POSC 100: EXAM 4

Which of the following is an example of a public interest group?

Sierra Club

Lobbying is

an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on Members of Congress

The most important selection bias in news is the

audience appeal of a story

Which of the following is NOT one of the potential disadvantages of shifting away from traditional media and toward digital media?

less "horse race" coverage during election s

California interest groups account for nearly ______ of all the lobbying activity in the US

one-third

The Tea Party movement is an

organized challenge to incumbents in the Republican Party by the most conservative wing of the Republican Party

What is the most important factor in predicting whether an individual votes?

political environment

The primary responsibility for conducting public elections rests with

political parties

Priming refers to the

process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue

State ballot access laws, such as registration fees and petition requirements, have the effect of

reducing the number of third-party and independent candidates who can run for office

Primary elections were introduced by

reformers at the start of the 1900s who hoped to weaken the power of party leaders

Organized interest group enhance American Democracy by

representing interest of large number of people and encourage political participation

The CA Political Reform Act of 1974 _____

requires lobbyists and interest groups to report campaign and lobbying expenditures

One way AARP has been effective at overcoming the free rider programs is by providing ___ benefits

selective

Between the Civil War and the 1960s, the ________ was a Democratic stronghold

south

Which of the following news sources reaches the most Americans?

television

One of the major criticisms of ballot initiatives in CA is

that the initiatives sometimes are very confusing in title and substance

A political party is an organization

that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office

The free rider problem occurs because

the benefits of a group's actions are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

The BBC in Britain is owned by

the government but allowed to report whatever it wants

According to your Governing CA text, the elitist theory suggests that

there are many active interest groups, but the power rests in the hands of a few groups, such as large national and multination corporations, universities, and public policy institutes

It is difficult for political scientist to categorize unrepresented interest because

there are no organizations that can present their identities and demands

One reason it is more difficult to lobby the executive branch in CA is that

there is a plural executive

Public interest groups from other types of interest groups in that

they claim to serve the common good, not just their own particular interests

How do interest groups use litigation as a strategy of influence?

they file amici curiae briefs, finance lawsuits, and bring a suit on behalf of their group

Which of the following is a positive aspect of the existence of third parties in CA?

third parties help focus public attention on important political issues

Which of the following statements concerning third parties is true?

third parties often have their programs adopted by one of the two major parties

Professional campaign managers, pollsters, and media consultants are

used extensively in campaigns and cost a great deal of money

An absentee ballot is now available to any voter who

wants one

In-house lobbyists differ from contract lobbyists because they

work only for a specific interest group

How much money did Meg Whitman spend running for governor in 2010?

$160 million

What is the most important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials?

1st amendment

________ states currently require all voters to show some form of ID before voting at the polls

32

AARP has approximately ____ members today

38 million

Approximately ________ percent of eligible voters turn out for midterm congressional elections

6-10

In June 2010, voters passed Proposition 14, the "Open Primary" initiative. This primary system essentially is

a blanket primary

________ occurs when one party controls the presidency while another party controls one or both houses of Congress

a divided government

Many interest groups are initially organized because

a political entrepreneur with a strong commitment to a particular set of goals believes a group will promote his or her goals and enhance his or her political influence

The power of the media to draw public attention to particular issues and problems is called?

agenda-setting

A benefit that is sought by an interest group and that once achieved cannot be denied to nonmembers is called

collective goods

Which of the following is theoretical assumption of pluralism?

competition among interest will produce balance, with all interest regulating each other

It is likely that eliminating state-level voter registration laws would ________ voter turnout among ________

decrease; younger people

Interest groups are permitted to spend as much money as they want on issue advocacy during a campaign season as long as they

don't coordinate their efforts with the candidate's own campaign organization

Since the 1930's, the number and scale of interest groups at the national level has

dramatically increased

The _____ provides candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages

equal time rule

If a person enjoys the benefits of a groups collective efforts but does not contribute to those effort, he or she is called a

free rider

The solidary benefits of interest groups include

friendship and consciousness raising (raising awareness)

The greatest challenge for journalism organizations today is?

generating enough revenue to finance traditional investigative journalism

What are the primary variables for predicting the likelihood of joining an interest group?

having higher income and education

The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that

interest groups should be free to compete for governmental influence

The free rider phenomenon is more problematic as the size of the group becomes

larger