Module 3 Test

Radio quiz shows and comedy shows were most popular in the __________.

1990s

In which circumstance would the courts find libel?

A reporter uses a source that incorrectly states a celebrity is using drugs

How are collective goods different from private goods?

Collective goods offer broadly distributed benefits, while private goods offer particularized benefits.

Short Answer (2 Points) How might disclosure requirements affect lobbying?

Disclosure requirements may affect lobbying because candidates may be wearier who they accept campaign contributions from so they don't make themselves look bad by receiving money from an unliked individual.

Short Answer (2 Points) If you were going to predict whether your classmates would vote in the next election, what questions would you ask them?

First of all, I would see if my classmate is old enough and registered to vote. Then I would ask them about how interested they are in the current election. The more passionate they are about it the more likely they are to vote. Then I would ask them if they intend on voting. The answers to these questions will help me make a solid prediction on whether or not my classmates are going to vote in the next election.

Which supporter of federalism warned people about the dangers of political parties?

George Washington

Critical Thinking (5 Points) Is it possible for a serious third party to emerge in the United States, positioned ideologically between the Democrats on the left and the Republicans on the right? Why or why not?

Hypothetically, yes this is possible. However, in reality with the current government and our current voting pool, it is highly unlikely that such a party would find success. A large majority of voters are stuck in their ways and vote primarily on heuristics of Democrat and Republican candidates. Thus it would be difficult for a third party to be a serious choice.

Critical Thinking (5 Points) Are interest groups good or bad for democracy? Defend and explain your answer.

I believe interest groups can be good for democracy to a certain extent. There is nothing wrong with light public interest groups that may run a couple ads to support their candidate. The type of interests groups I believe are bad for democracy are private interest groups like the Koch brothers who spend tremendous amounts of money to sway elections in their favor. So yes interest groups can be good for democracy to a certain extent.

Critical Thinking (5 Points) If you were required to become active in some aspect of a political party, what activity and level of party organization would you choose and why?

If I was required to become active in some aspect of a political party, I would choose to be a light party identifier that votes for the candidate that supports my morals. I wouldn't dive too deep into political party organizations because I make decisions off of my morals and values. I would probably stick precinct with and county organization that has more of a direct effect on me.

Short Answer (2 Points) Why were the early U.S. political parties formed?

Parties didn't originally exist in the U.S. It wasn't until after a decade or two of the United States existence that parties began to develop. The Federalists were the Federalist party and the Anti-federalists made up the Democratic-Republican party. Not long after the Federalist party collapsed following the War of 1812. The Democratic-Republican party also faced some issues. These issues eventually led to the splitting of the Democratic-Republican party into two separate parties. The Democratic party and the Republican party.

Short Answer (2 Points) How do interest groups lobby the judicial branch?

Interest groups can lobby in the judicial branch by lobbying in the executive branch about judiciary issues. Interest groups can also lobby the judicial branch by filing amicus briefs. Amicus briefs present legal arguments that suggest why a court should take a case and why a court should rule in a certain way.

Muckraking occurs when newspapers _________.

Investigate problems in government and business

A poll states that Hillary Clinton will receive 43 percent of the vote. There is an 8 percent margin of error. What do you think of the poll?

It is a non-representative poll and the margin of error is too high.

Which of the following citizens is most likely to run for office?

Jeffrey Lyons, a 40-year-old lawyer and father of one

Short Answer (2 Points) In what ways is media responsible for promoting the public good?

Media is responsible for promoting the public good because media chooses most of the information the public is exposed to. Thus the media is responsible for promoting the public good through its different outlets of TV, radio, social media, etc.

Short Answer (2 Points) Where do your beliefs originate?

My beliefs come from my experiences and my environment. The people that raised me, the culture I belong to, and the traditions I am accustomed to all affect my beliefs.

Which of the following makes it easy for a citizen to register to vote?

National Voter Registration Act

What characterizes those most likely to vote in the next election?

Over forty-five years old

________ political content is given by a media source that lets the reader or viewer know upfront there is a political bias or position.

Overt

What is a difference between a PAC and as super PAC?

PACs can contribute directly to candidates, but super PACs cannot.

Which of the following is an example of episodic framing?

a story on drug abuse that interviews addicts and discusses reasons for addiction and government responses to help addicts

How do polls affect presidential elections?

Polls tell voters the issues that candidates support.

Short Answer (2 Points) What benefits do private and public interests bring to society?

Private interests typically lobby for specific interests that affect a small group of individuals. Public interests focus on broader interests. Public interests represent a larger portion of individuals than private interests. Interest groups benefit society because they allow individuals to have a more significant impact on government.

According to research, why might a woman decide not to run for office?

She fears the media will criticize her family.

Critical Thinking (5 Points) How does social media affect elections and campaigns? Is this a positive trend? Why or why not?

Social media has a huge impact on elections and campaigns. Social media is a vessel for candidates and citizens to share their opinions and positions on current issues. This can be seen by how much Trump uses twitter. Trump used Twitter throughout his campaign and has continued to use it throughout his presidency. Social media allows people to share their ideas with a very large audience. The information people share on social media reveals their political beliefs. I believe the use of social media in elections and campaigns is relatively positive. Social media allows candidates to reach a much larger audience than one could with only tv and paper ads. Either way, social media is a necessity for a modern-day candidate to be competitive in an election. The audience that social media can communicate information with is too large for a candidate to ignore.

Which of the following is an aspect of iron triangles?

a symbiotic relationship among Congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups

Short Answer (2 Points) Why is social media an effective way to spread news and information?

Social media is now more than ever an effective way to spread news and information. The reason social media is so effective at sharing news and information is its accessibility. Today almost everyone has a smartphone or computer and almost everyone has some sort of social media app on said smart device. Thus the more people using the social media apps and sites, the more people are going to see the news and information that is put on these sites.

Critical Thinking (5 Points) Evaluate the Citizens United decision. Why might the Court have considered campaign contributions a form of speech? Would the Founders have agreed with this decision? Why or why not?

The Citizens United decision allowed corporations and interest groups to run ads supporting candidates. The Court may have considered campaign contributions as a form of speech because the contributions are coming from a group of people who are supporting a candidate. I mostly believe the Founders would not have agreed with the Court decision that considers campaign contributions a form of speech. Particularly because of contributions like that of the Koch brothers. I highly doubt the Founders would have agreed with campaign contributions like that of the Koch brothers.

Short Answer (2 Points) What effect did the National Voter Registration Act have on voter registration?

The National Voter Registration Act made it simple for citizens to register to vote by allowing them to register when they sign up for drivers licenses and social security benefits. However, this didn't have much of an impact on voter turnout. The only noticeable increase is that voter registration increased 7% from 1992 to 2012.

Which of the following is true of spending in politics?

The Supreme Court has ruled that corporations may spend unlimited amounts of money but unions may not.

Which of the following does not represent a major contributing factor in party realignment?

third parties

Short Answer (2 Points) What challenges do college students face with regard to voter registration?

The main challenge college students face with regard to voter registration is having to re-register everytime they move. Depending on the state the re-registration process can be complicated and lengthy. Other challenges college students face with regard to voter registration include lack of time and lack of information on elections.

Short Answer (2 Points) What techniques led the Democratic Party to national prominence in the 1830s through 1850s?

The main technique that led the Democratic Party to national prominence in the 1830s through 1850s was its emphasis on personal politics. Personal politics focuses on creating and promoting direct relationships with voters.

Critical Thinking (5 Points) In what ways do the media protect people from a tyrannical government?

The media can protect people from a tyrannical government by providing them with information on what is happening within the government. Ideally, good press and journalism can figure out if a part of the government is corrupt or tyrannical and relay that information to the people. The informed citizens can then decide how to fight back against the tyrannical government.

Critical Thinking (5 Points) What are the ways the media socialize a person?

The media socializes individuals through the information it presents to them. For instance, if someone is raised in a family that only watches Fox News the individual is going to be exposed to conservative Republican based news. Thus the individual will be more likely to have conservative Republican views than someone who was raised watching MSNBC news. The information one is exposed to socializes them. Media is an outlet for the information that socializes individuals.

Short Answer (2 Points) How do the media use public opinion polls during election season?

The media uses public opinion polls during election season to figure out which candidate the voters are interested in so they can interview them.

Short Answer (2 Points) Which agents of socialization will have the strongest impact on an individual?

The most impactful agents of socialization are family and school. Family and school are the most impactful agents of socialization because they are the people and environments young people are typically the most exposed to. Other impactful agents of socialization include social groups and the media.

Short Answer (2 Points) Why is it a potential problem that the equal-time rule does not apply to candidates' supporters?

The potential problem due to the fact that the equal-time rule does not apply to candidates' supporters is that supporters of a certain candidate may get air time but the supporters of the opposing candidate do not receive airtime because the equal-time rule does not apply to supporters. The example the book gives is that in a 2012 gubernatorial recall election in Wisconsin one of the candidates' supporters received free airtime while the other candidates' supporters were not given any free airtime.

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.

Short Answer (2 Points) What are the positives and negatives of partisan polarization?

There are many positives and negatives of partisan polarization. The main positive is that it gives voters more than one choice. This system allows voters to vote for the candidate that aligns with their political beliefs. Another positive of partisan polarization is that the elected party is kept in check by the opposition party. A negative aspect of partisan polarization is that in some cases the parties are too similar. This makes it difficult for voters to choose a party.

Critical Thinking (5 Points) In what ways can the media change the way a citizen thinks about government?

There are many ways that media can change the way a citizen thinks about government. The main way is through the information the media covers and presents to its audience. Depending on the political beliefs of the people running the media outlets different perspectives will be shared. For instance, Fox news is more conservative based thus during election time they are going to showcase more information that is in favor of the Republican candidate and more negative information about the Democratic candidate. This can affect the way a citizen thinks about government because if someone watches only Fox news they are going to think that is the only perspective and will be more likely to follow such political ideas and beliefs.

Why are social policies controversial?

They require government to balance the rights and liberties of different groups

Which body of government is least susceptible to public opinion polls?

U.S. Supreme Court

Television news became a regular feature during __________ due to the public's demand for __________ to explain current events.

Vietnam war; charts and tables

Critical Thinking (5 Points) What heuristics, or cues, do voters use to pick a presidential candidate? Are these a good way to pick a president?

Voters use an abundance of heuristics and cues to pick a presidential candidate. The most common heuristic is to choose the candidate that aligns with the political party the voter is affiliated with. Other common heuristics when choosing a presidential candidate include gender, race, and socioeconomic status. For instance, a person who is a strong supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement may pick an African American candidate because they feel they will help the movement more than other candidates.

Which of the following was not a third-party challenger?

Whig Party

Critical Thinking (5 Points) Should states continue to allow ballot initiatives and other forms of direct democracy? Why or why not?

Yes, states should continue to allow ballot initiatives and other forms of direct democracy. Although the United States is a representative democracy small forms of direct democracy like ballot initiatives are acceptable. A ballot initiative is a petition signed by registered voters that can lead to a public vote on a law or constitutional amendment. This allows citizens to vote on issues that are more closely related to them. For those reasons, I think ballot initiatives and other small forms of democracy are good and should be allowed.

Which of the following is not an agent of political socialization?

a U.S. senator

Which of the following is not part of a scientific poll design?

a leading question

Newspapers during the Revolutionary War period tended to___________.

united the colonists and provide information about the British

A local station that broadcasts national network programming is called a (an) _________ station.

affiliate

Why might several competing corporations join together in an association?

all of the answers are correct

In what ways are lobbyists regulated?

all the above

What changes have occurred in the lobbying environment over the past three or four decades?

all the above

Someone who lobbies on behalf of a company that he or she works for as part of his or her job is ________.

an in-house lobbyist

Why do Belgium, Turkey, and Australia have higher voter turnout rates than the United States?

compulsory voting laws

When acting as an agenda setter, the media ________.

decides which issues deserve public attention

Presidential approval ratings __________ over a president's term of office.

decline

Which of the following is a reason to make voter registration more difficult?

decrease election fraud

Which factor affects congressional approval ratings the most?

domestic events

A state might hold a primary instead of caucus because a primary is _________.

faster and has higher turnout

Which factor is most likely to lead to the incumbency advantage for a candidate?

gerrymandering of the candidate's district

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.

government proposes something and the voters approve it

How are most attitudes formed?

in childhood, based on early childhood experiences

Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?

in their state capitol, in December

The Supreme Court determined that the right of the press to print classified material _________.

is partial, and the press may print classified material only if it does not compromise troops or covert operatives.

If you wanted to prove the United States is suffering from low voter turnout, a calculation based on which population would yield the lowest voter turnout rate?

voting-age population

Which of the following is the best example of a solidary benefit?

joining a group to be with others like you

Which of the following is a reasonable exception to the Freedom of Information Act?

medical records for government employees

Cable programming is often

national

Which level of party organization is most responsible for helping the party's nominee win the presidency?

national

Media coverage of a race tends to _________.

overrepresent African Americans as poor

A conglomerate is a corporation that ________.

owns many businesses and media networks

Susan is currently working two part-time jobs and is frustrated about the poor economy. On Election Day, she votes for every challenger on the ballot, because she feels the president and Congress are not doing enough to help her. What type of f vote did she cast?

pocketbook

In which type of election are you mos likely to see coattail effects?

presidential

Revolving door laws are designed to do which of the following?

prevent lawmakers from utilizing their legislative relationships by becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving office.

In which type of electoral system do voters select the party of their choice rather than an individual candidate?

proportional representation

The Bradley effect occurs when people ________.

say they will vote for a candidate but then vote against him or her

The Federal Communications Commission oversees the programming of which entities?

television, radio, satellite, and cable

Which institution has the highest average public approval ratings?

the Supreme Court