Test Part 1

Which of the following represents a consequence of candidate-centered electoral campaigns?

A decrease in the role of political parties in campaign management

Which of the following demographic groups has voted most consistently for the Democratic Party in national elections over the last three decades?

African Americans

When none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the electoral college, the winner is chosen by the

House of Representatives only

The data in the graph best illustrate which of the following common criticisms of the electoral college?

Individuals in small-population states have a greater impact on the electoral college than individuals in large-population states.

Which of the following factors best accounts for the rise of interest groups and the decline of political parties in recent years?

Interest groups are better able to articulate specific policy positions than are political parties

Which of the following describes the Twenty-Fourth Amendment?

It eliminated poll taxes

Which of the following statements about Americans' trust in the mass media is best supported by the data in the graph?

It generally decreased over time.

A number of states, including Georgia and Ohio, have passed laws that revoke voter registration if a person did not vote in recent election cycles. Which of the following is a likely consequence of these laws?

Occasional voters will not be able to vote on election day, which could influence election results.

Which of the following makes a correct comparison between political parties and interest groups in the United States?

Political Parties - Political parties recruit and run candidates in elections. Interest groups - Interest groups alert and educate voters regarding pending legislation. (A)

A voter's decision to support the incumbent president in an upcoming election is based on recent economic growth and record low unemployment. Which of the following models of voting behavior best characterizes this voter's decision?

Retrospective voting

Which of the following describes the potential impact on the electorate when daily media coverage of elections focuses primarily on the newest poll resutls?

The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.

The America First Action is a super PAC led by former administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon. Which of the following best explains how the organization can operate to influence elections, according to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010)?

The super PAC can spend unlimited money on issue-advocacy-advertisements that are not coordinated with the campaign.

Which of the following best describes Cesar Chavez' view on the use of violence versus nonviolence?

The use of nonviolent actions allows more people to be involved in the movement and effect change.

Which of the following is most directly related to the large amount of money spent by outside groups in the 2012 election?

The use of super PACs as a mechanism to raise money and influence elections

A political science professor is researching the effects that the Fifteenth and Twenty-Sixth Amendments have had on the American political system. Which of the following is the most likely reason the professor is researching these amendments?

To study the expansion of voting rights

The agenda-setting function of the media refers to the power to

decide which issues are important enough to bring public attention.

Typically, presidential candidates implement their campaign strategies by

focusing on larger, competitive states, because they might tip the balance of the electoral college.

All of the following are reasons incumbents in the House of Representatives enjoy an electoral advantage over challengers EXCEPT that incumbents

get substantial financial support from their party's national committee

Citizens who believe that their votes will have no effect on the outcome of an election have a

low level of political efficacy

The free rider problem occurs when

people benefit from an interest group's efforts without making any contribution

A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that

political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy

All of the following are examples of a linkage institution influencing the policy process EXCEPT

the president delivering the State of the Union Speech

The concept of realignment refers to changes in

the social bases of the parties' voting support

The process known as front-loading refers to

the tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calendar

Which of the following scenarios is most closely related to the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?

A labor union spends millions of dollars to independently run negative advertisements about a presidential candidate shortly before the election.

Which best describes a likely reason for the information depicted in the graph?

An increase in concerns over media bias.

A 2017 study in the American Economic Review found that watching Fox News during an election cycle increased a Democrats chances of voting Republican by 28 percent. Conversely, by watching MSNBC Republicans were more inclined to vote Democrat by 8 percent. This scenario best illustrates which of the following about the media?

Cable news programming is oftentimes ideologically driven and effective in persuading citizens to adopt their point of view.

Which of the following criticisms of political campaigns is the author of the political cartoon most likely to agree with?

Candidates rely too heavily on professional consultants.

When party members meet to nominate a candidate for office, the participate in which of the following?

Caucus

Which of the following is a true statement about the role of the media in providing citizens with information?

Demand for instantaneous news reporting has led to the growth of 24-hour news operations and a shift to online media consumption.

Which of the following statements is true regarding political advertisements in 2012 based on the information graphic?

Few advertisements appealed to positive emotions.

Which of the following statements is true based on the data in the line graph?

In the 2000 election, the gap between voters 65 and older and 18-29 years old was 2% with voters older than 65 preferring the Democratic candidate.

Which of the following portrays an accurate example of horse race media coverage?

News media outlets report the results of public opinion polls that show the relative popularity of presidential candidates.

Which of the following is true based on the information graphic?

Over 75% of the population is eligible to vote, but only about half the electorate actually voted in the 2016 presidential election.

While the central goal of political parties is to win elections, parties can also support democracy. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates this relationship?

Political parties use the social media site Instagram to reach out to younger voters to inform them about upcoming elections and encourage them to register to vote.

A person votes for Democratic candidates based on the belief that the policies of the Democratic Party will be personally beneficial. This type of voting matches which of the following voting behavior models?

Prospective voting

Which of the following best explains why eligibility criteria vary by state as shown on the information graphic?

States can create criteria for voting rights so long as they do not violate the United States Constitution.

Which of the following is a likely effect of the trend depicted in the bar graph on voting and elections?

The Democratic Party will win more elections, based on current voting trends

Which of the following statements regarding political parties is true based on the graphic?

The Republican Party initially emerged as an antislavery political party.

Two interest groups are competing for influence in Congress. One group represents banking institutions while the other advocates for consumer protections. A critic of the influence of interest groups would make which of the following claims?

The banking interest group likely has greater financial resources and access to policy makers than the consumer protection group.

Which of the following factors that influence voters' decision making during an election is the cartoonist poking fun at?

The candidate's personal characteristics

An important Senate race takes place in the state of Georgia. Rather than focus on the issue positions taken by the candidates, a 24-hour cable news station instead focuses primarily on poll results and campaign strategies using a "big board" to show the counties where each candidate has the most support. Which of the following is an effect of this type of news coverage?

The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.

Critics of the winner-take-all aspect of the electoral college are most likely to make which of the following arguments?

The winner-take-all system of the electoral college encourages presidential candidates to focus their time and effort disproportionately on battleground states with larger populations.

The graphic illustrates which of the following statements about political parties?

There is an ongoing debate between political parties over the power and scope of the federal government, even as economic and demographic changes have altered party coalitions.

The most common form of political activity undertaken by United States citizens is

voting in political elections

A citizen who uses the rational choice model of voting behavior selects candidates for office based on

what is thought to be in the citizen's own self interest

Which of the following is a type of primary election that requires registration as a party affiliate to vote?

Closed

Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the relative functions and electoral success of the two major political parties (Democratic and Republican) and third parties?

Major Parties - The rules of the electoral college favor the major party candidates in presidential elections. Third Parties - Winner-take-all voting districts hinder the electoral success of third-party candidates. (B)

Which of the following amendments to the United States Constitution addresses the grievance that a woman is not permitted "to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise"?

Nineteenth Amendment

Which of the following best explains how political parties are likely to respond to the data in the chart?

Political parties will adopt their positions and find ways to appeal to voters from growing demographic groups.

Which of the following is the best explanation for the trend in voting behavior after the 2000 election?

The events that shaped the generation turning 18 after the year 2000 tended to create more liberal-minded voters who supported Democrats

Which of the following scenarios explains how demographic factors affect voter participation in elections?

Wealthier individuals are more likely to become involved in campaigns because they believe that their actions may influence the candidates.

Since the 1960s, support for the Democratic Party has declined the most among which of the following groups?

White Southerners

Given the information in the graph, in which of the following states would an individual's vote likely have more influence?

Wyoming