Test 3
The largest and perhaps most powerful interest group in the United States is
AARP
Which of the following is an obstacle for third parties?
ANSWER: e all of the above a. Established major parties need to gather fewer signatures than do minor parties. b. All rules and procedures of Congress divide committee seats and staff on party memberships. Selected: c. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) places restrictions on minor party candidates. d. Major political parties absorb issues of third parties.
Progressivism was
a belief that honest, impartial government could effectively curb the growing power of large corporations
A situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls the chambers of Congress is known as
a divided government
James Madison in Federalist #10 argued that
a multitude of interests would protect minority views
Advertising by interest groups that support or oppose a candidate or a candidate's position on an issue without mentioning voting or elections is
issue advocacy advertising
The economic and political expression of working-class interests is known as the
labor movement
The economic benefit a person receives from joining an interest group is known as a(n)
material incentive
Alexis de Tocqueville observed in 1834 that "in no country of the world has the principle of association been
more successfully used or applied to a greater multitude of objectives than in America"
527 groups are
non-profits that collect political donations without having to pay taxes on the money
The organizations that came to be known as "527s"
offered an alternative for interest groups to use money to influence the course of elections
Tracking polls are used
on a daily basis to determine last-minute changes in the mood of the electorate
When voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation, it is called a(n)
open primary
A political party is a group of individuals who
organize to win elections and operate the government
Linking oneself to a particular political party is known as
party identification
A political party differs from an interest group in that
political parties want to operate the government and interest groups do not
During the last half-century, the Democrats have been known as the party of
the working class and racial and ethnic minorities
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) are known as "umbrella groups" because
they represent certain types of businesses or companies that deal in a particular type of product
All of the following statements about social movements are true except
they typically represent social elites
The two-party system has dominated the American political landscape for all of the following reasons except
third parties are illegal in many jurisdictions
George Washington viewed political parties as a
threat to national unity and popular government
When a person votes for a Republican presidential candidate and for a Democratic congressional candidate, she is
ticket splitting
Soft money
was no longer available to the national political parties after 2002
In the winner-take-all system
whoever gets the most votes wins
In Madison's views, a multitude of interests
works to discourage the formation of an oppressive majority interest
The first partisan political division in the United States was between the
Federalists and the Anti-Federalists
Buckley v. Valeo involved a constitutional question regarding the
First Amendment
______ is the ability of interest groups to mandate or defeat policies needed for the public good
Hyperpluralism
Which of the following best describes Madison's views of interest groups?
Multiple organizations would prevent the possibility of an oppressive majority forming, thereby protecting the rights of the political minority
Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of
President of the United States
The ___________ emerged in the 1850s as an antislavery party and consisted of former northern Whigs and antislavery Democrats.
Republican Party
Which of the following is true?
The Great Depression resulted in the final transformation of the Democrats from a party of limited government to a party of active government
Today, a faction is
a subgroup within a party
A party leader or elected official who is given the right to vote at the national convention is called
a superdelegate
A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called
a two-party system
The protections of the _____ Amendment are intended to keep the flow of news as free as possible, because it is an essential part of the democratic process.
a. First
Generally, in presidential debates Selected:
a. challengers have much more to gain from debating than do incumbents.
Radio talk shows have been dominated by
a. conservative commentators.
Studies of bias in the media have reached
a. different conclusions: Some found a liberal bias whereas others found a conservative bias.This answer is correct.
Publicly owned media outlets
a. often are subsidized by the government.
Early newspapers usually
a. were sponsored by politicians.
Which of the following is true?
a.Pluralism sees the political struggle pitting different groups against each other to reach a compromise AND d.Hyperpluralism is the ability of interest groups to mandate policy or to defeat policies needed by the nation
Interest Groups
allow individuals' opinions to appear more powerful as they join with other like-minded individuals and attempt to influence the course of governmental policy
A lobbyist is
an individual or organization who attempts to influence legislation and regulatory decisions
A latent interest is
an interest that is not recognized or represented by an interest group
An interest group is
an organization that actively attempts to influence government policy
An interest group
attempts to influence political leaders and policy-making processes in the United States.
A sound bite is
b. a brief, memorable comment that easily can be fit into news broadcasts.
Major functions of the mass media in the United States include all of the following except
b. conducting elections.
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
bans soft money contributions to national parties
States that have been tagged as ____ states will see intense campaigning up to the very day of the election
battleground
During the last half-century, the Republicans have been known as the party of
business
President George Washington
c. believed that news that might damage the image of the United States should be censored.
The effect of campaign commercials is limited because
c. individuals are only selectively attentive to what the commercials say.
Most of the media in the United States are
c. private for-profit corporate enterprises.
When only declared party members can vote in a primary election, it is called a(n)
closed primary
The part of the economy that deals with health care, banking, and education is called
the service sector
The media are most influential with those persons who
d. are undecided voters.
A paradox in Republican and Democratic policies over the last 25 years has been that
despite their support for tax cuts, the Republicans have sometimes outdone the Democrats in voting for government spending
Third parties have influenced American politics by
determining whether the Republicans or Democrats win an election
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
is, in a sense, a union of unions
When we say the media help set the public agenda, we mean that the media
e. identify issues that merit public attention and government action.
Campaigns that narrowcast
e. target and broadcast to one small sector of the population.
Sensationalistic, irresponsible journalism is known as
e. yellow journalism.
The most numerous types of interest groups in the United States are
economic interest groups
Under Woodrow Wilson the Democratic Party
endorsed the idea that government should become involved in the economy
American farmers and their workers represent approximately two percent of the U.S. population. This fact supports the proposition that
even a small percentage of the populace can be effective if they organize
People who become members of interest groups for solidary incentives are joining
for a sense of belonging to the group
The practice of moving presidential primary elections to the early part of the campaign season is called
front-loading
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
has succeeded in influencing the United States to bestow between $6 and $8 billion a year on Israel
The "rifle" technique of lobbying consists of
having influential constituents contact legislators
A striking feature of today's political campaigns is the
importance of paid professionals rather than volunteers
An atmosphere of party polarization
is enhanced in Congress because of the creation of safe seats, in which winning candidates need only appeal to the members of their own party
For a federal Political Action committee (PAC) to be legitimate, it must
raise money from at least fifty volunteer donors
The press secretary is
responsible for representing the White House to the media
Functions of political parties in the United States include all of the following except
signing up large numbers of committed members
The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) are examples of
single interest groups
Democrats have emphasized
social welfare and protection of senior's benefits
A free rider is
someone who benefits from the actions of a group without joining it
Voting exclusively for the candidates of one party is known as
straight-ticket voting
Realignment
takes place when a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance
The Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that ___________ cannot be banned under the Constitution.
the amount a candidate spends on a campaign
Republicans have emphasized
the importance of the marketplace and less emphasis on social programs