Richard price WSU POLS 1100 exam 2 multiple choice

17. The U.S. House of Representatives is an example of a legislative body with representatives selected from: A. party lists B. unirepresentational districts C. multimember districts D. single-member districts E. state legislatures

D. single-member districts

13. The traditional media have "softened" their news by A. infusing it with more partisan talk shows B. None of these answers is correct C. infusing it with more coverage of international affairs D. focusing on editorials instead of nonpartisan facts E. infusing it with more stories about celebrities, crime, and the like

E. infusing it with more stories about celebrities, crime, and the like

12. Compared with U.S. citizens of higher income, those of lower income are A. much more likely to vote in elections B. None of these answers is correct C. about equally likely to vote in elections D. much less likely to vote in elections—a pattern that is also true in European democracies E. much less likely to vote in elections

E. much less likely to vote in elections

16. The type of electoral system in which victory goes to the individual who gets more votes than any other candidate is called a: A. proportional representation system B. majority system C. caucus D. Borda count system E. plurality system

E. plurality system

12. During what decade did the American network news audience change from a growing to a shrinking one? A. the 1990s B. the 1960s C. The audience has not yet begun to shrink D. the 1970s E. the 1980s

E. the 1980s

11. Which of the following groups is most closely aligned with the Democratic Party, voting more than 80 percent Democratic in presidential elections? A. African Americans B. Christian fundamentalists C. Roman Catholics D. white Protestants E. Latino Americans

A. African Americans

11. What was the primary cause for an increase in the public's support for a military invasion of Iraq during the six-month period leading to the start of the war? A. Bush administration efforts to press the case for war B. mainstream media coverage of the actions of the Iraqi government C. election-year posturing on national security issues by congressional candidates for office D. grass-roots efforts by conservative groups that argued it was necessary for greater national security E. the inability of the United Nations to discover strong evidence of weapons of mass destruction

A. Bush administration efforts to press the case for war

5. In a test of "civic literacy" conducted in 2007, the average college senior scored a grade of ________ A. F B. A national Congress C. c D. b E. d

A. F

18How has the Internet affected the watchdog role of the media? A. It has expanded the watchdog capacity of the media B. It has had little to no effect because it lacks the objective standards of traditional media outlets C. It has almost completely usurped the watchdog role from the traditional media outlets D. It has tainted the watchdog role with a partisan bent E. It has diluted the watchdog capacity with an overflow of opinions

A. It has expanded the watchdog capacity of the media

14. ________ elections tend to draw the largest percentage of voters in the U.S. A. Presidential B. Congressional C. Primary D. Mayoral E. Gubernatorial

A. Presidential

8. In his definition of public opinion, the author claims that the opinions of private individuals become public opinion when they A. are openly expressed B. become part of the conflict between the Republican and Democratic parties C. become part of the conflict between populists and libertarians D. are measured in opinion polls E. first enter people's heads

A. are openly expressed

10. The reason the news product is designed to fascinate as well as to inform is because A. news organizations are fundamentally businesses and must obtain revenue from advertisers to survive B. All these answers are correct C. of the need to compete with Hollywood productions D. of the high level of illiteracy E. the print media wish to emulate the broadcast media

A. news organizations are fundamentally businesses and must obtain revenue from advertisers to survive

17. The term "framing" is used to describe the A. process of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them the most salient part of the communication, thereby conveying a particular interpretation of a situation B. media's obligation to convey a uniform and standard interpretation of a situation C. media's ability to influence what is on people's minds D. nature of media reporting when objectivity has weakened and the system has tilted in favor of yellow journalism E. primary right of the media that is protected by the First Amendment

A. process of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them the most salient part of the communication, thereby conveying a particular interpretation of a situation

5. The major reason for the persistence of the American two-party system is A. the existence of single-member election districts and plurality (first-past-the post) voting B. regional conflict C. proportional representation D. the existence of state laws prohibiting the placement of a third major party on the ballot E. that there are naturally only two sides to political disputes

A. the existence of single-member election districts and plurality (first-past-the post) voting

7. As an agent of political socialization, the American family has its greatest effect on individuals' A. knowledge of particular public policies B. Party Identification C. choice and form of higher education D. professional career E. knowledge of the law

B. Party Identification

10. What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer? A. Reform B. Republican C. Green D. Democratic E. Socialist

B. Republican

12. Americans who attend religious services at least once a week are most likely to vote for which political party? A. Populist B. Republican C. Libertarian D. Green E. Democrat

B. Republican

4. One of the reasons voter turnout is lower in the United States than in Western European countries is that A. None of these answers is correct B. U.S. registration laws place a greater burden on the individual C. the U.S. population is not as well educated D. Europeans must pay a huge fine if they fail to vote E. Americans pay less attention to politics

B. U.S. registration laws place a greater burden on the individual

13. Party identification refers to A. the ability of individual citizens to identify the major issue positions of the major political parties B. an emotional attachment to a political party C. a political party's platform—the stances on issues that define its beliefs D. formal membership in a political party E. the percentage of polled individuals that claim membership in a particular party

B. an emotional attachment to a political party

16. Among the following, the news media are MOST likely to focus on events that A. are complicated to report B. are timely C. affect small numbers of people D. happen to ordinary citizens E. occur in other countries

B. are timely

5. Voter registration in the United States A. was introduced as a means of keeping white males without property from voting B. began as a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day C. is the responsibility of the government, which adds legally qualified individuals automatically to the registration rolls D. has vastly increased voter turnout E. applies to voting in general elections but not in primary elections

B. began as a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day

15. Organizationally, the U.S. major parties are A. decentralized and strong B. decentralized and fragmented C. no longer in operation D. centralized and weak E. centralized and strong

B. decentralized and fragmented

1. Literacy tests were used to A. help subsidize public education in the North B. disenfranchise African Americans in the South C. ensure that the people who voted would take the vote seriously D. ensure that women voted with their husbands, who legally controlled the money in a marriage E. finance election campaigns

B. disenfranchise African Americans in the South

20. Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann's "spiral of silence" theory contends that A. people holding deviant opinions tend to be more vocal, and hence silence the majority B. most individuals are reluctant to speak out against dominant opinion C. people tend not to express their views until asked D. most individuals like to challenge dominant opinions E. None of these answers is correct

B. most individuals are reluctant to speak out against dominant opinion

4. If a minor party gains a large following, it is almost certain that A. party in-fighting will tear it apart B. one or both major parties will absorb its issue, and the minor party will lose support C. Congress will enact legislation to make it difficult for the minor party to get on the ballot D. the major parties will join together to attack the minor party E. the media will attack the minor party

B. one or both major parties will absorb its issue, and the minor party will lose support

18The winner-take-all system is also known as the ________ system A. proportional B. plurality C. majority D. democratic E. minority

B. plurality

11. One special contribution of Internet-based news is that it A. provides much faster reporting B. provides the ordinary citizen with an opportunity to be part of the news system C. prevents rampant editorializing D. is more accessible by a larger audience than television or radio news reporting E. offers more unbiased reporting

B. provides the ordinary citizen with an opportunity to be part of the news system

11. Citizens in which of the following countries are most likely to volunteer time and money to promote community causes? A. Great Britain B. the United States C. Germany D. There is no difference among the four nations E. France

B. the United States

20. About 95 percent of all political activists in the United States work at A. Republican and Democratic party headquarters B. the local level C. the national and state levels D. the national level E. the state level

B. the local level

19. On average, how much money must a U.S. senator raise every week of his or her six-year term in order to acquire enough money to launch a competitive bid for reelection? A. $2,000 B. $200 C. $20,000 D. $2,000,000 E. $200,000

C. $20,000

17. Sources of polling error can include A. question wording B. question order C. All these answers are correct D. unrepresentative samples E. respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue

C. All these answers are correct

9.Which of the following is true of the relationship between public opinion and shifts in major government policies? A. All these answers are correct B. Analysts Robert Erikson, Michael MacKuen, and James Stimson found a pattern consistent with their claim that "public opinion has little influence over policy." C. On high-profile issues particularly, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion D. The linguist Noam Chomsky claimed that democracy consistently preserved the will of the people over the will of elite interests E. Analysts Page and Shapiro concluded that leaders' opinions ultimately affect most policy issues more than the larger public opinion

C. On high-profile issues particularly, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion

6. The issue of slavery gave birth to the ________ party as a major political party A. Federalist B. Populist C. Republican D. Whig E. Democratic

C. Republican

8. Voter identification cards find the most support among A. liberals B. poorer citizens C. Republicans D. Democrats E. libertarians

C. Republicans

3. Unlike in many other democracies, elections in the United States are traditionally held on A. Fridays B. Saturdays C. Tuesdays D. Sundays E. Mondays

C. Tuesdays

16. According to polls, men and women tend to disagree on certain issues. Of the following issues, about which are men and women closest in agreement? A. poverty assistance B. use of military force C. abortion rights D. education assistance E. affirmative action

C. abortion rights

12. American party organizations A. are about to die out B. have more power than their Western European counterparts C. are still important, but their role in campaigns is secondary to that of candidates D. are more powerful today than at any time in history E. are unimportant in the political system today

C. are still important, but their role in campaigns is secondary to that of candidates

20. The redrawing of congressional districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to the political party in power is called: A. redlining B. mudzoning C. gerrymandering D. reapportionment E. redisctricting

C. gerrymandering

20. In terms of news consumption, since the 1980s young adults A. have experienced a rise in news consumption because of cable news channels B. have experienced a rise in news consumption because of the Internet C. have been less informed than older ones D. have been more informed than older ones E. have remained on par with older adults in terms of news consumption

C. have been less informed than older ones

2. Dramatic change in party identification is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of A. a Supreme Court ruling B. a change in the law C. major upheaval D. popular satisfaction with a government initiative E. a change in the policy position of the president

C. major upheaval

9. When it comes to protest activities, a majority of Americans are A. willing to contribute through financial support but not through active participation B. actively involved in protests at one time or another in their lives C. not highly supportive of such activities, despite America's tradition of free expression D. supportive of violent activities if the cause warrants such an approach E. actively involved only later in their lives, when they feel more secure that a protest is justified

C. not highly supportive of such activities, despite America's tradition of free expression

15. Selective perception is primarily a result of A. economic class B. religion C. partisanship D. race and ethnicity E. age and generational beliefs

C. partisanship

19. In the United States, typical legislative districts must have an equal: A. balance of urban and suburban voters B. geographic size C. population size D. number of males and females E. balance of white and non-white voters

C. population size

3. Objective journalism is based on the idea that the reporter's job is to A. report what political leaders want them to report B. All these answers are correct C. report the facts and cover alternative sides of a partisan debate D. discover what other reporters are saying and provide a uniform interpretation of events E. scrutinize the partisan debate, and inform the news audience about which party has the better argument

C. report the facts and cover alternative sides of a partisan debate

14. The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of A. census parameter B. population error C. sampling error D. interview error E. population density

C. sampling error

14. The news media's common-carrier role is based on the idea that A. the press should not charge for public service announcements B. various news organizations should interpret the news in nearly the same way C. the press should provide a channel through which political leaders can communicate their views to the public D. the press should be patriotic in the reporting of the news E. the news will be available to all citizens

C. the press should provide a channel through which political leaders can communicate their views to the public

6. What development brought about a dramatic reduction in television's capacity to generate an interest in news? A. the rise of Internet news consumption B. the loss of objective journalistic standard C. the rapid spread of cable D. a drop in education levels in the United States E. an increase in newspaper circulation

C. the rapid spread of cable

3. Democrats and Republicans have endured as the two major U.S. parties primarily due to A. the lack of good third-party candidates B. a high degree of party discipline C. their ability to adapt to changing circumstances D. None of these answers is correct E. the stability of their ideologies

C. their ability to adapt to changing circumstances

14. Which of the following are key players in the modern campaign? A. fundraising specialists B. campaign consultants C. media producers D. All these answers are correct E. pollsters

D. All these answers are correct

16. During the twentieth century, American parties lost their complete control over A. nominations B. platforms C. the staffing of government jobs D. All these answers are correct E. financing

D. All these answers are correct

18An electoral ballot prepared and administered by the state rather than political parties, which presents the names of all the candidates for any given office on the same ballot in order to ensure the secrecy of voting, is called the: A. Belgium ballot B. butterfly ballot C. electronic ballot D. Australian ballot E. hanging chad

D. Australian ballot

10. In terms of party identification, about two-thirds of adults call themselves A. Independents B. Democrats C. liberals D. Republicans or Democrats E. Republicans

D. Republicans or Democrats

8. Prospective voting is characterized by A. choices based on party loyalty B. a sudden shift in the vote from one party to another C. the symbolism of a candidate's personality D. choices based on what candidates promise to do if elected E. choices based on a candidate's past performance

D. choices based on what candidates promise to do if elected

4. Of the 2009-2010 health care reform legislation, a Gallup poll found that nearly a third of the public mistakenly believed that the legislation package included A. vastly increased funding for Medicaid, the federal health care program for low-income individuals B. an elimination of the Medicare program C. legalization of partial-birth abortions D. government committees that would decide which elderly patients would receive life-saving treatment and which would not E. government-sponsored health care for illegal immigrants

D. government committees that would decide which elderly patients would receive life-saving treatment and which would not

15. On both radio and television, most successful partisan talk shows A. have been hosted by teams of journalists holding multiple partisan viewpoints B. have been hosted by liberals C. have been hosted by nonpartisan journalists D. have been hosted by conservatives E. have had no discernible political bias

D. have been hosted by conservatives

2. The frequency of elections in the United States reduces voter turnout by A. increasing the amount of taxes paid at the polls B. discouraging local politicians from playing an active role in presidential elections C. focusing too much attention on state and local elections D. increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections E. creating more complex registration requirements

D. increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections

10. Most candidates for office in the United States aim their appeals at A. labor unions and interest groups B. low-income voters C. corporate lobbying powers D. middle-income voters E. high-income voters

D. middle-income voters

7. Education and income affects voter turnout A. more in Europe than in the United States B. None of these answers is correct C. only in national elections in the United States D. more in the United States than in Europe E. only in national elections in Europe

D. more in the United States than in Europe

1. The process of political socialization in the United States is A. highly structured; children are subjected to an intense system of government-mandated political indoctrination B. uniform; there are almost no differences in the opinions of various groups, such as northerners and southerners C. extremely narrow; most Americans get nearly all their opinions from a single source D. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree E. highly effective; Americans are the best informed citizens in the world

D. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree

15. When the nation was founded, who was eligible to vote? A. all males and females who were at least 21 years of age B. All native-born citizens could vote C. only citizens who had lived in the nation for at least ten years D. only males who owned property E. everyone—there was universal suffrage

D. only males who owned property

3. The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called A. socio-economic change B. popular culture C. social communication D. political socialization E. political assimilation

D. political socialization

13. A(n) ________ party is a minor party that bases its appeal on the claim that the major parties are having a corrupting influence on government and policy A. single-issue B. third C. ideological D. reform E. factional

D. reform

7. Which of the following is an indication of strong party loyalty? A. the influence of short-term issues and candidates B. split-ticket voting C. a focus on candidate charisma and personal style D. straight-ticket voting E. Democratic

D. straight-ticket voting

7. One of the reasons the reporting of national news is relatively uniform among news sources is that A. reporters are not given much freedom by their editors B. the government dictates much of what is reported C. there are only a few important events each day that merit news coverage D. the network newscasts are brief and the day's top stories tend to dominate E. modern journalists have become fairly lazy and use mostly wire reports to create news copy for the network newscasts

D. the network newscasts are brief and the day's top stories tend to dominate

2. Proportional representation systems encourage the formation of smaller parties by enabling parties to A. receive campaign funds from government in proportion to their support in opinion polls B. share in patronage appointments, which serve as an incentive to lure campaign workers C. win legislative seats by lottery for parties that have no chance of winning majority support D. win legislative seats even though they do not receive a majority of votes in elections E. advertise on television

D. win legislative seats even though they do not receive a majority of votes in elections

19. The term generational effect is used to describe the influence of watershed events on the political outlook of A. African American voters B. swing voters C. female voters D. younger voters E. older voters

D. younger voters

6. A consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a coherent set of political beliefs is called A. conservatism B. politicization C. None of these answers is correct D. socialization E. An Ideology

E. An Ideology

18 Which of the following statements about Americans and ideology and political thinking is true? A. Americans are highly sophisticated in their political thinking B. Liberalism and conservatism have such imprecise meanings that it is not useful to think about politics in these terms C. Americans are highly consistent in their political thinking D. Americans overwhelmingly identify themselves as liberals E. Only a minority of Americans can be classified as true ideologues

E. Only a minority of Americans can be classified as true ideologues

9. ________ is based on judgment about the past performance of an elected official or political party A. None of these answers is correct B. Prospective voting C. Straight-ticket voting D. Split-ticket voting E. Retrospective voting

E. Retrospective voting

9. Which of the following is one of the two major advantages of journalists in covering the political game and strategic aspects of news instead of the policy frame? A. The reporting of policy positions is too simplified B. Government leaders are more interested in portraying their political views than their policy accomplishments C. The reporting of policy is less readily adaptable to editorial pages D. Government leaders give journalists less access to the policy sphere E. The political game is a constant source of fresh material

E. The political game is a constant source of fresh material

6. As distinct from alienation, apathy is A. associated with a low rate of voter turnout B. a feeling of powerlessness C. a sign that the political system is working properly D. widespread among affluent Americans E. a general lack of interest in politics

E. a general lack of interest in politics

2. In comparison with today's newspapers, early American newspapers A. were written by hand B. All these answers are correct C. were so inexpensive that nearly everyone read a daily paper D. were more widely read E. could not have survived without political party support

E. could not have survived without political party support

1. The news provides a refracted version of reality because it A. is biased in favor of a liberal perspective B. is biased in favor of a Republican viewpoint C. is biased in favor of a conservative perspective D. is biased in favor of a Democratic viewpoint E. emphasizes dramatic and compelling news stories

E. emphasizes dramatic and compelling news stories

1. Andrew Jackson's contribution to the development of political parties was the A. forging of a coalition of Democrats and Whigs B. introduction of primary elections C. formation of the Federalist Party D. formation of the Republican Party E. formation of a new type of grassroots party organization

E. formation of a new type of grassroots party organization

13. In the United States, the primary responsibility for registration of the individual voter rests with the A. state and local governments B. federal government C. employer D. local courts E. individual

E. individual

8. The Watergate scandal illustrates the A. inadequacy of the media as a common-carrier to the public B. futility of media attempts to forecast political events C. ability of the press to serve as the public's representative in political disputes D. abuse of power by journalists in the United States E. power of the media to serve as watchdog to safeguard against abuses of power

E. power of the media to serve as watchdog to safeguard against abuses of power

5. The FCC's equal time requirement A. requires broadcasters to give equal time to news programming and to commercial advertising B. requires broadcasters to give equal time to third parties as well as the Democrats and Republicans C. includes the print media D. requires broadcasters to give equal time to the two major political parties E. prohibits broadcasters from selling or giving time to political candidates and denying it to their opponents

E. prohibits broadcasters from selling or giving time to political candidates and denying it to their opponents

17. Which of the following represents the greatest blow to the organizational strength of U.S. parties? A. voter registration B. Jacksonian democracy C. the emergence of PACs D. the national convention E. the direct primary

E. the direct primary

19. Which institution receives the most news coverage from the national press? A. U.S. Senate B. U.S. Supreme Court C. U.S. House of Representatives D. the federal bureaucracy E. the presidency

E. the presidency

4. The federal government's licensing of broadcasting is based primarily on A. the desire of national officials to control the content of broadcast news and entertainment B. the fact that broadcasting is a national medium C. a desire to censor reporters so that they will stop criticizing governmental officials D. the fact that broadcasting was invented after the First Amendment was adopted E. the scarcity of broadcasting frequencies

E. the scarcity of broadcasting frequencies