies

D

when public opinion is not stable, its movements can usually be explained by which of the following? A) measurement errors that have failed to cancel one another out B) polling-method errors C) random individual changes that have failed to cancel one another out D) responses to changed conditions

D

when was universal suffrage for white men achieved? A) in the early 1800s with Jefferson's first term as President B) in the 1780s at the end of the Revolution C) in the 1860s at the outset of the civil war D) in the 1840s in the wake of the triumph of Jacksonian Democracy

D

which of the following is not considered one of the samples of political advertising? A) simplicity and symbolism B) exaggeration C) repetition D) sophistication

D

which of the following statements about sampling is true? A) larger samples are always better so the results from a sample of 2,000 will be twice as accurate as the results from a sample of 1,000 B) pollsters have no idea what they are doing and rarely predict accurate outcomes C) it is pretty easy to draw a random sample of the population in order to measure public opinion accurately D) the larger the sample the more closely the sample's answers will closely approximate the answers if the entire population could be asked

D

why is it logical for citizens not to vote? A) the benefits are individual, but since governments do not provide many tangible benefits, the costs of voting outweigh the benefits B) the system of separated institutions sharing powers provides more influence to the unelected branches of the government, such as the judiciary and the bureaucracy C) votes do not really matter because politicians can manipulate the public into believing whatever they want D) the benefits are collective and they enjoy the payoff even if they have no helped to produce them by voting

D