AP Gov Unit 5 - College Board Review

Which of the following examples best illustrates how the trend in political communications described in the passage will most likely affect campaigns? A. Political parties will gain authority by taking on a greater role in determining which candidates receive the party's endorsement. B. Political candidates with a background in Internet communication are more likely to be able to establish a strong relationship with voters and win elected office. C. More traditional campaign communication through television advertisements and political rallies will be rendered obsolete and eliminated. D. Political candidates will seek more data on voters so that their campaigns can create messages designed to attract different demographics.

B. Political candidates with a background in Internet communication are more likely to be able to establish a strong relationship with voters and win elected office.

A citizen cast her vote for the candidate in a congressional election based on the candidate's promise to reform the health care system. Which voting behavior model best characterizes the citizen's choice? A. Party-line voting B. Prospective voting C. Rational-choice voting D. Retrospective voting

B. Prospective voting

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and labor unions could spend unlimited amounts of money supporting political candidates under certain circumstances. Which of the following was the basis for the Court's ruling? A. The freedom of assembly in the First Amendment B. The freedom of speech in the First Amendment C. The due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment D. The equal protection clause in the Fourteenth Amendment

B. The freedom of speech in the First Amendment

Which of the following is the most likely result of the changes in voter registration rates illustrated in the table? A. An increase in the percentage of voters who support third-party candidates B. The adoption of a system of fines and punishments for not voting in elections C. Higher voter turnout during midterm congressional elections D. An increase in the number of African American members of Congress from Georgia

D. An increase in the number of African American members of Congress from Georgia

Which of the following conclusions is most supported by the data in the chart? A. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has significantly reduced disparities in voter registration between Whites and African Americans. B. The gap in voter registration rates is due to a political realignment beginning in 1965 that shifted many voters in the South away from the Republican Party and into the Democratic Party. C. Improvements to the voter registration system have increased the number of voters in the South, which has in turn increased the number of electoral votes in Southern states. D. The percentage of African Americans turning out to vote in presidential elections has increased since 1965 because candidates are more willing to talk about issues affecting minority voters.

A. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has significantly reduced disparities in voter registration between Whites and African Americans.

Which of the following describes a visual limitation of the bar graph? A. Even though the bar graph contains data from 1998 to 2014, there is no illustration of how spending is broken down by specific years or elections. B. The bar graph lists only corporations among the organizations that gave the most money for federal lobbying. C. The bar graph depicts only special-interest fund-raising during the midterm election season as an indication of the influence of money in politics. D. The bar graph does not provide as good of a comparison as a pie chart would provide.

A. Even though the bar graph contains data from 1998 to 2014, there is no illustration of how spending is broken down by specific years or elections.

The new developments in campaigning described in the passage have the greatest impact on which of the following trends? A. The increase in open primaries B. The rise of candidate-centered campaigns C. The reduction of limits on campaign donations D. The increase in unity within political parties

B. The rise of candidate-centered campaigns

Which of the following explanations describes the impact of Jill Stein's candidacy on the 2016 election as depicted by the data in the bar graph and your knowledge of presidential elections? A. Jill Stein's supporters preferred Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump, hurting the Clinton campaign. B. Many of Jill Stein's supporters voted for Donald Trump because they believed that Stein was unlikely to win. C. Jill Stein raised money from political action committees that would have supported Hillary Clinton, draining resources from the Clinton campaign. D. The media gave disproportionate attention to Jill Stein, which led to a decline in voter turnout for those who supported Hillary Clinton.

A. Jill Stein's supporters preferred Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump, hurting the Clinton campaign.

Which of the following quotes from the Federalist Papers best supports the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ? A. "But the most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property. Those who hold and those who are without property have ever formed distinct interests in society." B. "Liberty is to faction what air is to fire. . . . But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency." C. "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." D. "If, then, the courts of justice are to be considered as the bulwarks [defensive walls] of a limited Constitution against legislative encroachments, this consideration will afford a strong argument for the permanent tenure of judicial offices, since nothing will contribute so much as this to that independent spirit in the judges, which must be essential to the faithful performance of so arduous a duty."

B. "Liberty is to faction what air is to fire. . . . But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency."

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the table? A. Voter suppression did not occur in the Midwest in 1965. B. Barriers to registration existed in all of the states in the table but were most significant in Mississippi. C. The increase in voting registration among African Americans likely reduced the incentive for White citizens to register. D. States with the highest African American registration rates in 1965 had the lowest rates in 2004 because there were fewer new voters to register.

B. Barriers to registration existed in all of the states in the table but were most significant in Mississippi.

A Pentagon contractor named Daniel Ellsberg stole a report, which later became known as the Pentagon Papers. The report had classified information about the conduct of the war in Vietnam. He gave this report to several major media outlets. The government tried to use prior restraint to prevent the outlets from publishing these excerpts. The Court allowed the media outlets to publish the excerpts in which of the following cases? A. Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) B. New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) C. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) D. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

B. New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

Which of the following best explains the role of parties in Congress? A. Parties form to facilitate elections and have little influence on the structure and function of legislatures. B. Parties organize government by selecting chamber leadership and determining committee membership. C. Parties raise money to fund spending on important bills in Congress. D. Parties determine the presidential primary schedule.

B. Parties organize government by selecting chamber leadership and determining committee membership.

A voter has seen his income increase by 3% over the past four years. He is encouraged that unemployment is down and the price of gas has remained relatively low. On Election Day, by voting for the incumbent presidential candidate, he has engaged in which type of voting? A. Rational-choice voting B. Retrospective voting C. Prospective voting D. Party-line voting

B. Retrospective voting

For decades, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has worked closely with members of Congress to successfully curtail the capacity of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to regulate firearms and track gun crimes. Which of the following statements best explains how the NRA maintains its influence in Washington? A. Other interest groups do not spend time lobbying federal officeholders and bureaucrats on gun rights issues. B. The National Rifle Association outspends its competitors in all elections and stages of policy making. C. Bureaucratic agencies serve the needs of competing interest groups equally at the federal level. D. The president alone determines spending allocations and favors bureaucratic discretion in all matters.

B. The National Rifle Association outspends its competitors in all elections and stages of policy making.

Based on the data in the bar graph and your knowledge of presidential elections, how should Hillary Clinton's campaign have responded if Jill Stein's support in the polls had increased significantly as Election Day approached? A. By attempting to draw sharp contrasts between Clinton and Stein on issues important to voters B. By increasing its focus on winning voters in states where Trump was ahead by large margins C. By adopting positions on issues similar to Stein's in an attempt to win over those voters before the election D. By positioning itself ideologically as somewhere between Trump and Johnson

C. By adopting positions on issues similar to Stein's in an attempt to win over those voters before the election

Which of the following scenarios best represents the model for party-line voting? A. A citizen votes for the candidate who has promised to help her business. B. A citizen votes for the incumbent candidate because his income has increased over the past two years. C. Despite not recognizing the name, a candidate votes for the Democratic Party candidate because he is a Democrat. D. A citizen who owns a lot of property bases her vote on the candidate's promise to lower property taxes.

C. Despite not recognizing the name, a candidate votes for the Democratic Party candidate because he is a Democrat.

Which of the following features of the data displayed make the use of the bar graph less helpful for a comparison? A. The displayed spending is based on money for grassroots mobilization. B. The data would better fit a horizontal rather than a vertical presentation. C. The bar showing the spending for the Chamber of Commerce makes comparisons with the other groups more difficult. D. The group or corporation that gave the most money between 1998 and 2014 is difficult to portray visually.

C. The bar showing the spending for the Chamber of Commerce makes comparisons with the other groups more difficult.

A popular news website obtains transcripts of confidential discussions in the White House regarding how the National Security Agency should collect private data of citizens. Even though the president urges the website not to publish the story, the website does so anyway because it believes the conversation does not reveal information that poses a risk to national security. Which of the following cases would the news website most likely cite if it had to argue the case that it can publish the story without permission from the president? A. Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) B. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) C. Schenck v. United States (1919) D. New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

D. New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

Using social media, individuals are increasingly able to communicate their political views to a wide audience. However, some messages over social media have led to certain individuals being arrested for making credible threats. This issue is most related to which of the following cases? A. Engel v. Vitale (1962) B. United States v. Lopez (1995) C. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (1969) D. Schenck v. United States (1919)

D. Schenck v. United States (1919)

Which of the following best explains how political parties use party platforms? A. Parties use their platform as a binding document that dictates how candidates in office will vote on issues. B. Platforms are used to inform voters of how individual candidates within the party voted on recent public policy issues. C. Parties use platforms as a means to raise large amounts of money from federal matching grants. D. The platform is used to define the party's general stance on political issues.

D. The platform is used to define the party's general stance on political issues.

Increases in the amount of money spent on national defense and security contracts, such as those that occurred after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and during the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, would most likely have which of the following consequences? A. There would be an increase in the number of ideological social movements that seek to influence the federal budget. B. Defense contractors would increase their lobbying efforts in order to improve their chances of winning a contract. C. A single-issue group would form to take out political ads opposing increased federal spending. D. A political party realignment would occur, shifting more voters into the Democratic Party.

B. Defense contractors would increase their lobbying efforts in order to improve their chances of winning a contract.

Which of the following best demonstrates how political parties serve as linkage institutions? A. Party leaders organize a legislative agenda and work to gain support from members to pass bills. B. Parties may organize activities to identify supporters, increase registration, and get out the vote. C. Parties establish interest groups to promote a specific issue. D. Parties adapt over time to social changes and sometimes adopt new positions on issues.

B. Parties may organize activities to identify supporters, increase registration, and get out the vote.

What do the data in the bar graph indicate about how Gary Johnson's candidacy affected the 2016 election? A. The data in the bar graph illustrate that Gary Johnson's candidacy likely increased voter turnout because people were excited about his candidacy. B. The data in the bar graph show that since Gary Johnson's supporters were split between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, his candidacy did not have an impact on the outcome of the election. C. The data in the bar graph illustrate that Gary Johnson's focus on getting his name on the ballot in swing states helped Hillary Clinton's election effort in those swing states. D. The data in the chart show that Gary Johnson attracted mostly voters who leaned toward Donald Trump, which could have helped him win the popular vote.

B. The data in the bar graph show that since Gary Johnson's supporters were split between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, his candidacy did not have an impact on the outcome of the election.

Given the evolution of campaign communication described in the passage, which of the following is a way that political candidates most likely would use these tools to reach the broadest possible base of supporters? A. Creating a direct e-mail campaign targeting college students to increase campaign donations B. Using social media tools to target different demographic and political groups with messages designed to appeal to them C. Holding large political rallies to appeal to base constituents and establish an ideologically unified party D. Publishing op-ed columns about prominent campaign issues in national newspapers

B. Using social media tools to target different demographic and political groups with messages designed to appeal to them

If one were interested in showing how much certain industries spend on lobbying, the best way to change the visual would be to A. exclude the Chamber of Commerce from the data and draw a pie chart B. categorize the data by industry group and combine the data so that a bar represents each group C. change to a line graph with the x-axis (horizontal) displaying industry group and the y-axis (vertical) showing total money spent on lobbying D. create a table showing the money spent by the Chamber of Commerce for each year from 1998 through 2014

B. categorize the data by industry group and combine the data so that a bar represents each group

Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932 after running on the Democratic Party platform that included an expansion of federal programs aimed at pulling the United States out of the Great Depression. The expansion plan, known as the New Deal, substantially increased the voting base of the Democratic Party. As a result, the Democratic Party dominated Congress and many state governments for the next half century. The election of 1932 is considered a critical election because it A. caused voters to abandon both political parties B. replaced the two-party system with a three-party system C. introduced a new method of presidential campaigning D. changed the base of support in each party

D. changed the base of support in each party

The decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) led to the creation of super PACs that can legally raise unlimited amounts of money and engage in electioneering with few limits. Madison argued in The Federalist 10 that factions, like super PACs, would not be detrimental to society because the Constitution A. left most of the powers to local governments where factions are unlikely to form B. placed financial limits on factions to prevent them from creating problems C. created an independent judiciary that would prosecute those forming factions D. created a large republic with many factions that would cancel each other out

D. created a large republic with many factions that would cancel each other out