gov 2

Ace your homework & exams now with Quizwiz!

9. ___ is the interplay of opinions and views that takes place as competing forces attempt to persuade as many people as possible to accept a particular position on a particular issue.

The marketplace of ideas

57. Segregation or discriminatory practices that occur even when there is no explicit legal enforcement, such as school segregation in much of the United States today, is called ____ segregation.

de facto

30. Legally enforced segregation in public schools is a form of ________ discrimination.

de jure

6. Political and voting differences between men and women are known as the ____ gap.

gender

16. The Bill of Rights

includes the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

4. Family provides most people with their ____ to politics.

initial orientation

1. What level of scrutiny does the Supreme Court typically use in cases related to sex and gender discrimination?

intermediate scrutiny

13. The FCC's fairness doctrine

is no longer being enforced.

29. In terms of combating racism, the NAACP had the most success with ________.

lawsuits

What are Jim Crow laws. Provide at least two specific examples of such laws

Jim Crow laws: Jim Crow refers to laws enacted by southern states following Reconstruction that discriminated against African Americans (such as bans on interracial marriage and policies requiring segregation in all public accommodations). Additionally, African Americans were prevented from voting in most southern states.

33. Which of the following best summarizes the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

Racially segregated schools can never be equal.

36. The difference between a political value and a political attitude is that values are

basic principles, while attitudes are specific preferences.

34. The term public opinion is used to describe

beliefs and attitudes people have toward different issues, events, and personalities.

12. Priming involves

calling attention to some matters while ignoring others when evaluating political officials

22. In West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), the Supreme Court ruled that

children cannot be required to salute the flag if it violates their religious faith.

15. It is estimated that more than ______ of Americans use the Internet.

80 percent

47. Selective incorporation

considers the provisions of the Bill of Rights one by one and selectively applies them as limits on the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

28. Restrictive covenants were

contract clauses added by the seller of a home that required the buyer to agree never to sell the home to any non-Caucasian.

39. 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.

37. Which of the following sets of terms describes America's fundamental political values?

liberty, equality of opportunity, and democracy

5. Online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter

likely increase the role of peers in shaping public opinion.

46. Civil liberties are

limitations on government action.

32. Congress strengthened voting rights in 1975 by

making literacy tests illegal and mandating bilingual ballots or other assistance for non-English-speaking Americans.

21. In Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), the Supreme Court ruled that government support of religion is

permissible only if it is secular in purpose, neither promotes nor inhibits religion, and does not lead to excessive

7. Political socialization is the process through which

political beliefs and values are formed.

56. In 2013 the Supreme Court struck down which part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act?

preclearance

23. The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth amendments are largely about

protections for those accused of committing crimes.

60. The judicial test that places the burden of proof on government to show that a race-based policy serves a compelling government interest and is narrowly tailored to address identifiable past discrimination is called

strict scrutiny.

31. In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court

struck down state laws banning interracial marriage.

41. Despite its widespread availability, ________ typically provide(s) the least depth of news coverage.

television

10. A contemporary and very controversial example of a media leak is

the Edward Snowden leaks of NSA classified material.

43. Which of the following is NOT a reason that many Americans appear to prefer online news?

the accuracy and objectivity compared to traditional media outlets

25. What does the term Jim Crow mean?

the system of racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction

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

whistle-blowers

59. The Seneca Falls declaration addressed civil rights for which group?

women

Discuss the limits on the First Amendment's right to freedom of speech.

Schenck v. United States (1919) The Supreme Court ruled that speech could be restricted when the nation's security is at stake. Clear-and-present-danger test Libel: publishing material that falsely damages a person's reputation Defamation of an individual's reputation through the written word. Slander: spoken words that falsely damage a person's reputation Libel against public officials requires malicious intent

19. The text of the Fourteenth Amendment says

"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

54. Which of the following is true of the Supreme Court's treatment of student speech?

. It has allowed conditional restrictions on student free speech depending on the content of the speech.

What do you consider to be the most important of the civil liberties protected by the Bill of Rights? Why?

Answers vary.

17. During the Founding era, ________ were the strongest supporters of adding a bill of rights to the Constitution.

Antifederalists

2. Which constitutional amendment guaranteed voting rights for African American men?

Fifteenth

24. The right to remain silent is guaranteed by the ________ Amendment.

Fifth

18. The constitutional basis for the nationalization of the Bill of Rights is the ________ Amendment.

Fourteenth

52. The free exercise clause has recently upheld the religious liberties of Muslim-Americans in which of the two following cases?

Holt v. Hobbs; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc.

51. The exclusionary rule is illustrated by which Supreme Court case?

Mapp v. Ohio

49. The Supreme Court narrowed restrictive gun control policies and expanded gun ownership rights in which of the following cases?

McDonald v. Chicago

14. ______ journalism caters to specialized interests of news consumers.

Niche

27. Women were guaranteed the right to vote with the passage of the ________ Amendment in 1920.

Nineteenth

44. The media's reporting of the Watergate affair led to

President Richard Nixon's resignation

3. Which important pre-1954 case addressed racial discrimination in housing and property ownership?

Shelley v. Kraemer

55. Which of the following statements about the death penalty is accurate?

The United States is the only Western nation that still executes criminals.

11. Even though newspapers are not the primary news source for MOST Americans, why could they still be considered important?

They are still influential among the political elite.

35. A political ideology is best defined as

a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government.

Define what is meant by a political ideology. Describe the basic characteristics of at least three ideologies prevalent in the United States

a. A political ideology, by contrast, is a cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government. b. Differences between liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and libertarianism: Liberalism is a political ideology that advocates for social and political reform, governmental intervention in the economy and more economic equality, expansion of federal social services, and greater concern for consumers and the environment. Conservatism is a political ideology that advocates for a continuation of the social and economic status quo and skepticism toward large and powerful governments (because they may pose a threat to citizens' freedom). Socialism is a political ideology that emphasizes social ownership and strong government. Libertarianism is a political ideology that emphasizes freedom and voluntary association with small government.

Discuss at least three of the following media effects: agenda setting, framing, priming, selection bias.

a. Agenda setting: Agenda setting involves identifying the issues that politicians and the public will pay attention to: some things are deemed important while others are not. For example, by providing a great deal of coverage about terrorism, the media can make the public think that this issue is more important. b. Framing: Framing is the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted. For example, the Obama administration labeled the 2010 health care bill the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," thus framing the proposal as a matter of compassionate responsibility and good economics. Sensing that Americans approved of this, Republicans chose different language. The law's provisions for limiting excessive medical testing were labeled as "health care rationing" and proposals to create committees to advise patients about end-of-life care were called "death panels." c. Priming: Priming involves "calling attention to some matters while ignoring others" when evaluating political officials. As a result, the public will be primed to use certain criteria when evaluating a politician or an issue, and ignore other criteria. For example, the media's intensive focus on terrorism and security in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks primed the public to evaluate President Bush's performance in office based on his ability to defend the nation from terrorism, and not on, say, his ability to manage the economy at the time. d. Selection bias: Because the media are businesses, and because the media seek to attract the largest possible audiences, they tend to cover stories with dramatic or entertainment value, giving less attention to important stories that they deem less compelling. Partisanship and ideology notwithstanding, the journalistic instinct for sensational stories often trumps both the media's responsibility to inform the public about what really matters and the public's responsibility to demand that from the media.

. What is the right to privacy and what is the constitutional basis for it?

a. Defining right to privacy: The right to privacy is the right to be left alone. b. Constitutional basis for the right to privacy: A right to privacy was not explicitly granted in the Bill of Rights or anywhere else in the Constitution. In Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court ruled that the right of privacy is grounded in the Constitution because it fits into a "zone of privacy" created by a combination of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth amendments. When coupled with the language and history of the Ninth Amendment (which states that "the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people"), these amendments were sufficient for the Court to find that the Bill of Rights implies a constitutional right to privacy.

Discuss the exclusionary rule, Miranda rights, and double jeopardy

a. Exclusionary rule: The exclusionary rule is the ability of courts to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment's protections for unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Court's ruling in Mapp v. Ohio stated that under the Fourth Amendment (applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment), "all evidence obtained by searches and seizures in violation of the Constitution . . . is inadmissible." b. Miranda rights: Miranda rights refer to the requirement, articulated by the Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, that persons under arrest must be informed prior to police interrogation of their rights to remain silent and to have the benefit of legal counsel. The decision was based on the Fifth Amendment's protection from self-incrimination. c. Double jeopardy: Double jeopardy refers to the Fifth Amendment right providing that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime. In the 1969 case of Benton v. Maryland, the Court expressly overruled their decision in Palko v. Connecticut and declared that the double jeopardy clause did, in fact, apply to the states.

Describe how public opinion is measured and some of the challenges that arise with polling

a. Sampling definition and goal: A sample is a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population. Pollsters take a sample of the population and use it to make inferences about the preferences of the population as a whole. For a survey to be an accurate representation of the population, it must meet certain requirements, including an appropriate sampling method, a sufficient sample size, and the avoidance of selection bias. b. Social desirability effects: The social desirability effect occurs when respondents report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable rather than what they actually believe or know to be true. Political scientists have found that social desirability effects produce inaccurate survey results when the surveys include questions about sensitive issues for which individuals do not wish to share their true preferences. c. Selection bias: Selection bias is polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in overrepresenting or underrepresenting some opinions. d. Bandwagon effect: The so-called bandwagon effect occurs when polling results convince people to support a candidate marked as the probable victor. e. Push polling: Push polls are not scientific polls and are not intended to yield accurate information about a population. Instead, they involve asking a respondent a loaded question about a political candidate designed to elicit the response sought by the pollster and, simultaneously, to shape the respondent's perception of the candidate in question.

Describe the difference between de facto discrimination and de jure discrimination.

de jure discrimination Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, and the like that results from a law. de facto discrimination Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, and the like that results from social, economic, and cultural biases and conditions.

26. In response to the Civil Rights Act of 1875, the Supreme Court

declared the act unconstitutional because it protected against acts of private discrimination rather than state discrimination.

42. Daily Internet users who participate in society and politics through online activities are called ________.

digital citizens

48. The Fifth Amendment protects against

double jeopardy.

9. What is the equal protection clause? What three tests are associated with determining whether laws and government policies are discriminatory?

equal-protection clause A clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that forbids any state to deny equal protection of the laws to any individual within its jurisdiction. • State and federal laws often create classifications - First level: lowest level of scrutiny • rational basis test - Second level: intermediate scrutiny • must serve important government interest • Applies to cases involving gender discrimination - Third level: strict scrutiny • must serve compelling government interest • Applies to cases involving racial discrimination

8. Which of the following values or outcomes would likely be opposed by MOST Americans?

equality of income

58. The ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

established the "separate but equal" rule.

53. The idea of the separation of church and state is MOST closely associated with the

establishment clause.

40. During the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary, George W. Bush supporters telephoned conservative white voters to ask if they would be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if they knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child. This was an example of a

push poll.

50. The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade was based on the

right to privacy.

20. Near v. Minnesota (1931) is significant because it

ruled that the First Amendment prohibits government agencies from seeking to prevent newspapers or magazines from publishing whatever they wish.

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

sample


Related study sets

NUR 306: Vsim Carla Hernandez Pre/Post-test

View Set

Unit 2: Psychology - How can colors be useful?

View Set

Traduccion: Terminos y conceptos basicos (SPAN 341)

View Set

Key Terms for Rational & Irrational Numbers

View Set

Physical Assessment preassessment

View Set

Dynamic Business Law, 5e Chapter 1

View Set