Test 2 American Government Material
True or False Party dealignment occurs when there is a shift of party allegiances withing the electorate, and party identification begins to shift as well as issues positions.
False
What term does not represent a limit on what the media say?
Equal-time rule
True or False Priming is when media coverage dissuades the viewer or reader away from a particular perspective on a subject or issue.
False
True or False Winner-takes-all elections are conductive and coalition governments
False
True or False: Scholars are in strong agreement that local issues serve as the sole motivator for citizens to vote
False
In what way do Americans declare political party affiliation?
Party Registration
Describe an effect of winner-takes-all elections.
Voters develop a personal relationship with "their" representative to the government. Third parties must convince voters they have a real chance of winning races before voters will take them seriously They tend to limit the number of people who run for office.
Which option describes the move frequently cited reasons for voter fatigue?
Voters experience voter fatigue when several elections take place in a single year.
An implication of the partisan polarization that
A growing number of moderate voters aren't participating in party politics Fewer members of Congress have mixed voting records; instead, they vote far more consistently on issues and are far more likely to side with their party leadership. Moderate politicians find it harder and harder to win elections
Why do some groups oppose photo identification requirements for voters even though states argue that photo identification requirements reduce fraud?
A higher percentage of younger voters do not have photo identification compared to older voters.
Party realignment is best described as ________________________________.
A shifting of party alliances within the electorate.
______ _______ creates a reality for voters and politicians that affect the way people think, act, and vote. This concept determines what people think about rather how they think about it.
Agenda Setting
The Federalist Party in the early American republic was led by
Alexander Hamilton and John Adams
How does the media impact women in politics and policymaking? by making women less likely than men to run for office by having a negative effect on families, exposing spouses and children to criticism by making it more likely that women with young children will wait until they are grown before running for office all of these answers are correct
All of these answers are correct
There are circumstances in which the freedom of the press is not absolute. Which of the following is an example of a limited press? Congress largely prohibits media coverage of committee meetings and other activities the writing of the U.S. Constitution occurring in secret the drafting of legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act, occurring without media coverage all of these answers are correct
All of these answers are correct
To maintain a license, stations are required to meet a number of criteria, the equal-time rule is one such example. Which of the following is an example of the equal-time rule? If Marco Rubio is offered two minutes of paid time on the radio, then Donald Trump must also be given the same opportunity. Hillary Clinton appears on Saturday Night Live, so Bernie Sanders must be given the same amount of time on the NBC. Jeb Bush is offered five minutes of free time on a special election coverage program, so Rick Perry must also be given free time. All of these answers are correct
All of these answers are correct
Which of the following constitutes the media? Broadcast news Radio talk shows The New York Times and Time Magazine All of these answers are correct
All of these answers are correct
Which of the following scenarios exemplifies libel? A newspaper reports that the President of the United States spoke with the President of Russia about fixing the election. However, it is revealed that this is not true and the newspaper knew that it was untrue. They reported on it because executives wanted to undermine the presidency. A magazine publishes an article about the clothing line owned by the president's daughter. The story causes her business to lose sales and damages her brand. It was discovered that the articles had falsehoods. The writer of the article posted on Facebook that their intent was to cause harm. A judicial analyst and former judge tweeted that the Director of the FBI was lying about an investigation into the British government, it was later revealed that the tweet contained false information was apparently posted to discredit the FBI director. All of these answers are correct
All of these answers are correct
Which of the following is an example of media bias? A newspaper reports on poverty in a town. The images they present with this story are of black men and women waiting in line for welfare programs. The cover of a magazine features an image of a black woman with the caption, "What it's like to be poor in America." A news channel runs an article featuring a mix of young and old, as well as whites and Latinos, who have managed to avoid unemployment during the financial crisis of 2008-09. All of these are correct answers
All of these are correct answers.
Which of the following statements best describes the scheduling of primaries and caucuses?
All primaries and caucuses take place between January and June of presidential election years
Aria is a member of the Green Party. She is in favor of a proportional system. Why does she most likely have this preference?
Because the party could get a foothold for its issues and may be able to increase its support over time
Television advertising during presidential campaigns is often negative, resulting in candidates distancing themselves from such ads. Which act of Congress requires that a candidate statement be included in all television advertising paid for by that candidate's campaign?
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Why have the bills to establish a national primary day not passed?
Both political parties are against the idea and will not vote for it.
Some analysts argue that caucuses are a preferred method for nominating candidates. Which characteristics of caucuses are used to support this viewpoint?
Caucuses bring out more sophisticated voters that primaries
Diana is writing a paper about gerrymandering as an explanation for party polarization. What might best support Diana's argument?
Changes in law and technology have transformed the manipulation of legislative districts, in an attempt to favor a particular candidate, into a science.
Which of the answer options best describes the connection between the items listed below? Photo identification requirements to vote Availability of early voting Hours that polls are open on Election Day
Circumstances that prevent citizens from voting.
Direct democracy gives citizens power to make laws. Which option describes an initiative?
Citizens propose a law that is put on the ballot for voters to decide.
What are some reasons political parties exist?
Collective action Control the ambition of members Provide "get out the vote" initiative
The party organization at the state level usually accepts a greater level of responsibility for
Coordinating fundraising across multiple races
Which of the following ways would be the most helpful for a citizen who is trying to determine whether or not they believe a candidate or politician is sincere? Decoding body language and tone by watching candidates and politicians in televised debates or answering questions in an interview Reading Newspapers to learn more about candidates and their positions Listening to a radio show where different people call in and give their own personal opinions about candidates and politicians All of these answers are correct
Decoding body language and tone by watching candidates and politicians in televised debates or answering questions in an interview
Government shutdowns are a major problem that results from _______ __________.
Divided Government
Why might legislature utilize a referendum to make policy compared with the legislative process?
Elected legislator tend to shy away from more controversial proposals
True or False One explanation for party polarization is the increasing sophistication of gerrymandering which is driven by a change in party allegiance in response to shifts in party position.
False Gerrymandering refers to the manipulation of legislative districts in an attempt to favor a particular candidate. Sorting is the process in which voters change party allegiances in response to shifts in party position.
When states move their primary dates closer to Iowa and New Hampshire's primary dates, this is known as
Frontloading
Which of the following is an example of the hypodermic theory? Jessa is a busy mechanic and doesn't have time to watch the news; however, she checks her Facebook feed and sees a story about the Russians interfering with the 2016 election. Jessa then goes back to work and tells everyone that the Russians caused Hillary Clinton to lose the election. Tom saw a Fox News story about Donald Trump's offices being wiretapped during the election, and he dismissed it as fake news. Ali read a story in The New York Times about how Hillary Clinton had a private email server that contained classified information. Ali voted for Clinton regardless of the story because he thought it was unsubstantiated and biased. All of these answers are correct
Jessa is a busy mechanic and doesn't have time to watch the news; however, she checks her Facebook feed and sees a story about the Russians interfering with the 2016 election. Jessa then goes back to work and tells everyone that the Russians caused Hillary Clinton to lose the election.
What are some requirements southern states used to disenfranchise black voters?
Literacy test, Poll Tax and Grandfather clauses
This level of party organization frequently takes on many of the most basic responsibilities of a democratic system, including identifying and mobilizing potential voters and donors, identifying and training potential candidates for public office, and recruiting new members for the party.
Local
What president signed the Voting Rights Act?
Lyndon B. Johnson
What is a consequence of the primary system?
Members of Congress are becoming more partisan
What would be the implications of a party platform that takes too broad of a position on issues?
Members of the party might disagree with one another, making it difficult to pass legislation even if the party can secure victory.
___________ are more likely to get news and information from social media, such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. are most likely to get their news from television, either national broadcast or local news.
Millennials, Baby Boomers
List some functions of a political party
Organizing politics Fundraising for candidates running for office Recruiting candidates for elections
Why do political scientist argue that party affiliation plays such an important role in voter choice?
Party affiliation represents a rational behavior because parties represents voters' issue positions.
Which option outlines one reason why campaign methods differ between primaries and the general election?
Party identification does not play a role in primary voting, while party identification plays a key role in general election voting.
_______________ makes up the majority of the voting population.
Party identifiers
The modern nominating system depends on primaries more than caucuses. Which of the following statements represents a key criticism of primaries in the nomination process?
Party leaders play less of a role when nominees are selected by primaries compared with caucuses.
The term used to describe the shift of party positions from moderate towards ideological extremes is _____ ___________.
Party polarization
Why do political parties continue to hold presidential nominating conventions despite the nominee being known in advance of the conventions?
Party rules require that delegates from each state come to the national convention to cast ballots.
The major challenge for the ___________________ is achieving policy goals and maintaining party unity.
Party-in-Government
What is the main difference between political parties and interest groups
Political parties look to gain power by getting members elected into political office, while interest groups look to influence government via lobbying activity.
What role do political parties play in motivating citizens to vote?
Political parties pay more attention to certain voters, which motivates them to vote.
How are interest groups and political parties different?
Political parties want to control the elected positions of government and interest groups do not.
Which of the following circumstances makes the administration of primaries more expensive than caucuses?
Primaries require the hiring of poll workers while caucuses do not.
What are the repercussions (listed in the video) for states who choose to harm journalist?
Public outing of human-rights violations
Which of the following methods have states used in their efforts to increase voter registration?
Registration over the internet
Which of the following is an example of minimal effects theory?
Sandra is exposed to crime stories in the news everyday but she doesn't believe that crime is increasing.
Which of the following is NOT an example of citizen journalism? A guest at a resort in Florida videos the president with the leader of Japan during a crisis moment and posts it on Facebook. Sensitive information is leaked from the White House to the media indicating that the president is angry with his son-in-law over a vacation he took during the health care debate in Congress. A visitor who is taking a tour of the White House videos the president playing games with small children and posts it to YouTube. These are all examples of citizen journalism.
Sensitive information is leaked from the White House to the media indicating that the president is angry with his son-in-law over a vacation he took during the health care debate in Congress.
What is an example of citizen journalism?
Someone witnessing police brutality, capturing it on video, and posting the video to Facebook.
Which level of government is responsible for establishing voter registration requirements including residency and identification?
State and National
Why do nearly all states require voter registration using paper forms?
State governments want to reduce voter fruad
Which of the following statements most accurately represents the relationship between voter registration and voter turnout?
States with same-day registration have higher voter turnout than states with longer residency requirements
Why are states that joined the United States following the Civil War more likely to have direct democracy compared with those states that joined the United States before the Civil War?
The Progressive movement, active during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, argued that citizens should be more active in government.
What executive agency is to enforce the legislation?
The State Department
Which of the following is NOT an example of cultivation theory? Sandra is exposed to crime stories in the news everyday and believes that crime is increasing. The local news station reports on stories about purse snatching over the past couple of weeks, polling data reveal that residents are now very concerned about purse snatching. The coverage of the election campaign for mayor has focused on negative aspects of Mario Sanchez's campaign even though polls conducted by the local university indicate that his approval remains high. All of these are correct answers
The coverage of the election campaign for mayor has focused on negative aspects of Mario Sanchez's campaign even though polls conducted by the local university indicate that his approval remains high.
Why is the lack of a national primary day an issue?
The lack of a national primary violates the qual vote principle, as votes in Iowa and New Hampshire affect the outcome more.
Which of the following BEST describes cultivation theory? The creation of a narrative, or context, for a news story. The media have little effect on citizens and voters. Information is "shot" into the receiver's mind and readily accepted The media developed a peron's view of the world by present a perceived reality
The media developed a person's view of the world by presenting a perceived reality.
What is the difference between the party-in-the-electorate and the party organization?
The party-in-the-electorate includes members of the voting public who consider themselves to be a part of a political party, while the part organization is the formal structure of the party.
What is the connection between the winner-takes-all system and the Electoral College?
The winner-takes-all system applies in the Electoral College in all but two states (Maine and Nebraska)
When comparing different media formats and their respective audiences, what is the one thing that they all have in common which ultimately drives what they do?
They are businesses
Which of the following represents a shift in how many younger viewers' prefer to learn political information from the media? they like newscasts to be humorous they like newscasts to be serious they like newscasts to focus on one topic rather than a variety of topics they demonstrate no interest in political information, regardless of how it is delivered
They like newscast to be humors
What is not a function of the media?
To advance the political agenda of a party or president.
What was the purpose of the Daniel Pear Act?
To allow the State Department to investigate and track claims about the treatment of journalist in other countries
Proportional representation results in a share of seats of each political party in an election. The number of seats is based on the proportion of votes.
True
True or False Party identifiers make up the majority of the voting public.
True
True or False The media are organized according to a number of different communication formats.
True
True or False: Nearly all states require registration, residency or both in order to be eligible to vote in elections?
True
Which of the following is NOT an example of a word choice that might have a priming effect? illegal immigrant undocumented residents hurricane refugees radical Islamic terrorists
Undocumented residents
What might a member of the part-in-the-electorate do?
Voice support for a party as a voter
Which of the following factors has the strongest effect in motivating citizens to vote?
Voters believing that their vote will make a difference in the election
States have the option of offering early voting in addition to the polls being open on Election Day. How might early voting address concerns about low turnout?
Voters juggling school, work and child care may find it difficult to vote during polling hours.
Which of the following voter decision-making strategies describes retrospective voting?
Voters looking at the past actions of a candidate and making a decision using these factors
Why can a divided government be problematic?
When one or more houses of the legislature are controlled by the party in opposition to the executive, it can make fulfilling campaign promises difficult.
Which of the following examples is NOT likely to be biased?
a report that a black restaurant owner was robbed at gunpoint by a white male in his early twenties according to Juan Gomez of the city police department
Low voter turnout is caused by many factors. Legal factors include limits placed on potential voters by election laws. At the same time, there are reasons that citizens choose not to vote including ______ and ______.
apathy; protest
Plurality voting is commonly referred to as
first-past-the-post
What is NOT a function of a political party
indirectly influencing leaders.
Which of the following is not a feature of the Telecommunications Act of 1996?
it increased competition and reduced the number of conglomerates
The ______________ party organization(s) take on most of the responsibility for party activities and are easily the most active participants in the party formation and electoral processes.
local and state-level
The way in which the media cover politics and issues can create a reality for the public that is not real. Which of these choices is NOT likely to create a false reality?
local media cover the heavy rains in town
Which of the following statements best describes the characteristics of the Party-press Era? competition between newspapers led to increasingly sensationalized covers and crude issues the media began muckraking: the writing and publishing of news coverage that exposed corrupt business and government practices partisanship and political party loyalty dominated the choice of editorial content all of these answers are correct
partisanship and political party loyalty dominated the choice of editorial content
The formation of ________________ marked an important shift in the U.S. politics and the birth of what is often considered the first modern political party in any democracy in the world
the Democratic Party
The government oversees and influences media programming by imposing prior restraint. Which of the following is an example of prior restraint?
the government stopping a news channel from reporting the name of an undercover operative
There have been many important changes in media types over time. Although a great number of these changes have been beneficial, which of the following has had the most negative effect?
there is now an inundation of information
Which of the following is NOT one of the main functions of the media? to talk about the advantages of using products which are marketed by their sponsors to report on a bank robbery in your neighborhood to provide the five day weather forecast to cover the presidential campaign
to talk about the advantages of using products which are marketed by their sponsors
