Midterm 2

Question 1

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

Answer 1

a U.S. senator

Question 2

How are most attitudes formed?

Answer 2

in childhood, based on early childhood experiences

Question 3

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

Answer 3

Overt

Question 4

The Bradley effect occurs when people ________.

Answer 4

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

Question 5

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

Answer 5

a leading question

Question 6

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

Answer 6

It is a good poll and the margin of error is acceptable.

Question 7

Why are social policies controversial?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Which factor affects congressional approval ratings the most?

Answer 8

presidential actions

Question 9

Which institution has the highest average public approval ratings?

Answer 9

the Supreme Court

Question 10

How do polls affect presidential elections?

Answer 10

Polls identify the top candidates and the media interview those candidates.

Question 11

Presidential approval ratings ________ over a president’s term of office.

Answer 11

decline

Question 12

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

Answer 12

U.S. Supreme Court

Question 13

Which act makes it easy for a citizen to register to vote?

Answer 13

National Voter Registration Act

Question 14

What is a reason to make voter registration more difficult?

Answer 14

decrease election fraud

Question 15

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

Answer 15

The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote

Question 16

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?

Answer 16

voting-eligible population

Question 17

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

Answer 17

over forty-five years old

Question 18

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

Answer 18

compulsory voting laws

Question 19

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

Answer 19

faster and has higher turnout

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Linda Tepsett, a 40-year-old full-time orthopedic surgeon

Question 21

Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?

Answer 21

in their state capitol, in December

Question 22

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

Answer 22

presidential

Question 23

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. What type of vote did she cast?

Answer 23

retrospective

Question 24

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

Answer 24

gerrymandering of the candidate’s district

Question 25

Which of the following is not a step in the initiative process?

Answer 25

signature or veto by state governor

Question 26

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.

Answer 26

government proposes something and the legislature approves it

Question 27

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

Answer 27

affiliate

Question 28

Cable programming is often ________.

Answer 28

national

Question 29

A conglomerate is a corporation that ________.

Answer 29

owns many businesses and media networks

Question 30

When acting as an agenda setter, the media ________.

Answer 30

decides which issues deserve public attention

Question 31

Newspapers during the Revolutionary War period tended to ________.

Answer 31

unite the colonists and provide information about the British

Question 32

Muckraking occurs when newspapers ________.

Answer 32

investigate problems in government and business

Question 33

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

Answer 33

1930s

Question 34

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

Answer 34

WWII; images and maps

Question 35

In which circumstance would the courts find libel?

Answer 35

A reporter writes that local college students are drug dealers but has no sources

Question 36

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

Answer 36

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

Question 37

The Federal Communications Commission oversees the programming of which entities?

Answer 37

television, radio, satellite, and cable

Question 38

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

Answer 38

medical records for government employees

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of episodic framing?

Answer 39

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

Question 40

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

Answer 40

She fears her positions will be covered too closely by the press

Question 41

Media coverage of a race tends to ________.

Answer 41

overrepresent African Americans as poor

Question 42

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

Answer 42

an in-house lobbyist

Question 43

How are collective goods different from private goods?

Answer 43

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

Question 44

Why might several competing corporations join together in an association?

Answer 44

all the above ## Footnote Because there is often strength in numbers, they often have common issues that may affect an entire industry, and they can all benefit from governmental policies.

Question 45

What type of incentives appeal to someone’s concern about a cause?

Answer 45

purposive incentives

Question 46

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

Answer 46

joining a group to be with others like you

Question 47

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

Answer 47

all the above ## Footnote There is more professional lobbying, many interests lobby both the national government and the states, and a fragmentation of interests has taken place.

Question 48

Which of the following is an aspect of iron triangles?

Answer 48

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

Question 49

Which of the following is true of spending in politics?

Answer 49

The Supreme Court has opposed restrictions on spending on politics.

Question 50

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

Answer 50

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

Question 51

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

Answer 51

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

Question 52

In what ways are lobbyists regulated?

Answer 52

all the above ## Footnote Certain activities are prohibited, contributions must be disclosed, and lobbying is prohibited immediately after leaving office.

Question 53

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

Answer 53

George Washington

Question 54

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

Answer 54

Whig Party

Question 55

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

Answer 55

proportional representation

Question 56

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

Answer 56

third parties

Question 57

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

Answer 57

national