AP Gov Unit 5 quiz
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 scenarios is most related to the Twenty-Sixth Amendment?
An eighteen-year-old votes in a presidential election.
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 factors contributes most to the data in the line graph?
Incumbents have an advantage over challengers because of name recognition.
Which of the following scenarios depicts the concept of an iron triangle?
Lobbyists from the energy industry provide information to the Department of Energy before the department head testifies before the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives.
Which of the following is the best interpretation of the political cartoon?
Members of Congress receive political contributions from many special interest groups.
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.
Which of the following is an effect of the Seventeenth Amendment?
People could participate in the political process by directly electing the senators.
Which of the following makes a correct comparison between political parties and interest groups in the United States?
Political Parties Interest GroupsPolitical parties recruit and run candidates in elections.Interest groups seek to influence public policy.
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the graphs?
Political efficacy is a major factor in shaping political views about government, but political ideology also plays a role.
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 best represents an example of party-line voting?
A citizen casts votes for all Republicans based solely on the candidates' affiliation with the Republican Party.
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 activities by interest groups best illustrates attempts to educate members of Congress on public policy?
A green energy group sending a research report to congressional offices
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 Democrat's 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.
For which of the following tasks would using the bar graph as currently designed be the LEAST helpful?
Calculating the election cycle spending based on the intervals shown on the vertical axis
A chief executive officer (CEO) of a corporation believes that the Republican candidate for president will enact policies that are more beneficial to her business. The CEO donated the maximum amount allowed by law directly to the candidate's campaign fund. To increase the candidate's chances for election, the CEO also directed her corporation to donate funds to an independent political action committee to create ads criticizing the opposing candidate. According to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), which provision of the Constitution protects her actions?
Freedom of speech in the First Amendment
Which of the following describes the activities represented by data in the table?
Groups in American society form political action committees (PACs) so they can influence policy.
Based on the table, which of the following political action committees (PACs) is most partisan in its allocation of contributions to candidates?
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
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 Third Parties The rules of the electoral college favor the major-party candidates in presidential elections.Winner-take-all voting districts hinder the electoral success of third-party candidates.
Which of the following best explains how parties link citizens to the electoral process?
Parties send volunteers to knock on doors to register voters.
In which of the following ways do political parties primarily rely on to finance their election activities?
Parties solicit funds from private donors who oftentimes contribute large sums of money.
An advertisement airs on television attacking a candidate running for office. The advertisement was produced and distributed by a group that was not affiliated with nor funded by any political campaign. Which of the following statements explains why this expenditure is not prohibited by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 ?
Political spending by groups not directly affiliated with a campaign is a form of protected speech.
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
In 1980, a small group of parents personally affected by drunk driving formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Over the past four decades, they have grown in number and have lobbied on state and local levels promoting legislation such as stricter limits on blood alcohol levels for drivers. MADD is an example of which of the following?
Single-issue group with the goal of impacting policy making
An emerging third party is struggling to get congressional candidates elected to office. Which of the following is a feature of the American political system that would explain why the party is struggling to achieve its goal?
Single-member districts
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.
In 2002, Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act in an effort to regulate campaign finance by limiting the ability of corporations and unions to spend their general treasury funds on election communications. In 2010, the Supreme Court invalidated this provision of the act. Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority decision of the case?
The First Amendment allows corporations and unions to make independent expenditures regarding candidates for office.
Which of the following statements regarding political parties is true based on the graphic?
The Republican Party initially emerged as an antislavery political party.
Which of the following statements about the bar graph on voter turnout in the 2014 California general election is correct?
The age group that voted at a rate closest to the average is 45-54.
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.
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.
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
Supporters of voting restrictions are most likely to make which of the following arguments?
Voting restrictions are needed to prevent voter fraud.
If a researcher were interested in understanding how much the NRA spent in each state, what visual could be created to accurately display this information in the bar graph?
A map showing the dollar amounts spent by the NRA in each state since 1992
The bar graph shows the National Rifle Association's spending on Democratic and Republican candidates over several decades of election cycles in support of gun ownership rights. How could a visual best be created to better understand how the spending of the NRA compares to that of gun control proponents?
A pie chart that tallies total spending by both the NRA and gun control proponents since 1992
Which of the following exemplifies the free-rider problem for interest groups?
A teacher who does not join the local teachers union but receives a salary negotiated by the union
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.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC, has raised over $50 million dollars, which it plans to spend on advertising in the next midterm election. It plans to target its spending in competitive districts in the days leading up to Election Day. Which of the following court cases decision is most likely to protect the right of the group in the scenario?
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most related to the topic in the cartoon?
Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010)
Which of the following best explains the ideological shifts of the Southern Democrats, as shown in the line chart?
Conservative Republicans have been more successful at winning seats in the South, replacing many of the conservative Democrats.
Which of the following provides the most accurate explanation of how consumer-driven media increases partisan polarization?
Consumer-driven media reinforces existing political biases in individuals.
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.
The vice of the groupist theory is that it conceals the most significant aspects of the system. The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent. Probably about 90 percent of the people cannot get into the pressure system. The notion that the pressure system is automatically representative of the whole community is a myth fostered by the universalizing tendency of modern group theories. Pressure politics is a selective processill designed to serve diffuse interests. The system is skewed, loaded, and unbalanced in favor of a fraction of a minority. E. E. Schattschneider, The Semisovereign People, 1960 Question Which of the following activities would the author most likely be concerned about interest groups engaging in?
Forming iron triangles with bureaucratic agencies and congressional committees
Which of the following explains how The Federalist 10 relates to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ?
In both, a limited approach to government regulation was argued for.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Which of the following best explains how most candidates are recruited to run for office?
Political parties usually recruit and train people at the local level they believe are most fit to run for office.
Which of the following best explains how political parties are likely to respond to the data in the chart?
Political parties will adapt their positions and find ways to appeal to voters from growing demographic groups.
"Any candidate using Facebook can put a campaign message promising one thing in front of one group of voters while simultaneously running an ad with a completely opposite message in front of a different group of voters. The ads themselves are not posted anywhere for the general public to see (this is what's known as 'dark advertising'), and chances are, no one will ever be the wiser. That undermines the very idea of a 'marketplace of ideas,' says Ann Ravel, a former member of the Federal Election Commission who has long advocated stricter regulations on digital campaigning. 'The way to have a robust democracy is for people to hear all these ideas and make decisions and discuss," Ravel said. 'With microtargeting, that is not happening.'" Julia Carrie Wong, "'It Might Work Too Well:' the Dark Art of Political Advertising Online," The Guardian, March 19, 2018. Question Which of the following scenarios reflects the most direct effect of the practice described in the passage on the electoral process?
Political parties will rely increasingly on social media advertising to reach different coalitions of voters.
Which of the following statements can best be supported by the survey data displayed in the bar graphs?
Republicans with a low level of political efficacy are the most likely group to say that government needs major reforms.
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 arguments best supports a claim that the electoral college violates democratic principles?
Smaller states are disproportionately advantaged by the two additional electoral votes granted to each state for its senators.
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 new coverage?
The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.
Which of the following describes the potential impact on the electorate when daily media coverage of elections focuses primarily on the newest poll results?
The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.
Which of the following statements about the trend is correct according to the line chart?
The ideological difference between Southern and Northern Democrats in the House of Representatives has decreased since 1973.
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.
Based on the data in the chart, which of the following best explains a likely impact of third-party votes in the 2016 election?
The third-party vote in the three states depicted in the chart helped Donald Trump acquire enough electoral votes to win the election.
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
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.
"Any candidate using Facebook can put a campaign message promising one thing in front of one group of voters while simultaneously running an ad with a completely opposite message in front of a different group of voters. The ads themselves are not posted anywhere for the general public to see (this is what's known as 'dark advertising'), and chances are, no one will ever be the wiser. That undermines the very idea of a 'marketplace of ideas,' says Ann Ravel, a former member of the Federal Election Commission who has long advocated stricter regulations on digital campaigning. 'The way to have a robust democracy is for people to hear all these ideas and make decisions and discuss," Ravel said. 'With microtargeting, that is not happening.'" Julia Carrie Wong, "'It Might Work Too Well:' the Dark Art of Political Advertising Online," The Guardian, March 19, 2018. Question Which of the following political processes or behaviors is most directly affected by the development described in the passage?
Voter mobilization
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.
Given the information in the graph, in which of the following states would an individual's vote likely have more influence?
Wyoming
"Any candidate using Facebook can put a campaign message promising one thing in front of one group of voters while simultaneously running an ad with a completely opposite message in front of a different group of voters. The ads themselves are not posted anywhere for the general public to see (this is what's known as 'dark advertising'), and chances are, no one will ever be the wiser. That undermines the very idea of a 'marketplace of ideas,' says Ann Ravel, a former member of the Federal Election Commission who has long advocated stricter regulations on digital campaigning. 'The way to have a robust democracy is for people to hear all these ideas and make decisions and discuss," Ravel said. 'With microtargeting, that is not happening.'" Julia Carrie Wong, "'It Might Work Too Well:' the Dark Art of Political Advertising Online," The Guardian, March 19, 2018. Question The practice of "microtargeting" described in the passage is an even more powerful campaign tool for parties if they are able to
collect and manage large databases of information on specific groups of voters
Tom believes that the government should be limited in its regulation of the economy, but he wants to find out more about economic policy. As he researches the topic, he increasingly relies on a well-respected conservative blog as his main source of information. Tom's actions demonstrate the tendency of individuals to seek out information from sources that
reinforce existing political beliefs
Based on the map above, a prediction that could be made about the 2016 election in Texas (TX) is that
the number of eligible voters decreased in the 2016 election
The vice of the groupist theory is that it conceals the most significant aspects of the system. The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent. Probably about 90 percent of the people cannot get into the pressure system. The notion that the pressure system is automatically representative of the whole community is a myth fostered by the universalizing tendency of modern group theories. Pressure politics is a selective processill designed to serve diffuse interests. The system is skewed, loaded, and unbalanced in favor of a fraction of a minority. E. E. Schattschneider, The Semisovereign People, 1960 Question Which of the following statements about interest groups would the author most likely agree with?
Interest groups tend to over-represent elite interests.
Which of the following describes an effect of the Twenty-Fourth Amendment?
It eliminated poll taxes.
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.
The National Education Association (NEA) is an organization of teachers, administrators, and other educators who work together to advance the interests and impact of public education. One of the NEA's goals is to support public education by ending government funding of voucher programs that promote school privatization. Vouchers give parents financial incentives to send their children to private schools rather than having children attend local public schools. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective way to achieve the NEA's goal of furthering the interest of public education?
Lobby members of congressional committees to vote against all legislation that would support school voucher programs.
Based on the data in the chart, which of the following strategies would best help third-party candidates like Jill Stein and Gary Johnson increase their chances of winning elected office?
Lobbying state legislatures to shift from a winner-take-all system to a proportional voting system
Which of the following statements can be supported by the data in the line graph?
Members of the House of Representatives are more likely to be reelected than defeated.
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.
The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urges its members to take action in support of what they term "animal friendly" legislation through their website. In addition to providing information about important issues that legislators may vote on, the nonprofit organization also describes the best ways to contact a legislator and tips on how best to interact with lawmakers. Which of the following is being illustrated in the scenario? Responses
Interest groups sometimes form around a narrow set of issues with the goal of impacting policy making.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government . . ." ". . . Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men. . . . Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides. He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns." Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Seneca Falls Convention, 1848 Question 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
Senator Hoffman is campaigning for reelection in her state. Her campaign message emphasizes how the policies she has supported have benefited her constituents. She has spotlighted job creation and an overall improvement in the standard of living in the state in the past six years. Senator Hoffman is hoping to appeal to which of the following voting behavior models? Responses
Retrospective 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.
There is an ongoing debate over the role of money in elections. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 banned soft money and restricted advertisements in the weeks before an election. Parts of this act were challenged and struck down in the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). Which of the following was a consequence of that ruling?
Super PACs may spend unlimited funds on advertisements that are not coordinated with the campaign because they are protected by the freedom of speech.
Which of the following is most likely an effect of the data reported in the chart?
The California state government is more likely to address issues that affect older voters.
Which of the following factors that influence voters' decision making during an election is the cartoonist poking fun at?
The candidate's personal characteristics
If voters are acting according to the retrospective model of voting, which of the following will be the most important consideration in their decision?
The effect of recent economic conditions on the voters
"...If we resort to violence then one of two things will happen: either the violence will be escalated and there will be many injuries and perhaps deaths on both sides, or there will be total demoralization of the workers. Nonviolence has exactly the opposite effect. If, for every violent act committed against us, we respond with nonviolence, we attract people's support. We can gather the support of millions who have a conscience and would rather see a nonviolent resolution to problems. We are convinced that when people are faced with a direct appeal from the poor struggling nonviolently against great odds, they will react positively. The American people and people everywhere still yearn for justice. It is to that yearning that we appeal. ...When victory comes through violence, it is a victory with strings attached. If we beat the growers at the expense of violence, victory would come at the expense of injury and perhaps death. Such a thing would have a tremendous impact on us. We would lose regard for human beings. Then the struggle would become a mechanical thing. When you lose your sense of life and justice, you lose your strength...." César Chávez, "He Showed Us the Way," 1978 Question Which of the following best describes César Chávez' 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.
According to the bar graph, which of the following statements will be true in the year 2060?
Those identifying as White alone will remain a majority.
Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data in the graphs?
Those with greater political efficacy have a more positive view of government; as a result, they are more likely to vote in elections.
Based on the data in the chart and your knowledge of presidential elections, which of the following is the best strategy that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could have used to pull votes away from the third-party candidates, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson?
Trump or Clinton could have adopted issues that were popular with Stein's and Johnson's voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin as part of their campaigns.
