Government Exam 2
A person's political party preferences are primarily acquired through the influence of
the person's family
Throughout its history, American politics has been dominated by
two major political parties
The Populist Party appealed to which of the following groups?
western mining interests, small farmers, and urban workers
Low-level officials who hope to publicize what they view as their bosses' or the government's improper activities are usually called
"whistle-blowers."
A citizen can currently give no more than ________ per candidate for federal office per election in a given two-year election cycle.
$2,700
The fact that Americans today are more likely to follow the news by briefly reading multiple headlines online rather than by reading longer new articles is referred to as
"skimming and scanning"
Which of the following parties originated from internal mobilization?
Jeffersonian Party
What is one of the main differences between people who have gone to college and people who have not?
There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education.
______ states currently require all voters to show some form of ID before voting at the polls.
Thirty-four
Public broadcasting in the United States
accounts for a much smaller share of the media market than in other Western democracies, such as France, Germany, and Denmark.
The frequent reporting on the federal investigation
adversarial journalism.
National elections are held in the United States on the first Tuesday of November ______ year(s).
every four
Social media usage tends to
exaggerate partisan polarization among the mass public because people pick their own friend networks and can avoid disagreeable ideas.
The establishment of the Republican Party is a good example of
external moblization
A widely circulated story during the 2016 presidential election stating that the Pope had endorsed Donald Trump for president was a good example of
fake news.
The percentage of Americans who indicate they trust the government "just about always or most of the time" has
fallen from over 70 percent in 1960 to just 15 percent in 2017.
During the 2016 campaign, Hillary Clinton received
half the amount of media coverage as Donald Trump
More Americans
have consistently identified as conservatives than as liberals since the 1990's
The vast majority of Americans describe themselves as
liberals, conservatives, or moderates
Public funding for presidential primary campaigns
matches, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, all contributions of $250 or less, up to a total of $48.7 million in 2016.
A 501(c)(4)
may not spend more than half its revenue for political purposes.
Voter turnout in state and local elections is generally
much lower than turnout in national elections.
Google News, Reddit and Real Clear Politics are good examples of
news aggregators
Generally speaking, a recall effort begins with a
petition campaign
During the 1980s, the Republicans added ________ to their coalition.
religious conservatives and working-class whites
Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to
select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election
Who is an incumbent?
the current officeholder, running for reelection
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.
What is the MOST important factor in predicting whether an individual votes?
education level
The ______ is the last example of indirect voting in national elections.
electoral college
All the following are important roles for the media in American democracy EXCEPT
enabling privately owned companies to advertise their products to the public.
One of the earliest activities party workers engage in once the general election campaign begins is
ensuring that citizens are registered to vote.
As a third-party candidate, Ross Perot captured approximately ________ percent of the popular vote in the 1992 presidential election.
20
The last election in which a major party presidential candidate accepted public funds was
2008
The traditional news media aims to provide objective reporting on current events by
excluding the personal views of reporters or editors from their coverage
Approximately ______ percent of eligible voters turn out for midterm congressional elections.
35
The average American
exhibits little knowledge of political institutions, processes, leaders, or policy debates.
527 committees are different from 501(c)(4) organizations because
501(c)(4)s can raise an unlimited amount of funds, but unlike its counterpart, 501(c)(4)s don't have to disclose their donor lists.
"Dark money" comes from
501(c)(4)s.
Currently, there are _____ states that have the legislative referendum and ______ states that provide for the initiative process.
50; 24
The term "fake news" is most accurately characterized as
false news stories circulated to generate ad revenue or to benefit one political candidate or party over another.
When Hillary Clinton won the plurality of votes in California during the 2016 election, and California had 53 representatives in the House of Representatives, how many electoral votes from California did she win?
55
The United States has had ______ party systems since 1789.
6
Which of the following statements about the marketplace of ideas is true?
Private groups and the news media play important roles in shaping opinions in the marketplace of ideas.
Primary elections were introduced by
Progressive reformers at the start of the 1900's
From 1896 to 1932, the _____ Party was the nation's majority party.
Republican
Reconstruction after the Civil War was led by the _____ Party.
Republican
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
Journalists exhibit selection biases in favor of news stories they view as
having a great deal of dramatic or entertainment value.
It is likely that eliminating state-level voter registration laws would ______ voter turnout among ______.
increase; younger people
The right of candidates to spend their own money on running for office.
is protected absolutely by the Constitution according to the Supreme Court.
An individuals' psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party ____
Identification
Which of the following statements about the current Republican Party is most accurate?
The Republican Party is divided between pro-business conservatives, who favor global free trade, and far-right conservatives, who are opposed to U.S. involvement in the global economy.
Which of the following statements about primary elections is MOST accurate?
The United States is one of the few nations in the world to hold primary elections.
Which of the following characteristics constitutes one's socioeconomic status?
level of income, level of education, and prestige of occupation
Which of the following statements concerning the third parties is true?
The earliest third parties in the United States arose as a result of the Great Depression.
Which statement about the over-time trend in party identification in the United States is most accurate?
The number of people identifying as Democrats has outnumbered Republican identifiers for a long time.
Which statement about the distribution of fake new on Facebook in the 2016 election is most accurate?
The top 10 fake stories circulated on Facebook were shared more widely than the top 10 authentic news stories about the election.
The New Deal coalition was severely strained and ultimately broken apart by the
Vietnam War and the issue of civil rights
______ is the single-most important political act for most Americans.
Voting
Which of the following statements best characterizes the traditional news media's relationship to objectivity?
While completely objective reporting is unattainable because people inevitably have biases that shape their understanding of events, journalists attempt to be objective by reporting both sides of a story.
In recent years, ______ has released thousands of secret government documents exposing government corruption, torture, and war crimes.
WikiLeaks
Which statement about party identification and gender in the United States is MOST accurate?
Women are significantly more likely than men to identify with the Democratic Party, whereas more men identify as Republicans.
Which of the following is an example of the "gender gap"?
Women were granted the right to vote in the United States long after most men did.
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.
A political ideology is best defined as
a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government
External mobilization occurs when
a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power
The Pentagon Papers were released as a result of
a leak by a minor Defense Department staffer.
Which of the following is the best example of direct democracy in the United States?
a referendum
Partisan loyalty is likely to be highest in the election of
a state legislator
Reporting in which the media adopt a skeptical or even hostile posture toward the government and public officials is referred to as
adversarial journalism.
Privately owned media companies in the United States earn most of their revenue from
advertising.
If public concern and interest in data security issues increased after a number of television and newspaper stories about "hacking," it would be an example of the media's
agenda-setting power
When Richard Nixon employed his "southern strategy," he
appealed to disaffected white voters in the South.
527 committees are an important part of the American political system because they
are able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as they do not coordinate their activities with a political party.
Presidential candidates who accept federal funding for their general election campaigns
are subject to strict expenditure limits.
In order to win the presidency, a candidate must win
at least 270 electoral votes.
The term "public opinion" is used to describe
attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events
A proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote is called a
ballot initiative
A political party is an organization
that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office.
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"
Emerging in the late 1780's, America's first two political parties were
the Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans.
In the United States, freedom of the press is protected by
the First Amendment of the Constitution.
During the early nineteenth century, the Jeffersonian Party's main base of strength was in
the South.
The Federalist Party disappeared, in part, as a result of
the War of 1812
Which of the following is NOT a reason why many Americans appear to prefer online news?
the accuracy and objectivity compared to traditional media outlets
"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.
The media are sometimes referred to as the "fourth branch of government" because
they provide a check on the power of government and political leaders
Between 1812 and 1830, the United States had
two political parties: the Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans.
Political party leaders are
not willing to provide financial backing to candidates who are unable to raise substantial funds on their own.
A(n) ______ occurs when a voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election.
open primary
Which three types of factors influence the decisions of voters at the polls?
partisan loyalty, issues, and the characteristics of candidates
Private groups that raise and distribute funds for election campaigns are called
political action committees
The process by which political values are formed is known as
political socialization
Priming refers to the
process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue.
Political scientists call voters' choices that focus on future behavior ______ voting, while those based on past performances are called ______ voting.
prospective voting; retrospective voting
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.
In order to qualify for the public funding in a presidential primary, a candidate must
run as a major party candidate and raise at least $5,000 in individual contributions of $250 or less in each of 20 states.
In a proportional representation electoral system,
seats in the legislature are allocated to political parties based on their share of the total vote cast in the election.
A serious candidate for a U.S. House of Representatives race must raise at least ______ while a serious candidate for a U.S. Senate race must raise at least ______.
several hundred thousand dollars; several million dollars
What issue led to the demise of the Whig Party?
slavery
Third parties in the United States typically represent
social and economic interests that are disregarded by the two major parties for certain reasons.
In the Pentagon Papers case, the Supreme Court ruled that
the government could not block the release of the papers.
Which of the following political officers is/are subject to recall elections?
the governor of the state of California
Which of the following was NOT an election in which the person elected president failed to receive more popular votes than his opponent?
1876
In which of the following years was there an electoral realignment?
1896
Which of the following statements best characterizes media ownership in the United States?
A small number of giant, privately owned corporations control most of the country's television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book publishers, magazines, newspapers, and digital media sites.
Which of the following would be an example of a ballot initiative?
A vote on whether recreational marijuana usage should be legalized in the state of California
Which of the following would be an example of a referendum?
A vote on whether to overturn a law passed by the New York state legislature and signed by the governor of New York that imposes higher taxes on wealthy residents.
Which statement best characterizes the influence average citizens and party elites have over the nomination process in the United States?
Although average citizens have some influence in the nominations process, party elites play an outsized role in selecting the candidates who will compete in the general election.
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
Which of the following groups was NOT part of the New Deal coalition?
Asian Americans
In 1964, Republican Party presidential nominee ______ was in favor of less taxation and less government regulation of the economy, two ideas that became major themes for the modern Republican Party.
Barry Goldwater
Which of the following politicians was recalled from office?
California Governor Gray Davis (2003)
The Supreme Court ruled that the government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions to political campaigns in
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
The two major parties in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s were the _____ and the _____.
Democrats and Whigs
Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is most accurate?
Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans on a wide variety of policy questions are greater today than during any other period in the last forty years.
______ occurs when one party controls the presidency while another party controls one or both houses of Congress.
Divided government
Which agency regulates broadcast media?
Federal Communications Commission
______ states currently allow voters to register and cast a ballot on the same day.
Fifteen
The winner of the electoral college vote has NOT won the popular vote ______ times(s) in American history.
Four
Which U.S. president promoted his policy agenda to the American people through "fireside chats"?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
What is referendum?
It is the practice of referring a proposed law passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection.
An advertisement emailed only to evangelical Christian voters about a Democratic candidate's support for abortion would be an example of
Micro-targeting
______ is the practice of tailoring campaign messages to individuals in small, homogenous groups.
Micro-targeting
Which of the following is an example of a media outlet that receives funding from the government?
National Public Radio (NPR)
Which of the following statements best describes where younger and older Americans get their news?
Social media tend to be a secondary news source after television for most Americans, but a primary news source for the young.
Super PACs were made possible by the
Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
If a number of newspapers published stories exposing an elected official's acceptance of monetary bribes from a corporation in exchange for passing a particular law, it would be an example of the media serving their role as
a watchdog.
The Jeffersonian Republicans were best know for their support of
a weak national government with the states retaining most powers
The majority of political action committees represent _____.
business and professional groups
Both 527s and 501(c)(4)s
can spend unlimited amounts on political advocacy as long as their efforts are not coordinated with those of any candidate's campaign.
A(n) ______ occurs when a voter must be registered with a party prior to voting in that party's election.
closed primary
Internal mobilization occurs when
conflicts within the government create divided factions that try to mobilize popular support.
Individuals who attend church frequently are more likely to be ______ in their political views than people who are not religions.
conservative
Declining levels of trust in government are important because declining trust has been linked to
declines in political participation and voting.
Bernie Sanders is best described as a
democratic socialist
A website devoted entirely to reporting on climate change and other environmental issues is an example of ________ journalism.
niche
The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to
the competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums.
Dealignment refers to
the decline of partisan attachment within the electorate, the growth in the number of voters identifying themselves as independents, and the rise of split-ticket voting.
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, electoral 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.
What is the ultimate goal of a political party?
winning elections
