Deck 42: (AP) Us Government: Elections Influences

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true about third parties?

A)Third parties have occasionally changed the predicted outcome of presidential elections.
B)Third parties are greatly encouraged by our election system, as they usually draw a greater voter turnout.
C)The existence of third parties is protected under the Bill of Rights.
D)Third parties benefit equally with existing parties under federal campaign financing laws.

Answer 1

Third parties have occasionally changed the predicted outcome of presidential elections.

Question 2

Very often, small identifiable groups greatly benefit from policies that are paid for by a large part of the tax-paying public. What type of politics is this known as?

A)Interest group politics
B)Entrepreneurial politics
C)Client politics
D)Majoritarian politics

Answer 2

Client politics

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true about political parties in the early republic?

A)They were independently developed by early politicians.
B)They provided the Federalists with a long period of dominance.
C)They were strongly rooted in English traditions of conservative and liberal views.
D)They can be traced back to George Washington's leadership.

Answer 3

They were strongly rooted in English traditions of conservative and liberal views.

Question 4

What has been the greatest change in liberalism in the United States?

A)A shift to the northeastern part of the United States
B)The rise of women's issues
C)A shift from localism to nationalism
D)The rise of the Populist Party

Question 5

What has been the greatest change in conservatism in the United States?

A)Change from an emphasis on national leadership to an emphasis on local leadership
B)Rising control of western and rural states
C)Dixiecrats moving to the Republican party
D)Emergence of religious leadership

Question 6

Which of the following statements about political parties in the United States is most correct?

A)Two parties have continued to consistently dominate.
B)Parties have been stable since their founding.
C)Broad changes in control over political parties have routinely occurred.
D)Parties have grown in power as presidents gained greater power.

Question 7

What is the best explanation for the two-party dominance that has been in effect for much of U.S. history?

A)On the whole, citizens had general distrust of political parties.
B)Parties were readily able to absorb new political goals.
C)Major political parties have significant money from campaign funds.
D)Urban political party "machines" have blocked the formation of other political parties.

Question 8

What is the main reason why campaign finance reform efforts have been so minimal?

A)The free speech issue has relatively limited restrictions.
B)Those who benefit from the current systems see little reason to change.
C)Interest and lobby groups find ways around controls.
D)All of the above

Question 9

What are national party conventions are primarily used for?

A)To support the nominee
B)To give party speeches in front of television audiences
C)To set the agenda for the campaign
D)To reward the faithful members of the party with jobs

Question 10

What is a major dilemma of trying to get elected as president?

A)Facing the television debates
B)Trying to effectively fundraise in all states
C)Pleasing loyal member of the party without alienating the public
D)Organizing the right campaign staff

Question 11

Why are there thousands of interest groups in the United States?

A)Many of them believe that they have a right to access leaders.
B)Parties are unable to effectively control the political agenda.
C)The American political system is stable.
D)The politically system can be rapidly changed through public input.

Question 12

Where does most of the political power of interest groups lie?

A)Lobbying and persuading leaders
B)Choosing the key issues to change or protect
C)Bringing money to campaigns
D)All of the above

Question 13

Which of the following statements about media in the United States is most historically correct?

A)National information is a media goal.
B)Party bias is often a media goal.
C)Free speech for all is a media goal.
D)Fairness is a media goal.

Question 14

Why did daily news reporting become a national phenomenon?

A)The invention of television
B)The invention of radio
C)The invention of coast-to-coast telegraph systems
D)All of the above

Question 15

What has been the most consistent trend in media coverage in the country?

A)A reduction of story time and coverage
B)It takes a generally neutral stand on most party issues.
C)It has transformed into more consistent political coverage
D)It has expanded to cover candidates' personal issues

Question 16

What is the best description of the general relationship between the media and U.S. presidents?

A)Mutual trust
B)Mutual distrust
C)The two groups need each other and use each other for gains.
D)Presidents hate media scrutiny.

Question 17

What determines the number of delegates sent to a national party convention and the rules under which those delegates are chosen?

A)State legislatures
B)Local party caucuses
C)State party conventions
D)National committee of the particular party

Question 18

Which types of elections legally use federal money during campaigns?

A)Congressional elections
B)Presidential elections
C)Local elections
D)None of the above

Question 19

Which historical events are generally blamed for ending the friendly relationship between politicians and the press?

A)The Great Depression and Prohibition
B)World War I and World War II
C)Vietnam and Watergate
D)The Civil Rights Movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Question 20

What are primaries called wherein voters are presented with a list of candidates from all parties and may switch back and forth between parties?

A)Caucus primaries
B)Blanket primaries
C)Run-off primaries
D)Closed primaries

Question 21

Which party position in Congress is responsible for making certain that party members are present for a vote and that they vote the way the party wishes?

A)Minority leader
B)Chairman of the caucus
C)President pro tempore
D)Party whip

Question 22

Presidential candidates are officially nominated by:

A)National referendum
B)Voters in primary elections
C)Delegates at the national party convention
D)State party caucus attendees
E)The Electoral College

Question 23

What is the difference between an open primary election and a closed primary election?

A)In an open primary, non-citizens can vote.
B)In a closed primary, you can only vote if you have voted before.
C)In an open primary, you can vote if you have not declared a party affiliation.
D)In a closed primary, you can only vote if you have been cleared by the party as being a loyal member.
E)In an open primary, poll workers will open the door for you and welcome you with a cookie.

Question 24

Which two states are generally considered to be the most important in the presidential nominating process?

A)New York and California
B)Texas and California
C)Illinois and Texas
D)Illinois and California
E)Iowa and New Hampshire

Question 25

How is the President of the United States elected?

A)Popular vote of everyone living in the United States
B)Popular vote of all citizens over 18 years old
C)Popular vote of all citizens over 18 years old who are registered to vote in their state
D)Popular vote of all citizens who are registered to vote and are in the pool for jury duty
E)Through the Electoral College

Question 26

Each state has one vote in the Electoral College for:

A)Every 100,000 citizens in the state
B)Every 500,000 citizens in the state
C)Every member of the House of Representatives
D)Every member of the Senate
E)Every member of the House of Representatives and Senate

Question 27

Some political scientists argue that, for most Americans, their vote for president doesn't really matter. What is the strongest reason for this belief?

A)Since most of the states are "winner-takes-all", your vote only matters if you live in a swing state.
B)Electoral College electors so frequently ignore the wishes of the voters that it's as if your vote doesn't matter.
C)Each presidential candidate is going to do the same thing in office, so it doesn't matter who wins the election.
D)Most years the president is actually selected by Congress because there is no majority in the Electoral College.
E)It is hardly ever the case that a presidential election is close enough for votes to actually matter.

Question 28

If no presidential candidate receives a majority of the Electoral College votes, the election is decided by:

A)A run-off election between the top two vote recipients
B)The US Supreme Court
C)The House of Representatives
D)The Senate
E)Vote of the state legislatures

Question 29

Incumbents in the House of Representatives who are running for reelection in the same district generally win about ________ of the time.

A)25%
B)40%
C)50%
D)60%
E)95%

Question 30

What is the difference between "hard money" and "soft money"?

A)Hard money goes directly to a campaign while soft money tries to help campaigns indirectly.
B)Hard money is cash on hand while soft money is money that has been promised.
C)Hard money is cash from donations while soft money is from loans.
D)Hard money is coins and soft money is bills.
E)Hard money comes from named donors and soft money comes from anonymous donors.

Question 31

Which US Supreme Court decision prohibited the government from restricting political spending by corporations and unions?

A)Hardwick v. Bowers
B)Bush v. Gore
C)Citizens United v. FEC
D)Lithgow v. New York
E)McCain v. Forrester

Question 32

Why would billionaire Richie McBuck be more likely to win as a candidate for Senate, all things being equal, than Bob Law some, who is not wealthy?

A)The billionaire is already better-known.
B)If the billionaire could get that rich in the first place, he must be a good at helping run government.
C)The billionaire could use his own money to run the campaign, and wouldn't have to spend time fundraising.
D)Poor people don't know how to write laws.
E)Poor people have never won elected office.

Question 33

When are federal general elections held?

A)The first Saturday after Thanksgiving.
B)The first Saturday after Halloween.
C)Thirty days after the last televised debate.
D)The first Tuesday of November in even-numbered years.
E)The second Tuesday of October in odd-numbered years.

Question 34

Who is in charge of monitoring federal elections in the US?

A)The US State Department
B)The Federal Election Commission
C)The Campaign Compliance Commission
D)The political parties are to monitor each other and issue complaints to the Justice Department.
E)Each individual state

Question 35

Suppose Candidate Kane is a Democrat and he lives in a predominantly Democratic district. Not many people in the district know who he is and they aren't generally highly educated on the issues. Which campaign strategy should he use?

A)A party-centered strategy
B)An issue-oriented strategy
C)A candidate-oriented strategy
D)A benchmark strategy
E)A heavy-spending strategy

Question 36

Suppose Candidate Kane is a Republican and he lives in a predominantly Democratic district. He is widely known and liked in the district, but the voters are not highly educated on the issues. Which campaign strategy should he use?

A)A party-centered strategy
B)An issue-oriented strategy
C)A candidate-oriented strategy
D)A benchmark strategy
E)A heavy-spending strategy

Question 37

Suppose Candidate Kane is a Democrat and he lives in a predominantly Democratic district. He is not widely known in the district and is running against a better-known incumbent Democratic candidate in the primary. The voters are a little upset about the incumbent's votes on education reform. Which campaign strategy should Candidate Kane use?

A)A party-centered strategy
B)An issue-oriented strategy
C)A candidate-oriented strategy
D)A benchmark strategy
E)A heavy-spending strategy

Question 38

Voters who vote against an incumbent during a bad economic time exemplify:

A)Fiscal voting
B)Monetary voting
C)Interest voting
D)Retrospective voting
E)Introspective voting

Question 39

On average, which of the following candidates is most likely to win an election?

A)The tall, good looking man.
B)The older man who has a war injury.
C)The younger woman who is wearing braces.
D)The middle-aged man with a "beer belly".
E)The woman in her 60s.

Question 40

Political parties are distinguished from interest groups in American politics by the fact that interest groups do not:

A)Endorse candidates in campaigns
B)Financially support candidates for public office
C)Get involved in politics
D)Sponsor candidates for office under their name
E)Maintain organizations that assist candidates in campaigns

Question 41

The primary goal of interest groups is to:

A)Fight corruption in government
B)Influence public policy
C)Mobilize members to support certain political candidates
D)Sponsor candidates for election
E)Educate the public about issues

Question 42

It could be argued that interest groups better represent their constituents than do members of Congress because:

A)Interest groups are elected from smaller populations than congressional districts.
B)Citizens are more informed about interest group activity than about congressional action.
C)Interest group representatives are more honest and conscientious than are members of Congress.
D)Some constituents will not be ideologically represented by their member of Congress.
E)Most interest groups represent a wider range of opinions and needs than do members of Congress.

Question 43

What is an interest group entrepreneur?

A)Someone who makes her living off of lobbying for interest groups.
B)Someone who provides financial backing for start-up interest groups.
C)Someone who organizes or leads an interest group.
D)Someone who is a lobbyist for small businesses.
E)Someone who develops mail-drives for small interest groups.

Question 44

Which of the following groups of Americans are most likely to join an interest group?

A)The wealthy and highly educated.
B)Blue collar workers.
C)The economically oppressed.
D)Widows and orphans.
E)The young and economically disadvantaged.

Question 45

When the air you breathe is made cleaner as a result of lobbying done by an interest group that you do not belong to, you are an example of:

A)A program monitor.
B)The PAC problem.
C)An interest group entrepreneur.
D)A lobbyist.
E)A free-rider.

Question 46

Which of the following is not a way interest groups can overcome the free-rider problem?

A)Create passion in their interest.
B)Provide economic incentives to join.
C)Require membership as part of being involved in another desirable thing.
D)Have membership dues.
E)Peer pressure.

Question 47

Grassroots lobbying is designed to influence policy by:

A)The amount contributed to campaigns from members.
B)Convincing large numbers of citizens to contact political leaders by letters, telegrams, e-mail, faxes, and phone calls.
C)Reminding legislators of the values and beliefs they held when they first entered politics.
D)Promising to take care of the lawns of congressional committee chairs.

Question 48

Which of the following is not a function of interest groups?

A)Representing people
B)Educating policymakers
C)Government oversight
D)Bring issues to the limelight
E)Administrative adjudication

Question 49

When the Coalition for the Advancement of Old People (CAOP) runs commercials on CNN warning viewers that legislation pending in the House would likely cut Medicare, what type of lobbying are they performing?

A)Direct lobbying
B)Grassroots lobbying
C)Social media lobbying
D)Information campaigns
E)Coalition building

Question 50

Any increase in lobbying regulations conflicts with:

A)The First Amendment's right to petition.
B)The Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause
C)Ninth Amendment provisions on individual rights.
D)The Fairness Doctrine
E)Griggs v. Hartwick

Question 51

Suppose the Organization for the Advancement of Bad Music (OABM) failed in their direct lobbying efforts in Congress, the White House, and the bureaucracies. Where else can they legally go?

A)Nowhere. They're stuck like Chuck in the muck.
B)They can lobby judges through bribes.
C)They can create a lawsuit in federal court.
D)They can lobby foreign countries to try to influence US policymakers.
E)They can lobby at the state level since state law supersedes federal law in issues of commerce.

Question 52

What is a PAC?

A)The character in an old video game.
B)Political Action Committee
C)Policy Advocacy Coalition
D)Presidential Advisory Committee
E)Pacifists Against Corruption (an interest group)

Question 53

If you were the administrator of a small business PAC, you would be most likely to contribute campaign funds to:

A)An incumbent who is a member of the sub-committee in charge of regulating small businesses.
B)The challenger to an open congressional seat.
C)Any candidate who shares your ideology.
D)A candidate from the area where the small businesses are located.
E)The candidate who donated the most to your interest group.

Question 54

A political party's primary purpose in the US is to:

A)Inform the electorate about important issues.
B)Run candidates for political office.
C)Organize politicians to act as cohesive units.
D)Provide jobs for people once their candidate is elected.
E)Provide contrasting issue positions than the government.

Question 55

It could be argued that political parties in the US behave as if they were coalitions of:

A)Disgruntled politicians
B)Bureaucratic organizations
C)Interest groups
D)Ideologies
E)Regime changes

Question 56

In a system of separation of powers like that in the United States, parties serve to:

A)Bring about some coordination between the branches of government
B)Make it impossible for the branches of government to coordinate
C)Further separate the powers
D)Dredge up embarrassing information on their opponents
E)Rehabilitate federalism

Question 57

What is the best explanation for the US developing and maintaining a dominant two-party system?

A)Historically there have always just been two dominant parties. That's just the way it is.
B)The Constitution says that there should only be two parties.
C)There are only two ideologies in the US, and one party represents each ideology.
D)Legislative districts and election rules make it difficult for third-parties to succeed.
E)There is a conspiracy going back to George Washington to maintain power in the hands of a few, and you need two parties to fool the people.

Question 58

If the U.S. system of single-member districts with plurality voting were replaced with a system of proportional representation, one possible consequence would be:

A)Greater centralization of power in the hands of the president.
B)Establishment of stronger interest groups.
C)The disappearance of political parties.
D)A movement toward a multiparty system.
E)The responsible party system.

Question 59

Since the present two-party system was established, how many minor-party candidates have been elected to the presidency?

A)0
B)1
C)2
D)3
E)4

Question 60

Which of the following best describes the structure of the two major American political parties?

A)They are without organization or structure.
B)They are alliances of national, state, and local organizations unified by agreement on ideology and policy.
C)They are centrally controlled hierarchical organizations.
D)They are alliances of national, state, and local organizations that are often divided into ideological factions.
E)They are affiliated with international political parties with headquarters in Switzerland.

Question 61

An election trend where voters select the candidates from the political party they are not known to normally vote for and persist in the behavior for several elections would be identified as:

A)A progressive election
B)A split election
C)Electoral dealignment
D)Electoral realignment
E)A cascade election

Question 62

What are the primary ideological differences between the Democratic and Republican Parties?

A)Republicans are more socially conservative and anti-business than Democrats.
B)Democrats are more socially conservative and anti-business than Republicans.
C)Republicans are more socially conservative and pro-business than Democrats.
D)Democrats are more socially conservative and pro-business than Republicans.
E)There aren't any ideological differences between the two parties.

Question 63

Which modern political party has existed in the US since the late 18th century?

A)Democratic Party
B)Republican Party
C)Grand Old Party
D)Libertarian Party
E)The Whig Party

Question 64

What were the first two major political parties in the US?

A)Democrats and Republicans
B)Democratic-Republicans and Federalists
C)Democratic-Republicans and the Grand Old Party (GOP)
D)Federalists and the Grand Old Party (GOP)
E)The Democrats and the Whigs

Question 65

According to Anthony Downs, if political parties in the US were acting rationally, where would they position themselves ideologically?

A)One party would be liberal and the other party would be conservative.
B)Both parties would be conservative
C)Both parties would be liberal.
D)Both parties would try to hide their views on policy.
E)Both parties would try to get as near to the ideological center as they could.

Question 66

Which of the following is the best explanation for why, in recent years especially, presidential candidates for the two major political parties have not been as near the ideological center as one might expect?

A)The majority of voters are no longer near the center.
B)The parties don't really care about winning.
C)Most years the parties haven't been able to attract good centrist candidates.
D)Candidates near the ideological middle have a harder time winning the party's nomination.
E)Voters are unaware of the ideological views of the candidate.

Question 67

Where is the party platform adopted?

A)In a backroom where a bunch of old guys smoke cigars.
B)At the national party convention.
C)In Congress.
D)At a Cabinet meeting.
E)The party platform is never adopted-it's an informal thing.

Question 68

What is the rough distribution of party identification among US citizens in recent years?

A)There are considerably more Democrats than Republicans.
B)There are considerably more Republicans than Democrats.
C)There are more independents than Democrats and Republicans combined.
D)There are roughly the same number of Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
E)No one knows because it is illegal to identify with a political party if you are not running for office.

Question 69

Of the following factors, which is the most important for predicting the outcome of Congressional elections?

A)Whether or not there are hot button issues on the table during the campaign
B)The amount of money spent by the candidate
C)Whether or not the candidate is an incumbent
D)Size of the voter turnout

Question 70

Which of the following descriptions best suits the use of a random sample in polling?

A)Only computers select who is called.
B)Complex math models in computer programs determine calls.
C)Any person in the population has an equal chance at being called.
D)No predetermined criteria are used for calls.

Question 71

Last-minute polls often produce different results from earlier polls. What is the best reasoning behind this?

A)An increase in sampling errors
B)Lack of proper questions
C)Lack of random controls
D)Use of different questions