Government Exam 2

Which of the following actions would violate Texas state campaign finance/ethics laws?

All of these actions are legal under Texas law

Which of the following statements about the election of 1952 is true?

Allan Shivers was both the Democratic and Republican candidate for governor

Based on our class discussion of recent data, which of the following personal characteristics, attributes, or group memberships makes a person much more likely than not to identify with the Democratic Party?

Hispanic Catholic College graduate A "Millenial"

Which of the following did we NOT identify in lecture as an important agent of political socialization?

Job presitge

Which of the following is a true statement about a video we watched in lecture?

None of the above is true.

Which two of following 2022 Texas Republican state-level primary races were the most competitive?

Railroad Commission & Attorney General

In Texas today, rural areas have become more ______________, while urban areas have become more ___________.

Republican; Democratic

Which of the following is not a voting restriction in Texas?

Strict photo ID requirement for voters

Which of the following reasons does not contribute to low voter participation in Texas?

Strong party competition

Which of the following groups is not one of the top contributing "industries" of campaign dollars in the 2022 Texas election?

Teachers

For which of the following offices would the candidate's personal characteristics likely matter the most in a voter's decision?

Texas Governor

What resource(s) are interest groups able to use to influence politics?

members ability to raise money credibility reputations

What type of primary allows a voter to choose on Election Day which party they will vote for?

open primary

Interest groups are best seen as

organizations established to influence the government's programs and policies by providing policy information, campaign resources, and voter mobilization to members of government

Interest groups are best seen as

organizations established to influence the government's programs and policies by providing policy information, campaign resources, and voter mobilization to members of the government

The fundamental principles and positions supported by a political party are explained in the

party platform.

The process of ________ occurs throughout our early years, when parents, religious leaders, teachers, and others influence our partisan identifications.

political socialization

A ________ was a state-imposed tax on voters as a prerequisite for voting

poll tax

What is the most basic level of the permanent party organization in Texas?

precinct chair

What kind of electoral districts are mostly commonly used in Texas?

single-member districts

Which of the following is typically NOT an influential factor when a voter decides who to vote for in the Texas Governor's election?

socioeconomic status

In order to gain access to politicians, interest groups will often

spend money on entertaining politicians.

The situation in which individuals receive the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as

the "free rider problem."

The requirements for getting on the ballot are set by

the state

Which of the following is a benefit of the Maine electoral system that we watched a video about in class?

the system allows the state to use a majority rule requirement without having to hold runoff elections

Why is the Citizen's United decision so important to the study of interest groups?

The decision freed interest groups to spend as much uncoordinated money on an individual election as they want

Which of the following is NOT a reason that a state would likely redraw its electoral districts?

The state elects a new Governor from the opposite party of the previous Governor.

How much can an individual donate to a campaign for a state-level, nonjudicial office, such as for governor?

There is no limit

Duverger's Law is useful in understanding

why third parties have difficulty surviving multiple elections

The ________ convention is a meeting held by a political party following its precinct convention for the purpose of electing delegates to its state convention.

county

The main role of the precinct conventions is to select delegates to the ________ and possibly to submit resolutions that may eventually become part of the party platform.

county convention

How often do political parties in Texas hold their state conventions?

every two years

Interest groups often employ _____________________ as lobbyists in order to gain access to those in Texas government.

former legislators and government officials

By focusing on influencing the Republican primary elections, the Tea Party movement in Texas is trying to

get Tea Party-supported candidates on the ballot, but under the Republican party label

Which of the following is the most important way in which parties help voters during elections?

give voters a party label they can identify with when deciding how to vote

The two most important factors that determine whether someone votes are

income level and education

When individuals or interest groups take out ads concerning a campaign issue but do not tie them directly to any particular candidate, it is called

issue advocacy

Major state officials are elected in non presidential years because

it prevents popular presidential candidates from influencing the outcome of Texas races.

By forming a political action committee (PAC), the interest group can show a candidate that

its members care very deeply about an issue and are willing to donate money to support the group's position on the issue.

Most Texas Democrats today would be classified as

liberal

In order to vote in Texas, you must meet which of the following requirements?

be a resident of Texas, a U.S. citizen, and at least 18 years of age

The practice of combining several individual campaign contributions into one larger contribution from a group in order to increase the group's impact is known as

bundling

One major way for interest groups to promote the political interests of elected officials who support their viewpoints and oppose the interests of those who do not is by engaging in

campaign contributions

Which of the following groups have had notable political success by litigating in federal courts?

civil rights groups

A closed primary allows only those individuals who________ to participate.

are a registered member of their political party

Which of the following is a negative societal aspect of interest groups?

They focus on very narrow policy interests Their membership tends to have a clear upper class, resource bias

For an independent candidate to get on the ballot in Texas, which requirement he or she must meet?

They must get petition signatures from registered voters who did not participate in any political party primary election.

Which of the following tends to lower voter turnout?

Voter ID law

Which of the following are possible explanations for why Texas voter turnout is so low in the 21st Century?

Voter ID law Overall low levels on the attributes of socioeconomic status

Which statement correctly describes the requirements for membership in a major political party in Texas?

With no requirements, a registered voter simply chooses which party primary to vote in.