TX GOVT 2306 EXAM 3
Beginning in the 1940s, a majority of conservative Democrats in Texas began to support the
National Republican candidates
Which of the following is common in the last days of an election campaign?
Interest groups make last minute contributions to campaigns
When the media help keep public officials honest by asking hard questions and looking into suspicious actions, they are engaging in
Investigative journalism
as a result of the Shelby County v. Holder case, the state of Texas
Is no longer required to obtain preclearance from the U.S. Department of Justice for its electoral district maps.
Which statement best describes the Green Party?
It advocates environmental protection and government reform policies.
American courts are very hesitant to allow prior restraint, which means
It is difficult for the government to censor, or to suppress material before it is published
Which statement best describes the Libertarian Party?
It supports limited government in economic matters and social issues
Which of the following statements regarding the Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is NOT true?
It's provisions have been fully supported by the U.S. Supreme Court
The term "yellow journalism" referred to
Journalism based on sensationalism and exaggeration
Which of the following is NOT true of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter?
Less than 10 percent of U.S. adults get news from Facebook
The American political party system consists of
National, state, county, and precinct levels
The idea that internet service providers should treat all internet data equally without charging differentially or blocking content they don't like is referred to as
Net neutrality
Which of following most trends to avoid heavy partisanship in Texas?
Newspapers
When a news medium focuses on a narrow audience defined by special interest, they are engaging in
Niche journalism
Which of the following best describes the status of radio as a news source in the United States?
Ninety-nine precent of American homes have at least one radio, but radio has limited value as a source of political news.
Which political label would best describe a politician that is in favor government regulation of the economy, but limited government involvement on social issues related to morality?
Liberal
The fiercest political fighting in Texas between 1900 and 1950 was between
Liberal and conservative Democrats
According to studies, negative campaigns
Lower electoral participation by turning voters off to politics
Typically, in order to get people to the polls, which of the following is generally employed?
Mail-outs, telephone calls, door-to-door solicitation, and transportation to the polls
Which of the following is more likely to require that stories be vetted for accuracy and to attempt to follow standards of objectivity?
Major print media
The strongest effects of attack ads on electoral politics seems to be that people who
Marginally support an attacked candidate become less certain and abstain from voting for that candidate
A stratarchy is
a political system wherein power is diffused among and within levels of party organization.
Interest groups try to influence public policy by
lobbying government officials regardless of party affiliation.
About how many registered lobbyists are there in Texas?
1,900
Early or absentee voting in Texas begins how many days prior to the actual date of a scheduled election?
17 days
What year did Texas elect the first woman ever to represent the state in the U.S Senate?
1993
Republicans won all statewide races in the _______ general election
2002
The ______ presidential campaigns saw the internet and social media come of age as a part of campaigning.
2008 and 2012
How many electoral votes did Texas have in the presidential election of 2016?
38
Prior to 1990, how many women had been elected to statewide office in Texas?
4
A conservative would most likely support which of the following policies?
A ban on same-sex marriages
Compared to political candidates at the national level, candidates in Texas have ___________ controlling or at least influencing news coverage.
A easier time
Which of the following are NOT now required by the Voting Eights Act of 1965 and its subsequent amendments?
A formula for determining which jurisdiction need preclearance from the U.S. Department of Justice
Which of the following is NOT a reason for growth and diversity of interest groups in the United States?
A legal system that requires citizen membership in interest groups
Which of the following individuals would NOT be eligible to vote in Texas?
A person who has been declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
The Texas Tea Party is
A powerful faction within the Texas Republican Party
If a candidate wins a plurality but not a majority of votes cast in a special election in Texas
A runoff contest between the two top contenders must be conducted
People are more likely to hear and remember ideas and information if they come from
A trusted opinion leader
When reporting is done in a combative style that features opposition, it is referred to as
Adversarial journalism
Commercial television began in Texas
After World War II
In order to obtain a primary nomination in Texas, a candidate must receive what part of the popular vote?
An absolute majority
An entire entity, such as a city, from which two or more representatives are elected is
An at-large majority district
a political party is
An organization that consists of individuals interested in controlling government by winning elections
The Texas Association of Businesses is an Example of
An umbrella organization
The first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city was
Annise Parker, sworn in as mayor of Houston in 2010.
The details of political contributions and expenditures of candidates must be filed with the Texas Ethics Commission
Between two and seven times each year
A major requirement of the 1975 extension of the Voting Rights Act is that ballots in all Texas counties must be
Bilingual
A web page on which writers regularly record opinions, information, and links to other sites is known as a
Blog
The reporters assigned to cover state-level news, commonly working in the state capital, are known as the
Capital press corps
A Texas citizen's status as a registered voter is suspended if she
Changes her permanent address to another county and fails to notify the voting registrar within three years
In which case did the Supreme Court overturn a ban on unlimited independent expenditures made by corporations, unions, and nonprofit organizations in federal elections?
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Preparing the official ballot for general elections is done by the county
Clerk or elections administrator
Once the nation's main source of news, newspapers have declined because of
Competition from television and the internet
Which term would best describe a politician that is generally opposed to government-subsidized programs?
Conservative
Texas newspapers have generally supported
Conservative political candidates
What happened when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) abolished the Fairness Doctrine in 1987?
Conservative talk-radio hosts quickly outpaced liberals.
Which of the following is an example of an electioneering technique?
Coordinating a "Get Out the Vote" (GOTV) campaign
An organization of individuals with similar views that tries to influence government to respond favorably to its views is called a(n)
Interest group
The practice of many Texans of voting in Democratic primary and then voting Republican at the general election is called
Crossover voting
The Texas Election Code requires that primary voters
Declare their party affiliation at the time of voting in the party's primary
Which of the following would a governmental employee interest group be LEAST likely to pursue?
Decreased leveled of government spending
The main reason for the development of direct primaries was
Decreasing the dominations of Party bosses and allowing participation by party members.
After Reconstruction until the 1970s, which political party dominated in Texas?
Democratic
Political alliances during the Republic of Texas tended to coalesce around
Institutions
The purpose of a general election is to
Determine which candidate ps will fill government offices
In Rick Perry's highly successful 2010 gubernatorial campaign, he relied upon all following tactics EXCEPT
Direct mail, phone banks, and volunteers knocking on the doors of strangers.
Of the various socioeconomic factors that influence voter turnout, which is considered the strongest?
Education
Which of the following tasks is NOT performed every two years at the state party convention?
Election of state legislators
In modern elections, candidates increasingly rely on which of the following to communicate informational voters?
Email and social media
Which amendment to the US,S Constitution protects freedom of the press?
First Amendment
Which amendments to U.S. Constitution were intended to prevent denial of the right to vote based on race?
Fourteenth and Fifteenth
When the news media provides meaning or defines the central theme of an issue, they are engaging in
Framing
Manipulating legislative district lines to favor a political party or group is referred to as
Gerrymandering
Which of the following was NOT a device used in Texas to prevent many lower-income persons and blacks from voting after the civil war?
Grandfather clause
In the 19th century, newspapers in Texas and the nation were
Highly partisan and not always truthful
A social interest group would be least likely to get involved in which of the following issues?
Highway funding
The increased presence of women in policymaking positions has related in such changes as
Increased punishments for family violence and sexual abuse of children
Interest groups use all of the following techniques to influence policy decisions EXCEPT
Nominating candidates for public office
For reporting to exhibit professionalism, it should be
Objective, neutral, and accurate
Which of the following is NOT true regarding the representation of women and ethnic minorities in Texas media?
Of the 507 covered in Texas Monthly magazine between 1973 and 2016, Latinos appeared only 3 times and African Americans did not appear at all
In the 1970s, the media in Texas supported Common Cause and other public interest groups in pushing through legislation to require
Open meetings and open records
The trend in media ownership in Texas has been that
Ownership of Texas media outlets by Texas companies has declined
The primary purpose of the National Voter Registration Act (motor-voter law) was to
Permit voter registration by mail; at motor vehicle licensing agencies; or at military recruitment! Welfare, and disability offices
Which of the following is the most commonly, employed strategy of influencing legislation?
Personal communicating with officials concerning their groups's positions.
In Texas's general elections involving candidates for state, district, and county offices, the candidate who receives a _____________ in a contest is the winner.
Plurity
Organizations created to collect and distribute contributions to political campaigns are referred to as
Political action committees
An election in which party member choose a candidate to run for office general election is
Primary election
When the news media says how important an issue is or which part of a situation is most important, they are engaging in
Priming
Most political interest groups represent
Professional and managerial occupations
Following the Sharpstown a bank scandal, the Texas legislature
Prohibited candidates for speaker from giving anything of value to supportive legislators.
Which of the following would NOT be a cause supported by the Texas Freedom Network?
Promoting social conservatives influencing public school curriculum
Political office holders often rely on interest groups to
Provide information and expertise
The media play a role in keeping and protecting democracy by
Providing objective, neutral, and accurate information which gives an accurate picture of events.
Which of the following would NOT be among the interest groups that Texas legislators identify as most powerful?
Public interest groups advocating campaign finance reform
Which type of voting system is NOT used in general election in Texas?
Punchcard ballot
When congress passed the Reconstruction Acts, supporters of the Confederacy were
Purged as officeholders
In the case of the NAACP v. Alabama (1958), the U.S. Supreme Court
Recognized the right of association as part of the first amendment
When the three major television networks began to face competition from cable news in the 1980s, they responded by
Reducing coverage of hard news and increasing coverage of scandals, horse race journalism, and controversial sound bites
The Christian Coalition would be most likely to promote which of the following?
Restrictions on abortions
Who has been the most listened to talk show host in the aunties States since 1991?
Rush Limbaugh
In the Texas general election of 2002, which trio was dubbed "the dream team" because of their appeal to Latino, African American, and Anglo voters?
Sanchez, Kirk, Sharp
Which of the following would be performed at a party's precinct convention?
Selection of delegates to the county convention
Which of the following happens at the party state convention during presidential election years only?
Selection of potential presidential electors
According to the text, which of the following is NOT one of the roles that media fills in U.S. and Texas politics?
Serves as a forum solely for unabiased discussion of political topics
In order to cast a ballot, registered voters must
Show a valid photo ID
In 2008, one reason why Obama won in four of the state's five most popular counties was because of
Solid support from Latino and African American voters
When a person votes for only candidates from one party, they are engaging in
Straight-ticket voting
Independent, expenditure-only committees that may raise unlimited sums of money to support or oppose political candidates are known as
Super PACs
In the 2016 Republican National Convention, the majority of Texas delegates supported ___________ for president
Ted Cruz
Primaries and conventions that nominate candidates, adopt platforms, and select delegates to higher level conventions are knows as
Temporary party organizations
Which of the following interest groups would be an example of a professional group in Texas?
Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants
The history of the Texas political party system has tended toward ______________, and this remains the case today
Texas being a one-party State
At the turn of the 20th century, the Populist party in Texas declined, largely due to
The Democratic Party adopting its issues
Ethics laws prohibit a candidate or official from receiving a contribution inside
The Texas state capital building
Which of the following is NOT a reason that newspapers began to move away from strong partisanship toward more even-handed, objective reporting in the last half of the 19th century?
The government passed laws requiring greater objectivity and less partisanship
In the U.S. Supreme Court case of Guinn v. United States (1915), the court ruled that
The grandfather clause violated the fifteenth amendment
Which of the following conclusions is NOT supported by today's research on media influence?
The media have a strong influence on what citizens think about
Low voter turnout in Texas is attributed to all of the following EXCEPT
The repeal of laws that expanded sufferage
Which of the following is true of women in Texas politics?
There are a variety of women's interest groups in Texas promoting equal rights, greater political participation, and other issues important to women.
Which of the following is NOT true of new magazines?
There are more news magazines than there are newspapers, and they are read by more people.
Which of the following is NOT true of Texas campaign finance regulations or state office?
There are no limitations on contributions for candidates
Which statement does not accurately describe modern media?
There are no sites on the Internet dedicated to checking facts
Which of the following is NOT a common concern about concentration of media ownership?
There is an increase in hard news and a decrease in soft news
Which of the following is NOT true of the 521 non-daily newspaper being published in Texas in 2015?
They are influential in state politics, because they are read by elites.
Citizens tend to join interest groups for all the following reasons EXCEPT
They are not accepted as members of official political parties
Despite their relative decline, why are the print media still important sources of information?
They cover stories in more detail, inform the elite, and remain the largest gatherers of news.
Which of the following is true of public radio stations like KERA in Dallas and KUHF in Houston?
They provide substantial coverage of local, state, and national news.
Which U.S. amendment prevents states from requiring payment of a poll tax as condition for voting?
Twenty-Fourth Amendment
the ability of almost all citizens 18 years of age and older to vote is referred to as
Universal suffrage
Which of the following is NOT true of civic engagement and the internet, according to a 2012 study by the Pew Research Internet Project?
Use of the internet and social media lead to less civic engagement and political activity
An interest group technique that is unethical would be
Utilizing bribery
the principal political activity of most Texans consists of
Voting in elections
Which of the following accurately describes trends in suffrage in the United States?
Voting rights have steadily expanded and there has been a movement toward uniformity of voting policies among states.
The system of politics in Texas can be described as one with
Weak parties and strong interest groups
In the case of Smith v. Allwright, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the
White-old primary elections in Texas
In the case of Smith v. Allwright, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the
White-only primary elections in Texas
An interest group with substantial financial resources, sizable membership, unity, and a competent leadership
Will be able to exert virtually limitless pressure on governmental decisions makers.
Who was the first Texas Republican elected in a statewide vote in the least half of the 20th century?
William Clements
In which of the following ways have third parties been least successful?
Winning elections to national offices
Which of the following is NOT a reason that fewer women than men seek elected office?
Women are not allowed to run for elected office unless they have completed a graduate degree
Which of the following is NOT a function that interest groups perform in Texas?
Writing party platforms
A lobbyist is an individual who
attempts to influence the decision making of lawmakers.
Talk radio has long been dominated by
conservatives.
The cost of primary elections in Texas is paid for by
filing fees charged to candidates, subsidized by state funds.
Among the key factors that affect voter turnout are
income, age, gender, and ethnicity.
Liberals would most likely support which of the following policies?
laws protecting a woman's right to equal pay for equal work
Each state receives a number of electoral votes equal to the
number of seats each state has in Congress.
Most voters in Texas learn about candidates for office through
television commercials
