Government Exam 3 Quiz Questions
What is the term used to describe politicians' awarding jobs, offices, government contracts, and other benefits to their supporters? Soft money Kickback Patronage Graft
Patronage
In general, what can be said about the relationship between disasters and elections? - Disasters have no effect on the likelihood of getting re-elected. - Representatives are more likely to succeed in getting re-elected if they perform reasonably well in responding to a disaster. - Disasters help officials get re-elected, regardless of how well they perform. - If the disaster is bad enough, no elected official is likely to remain in office.
Representatives are more likely to succeed in getting re-elected if they perform reasonably well in responding to a disaster.
Reports to the media, news conferences, and demonstrations are all examples of
outsider tactics used by interest groups.
Before Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, federal law prohibited which of the following? - Corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech defined as an "electioneering communication". - Foreign governments from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech defined as an "electioneering communication". - Individual citizens from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech defined as an "electioneering communication". - Interest groups from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech defined as an "electioneering communication".
Corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech defined as an "electioneering communication".
According to Dalton, which of the following is true regarding political participation by Americans? -More Americans are voting now than ever before. -Fewer Americans vote than before, and they also have lost interest in reaching out to their representatives. -Americans are more likely to vote now, but are also more willing to engage via other forms of political participation. -Fewer Americans tend to vote than before, but have found other ways to engage politically.
Fewer Americans tend to vote than before, but have found other ways to engage politically.
Why did the Framers have such a pervasive fear of political parties? The strength of the British crown was rooted in the party system. Because men could not be trusted, any permanent alliances would naturally lead to tyranny. Historical experiences about the dangers that resulted from factional strife along with eighteenth century social beliefs caused the fear. The rigidity of the party system in the colonies generated a great deal of free riding and nearly undermined the American Revolution.
Historical experiences about the dangers that resulted from factional strife along with eighteenth century social beliefs caused the fear.
What kind of incentives motivate individuals to contribute to groups espousing causes they care about without worrying whether their contribution will make an appreciable difference?
Moral
What are the consequences of Duverger's Law for political candidates? Joining one of the major parties guarantees that a candidate will have sufficient financial resources to run a competitive campaign. Office seekers usually join one of the two competitive parties rather than pursuing office as independents or third-party nominees. It forces candidates to strategically align their positions on the issues with the party so they can take full advantage of the party label. They must join one of the existing parties.
Office seekers usually join one of the two competitive parties rather than pursuing office as independents or third-party nominees.
What have scholars discovered about voting based on a number of different field experiments? - Television advertising about the closeness of the election had the greatest effect on turnout. - Americans have become so apathetic that there is very little that can be done to increase voter turnout above 50 percent. - Personal visits combined with a message about the closeness of the election increased turnout the most. - Telephone calls stressing the importance of voting increased turnout the most.
Personal visits combined with a message about the closeness of the election increased turnout the most.
Interest group leaders and their constituents are involved in what relationship with all the familiar problems and challenges such relationships pose?
Principal-agent
What were two of the more important reforms of the Progressive Era? The Australian ballot and primary elections The "coal brigade" and the provision of civil war pensions Patronage and the provision of national pensions The poll tax and the spoils system
The Australian ballot and primary elections
Why is it logical for citizens to not vote? -Votes do not really matter because politicians can manipulate the public into believing whatever they want. -The benefits are collective and they enjoy the payoff even if they have not helped to produce them by voting. -The benefits are individual, but since governments do not provide many tangible benefits, the costs of voting outweigh the benefits. -The system of separated institutions sharing powers provides more influence to the unelected branches of the government, such as the judiciary and the bureaucracy.
The benefits are collective and they enjoy the payoff even if they have not helped to produce them by voting.
Which of the following statements about spending in House elections is true? - House incumbents have such an advantage that no matter how much money challengers raise it is not enough. - The only route to success for challengers is raising and spending more money than incumbents. - The more money incumbents spend, the greater their chances of winning reelection. - The more challengers spend, the more likely they are to win, but few spend enough to be competitive.
The more challengers spend, the more likely they are to win, but few spend enough to be competitive.
Which of the following statements about PACs is not true?
They are only permitted to donate money in congressional elections.
What was one of the consequences of the 2014 midterm election? - It reinforced Democratic majorities so that President Obama was able to pivot from his signature legislative achievements and pursue new ones on climate change. - Republicans built large enough majorities in both the House and Senate so they would be able to easily override any vetoes President Obama might issue. - It provided the Republicans with an opportunity to quickly repeal and replace President Obama's signature legislative achievements. -While Republicans would not have enough votes to reverse President Obama's signature legislative achievements, voters loudly and clearly repudiated the President.
While Republicans would not have enough votes to reverse President Obama's signature legislative achievements, voters loudly and clearly repudiated the President.
In An Economic Theory of Democracy, Anthony Downs defined a political party as a machine with interchangeable parts. a team of men seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election. a body of men united for promoting by their joint endeavors and the national interest, based on some particular principle on which they are all agreed. any organization that seeks to influence the outcomes of elections.
a team of men seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.
Most successful large organizations circumvent the collective action problem by offering "selective incentives," which are
benefits that can be denied to individuals who do not join and contribute.
Since politicians know that lobbyists are advocates, they can only trust a lobbyist's information when
both sides expect to have a continuing relationship.
Madison and de Tocqueville both believed that voluntary groups
despite the risks, were essential to an egalitarian social and political system.
The experiences of Uber demonstrate that
digital social networks can reweigh the calculus of political activism by making it almost costless and that can deliver policy victories.
Typically more than half of voters tell pollsters that the two major parties have co-opted the best ideas from the Constitution Party. satisfy their policy options so no additional parties are needed other than the Green Party. do such a great job that a major third party is not needed. do such a poor job that a third major party is needed.
do such a poor job that a third major party is needed.
Universal suffrage for women was achieved - after the Civil War with the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment. - in 1920 with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment. through state-level action alone; the national government - -- has never formally changed the Constitution but has simply reinterpreted it to include women. - at the end of World War II with the adoption of the Universal Women's Suffrage Act.
in 1920 with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment.
Spending in presidential campaigns - is increasingly devoted to efforts that will mobilize voters more effectively. - is focused on television advertising especially in the battleground states. - is distributed nationally because that is the only way to win the national popular vote. - has decreased substantially since all candidates accept public financing.
is focused on television advertising especially in the battleground states.
Political parties are prohibited by the Constitution, although the Supreme Court struck down the prohibition shortly after the first Congress met. prohibited by the Constitution, although the First Amendment overrides the prohibition. not mentioned in the Constitution.
not mentioned in the Constitution.
Mitt Romney won the Republican Party presidential nomination by portraying himself as a "severe conservative" and adopting issue positions consistent with this portrayal combined with superior financial resources. using the delegate allocation rules to his advantage so he was able to dispatch all of his challengers rather easily. maintaining a consistent record as a moderate governor who could win a general election. presenting himself as a socially conservative candidate, which enabled him to overcome his lack of financial resources.
portraying himself as a "severe conservative" and adopting issue positions consistent with this portrayal combined with superior financial resources.
The Sons of Liberty and the English Bill of Rights Society were early examples of
public interest lobbies
The effect of the Supreme Court decision in Buckley v. Valeo (1976) was that - corporations were entitled to the same free speech protections in the First Amendment as individuals. - Congress did not have the authority to establish campaign finance laws because elections were regulated by the states. - reporting requirements and contribution limits were constitutional, but limits on spending violated the free speech protections of the First Amendment. - limits on aggregate contributions from individuals was unconstitutional.
reporting requirements and contribution limits were constitutional, but limits on spending violated the free speech protections of the First Amendment.
The 2014 election -maintained a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, but resulted in a 50-50 tie in the Senate. -saw Republicans expand their majority in the House of Representatives while recapturing a majority in the Senate. -maintained the status quo of a Republican majority in the House of Representatives and a Democratic majority in the Senate. -allowed Democrats to recapture control of the House of Representatives so there was unified government.
saw Republicans expand their majority in the House of Representatives while recapturing a majority in the Senate.
The system of proportional representation has declined in popularity around the world because having too many legislative parties creates too much uncertainty in government. encourages voters to behave strategically by turning to one of the less objectionable major party candidates who has a chance to win. tends to produce more legislative parties, but it has never been tried in the United States on any significant scale. guarantees that no party will receive a majority.
tends to produce more legislative parties, but it has never been tried in the United States on any significant scale.
The experiences of Michael Dukakis in 1988 or Mitt Romney in 2012 illustrate that -the actions of candidates can convey a message subverting the one intended. -it is important to develop a message and communicate it before your opponent does. -candidates can be successful even without having a particularly memorable message. -a campaign cannot succeed if they do not spend a significant amount of money promoting their message.
the actions of candidates can convey a message subverting the one intended.
According to Dalton,which of the following would NOT be included as causing the political transformation of the American electorate? -The urbanization and "suburbanization" of society. -The civil rights movement -The social status of women -the increase in the ability for political parties to draw voters to the polls
the increase in the ability for political parties to draw voters to the polls
In general, the more government does
the more incentives it creates for organized political action.
One of the biggest challenges to the Republican party's ability maintain its current coalition in the electorate is: the shift away from conservatism towards populism the decline in tax revenue from big business the increase in the youth vote the increase in Latin American immigration
the shift away from conservatism towards populism
Which of the following is the most likely reason why there will not be a significant party realignment in the near future? there is no single that mobilizes Americans the Republican party is likely to coalesce politically the immigration debate will be resolved within the next few years Donald Trump is limited to two terms
there is no single that mobilizes Americans
Duverger's law explains why in any election in which a single winner is chosen by plurality voting, there is a strong tendency for serious competitors to be reduced to two. why the Electoral College is so frequently unable to choose the President. why office seekers will frequently pursue office as independents or third-party nominees. why plurality elections always lead to party systems with more than two major competitors.
why in any election in which a single winner is chosen by plurality voting, there is a strong tendency for serious competitors to be reduced to two.
