Sample Multiple Choice Exam 1

A political system in which individuals directly participate in everyday legislative and judicial activities best describes _________ a. Classical direct democracy b. Liberal democracy c. Deliberative democracy d. Democratic socialism e. Authoritarianism

a. Classical direct democrac

Which of the following does current research suggest would most lead to increased fidelity to false information? a. Decreased political polarization b. Increased political polarization c. Decreased segregation of political groups d. Increased segregation of political groups e. Both A and C f. Both B and D

f. Both B and D

Gatekeeping is defined as __________ a. The process of crafting the seemingly-infinite amounts of information that permeates society into the limited number of messages that reach people each day b. the process by which the media have come to play a central role in politics and transformed the structural relations of politics in society. c. a complex, communicative activity in which language and symbols, employed by leaders, media, citizens, and citizen groups, exert a multitude of effects on individuals and society, as well as on outcomes that bear on the public policy of a nation, state, or community. d. the overlap and differences in political media systems, along with their implications for media content and effects. e. media exerting broad-based effects on public opinion, institutional change, political activism, and public policy.

a. The process of crafting the seemingly-infinite amounts of information that permeates society into the limited number of messages that reach people each day

The social scientific research methodologies that would include brain imaging and heart rate are known as ____________. a. psychophysiological measures b. secondary analysis c. focus groups d. big data e. multiple discourse analysis

a. psychophysiological measures

The ___________ emphasizes the influence of broad demographic and social structural factors on knowledge. a. sociological approach b. media-focused perspective c. schema approach d. heuristic approach e. psychological approach

a. sociological approach

Which of the following best defines obtrusiveness? a. When media effects depend on other factors, these factors are obtrusive b. The extent of direct experience people have with an issue c. The impact of the media agenda on the criteria voters employ to evaluate political candidates d. The characteristic of agenda-setting that it acts on everyone, everywhere, at all times. e. The way a prior stimulus influences reactions to a subsequent message.

b. The extent of direct experience people have with an issue

One of the key perspectives of __________ is that the groups people belong to (such as religious organizations and family) exert a stronger influence than mass media on political attitudes. a. the top-down model b. the limited effects model c. the networked public sphere d. the selective exposure model e. All of the above

b. the limited effects model

Mediatization is defined as __________ a. The process of crafting the seemingly-infinite amounts of information that permeates society into the limited number of messages that reach people each day b. the process by which the media have come to play a central role in politics and transformed the structural relations of politics in society. c. a complex, communicative activity in which language and symbols, employed by leaders, media, citizens, and citizen groups, exert a multitude of effects on individuals and society, as well as on outcomes that bear on the public policy of a nation, state, or community. d. the overlap and differences in political media systems, along with their implications for media content and effects. e. media exerting broad-based effects on public opinion, institutional change, political activism, and public policy.

b. the process by which the media have come to play a central role in politics and transformed the structural relations of politics in society.

________ is a process through which the mass media communicate the relative importance of various issues and events to the public. a. Priming b. Intermedia agenda-setting c. Agenda-setting d. Agenda-building e. Moderating

c. Agenda-setting

__________ examine(s) how people construct meaning from media messages, focusing on how individuals form beliefs and political attitudes from exposure to media. a. Heuristics b. Partisan studies c. Constructionism d. Schemas e. Polarization studies

c. Constructionism

Which of the following is a true statement about gatekeepers? a.Newspapers increased in influence and power during the 2020 election. b. Broadcast networks increased in influence and power during the 2020 election. c. Digital and social media increased in influence and power during the 2020 election. d. Major left-wing outlets were more successful in conveying misinformation to their base and the public via mainstream media during the 2020 election. e. All of the above are true

c. Digital and social media increased in influence and power during the 2020 election.

According to a recent poll, roughly what portion of Americans say it is difficult to know whether the political information they come across is true? a. About 1 in 10, or 10% b. About one quarter, or 25% c. Slightly less than half, or 50% d. About three quarters, or 75% e. 9 in 10, or 90%

c. Slightly less than half, or 50%

Which of the following is not a core element of populism? a. Emphasis on hard-working, honest working people. b. A battle against a corrupt establishment led by unresponsive leaders. c. A focus on how "they," the out-group, oppose "us," the people. d. A coalition of majority groups to emphasize the needs of under-represented racial minorities and immigrants. e. All of the above are core elements of populism

d. A coalition of majority groups to emphasize the needs of under-represented racial minorities and immigrants.

Which of the following terms is used to describe the way a dominant political party bends the political map in its direction, drawing voting districts so they dilute the strength of the opposing party? a. The Electoral College b. Polarization c. Partisan gridlock d. Gerrymandering e. Jim Crow laws

d. Gerrymandering

In Iyengar and Kinder's priming study, which of the following best describes their results? a. Participants in the "unemployment" group did not exhibit as much change as other groups, as the issue was already obtrusive for them. b. Participants in the "arms control" group exhibited more change than the other groups, because the issue had not been seen as personally relevant prior to the experiment. c. Participants in the "civil rights" group assigned the most weight to the president's performance on their issue relative to the other groups, but it was indeterminate whether priming from the experiment was responsible due to the influence of moderator variables. d. Participants in each group gave more weight to the president's performance on the targeted issue of the news in their experimental condition. e. Participants in each group gave less weight to the president's performance on the targeted issue of the news in their experimental condition.

d. Participants in each group gave more weight to the president's performance on the targeted issue of the news in their experimental condition.

Which of the following traits would be less expected or common for a child raised in a high concept-oriented but low socio-oriented communication family? a. Participates regularly in political discussions b. Talks with others with whom they disagree c. Is knowledgeable about politics d. Seeks out political information and news in line with their own views e. More likely to participate in civic or political activities as an adult

d. Seeks out political information and news in line with their own views

While fake news has grown in importance and prevalence, which of the following is a research-backed caveat about the overall scope and effect of fake news? a. People may not even be attentive to online political fakery b. People may not even cognitively process fake news messages c. Fake news messages are not as powerfully influential as fake news proponents charge. d. There is little evidence that engagement with fake messages necessarily equates to impact or effect. e. All of the above are supported by research

e. All of the above are supported by research

Which of the following is a potential benefit of political satire that has been supported by research? a. Political satire can enhance political knowledge b. Political satire can increase feelings of political efficacy c. Political satire can facilitate deeper thinking about politics d. Political satire can exert normative benefits for society e. All of the above have been supported by research

e. All of the above have been supported by research

__________ emphasizes that media weave stories and construct narratives that convey a culture's values, ideologies, and underlying socio-political perspectives. a. Political socialization theory b. Concept-oriented communication c. Socio-oriented communication d. Mainstreaming e. Cultivation theory

e. Cultivation theory

The limited effects model was proposed by ___________. a. Lippmann b. Katz c. Lazarsfeld d. Holbert e. Klapper

e. Klapper

Which of the following is a false statement about gatekeeping? a. The conventional media used to serve as the sole gatekeepers b. Gatekeeping today occurs in a network more of people's own liking, creating environments where individuals are more likely to be exposed to messages they already agree with. c. Gatekeeping occurs through a more multifaceted media than ever before. d. In some cases social media sites allow extremist, prejudicial ideas to become part of public discourse. e. None of the above; all statements above are true

e. None of the above; all statements above are tru