POLISCI REVIEW QUIZZES

Ticket splitting was most recently prominent during which decade?

1970s

In the past two decades, the level of turnout in presidential elections has averaged about

60 percent.

What percentage of states hold their gubernatorial elections in nonpresidential years?

75 percent

About ________ of people who regularly listen to National Public Radio do not donate money to their local station.

90 percent

Which of the following organizations is NOT an example of a single-issue group?

American Conservative Union

A general belief about the role and purpose of government is called

an ideology.

Voter registration in the United States

began as a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day.

All of the following use top-two primaries EXCEPT

New York.

Which of the following is true of the relationship between public opinion and shifts in major government policies?

On highly salient and emotional issues in particular, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion.

______ elections tend to draw the largest percentage of voters in the U.S.

Presidential

James Madison argued

for regulation of interests through a governing system of checks and balances.

Which of the following groups is NOT typically a part of the Democratic coalition?

fundamentalist Christians

The theory that society's interests are most effectively represented through group action is

pluralist theory.

The history of democratic government is virtually synonymous with the history of

political parties.

The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called

political socialization

Which of the following was NOT part of the Democratic Party platform in the 2018 midterm elections?

privatizing social security

At the state level the central committees

provide only general guidance for the state organizations.

Effective inside lobbying is based upon

providing useful and persuasive information to key officials.

The most powerful religious force in contemporary American society is the

religious right.

James Madison's solution to the problem of factions (special interests) has, in the modern policy process, actually contributed to the problem by

resulting in greater divisions of power that allow special-interest groups more points of access and outsized influence in the policy process.

Which citizens' group did a Fortune magazine survey rank as the nation's most powerful lobbying group?

the AARP

To accurately poll the citizens of the United States as opposed to the citizens of a single state,

the sample requirements will be nearly the same.

Citizens' interest groups are distinguished from economic interest groups by the fact that

there is no material incentive for members in their pursuit of the group's goals.

Sources of polling error can include

use of random telephone polling. unrepresentative samples respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue. question wording.

In the United States,

voter registration requirements have usually been set by the states.

The Tea Party

-was able to develop an enduring institutional base within the Republican Party

Which of the following countries has the highest estimated voter turnout in recent national elections?

Belgium

When democratic governments came into existence, tax and food riots and other forms of protest greatly diminished. Why?

Citizens had less-disruptive ways to express themselves.

______ was the only Republican elected president from 1932 to 1964.

Dwight Eisenhower

Which voting demographic, despite being conservative on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, sides heavily with the Democratic Party?

Hispanics

________ is associated with the Era of Good Feeling.

James Monroe

What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer?

Republican

Voter identification cards find the most support among

Republicans.

________ is based on judgment about the past performance of an elected official or political party.

Retrospective voting

Which of the following statements is LEAST likely to apply to economic or social liberals?

They believe that government should be used to promote traditional values.

Citizens in which of the following countries are most likely to talk to people about politics?

United States

Which of the following countries had the LOWEST estimated voter turnout in major national elections in recent decades?

United States

Which of the following states is solidly Democratic?

Washington

As distinct from alienation, apathy is

a general lack of interest in politics.

Party identification refers to

a person's sense of loyalty to a political party.

A member of Congress who wants to act on what the majority of his or her constituency thinks on a particular issue would be advised to respond to which of the following indicators?

a poll based on a random selection sample of constituents

The term iron triangle refers to

a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with promoting a particular interest.

Which of the following would NOT be considered a secondary socializing agent?

church

All of the following ideological types are prevalent in the United States EXCEPT

communists.

Journalist Walter Lippmann suggested that

effective government cannot be run by politicians that base their public opinions on poll results.

PACs tend to contribute the most money to

incumbents.

An amicus brief

is a written document in which a group explains to a court its position on a legal dispute the court is handling.

A main difference between iron triangles and issue networks is that

issue networks are generally less stable than iron triangles, in that the members of an issue network may change as the issue develops.

In the dynamics of an iron triangle, what benefit do interest groups provide to friendly government agencies?

lobbying support for agency programs

According to a study by the Center for Responsive Politics, what was roughly the amount spent on lobbying per hour that Congress was in session?

more than $1 million

What term do scholars use for a purported opinion offered by a respondent who is unfamiliar with the specific issue?

nonopinion

When it comes to protest activities, a majority of Americans are

not highly supportive of such activities, despite America's tradition of free expression.

If a minor party gains a large following, it is almost certain that

one or both major parties will absorb its issues, and the minor party will lose support.

When the nation was founded, who was eligible to vote?

only males who owned property

The Tea Party's key initial issue was

opposition to high taxes.

As an agent of political socialization, the American family will likely have its greatest effect on an individual's

party identification.