POLS Final
According to Wilson et al, which of the following incentives are offered by the National Organization for Women, who strongly advocates for a woman's right to choose to have an abortion? A. Purposive incentive B. Material incentive C. Solidarity incentive D. Social incentive
A
According to Wilson et al, which of the following is NOT a consequence of campaign advertisements? A. Advertisements do help voters make up their minds about issues important to them B. Advertisements don't seem to increase turnout B. Advertisements do inform voters about the candidates D. Advertisements do shape how likeable a candidate is
A
According to Wilson et al, approximately what fraction of US citizens are completely inactive with respect to participating in civil society? A. 1/5 B. 1/3 C. 1/2 D. 2/3
A
According to Wilson et al, which of the following best describes a media outlet's primary motivation in publishing a particular story, be it informational of sensational? A. The media choose stories that attract consumers B. The media is intent on pushing a certain political policy agenda C. The media is concerned with upholding its civic duty as informer and watchdog D. The media is concerned with stirring up controversy in order to stay relevant
A
According to Wilson et al, which of the following best describes the decline of the Union movement since the 1950s? A. The type of jobs most Americans shifted into WWII were no well-suited for union work B. Americans stopped being able to afford union dues C. Unions achieved most of their important policy initiatives ad declined in relevance D. Most states passed strict laws banning the formation of unions
A
According to Wilson et al, which of the following best describes the historical trend in voting rates in presidential elections sine 1948? A. The percent of the voting age population that has voted has decreased but the percent of voting eligible population that has voted has remained the same B. The percentage of the voting age population that has voted has increased but the percent of the voting eligible population that has voted has remained the same C. The percentage of the voting age population that has voted has remained the same but the percent of the voting eligible population that has voted has decreased D. The percent of the voting age population that has voted has remained the same but the percent of the voting eligible population that has voted has increased
A
According to Wilson et al, which of the following is not a way in which the media informs the public about politics? A. The mass media takes money from candidates to run political ads B. The mass media helps set the agenda C. The mass media frames political issues D. The mass media acts as a watchdog to hold politicians accountable
A
According to the Pew Research Center, approximately what proportion of Americans exhibit consistent, ie constrained, ideological positions on issues? A. 1/3 B. 1/4 C. 1/2 D. 3/4
A
During which of the following decades were parties arguably the strongest? A. 1880s B. 1790s C. 1940s D. 1860s
A
For which office is reelection most likely? (Incumbency advantage the strongest?) A. US Rep B. US Senator C. US President
A
Suppose that a new political movement started in the US concerned with worker's rights in a changing global economy. Which of the following would most likely keep that movement from forming its own successful third party? A. Either the Republican or Democratic party would adopt this issue into their party platform to keep the movement from becoming politically successful B. Campaign finance regulations would keep the movement from holding political office and union office at the same time C. Few Americans would care enough about the issue to act politically on the issue D. The national media would suppress coverage of the movement to keep the two major parties in power
A
Suppose that you're an editor at a local news station who wants to increase viewership during the electoral season. According to Wilson et a, which of the following would be the most cost-effective way to increase viewership? A. Report on poll numbers as a competitive race B. Host multiple debates between local candidates C. Have experts on your show explain the nuances of the candidates' positions D. Sponsor political rallies celebrating civic democracy
A
The Founding Fathers were originally very concerned about the political ignorance of the electorate and the extent to which uninformed voters would try and shape policy. Wilson et al argue that this problem was less severe than the Founders feared because of which of the following developments? A. Voters today use cues that didn't exist at the founding, such as party endorsements and interest group support, to make informed decisions at the ballot box. B. Educational opportunities have greatly increased over time, which means that most Americans today are informed about politics C. Because of the structure and cost of voting, only informed voters vote in American politics today and the uninformed are disinterested in voting D. The rise of the internet and cable news has greatly increased American's information about the policy consequences of elections in recent decades
A
Which of the following best describes a law that reserves federal funds for a specific project in a specific location named by Congress? A. Earmarking B. Phonemarking C. Lettermarking D. Pork barrel
A
Which of the following best describes how trust in the government is influenced by partisanship? A. Members of each party are much more likely to express trust and confidence in the government when they are of the same party B. Democrats tend to trust the government more because of their policy preferences and ideology C. Republicans tend to trust the government more because of their strong nationalistic ideology D. Trust in the government is not strongly correlated with partisanship
A
Which of the following best describes why political scientists think the number of independent voters is quite small, even though 44% of Americans identify as independents? A. Among those 44%, rough;y 34% act the exact same way as partisans of the same parties B. Independents tend to be less trustworthy when answering surveys than partisans C. Most Americans lack the political knowledge to know which of the parties which they belong D. The rise and fall of third parties suggests that independents are largely determined by the success of those third parties
A
Which of the following is best example of a valence issue, as defined by Wilson et al? A. Economic growth B. Abortion C. Affirmative Action D. Prayer in schools
A
According to Wilson et al, the National Association of Counties represents which of the following types of interest groups? A. Faction B. Institutional interest group C. Membership interest group D. Special interest group
B
According to Wilson et al, to which of the following emotions will a TV campaign ad most likely appeal? A. Patriotism B. Fear C. Anger D . Hope
B
According to Wilson et al, when in life is it most likely that the political opinion of most people are formed? A. Birth to pre-teen years B. Teenage years to Young Adulthood C. Adulthood D. Sunset Years
B
According to Wilson et al, which of the following best describes the distribution of ideology between the two major political parties at the elite and public levels? A. Both the public and elite are polarized B. Elites are polarized but the public is not polarized C. Elites are not polarized but the public is polarized D. Neither elites nor the public are polarized
B
According to Wilson et al, which of the following is the biggest hindrance to voting in the United States? A. Not having enough information about the candidates B. Not being registered to vote C. Not having the time to vote D. Note being interested in voting
B
According to Wilson et al, which of the following news sources would be least likely promote selective exposure? A. Political blogs like DailyKos B. Mainstream media like ABC News C. Cable news like Fox News D. Talk Radio like Rush Limbaugh
B
During the late 1800s, several reforms were adopted to reduce the amount of corruption in local elections in the US, including adopting the Australian ballot, increasing residency requirements, and increasing registration requirements. What, according to Wilson et al, was the most likely consequence of adopting these reforms? A. Decreased corruption and increased turnout B. Decreased corruption and decreased turnout C. Increased corruption and increased turnout D. Increased corruption and decreased turnout
B
If gerrymandering were the cause of high incumbency advantage in Congressional elections, would the State or House have higher levels of levels of incumbent reelection? A. Senate B. House of Representatives C. Neither; they'd be similar
B
In elections for which of the following offices would political campaign contributions make the most difference? A. The Senate B. House of Representatives C. The President
B
Prior to the 2016 primary season, many Republican elites sought to oppose to Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee. Trump was able to rally enough supporters to carry him through the primary season to the nomination into July. According to Wilson et al, Trump's success leading in to the primary season would be best described as winning: A. The party process B. The invisible primary C. The convention wave D. The outsider's edge
B
Suppose you donated to the Sierra Club, and they sent you a bumper sticker and a tote bag with the group's logo. According to Wilson et al, which of the following best describes this type of incentive? A. Material incentive B. Solidarity incentive C. Purposive incentive D. Social incentive
B
Suppose you wanted to predict the outcome of a presidential election in November based on data you have in July of the same year. Based on models of retrospective voting as outlined by Wilson et al, which of the follow data points would be most informative of your prediction? A. Total population growth over the last 4 quarters B. GDP growth for the most recent quarter C. The number of major legislative acts passed by Congress in the past year D. The change in the number of registered voters over the past year
B
True or False: Changes in power following elections do NOT have meaningful policy consequences A. True B. False
B
Which of the following best describes the American public's confidence in the press over time? A. The American public's confidence in the press has grown over time B. The American public's confidence in the press has decreased over time C. The American public's confidence in the press has fluctuated, but stayed about the same D. The American public's confidence in the press has stayed roughly constant over time
B
Which of the following features best predicts the success of an interest group, according to Wilson et al? A. The numerical size of its membership B. The ability to demonstrate electoral consequences C. The total amount of money given to candidates D. The number of its former lobbyists in Congress
B
Which of the following is NOT a difference between the US and other democracies that weakens American parties? A. American parties do not control who can be a candidate for office in their party B. American parties do not face the same levels of competition for office that partisans in other industrial democracies do C. American parties cannot incentivize compliance by offering members of the legislature jobs in the executive branch as in parliamentary systems D. The American federal system decentralizes control and allows local leaders to ignore national party leaders, which is not possible in a unitary system
B
Which of the following roles, as defined by Wilson et al, are parties playing when voters use party to choose who to support in an election? A. Party as set of leaders B. Party as label C. Party as identity D. Party as organization
B
With the growth of new media, such as the Internet, some people hoped that the easy availability of news would increase the overall political engagement of the public. According to Wilson et al, about what percent of internet traffic goes to news sites? A. 30% B. 3% C. 63% D. 13%
B
Which of the following groups pays for the most lobbyists? A. Environmental groups B. Gun rights groups C. Business groups D. Civil rights groups
C
According to Wilson et al, for which of the following problems do interest groups offer membership incentives to address? A. Public goods problems B. Solidarity problems C. Free rider problems D. Public awareness problems
C
According to Wilson et al, the changing media landscape over the past would most likely decrease voter's information about which of the following elections? A. US Presidential Election? B. US Senatorial Election C. US House Election D. Gubernatorial Election
C
As the internet has grown in popularity as a news source, which of the following news mediums has experiences the greatest decline in popularity? A. Magazines B. TV C. Newspapers D. Radio
C
During which of the following decades would Wilson et al argue that the new media was least partisan? A. 1790s B. 1840s C. 1940s D. 2010s
C
On which of the following issues is the gender gap between men and women the smallest? A. Helping the poor is a top priority B. Prefer bigger government C. Abortion should be legal D. Peace is best achieved through diplomacy
C
On which of the following issues is the public opinion of blacks and whites most similar? A. Minorities are treated fairly in the criminal justice system B. Support for Affirmative Action C. Government is almost always wasteful D. Government should provide food and shelter
C
Suppose that its September 2020 and both major parties have finished hosting their nominating conventions. Democrats held their convention in July and Republicans held their convention in August. Which party is most likely to have benefited from this kind of scheduling? A. Democrats B. Republicans C. Neither D. Both
C
Which of the following causes of interest group growth most likely lead to the creation of the Association for Competitive Technology? A. Expansion of Government Policy B. Youth Engagement C. Changing Economic Activity D. Encouragement by Government Policy
C
Which of the following does not impact the validity of a poll in measuring public opinion? A. Question Wording B. Random Sampling C. Sampling Error D. Question Order
C
According to Wilson et al, for which of the following issues would lobbying be most successful? A. Abortion B. Prayer in schools C. Raising the minimum wage D. Changing cap and trade environmental taxes
D
According to Wilson et al, the impact of the media on primary elections differs at different points in the primary campaign. When, according to their theory, would the media have the most impact on determining the primary candidates leading up to 2020 presidential election? A. November 2020 B. July 2020 C. February 2020 D. November 2019
D
According to Wilson et al, which of the following best explains situations in which public policy does not reflect public opinion on an issue? A. Members of Congress have little reason to care about public opinion because reelection rates are so high B. Politicians only care about the opinions of big money donors and not the general public C. There is little difference between the two major parties, so changes in the party in control of the government has not lead to major policy change D. Minority interests can sometimes be the much more motivated and active in pursuing a policy objective than the general public
D
According to Wilson et al, which of the following factors is least important in explaining who participates in politics? A. Education B. Employment C. Political Enagement D. Race
D
During the 2016 Presidential election, approximately what percent of news coverage for each of the candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, was negative? A. 10% B. 25% C. 50% D. 75%
D
Following the Citizens United decision in 2010, what is the limit placed on super PACs, which represent corporations and labor unions, for spending in support or opposition of a candidate? A. $2,700 B. $5,000 C. $57,00 D. There is no limit
D
For the 2020 presidential election, primary elections will begin in February 2020 and the nominating convention will take place in July 2020. Suppose you oversee scheduling your party's primary for your state. If you wanted to have the biggest impact on deciding who your party would select as its presidential nominee, when should you schedule your primary, according to Wilson et al? A. July 2020 B. May 2020 C. April 2020 D. February 2020
D
In GA, citizens are only allowed to vote in party primaries corresponding to party with which they are registered. This is known as: A. Open primary B. Invisible primary C. Caucus primary D. Closed primary
D
In which decade was Democratic partisanship in the electorate the highest? A. 1990s B. 1980s C. 1970s D. 1960s
D
Which category partisan identifiers would most likely vote for candidate based on their retrospective evaluation of the economy? A. Republicans B. Democrats C. Libertarians D. Independents
D
Which if the following was not a strategy employed by white Southerners to keep blacks from voting following the passage of the 15th Amendment? A. Literacy Test B. Poll Tax C. White Primary D. Voter ID Law
D
Which of the following best describes how local and state political parties exert power today? A. State and local parties determine who's the party's nominee is B. State and local parties set the terms by which Congressional candidates are chosen C. State and local parties write the party platforms and vote on them at the national convention D. State and local parties channel fundraising from the national party to the local candidates
D
Which of the following best describes in general bias of media outlets in covering national elections? A. The national media tend to be overwhelmingly Democratic when covering campaigns B. The national media tend to be overwhelmingly Republican when covering campaigns C. The national media are generally objective when covering campaigns D. The national media tend to favor incumbents when covering campaigns
D
Which of the following best describes the consequences of increasing the size of the eligible voting population, such as when women gained the right to vote or when the voting age was lowered to 18? A. The political party in power lost most of its seats and policy changed greatly B. New third party arose to capture to voting share of the new voters C. New candidates were voted into office who looked much more like the new voters D. Very little changed in the support for either party or existing candidates
D
Which of the following is NOT a function national parties engage in to help elect candidates to office? A. Parties recruit candidates B. Parties nominate candidates C. Parties provide resources to candidates D. Parties choose candidates
D
Which of the following reforms would most likely increase the probability of the emergence of a third party in the US? A. Making voting compulsory B. Instituting term limits for Congress C. Increasing public funding for campaigns D. Switching from a winner take all to proportional representation sytem
D
Which of the following roles, as defined by Wilson et al, are parties playing when they set up party primaries to nominate candidates? A. Party as set of leaders B. Party as label C. Party as identity D. Party as organization
D
