American Gov. Test #2 (ch. 5-8)

Which of the following statements about the ideological preferences of Americans is true?

The percentage of Americans who consider themselves moderates, liberals, or conservatives has remained relatively constant for the past 15 years

Which of the following occurs when one party replaces another party that has dominated national politics for a lengthy period of time?

an electoral realignment

A loose, informal relationship of public officials, interest groups, and activists who are all concerned with the same policies is called

an issue network

Today, advertising revenue at print newspapers is ________what it was in 2005

half

The Christian Coalition is a(n) ________ group

ideological

The fact that many middle-class and lower-middle-class citizens who did not stand to benefit from President George W. Bush's tax cuts seemed to favor them is an example of the

importance of political knowledge

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

information

The right of candidates to spend their own money on running for office

is protected absolutely by the Constitution according to the Supreme Court

The Teamsters and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations are examples of ________ groups

labor

The major organizational factors shared by most interest groups are

leadership, money, an agency or office, and members

If a person supports a candidate because he or she is the front-runner in a poll, it is an example of the

bandwagon effect

In the 2012 presidential election, Gallup surveys significantly overestimated

Latino support for Mitt Romney

The term public opinion is used to describe

beliefs and attitudes toward different issues, events, and people

Large media conglomerates own approximately ________ percent of daily newspapers

75

Opposition to legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________, while support for legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________

conservatives; liberals

Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is the most accurate?

Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans are greater today than during any other period in the last 40 years

________ generally support abortion rights and oppose state involvement with religious institutions

liberals

Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that

more affluent and more educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions

What is "niche journalism"?

news reporting targeted for a demographic of readers based on content or ideological presentation

Liberalism and conservatism are examples of

political ideologies

A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to

poorly worded questions

Grandparents, tall people, and undergraduates are all examples of

potential interest groups

The New Politics movement gave rise to ________ groups

public interest

The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example of the ________ effect

social desirability

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

south

The fact that only 63 percent of high school graduates have broadband Internet access at home while almost 90 percent of college graduates do is an example of

the "digital divide"

Much of the national news that is published in local newspapers is provided by

the Associated Press

"Me too" Republicanism refers to

the tendency of Republican politicians during the New Deal to support popular programs such as Social Security rather than advocate alternative policies

What is the primary function of a PAC?

to raise and distribute money to election campaigns

Which of the following is true of trust in government?

very low trust in government is a reality in contemporary politics

Politicians attempt to "balance the ticket" with members of many important groups because

voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background

Historically, realignments occur

when new issues combine with economic or political crises to mobilize new voters and persuade large numbers of voters to reexamine their traditional partisan loyalties.

Low-level officials who hope to publicize what they view as their bosses' or the government's improper activities are usually called

"whistle-blowers"

Facebook has over _______ users worldwide

1 billion

The Communications Decency Act was struck down by the Supreme Court because it violated the

First Amendment's right to freedom of speech

Which statement about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is true?

Following passage of the act, several mergers between telephone and cable companies produced a greater concentration of media ownership

Why does the marketplace of ideas often have a moderating effect on people's opinions?

Given constant exposure to other people's ideas, it is almost impossible for one not to modify one's own viewpoints

The fact that interest groups favor the wealthy and well educated can be understood as a reflection of what dilemma in American politics?

Liberty is often inconsistent with equality

________ occurs when interest groups take out advertisements and hold marches

Mobilizing public opinion

Which of the following statements is true about the forces that shape public opinion?

Presidents often attempt to influence public support for the policies they are promoting

From the end of the Civil War to the 1890s, the ________ Party was the party of the North, while the ________ Party was the party of the South

Republican; Democratic

Which of the following statements about public opinion is true?

Shifts in public opinion on particular issues can lead to changes in public policy

What is one of the main differences between those who have gone to college and those who have not?

There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education

Which of the following statements about age and political participation is true?

Young people are far less likely to participate in politics than older people

The campaign funds raised and spent by 501(c)(4) organizations are called "dark money" because

donors and amounts contributed do not have to be made public

If a television station sold commercial time to a Republican candidate for governor but refused to sell time to the Democratic candidate for governor, this station would be in violation of the

equal time rule

A wealthy businessperson who is very liberal is an example of the

fact that group memberships never fully explain all of an individual's political views

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

The small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population is called a

sample

What is the "social desirability effect"?

the fact that respondents report what they think the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable, rather than what they actually believe