GOVT 2305 Final (Set B)
During the earliest years of the United States, who nominated the candidates for president?
Nominations were controlled by each party's congressional caucus.
Successful interest groups quickly become
bureaucratized.
The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program is administered
by the states, with benefit levels varying between states
Which of the following was important in caring for the poor during the nineteenth century?
churches and religious organizations
The result produced when voters cast a ballot for the president and then automatically vote for the remainder of that party's candidates is called the
coattail effect
A benefit that is sought by an interest group and that once achieved cannot be denied to nonmembers is called a
collective good
The solidary benefits of interest groups include
friendship and consciousness-raising.
Alexis de Tocqueville argued that the proliferation of groups promoted
governmental responsiveness.
Which of the following is the strongest factor in predicting which groups in society receive the most benefits from government's social policies?
groups that are the most politically powerful
Bicameral
having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses
The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that
interests should be free to compete with each other for governmental influence
The right of candidates to spend their own money on running for office
is protected absolutely by the First Amendment, according to the Supreme Court.
Checks and Balances
mechanisms through which each branch of govt is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches, major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation, the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review of congressional enactments.
Which of the following is a program of forced savings?
medicare
When a group is called a membership association, it means that
members play an important role in the daily activities of the group.
The term soft money refers to
money donated to a party to sponsor party building and voter registration.
The goals of American social policy are
often controversial
When state legislators concentrate the members of one party in as few districts as possible in order to ensure that their opponents will elect as few representatives as possible, it is called
packing
Social case work, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was largely concerned with
personal counseling and "mental hygiene."
Another name for lobbying is
petitioning
If the winner of an election is whoever receives the most votes, regardless of the percentage of votes received, the candidates are running under a ______ system.
plurality
When a coalition of credit card companies forms an interest group called the Partnership to Protect Consumer Credit, this indicates that
private interests are hiding behind the ideals of public interests.
The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to
promote home ownership.
Most European nations employ what system of elections?
proportional representation
Charter schools are best described as
public schools that are free to design special curricula.
If people were motivated to join an environmental organization because they strongly believed in protecting the environment and supported the goals of the group, then we would say they were motivated by
purposive benefits.
A PAC can contribute ______ to any candidate for federal office, provided it contributes to at least five different federal candidates each year.
$5,000
Elastic Cause
(Article I, Section 8), enumerates the powers of congress and provides congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry them out.
The principle of "one person, one vote" was established by the Supreme Court in the
1960s
A majority system, which is used on a limited basis in the United States, requires that a candidate must win ______ to win an election.
50 percent plus one of all votes cast
In 2010, approximately what percentage of American workers were offered health insurance through their jobs?
60 percent
Federalist Papers
A series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay supporting ratification of the Constitution
Federalism
A system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central govt and regional govt
Articles of Confederation
America's first written constitution; served as a basis for America's national govt until 1798
What do public opinion polls reveal about welfare policies?
Americans view welfare beneficiaries as "undeserving."
Supremacy Clause
Article VI of the constitution, which states that laws passed by national govt and all treaties are are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision
Virginia Plan
Framework for the constitution, introduced by Edmund Randolph, that called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state
New Jersey Plan
Framework for the constitution, introduced by William Paterson, that called for equal state representation in national legislature regardless of population
What distinguishes lobbying from other strategies of influence?
Lobbyists try to exert pressure directly on government officials themselves
Which of the following statements about campaign spending in Senate elections is true?
Incumbents generally spend more money than challengers in Senate campaigns.
Which of the following is not covered by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act?
Individual contributions to 501c(4) and 527 committees.
How did deregulation of the mortgage industry in 1999 help produce the housing crisis of 2007 and 2008?
It allowed many new mortgage companies to form, offering "predatory" loans that people could not afford to repay.
What was the main fear concerning the consequences of outdoor relief?
It perpetuated poverty.
Why is the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 important to lobbyists?
It requires agencies to create opportunities for public comments before implementing new rules and regulations.
How did the Great Depression change American attitudes about welfare?
It revealed that poverty could be caused by a flawed economic system, not just by personal irresponsibility
The fact that interest groups favor the wealthy and well educated can be understood as a reflection of what eternal dilemma in American politics?
Liberty is often inconsistent with equality
Which of the following statements about political parties and interest groups is most accurate?
Political parties have declined in influence in recent years, while interest groups have become more numerous, active, and influential.
After the election of 2004, President George W. Bush announced that ______ would be the centerpiece of his domestic policy.
Social Security reform
Which program was designed to help augment the benefits to the aged, blind, and disabled?
Supplemental Security Income
The Great Compromise
The agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state and equal number of senators regardless of population, but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population
______ is the most common electoral system used in general elections in the United States.
The plurality system
Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?
The reforms have reduced the number of people on welfare but have done little to reduce poverty
Why did many members of Congress vote to ban advocacy groups from running ads that mention a candidate's name within thirty days of a primary election and sixty days of a general election?
They thought that the ban would make it less likely for wealthy advocacy groups to flood the media with ads and unfairly influence the outcome of elections
Which of the following Supreme Court cases illustrates the use of litigation by an interest group?
Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
Which of the following was a key part of President Obama's overhaul of No Child Left Behind?
a proposal that states could apply for waivers that would exempt them from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind
Partisan loyalty is likely to be highest in the election of
a state legislator
Confederation
a system of govt which states retains sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegated to the national govt
When interest groups generate phony letters and phone calls in order to resemble a grassroots movement, this technique is called
astroturf lobbying
Medicare is a ______ program; Medicaid is a ______ program.
contributory; noncontributory
One reason that the AFDC program grew significantly in the 1970s was that
court decisions made it more difficult for the government to legally terminate people's benefits for a lack of eligibility
The number of families receiving welfare
decreased dramatically between 1993 and 2004 but increased significantly between 2004 and 2008.
By using donor lists or magazine subscription lists, candidates are able to engage in
direct-mail solicitations
Which of the following programs most benefits the working poor?
earned income tax credits
The first organized interest groups arose in response to the
economic interventions of the federal government during the 1890s.
What is the most significant force determining the distribution of opportunities in the United States?
education
The ______ is the last example of indirect voting in national elections.
electoral college
The Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990 was designed to
encourage administrative agencies to negotiate with important interest groups.
The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called
equality of opportunity
What contemporary political scientists call an interest group, James Madison called a(n)
faction
The G.I. Bill of Rights of 1944 and the National Defense Education Act were examples of the
federal government's approach to education policy during the 1940s and 1950s.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, election campaigns tended to be
labor intensive
Which of the following is the best example of direct democracy in practice in the United States?
referendum
Organized interest groups enhance American democracy by
representing the interests of large numbers of people and encouraging political participation
Populists supported the initiative because they
saw it as a way to limit the influence of interest groups in the legislative process.
One way that the AARP has been effective at overcoming the free-rider problem is by providing ______ benefits to its members.
selective
What is the shadow welfare state?
social benefits that are distributed by private employers who are being subsidized by the government
Which of the following social policies is currently the most costly to the government?
social security
Expressed powers
specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II)
If you voted for a Republican for president and a Democrat for senator, you engaged in
split-ticket voting
Parties with a direct interest in a regulatory rule or decision are often termed
stakeholders
The free-rider problem occurs because
the benefits of a group's actions are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers.
The boundaries of legislative districts in the United States are to be redrawn every ______ years.
ten
A major factor in John Kennedy's 1960 presidential victory over Richard Nixon was
that Kennedy had a much stronger performance than Nixon during televised debates.
When did the American welfare state begin?
the 1930s
Which of the following groups has had the greatest success with a strategy of litigation?
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Three-Fifths Compromise
the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that stipulated that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats, every slave would be counted as 3/5 of a person.
Who is the incumbent?
the current officeholder, running for re-election
Separation of Powers
the division of governmental powers among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making
Which event helped lead to a change in the way that the electoral college chose the president and vice president?
the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1803
Bill of Rights
the first 10 amendments to the U.S Constitution, ratified in 1791; they ensure certain rights and liberties to the people
Which of the following political officers are subject to recall elections?
the governor of the state of California
Judicial Review
the power of the courts to review and or declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional; supreme court asserted this power in Marbury v. Madison
Electoral college
the presidential electors from each state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for president/vice president
A cost-of-living adjustment is based on
the rate of inflation
"King Caucus" refers to
the use of each party's congressional caucus to nominate presidential candidates during the early nineteenth century.
Early presidential primaries and caucuses are more important because
they can help a candidate secure media attention and financial support.
Antifederalists
those who favored strong state govt and a weak national govt and who were opponents of the Constitution proposed at the American Constitution Convention of 1787
Federalists
those who favored strong state govt and supported the Constitution proposed at the American Constitution Convention of 1787
Which of the following groups is most likely to belong to the New Politics movement?
upper-middle-class professionals, for whom the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s were key experiences
Members of interest groups in the United States are typically people
with higher levels of income and education.