Political Science Final Exam
The last major party realignment in the United States came in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected president.
FALSE
The voting age in the United States was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1960.
FALSE
Voter turnout in the United States is traditionally higher than in European countries such as Sweden, Germany, and Italy.
FALSE
Voters engage in prospective voting when they base their decision on an incumbent president's job performance.
FALSE
A two-party system is one with only two parties allowed by law.
False
Stable, moderate party systems made democracy possible in which former totalitarian nations? a. Syria and Iraq b. Bolivia and El Salvador c. Spain and West Germany d. Vietnam and North Korea
c
The Republican Party became more coherently conservative under the leadership of __________. a. Dwight D. Eisenhower b. Gerald Ford c. Richard Nixon d. Ronald Reagan
d
United States turnout seldom falls below 40 percent in __________ elections. a. local b. congressional c. gubernatorial d. presidential
d
In the United States, party cohesion has increased because the incentives to cooperate with other party members have also increased.
FALSE
Nearly every seat for public office in the United States is highly competitive.
FALSE
According to post materialism theory, a person with a higher level of education will not necessarily be more likely to vote.
TRUE
Many working-class people identify as middle class and therefore vote more conservatively than their class would otherwise indicate.
TRUE
Margaret Thatcher called elections at politically opportune times.
TRUE
Opportunistic reaction to events composes much of political life.
TRUE
The Electoral College does not necessarily guarantee that the winner of the national popular vote wins the election.
TRUE
The higher a person's education and income, the more likely they are to vote.
TRUE
In 2000, Mexico's conservative National Action Party (PAN) overcame the Party of Institutional Revolution's (PRI) lock on the presidency with the election of Vicente Fox, moving Mexico from a dominant-party to a multiparty system. (T/F)
True
In Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, communist governments were voted out of power. (T/F)
True
A key characteristic of Weltanschauung parties was their __________. a. ideological orientation b. flexibility in ideological terms c. ability to win elections consistently d. ability to appeal to a broad range of voters
a
A strong party system is likely to produce __________. a. ineffective public policies b. high levels of voter turnout c. increased levels of political apathy d. multiple candidates running for most seats
a
FDR's Democratic coalition consisted of __________. a. Catholics, Jews, and blacks b. blacks, whites, and Hispanics c. the poor, young voters, and immigrants d. women, gun-owners, and civil rights activists
a
In most democratic countries, major parties attempt to be _________ in order to win a large number of votes a. catchall parties b. highly ideological c. sympathetic to the poor d. coalitions of minor parties
a
In the United States, the white vote is __________ than the black vote. a. more divided b. more predictable c. more liberal d. more respected
a
More women than men have voted in recent U.S. elections, which reflects the fact that __________. a. women are now more highly educated than men are b. women are now more likely to vote for very conservative candidates than men are c. women are now more highly compensated than men are d. women have longer average lifespans than men do
a
Under Margaret Thatcher, the British Conservatives wanted to __________. a. dismantle the welfare state b. distribute wealth more evenly c. promote an official state religion d. implement Keynesian economic policies
a
Black voting rates have increased over the last 50 years thanks in part to __________ and Barack Obama's candidacy. a. an increase in immigration from Africa b. federal civil rights legislation c. a decline in suffrage d. increased segregation in schools
b
People who live __________ tend to embrace conservative values and vote for conservative parties. a. in large cities b. in rural areas c. with unmarried partners d. near major universities
b
Some of the former functions of political parties have been taken over by __________. a. state and local government b. mass media and interest groups c. lobbyists and political consultants d. labor unions and faith-based organizations
b
Under which of these systems is party discipline likely to be highest? a. a system in which the population is highly polarized along ideological lines b. a highly centralized system in which candidate selection is in the hands of party leaders c. a decentralized system in which candidate selection is in the hands of local party organizations d. a system where candidate selection is partly in the hands of party leaders and partly in the hands of local organizations
b
. Americans must __________ sometimes months before the election and before campaign excitement mounts. a. lobby b. declare a party allegiance c. personally register to vote d. caucus
c
. How is voter turnout most likely affected by negative campaigning? a. Voter turnout is likely higher, because many voters are familiar with the opposing candidates' weaknesses and want to ensure they lose. b. Voter turnout is likely higher, because the brain remembers negative messages better than positive ones. c. Voter turnout is likely lower, because many potential voters conclude that all politicians are dirty. d. Voter turnout is likely lower, because many potential voters conclude that America needs more than two political parties.
c
. Which two factors are the strongest predictors of voting in the United States? a. region and age b. region and religious affiliation c. race and religious affiliation d. race and age
c
As political institutions become more modern, they tend to __________. a. respond less to special interests b. crumble under labyrinthine bureaucracy c. become more specialized, complex, and differentiated d. establish a militaristic nature to better control the population
c
By welcoming new groups into their ranks, parties __________. a. establish a monocultural dependence on the party system b. rob those groups of their individual interests and concerns c. give those groups a pragmatic and psychological stake in the political system d. enhance political hegemony by disenfranchising voters outside of these groups
c
Centralized parties tend to be more __________. a. conservative b. corrupt c. disciplined d. wealthy
c
Other than politicians themselves, where do new policy ideas tend to come from in the current political environment? a. activist judges b. major corporations c. specialists in think tanks d. bureaucrats at the United Nations
c
The British Parliament can be traced back to assemblies of nobles that monarchs called to __________. a. squash peasant revolts b. ratify the Magna Carta c. levy taxes to fund wars d. represent the common people
c
The peak of U.S. voter turnout was in 1960 at __________ percent. a. 30 b. 56 c. 63 d. 73
c
What are people with weak party ID more likely to do? a. register to vote b. vote for the same party all their lives c. consider candidates of another party d. move to swing states, where their votes have more influence
c
What is American voters' general response to ballots? a. eagerness, because they tend to be well informed about candidates and issues b. frustration, because they can vote only for national candidates and not local ones c. bafflement, because the ballots tend to be long and complex d. amusement, because the ballots usually feature political cartoons
c
Which of these is a characteristic of single-party systems? a. They lack ideological commitment. b. They are generally poorly organized. c. They lack competition and accountability. d. They foster too much competition to retain stability.
c
Why do Americans vote so little compared to the voters in other democracies? a. Most nonvoters are recent immigrants, many of whom come from countries without a strong democratic tradition. b. Most nonvoters believe American elections are rigged anyway. c. Most nonvoters are not satisfied with the two major parties or their candidates. d. Most nonvoters live in deep red or deep blue states where their vote makes no difference.
c
In what sense do parties help to maintain government legitimacy? a. They facilitate compromise rather than conflict. b. They add stability and order to the organization of government. c. They aggregate diverse interests into larger, more manageable groups. d. They give citizens a way to communicate their needs to the government.
d
People with more __________ and higher __________ are more likely to vote and participate in politics. a. rural lifestyles; skepticism b. education; church attendance c. personal debt; IQs d. education; incomes
d
Which institutional lesson did the feudal experience reinforce? a. Efficient government requires a clear separation of secular and religious authority. b. Any system based on aristocratic nobility is incapable of protecting citizens from harm. c. Emphasizing centralization of political authority leads to increasingly radical public policies. d. A separation of powers is good for government, whereas a concentration of power leads to corruption.
d
Which of the following is true about the average ballot in Europe? a. It is much longer than the average American ballot. b. It allows voters to approve knighthoods as well as elected leaders. c. It only offers a choice of prime minister. d. It only offers a choice of party.
d
Which of the following would you expect to see in a country with routinely high voter turnout? a. systematic voter fraud and corruption b. a relatively unified electorate or lackluster candidates c. a cultural emphasis on individualism and liberty d. mandatory voting or automatic voter registration
d
Why do dictatorships generally tolerate the presence of political parties? a. Dictators require political parties to organize and run government. b. Elites will always form political parties to gain partisan advantage. c. Dictators need political parties to generate ideas for laws in society. d. Dictators use political parties to provide the illusion of a more democratic government.
d