question

When Ralph Nader formed the group "Public Citizen," he also spurred ________ with many individuals engaged in the goal of protecting American consumers.

answer

a social movement

question

The ________ Amendment to the Constitution provides individuals the right to peaceful assembly, which supports the formation of interest groups.

answer

First amendment

question

Two out of every three interest groups in America are ________ interest groups.

answer

economic

question

________ consists of congressional staff people, journalists and other members of the media who often report on the policy area, and researchers who have done work on and are experts in the policy area.

answer

an issue network

question

How are interest groups different from political parties?

answer

Interest groups do not directly run candidates for public office.

question

Which of the following is NOT part of the iron triangle?

answer

the president

question

The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 placed limits on individual and corporate contributions to political campaigns, which led interest groups to finance campaigns through the alternative method of

answer

political action committees

question

Which of the following is NOT one of the three general characteristics which may have significant bearing on how powerful an interest group's influence will be in Washington?

answer

social demographic of members

question

The U.S. Conference of Mayors advances the cause of the nation's cities and is an example of

answer

an intergovernmental lobby

question

What type of group is generally all-encompassing, guided by broad ideological approaches to governing, and tries to appeal to as many people as possible to optimize its electoral success?

answer

a political party

question

Robert Dahl, in his book A Preface to Democratic Theory describes a number of "access points" for special interest groups to influence policy. Which of the following is NOT one of those access points?

answer

political party organizations

question

Which of the following is NOT a common method used by interest groups to advance their agenda?

answer

organizing boycotts and protests

question

Which interest group was originally established to advocate the rights of craft unions and ensure the terms of union contracts?

answer

American Federation of Labor

question

If you believe that public policy is a product of mass representation, then you are a follower of

answer

majoritarianism

question

Carson is attending a labor rally in support of the proposed contract and he is pleased to be with his colleagues at the rally to support the cause. Carson's feelings demonstrate the idea of ________ benefits.

answer

solidary

question

Common Cause is an example of ________ group.

answer

a public-interest

question

Which of the following is a "con" associated with interest groups?

answer

The amount of interest group activity slows down policymaking.

question

________ found that Americans were particularly prone to organize in groups and use their associations to influence the political process.

answer

Alexis de Tocqueville

question

Which of the following is NOT a primary reason that size of membership makes an interest group more effective?

answer

The larger the membership, the more direct benefits each member receives.

question

What factor has most contributed to the increase in the number of interest groups during the last 50 years?

answer

the overall growth of government

question

If you live in a state that allows ________ shops and you work in a unionized workplace, you must either join the union or pay the equivalent of union dues to it after a set period of time.

answer

union

question

The AARP's success in pressuring Congress to protect the Social Security and Medicare systems demonstrates the effectiveness of

answer

grassroots lobbying

question

An interest group that typically focuses on one particular industry, with members of the group being drawn exclusively from that industry, is referred to as

answer

a trade association

question

If you are a nonunion plumber, you are considered a ________ because the union lobbies for higher pay rates for all plumbers; therefore, you benefit from the union's efforts without investing any of your own time or money.

answer

free rider

question

________ refers to the theory that public policy largely results from a variety of interest groups competing with one another to promote laws that benefit members of their respective groups.

answer

Pluralism

question

The largest wire service is ________ , which allows smaller regional media outlets to cover events from around the world in an efficient, informative, and cost-effective manner.

answer

the Associated Press

question

Dave watched the news commentators criticize the Democratic candidate's performance after a heated presidential debate; however, he was not persuaded to change his opinion of the candidate because he is also a Democrat. This is an example of the ________ theory.

answer

minimal effects

question

The Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio receive funding through

answer

individual donations and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

question

When the media consistently report on a topic, such as Monica Lewinsky's affair with President Bill Clinton, the effects of television exposure may be limited or difficult to gauge, but the media are quite influential in telling the public what to think about. This demonstrates the idea of the ________ theory.

answer

agenda-setting

question

The media in American politics serves to provide objective coverage of events, facilitate public debate, and

answer

serve as a government watchdog

question

Studies of election coverage show that most news reports tend to dwell on a candidate's

answer

personal background

question

What was the impetus for newspapers shifting from the partisan press era to a more impartial style in the later nineteenth century?

answer

increased profit

question

From a politically strategic standpoint, how has television benefited political candidates, as compared to radio?

answer

It has allowed candidates to convey an "image."

question

Which of the following is NOT considered new media?

answer

network television

question

The ________ theory suggests that heavy television exposure helps develop an individual's overall view of the world.

answer

cultivation

question

Which of the following examples demonstrates the idea of priming in the media?

answer

Children who watch a cartoon character beat up another character in order to obtain some lunch money may decide to beat up a child in order to achieve the same thing.

question

The first network of radio stations, which was established in 1926 as the ________ provided common programming and newscasts that were made available to the first truly mass audiences.

answer

National Broadcast Company (NBC)

question

Despite criticism of the news media, which of the following did the text give as a reason that the American media remain as important a political institution as any in our system of government?

answer

Political leaders rely on the media to communicate with citizens.

question

The news media have been criticized for

answer

using too much sensationalized content.

question

Internet users are more likely to be younger, middle and upper class, better educated, and nonminority. This phenomenon is referred to as the

answer

digital divide

question

Those who think the media has a conservative bias point to

answer

the corporate interests of the companies who own the media outlets.

question

NBC is currently owned by which of the following megacorporations?

answer

General Electric

question

The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 created the ________ , which is responsible for distributing federal funds to support public, noncommercial radio and television stations.

answer

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

question

Which of the following media outlets does NOT fall under the jurisdiction of the FCC?

answer

The New York Times

question

After CBS broadcasts President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, the station is also required to provide free airtime for the Republicans to give a response under the

answer

equal time rule

question

If a political commentator wanted to share his or her views by combining an editorial page with a personal Web page and an online diary, then that person should create a

answer

blog

question

________ occurs when preexisting attitudes influence what kind of news people choose to pay attention to.

answer

Selective exposure

question

Which media format steadily gained popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, marked by a growing interest in political talk shows, such as the Rush Limbaugh Show?

answer

talk radio

question

The first live television broadcast of the presidential debate occurred in ________ and featured

answer

1960; Kennedy/Nixon

question

The argument for a free press in the United States today largely rests upon the concept of the ________ , which suggests that allowing people to freely communicate their ideas will provide a larger variety of ideas to consider.

answer

free marketplace of ideas

question

________ was vital to securing the importance of parties in the election process because it formally separated the electoral college vote for president and vice president.

answer

The 12th Amendment

question

How did the Founders who drafted the U.S. Constitution regard political parties?

answer

with disdain so they designed a system without their presence

question

The ________ Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920.

answer

19th

question

The so-called Tea Party is a recent protest movement that strategically chose its name to reference the Boston Tea Party. This movement primarily objects to government policies regarding

answer

taxation

question

It is mandated by the Motor Voter law that when an individual ________ , the state must provide him or her with voter registration materials.

answer

applies for or renews a driver's license

question

A direct primary election gives more power to ________ in choosing a party's nominees.

answer

all party members

question

The feeling of psychological attachment that one has to a particular political party is referred to as

answer

party identification

question

Beginning in January 2011, the Republicans controlled the House of Representatives, the Democrats retained control of the Senate, and the Democratic President Barack Obama was still in the White House. This resulted in a

answer

divided government

question

Which of the following concepts is defined as the percentage of voters who can be expected with reasonable certainty to cast a ballot for each of the two major political parties?

answer

normal vote theory

question

Regardless of the Fifteenth Amendment, some Confederate states implemented a ________ that required individuals to pay a fee before being allowed to vote.

answer

poll tax

question

The core principle underlying a representative democracy is that among the choices presented to voters, the choice that is supported by the most voters is the choice that prevails. This principle is known as

answer

majoritarianism

question

A party platform consists of

answer

a document outlining the party's position on important policy issues.

question

In the infamous U.S. Supreme Court decision Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857), the Court ruled that slaves

answer

were property, that they had no rights under the law, and that they were not and could never become legal citizens of the United States.

question

Which political issue eventually led to the demise of the Whig party?

answer

slavery

question

Which of the following reasons has been given to explain why voter turnout in the U.S. is typically lower than other democracies?

answer

Voting is not compulsory

question

The ________ is responsible for overseeing the conduct of the presidential campaign and developing strategy for each party's congressional elections.

answer

national committee

question

During the American Revolution, the colonists who supported Britain were known as

answer

Tories

question

The ________ thesis supports the idea of a decline in the political party system as it states that voters today are less attached to parties and tend to be more independent-minded.

answer

dealignment

question

Even though she doesn't really care who wins the election, Carol believes that a part of being a good citizen is showing up to vote. Carol is demonstrating the idea of

answer

civic duty

question

The highest level of voter turnout for a U.S. election is typically seen for a ________ election.

answer

presidential

question

During the 1950s and 1960s, blacks protested segregation laws by intentionally engaging in illegal but nonviolent activities as a way of drawing attention to the problem of segregation. Their acts demonstrated the idea of

answer

civil disobedience

question

What term refers to the decline in voter attachment to both parties and decline in clarity of party coalitions?

answer

dealignment

question

In today's society, what is the primary purpose of the national party conventions that are held in the summer prior to the presidential elections?

answer

to showcase the party's presidential candidate and garner momentum for the upcoming election

question

The Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary are considered to have great influence on the presidential nomination process because

answer

they have traditionally been the first two contests held.

question

Who did the Founders believe would identify and evaluate potential candidates for the presidency?

answer

Electors, chosen by the states

question

________ is a statewide election to select delegates who will represent a state at the party's national convention.

answer

a presidential primary

question

A handful of states do not hold elections for individual parties to select their candidates. Instead, the party members are invited to attend local meetings at which they choose delegates who make a commitment to a candidate for the party nomination. This process is called

answer

a caucus

question

Jimmy Carter's campaign and ultimate election to the presidency demonstrated to both political parties the importance of ________ when trying to secure a sufficient number of delegates to win the nomination.

answer

directly appealing to the voters

question

During a presidential campaign, television ads are most effective at

answer

convincing undecided and independent voters to vote for a particular candidate.

question

What is the minimum number of electoral votes possible for a state?

answer

3

question

________ is the competition between candidates seeking the party nomination for frontrunner status.

answer

the invisible primary

question

The 2012 contest between President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney was considered ________ because Romney was challenging the sitting president.

answer

an incumbent race

question

What is the name for a primary election that does NOT require voters to declare a party affiliation ahead of time?

answer

open primary

question

The final determination of which candidate wins the presidential election is based upon

answer

the official results of the votes cast by electors in the electoral college.

question

________ seat in a congressional district has a relatively similar number of Democratic and Republican voters.

answer

a marginal

question

Even though she is a Republican, Rachel decided to vote for the Democratic candidate because he supported the same position on creating new jobs as she did. Which factor of voting is Rachel relying on to make her decision?

answer

issue voting

question

Historically, incumbent members of Congress who run for reelection have a better than ________ chance of returning to office.

answer

90%

question

Which amendment, ratified in 1951, limits presidents to two 4-year terms in office?

answer

22nd

question

When both presidential candidates have a reasonable chance of winning the electoral votes in a state, it is referred to as ________ state.

answer

a battleground

question

________ voting refers to the importance of an incumbent's past performance in office.

answer

retrospective

question

The Simpson family donated money to the Republican Party to be used for "party-building" activities. Their contribution is an example of

answer

soft money

question

The political parties select specific people to run as presidential and vice presidential candidates during the ________ phase of the selection process.

answer

nomination

question

While the Framers of the Constitution did not anticipate it, ________ provided the framework in even the earliest presidential elections.

answer

political parties

question

The number of electoral votes from each state is determined by

answer

a number that is equivalent to the state's allotment of House members plus two more for each senator from the state.

question

According to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, contributions to a particular candidate for federal office cannot exceed

answer

$2,000

question

During the presidential election, frontloading occurs when

answer

states move their primary or caucus contests to earlier in the year.

question

According to the ________ rule, the candidate who receives the most votes among the popular votes cast for president in a state will receive all the electoral votes from that state.

answer

unit

question

An organization of people with shared goals that tries to influence public policy through a variety of activities.

answer

interest group

question

The theory that public policy largely results from a variety of interest groups competing with one another to promote laws that benefit members of their respective groups.

answer

pluralism

question

The principle that the choice that is supported by the most voters is the choice that prevails and that public policy is the product of what majorities prefer.

answer

majoritarianism

question

A large informal grouping of individuals and/or organizations focused on specific political or social issues.

answer

social movement

question

The political arm of an interest group that promotes candidates in election campaigns primarily through financial contributions.

answer

political action committees

question

A three-sided network of policymaking that includes congressional committees (and subcommittees) in a specific policy area, executive agencies with authority over that area, and private interest groups focused on influencing that area.

answer

iron triangle

question

The broad array of actors (beyond just the iron triangle) that try to collectively influence a policy area in which they maintain a vested interest.

answer

issue networks

question

The specific, tangible benefits individuals receive from interest-group membership, such as economic concessions, discounts on products, and so forth.

answer

material benefits

question

Rewards that do not directly benefit the individual member, but benefit society as a whole.

answer

purposive benefits

question

Rewards that do not directly benefit the individual member, but benefit society as a whole.

answer

solidary benefits

question

There are three general characteristics of an interest group that may have significant bearing on how powerful that group's influence will be in Washington:

answer

the size of membership, the wealth of members, the dedication of members to the goals of the group

question

An organized group that exists to promote favorable economic conditions and economic opportunities for its members.

answer

economic interest groups

question

A business association that focuses on one particular industry, with membership drawn exclusively from that industry.

answer

trade association

question

An individual who does not join or contribute to an interest group that is representing his or her interests.

answer

free riders

question

The law that allows employees the option of joining or not joining the certified union at a unionized workplace.

answer

open shop

question

The law that requires employees to become members of the union as a condition of employment in unionized workplaces.

answer

closed shop

question

The law that requires that employees in unionized workplaces either join the union or pay the equivalent of union dues to it after a set period of time.

answer

union shops

question

types of economic interest groups

answer

business groups, union shops, professional associations

question

An organized group that advocates for reasons other than its membership's commercial and financial interests.

answer

noneconomic interest groups

question

An organized group that promotes the broad, collective good of citizens and consumers.

answer

public-interest groups

question

An organized group that focuses on specific issues and ideological perspectives.

answer

issue and ideological groups

question

Any interest group that represents the collective interests of states, cities, and other governments.

answer

intergovernmental lobbies

question

types of non-economical interest groups

answer

public interest groups, issue or ideological groups, intergovernmental lobbies

question

how interest groups reach their goals

answer

lobbying, supporting candidates and parties in election campaigns, litigating, and mounting persuasion campaigns.

question

The means by which interest groups attempt to influence government officials to make decisions favorable to their goals.

answer

lobbying

question

Communications by interest groups with government officials through the mobilization of public opinion to exert influence on government action.

answer

grassroots lobbying

question

The FCC mandate that radio and TV broadcast stations offer equal amounts of airtime to all political candidates who want to broadcast advertisements.

answer

equal time rule

question

(1) providing objective coverage of events, (2) facilitating public debate, and (3) serving as government watchdog.

answer

Principal functions of the media include

question

The journalistic standard that news reporting of events must be factual, accurate, fair, and equitable.

answer

objectivity

question

The period from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s when newspapers typically supported a particular political party.

answer

partisan press era

question

Media outlets that rely on relatively newer technologies for communicating, such as the Internet, DVDs, fax machines, cell phones, satellites, cable TV, and broadband.

answer

new media

question

A specialized form of radio programming in which one or more hosts provide commentary and often invite listeners to call in to the show and offer their own opinions.

answer

talk radio

question

Internet sites that include a combination of editorial page, personal Web page, and online diary of personal observations in real time about news events and issues.

answer

blogs

question

The large differences in usage of the Internet between older and younger people, lower- and middle-/upper-class people, lesser and better educated people, and minority groups and nonminority groups.

answer

digital divide

question

The theory that deep-seated, long-term political attitudes have much greater influence on an individual's vote decisions than does news media coverage.

answer

minimal effects theory

question

The theory that viewers imitate what they view on television through observational learning.

answer

social learning theory

question

The theory of media effects that suggests that heavy television exposure helps develop an individual's overall view of the world.

answer

cultivation theory

question

The theory holding that although the effects of television exposure may be minimal or difficult to gauge, the media are quite influential in telling the public what to think about.

answer

agenda-setting theory

question

Organizations that seek to win elections for the purpose of influencing the outputs of government.

answer

political parties

question

A large meeting that draws together party delegates from across the nation to choose (or formally affirm the selection of) the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates.

answer

national party conventions

question

An election that produces sharp changes in patterns of party loyalty among voters.

answer

critical election

question

A decline in voter attachment to parties and in clarity of party coalitions.

answer

dealignment

question

The percentage of voters that can be expected with reasonable certainty to cast a ballot for each of the two major political parties.

answer

normal vote

question

Split-party control of Congress and the presidency.

answer

divided government

question

A party system dominated by two major parties that win the vast majority of elections.

answer

two-party systems

question

A political system in which many different parties are organized on the basis of political ideologies, economic interests, religion, geography, or positions on a single issue or set of issues.

answer

multiparty systems

question

A system of electing a national legislature in which the percentage of the vote that a party receives is reflected in the number of seats that the party occupies.

answer

proportional representation

question

The institution through which political parties exist at the national, state, and local levels, primarily focused on articulating policy positions, raising money, organizing volunteers, and providing services to candidates.

answer

national party organization

question

The committee that oversees the conduct of a party's presidential campaign and develops strategy for congressional elections.

answer

national committee

question

The head of the national committee for one of the two major parties.

answer

national committee chair

question

An open election, rather than an election by party leaders, to choose candidates for the general election.

answer

direct primary election

question

A form of government designed by the U.S. Constitution whereby free, open, and regular elections are held to allow voters to choose those who govern on their behalf; it is also referred to as indirect democracy (in that citizens elect the individuals who are responsible for making and enforcing public policy) or a republican form of government.

answer

representative democracy

question

The political mechanism that ensures that the majority will rule.

answer

elections

question

The right to vote.

answer

franchise

question

The idea that all citizens in a nation have the right to vote.

answer

universal suffrage

question

The amendment to the Constitution that guarantees the franchise regardless of race, color, or any previous condition of servitude.

answer

15th amendment

question

The requirement that individuals pay a fee before being allowed to vote.

answer

poll tax

question

The requirement that individuals prove that they can read and write before being allowed to vote.

answer

literacy test

question

The constitutional amendment that outlaws poll taxes.

answer

24th amendment

question

The constitutional amendment providing electoral votes to the District of Columbia, thus giving District residents the right to vote in presidential elections.

answer

23rd amendment

question

The constitutional amendment that lowered the voting age to 18 in all local, state, and federal elections.

answer

26th amendment

question

The federal law mandating that when an individual applies for or renews a state driver's license, the state must also provide that individual with voter registration materials.

answer

Motor Voter Law

question

The number of people who turn out to vote as a percentage of all those eligible to vote.

answer

voter turnout

question

The political season in which candidates for president begin to explore the possibility of running by attempting to raise money and garner support.

answer

prenomination campaign

question

An election that allows voters to choose on the day of the primary election the party in which they want to vote.

answer

open primary

question

A election that requires voters to declare their party affiliation ahead of time.

answer

closed primary

question

A method of choosing party nominees in which party members attend local meetings at which they choose delegates committed to a particular candidate.

answer

caucus

question

The recent trend of states moving their primaries and caucuses to earlier in the year to attract greater attention from the candidates and the media.

answer

frontloading

question

General election race pitting a person currently holding the office against a challenger.

answer

incumbent race

question

General election race in which neither candidate is the incumbent. (Open elections for Congress are normally called open-seat elections.)

answer

open elections

question

States identified as offering either major-party candidate a reasonable chance for victory in the electoral college.

answer

battleground or swing states

question

The constitutional mechanism by which presidents are chosen. Each state is allocated electoral college votes based on the sum of that state's U.S. senators and House members.

answer

electoral college

question

Individuals appointed to represent a state's presidential vote in the electoral college; in practice, voters in presidential elections vote for a slate of electors committed to a particular candidate, rather than voting directly for the candidate.

answer

electors

question

The system in 48 states by which the candidate who wins the most votes among popular votes cast for president in a state receives all the electoral votes from that state; also known as the winner-take-all system.

answer

unit rule

question

A theory on voting behavior suggesting that voter evaluations of an incumbent's past performance provide important cues to voters in deciding whether to vote for that incumbent again.

answer

retrospective voting

question

The federal legislation passed in 1971 that established disclosure requirements and restricted individual campaign contributions.

answer

Federal Election Campaign Act

question

Donations made directly to political candidates and their campaigns that must be declared with the name of the donor (which then becomes public knowledge).

answer

hard money

question

The agency created in 1974 to enforce federal election laws.

answer

Federal Election Commission

question

Political donations that PACs or individuals spend to support campaigns, but do not directly contribute to the campaigns.

answer

independent campaign expenditures

question

The 1976 Supreme Court opinion that held that spending money to influence elections is protected First Amendment speech, and that prohibited limitations on independent expenditures or personal money spent by candidates on their own campaigns.

answer

Buckley v. Valeo

question

Also called the McCain-Feingold Act, the federal legislation that (1) restricted soft money spent by political parties, (2) regulated expenditures on ads that refer to specific candidates immediately before an election, and (3) increased limits on hard money donated directly to candidates and their campaigns.

answer

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002

question

Congressional elections held midway between successive presidential elections.

answer

midterm congressional elections

question

The potential benefit that successful presidential candidates offer to congressional candidates of the same political party during presidential election years.

answer

coattail effect

question

The phenomenon by which incumbent members of Congress running for reelection are returned to office at an extremely high rate.

answer

power of incumbency

question

A congressional seat from a district that includes a high percentage of voters from one of the major parties.

answer

safe seats

question

A seat in a congressional district that has relatively similar numbers of Democratic and Republican voters.

answer

marginal seats

question

The traditional right of members of Congress to mail materials to their constituents without paying postage.

answer

franking privilege

question

Who visualized interest groups in Federalist #__.....commonly called "The Mischiefs of Factions," he sees them as a potentially bad thing BUT would have the built in control of competing with each other for influence

answer

James Madison; 10

question

Some positive aspects of interest groups

answer

more democratic representation, information, mobilizing the public, stability, right of associated protected by 1st amendment

question

negative aspects of interest groups

answer

the wealthy have an unfair advantage, Big Business exists to return profits and will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal even promoting policy that is not good for the public at large, huge sums of money within the special interest system make corruption a distinct possibility, lack of accountability, leaders of interest groups are not elected and the dominance of these groups within system is anti-democractic

question

Simply by their existence, interest groups ____________________.

answer

divide the public

question

theories of power

answer

pluralist, elite, hyper-pluralist

question

theory of power: many competing groups; all ideas represented, all voiced heard through bargaining and compromise, the people rule

answer

pluralist theory

question

theory of power: a small group of wealthy, well-educated, and well-connected people actually control policy

answer

elite theory

question

theory of power: lots of interest groups and elected officials who want to satisfy all of them result is either chaos or stalemate

answer

hyper-pluralist theory

question

when the public rallies behind an idea, they will prevail

answer

socialist movement

question

two main types of interest groups

answer

economic and noneconomic

question

types of economic interest groups

answer

business groups, labor unions, professional associations

question

types of noneconomic interest groups

answer

public-interest groups, issue or ideological groups, government interest groups

question

There are approx. ________ interest groups; __ for every elected legislator in WA

answer

24,000; 45

question

__________ # of registered lobbyists (another ___ to __,000 unregistered); more than ___ for every elected legislator in WA

answer

14,000; 40 to 50; 100

question

Interest group spending $_______ per year (another _______ not reported); about $_______ per year for every elected legislator in WA

answer

4 billion, 4 billion, 15 million

question

T/F: A lobbyist is NOT a special interest group

answer

true

question

A lobbyist is a professional _____ by special interest groups

answer

hired

question

What is the most important thing a lobbyist must have in order to represent special interest groups?

answer

access

question

Term used to refer to all lobbyists as a collective entity. Refers to lobbyists' affinity for fashionable clothing and their ability to easily pay for such clothes. Can also refer to the hallways outside appropriations and other major committee rooms, which are often populated by lobbyists hoping to get a word in with a member of congress

answer

Gucci Gulch

question

main goal of lobbying

answer

attempt to influence govt officials to make decisions favorable to the interest groups goals

question

Lobbying functions

answer

information and expertise, NEVER LIE, build coalitions, be seen socially, iron triangles, issue networks

question

3 parts of iron triangle

answer

special interest groups, committees of Congress, and bureaucratic agencies of govt

question

grassroots movements

answer

typically large public demonstrations for or against an issue

question

artificial turf movements

answer

the interest group leaders trying to imitate a grassroots movement

question

lobbying the courts

answer

litigation, NAACP

question

an organization that "pools" contributions to have a larger economic impact on politicians

answer

Political Action Committee (PAC)

question

Are PACS limited in the amount of contributions?

answer

yes

question

organization makes no contributions to candidates or parties, rather they run ads independently of the candidates

answer

Super PACs

question

are Super PACs limited in amount of contributions?

answer

No, there are no limits on Super PAC donations or expenditures

question

What happened with Citizens Unlimited in 2010?

answer

the Supreme Court ruled that limits on corporate and labor union spending on political advertising were unconstitutional

question

this quote answers which question: " When I have a choice between voting for the people or the special interest group, I always stick with the special interests. They remember. The people forget." - Former US Senator Henry F. Ashurst

answer

How much power do interest groups have?

question

Why does media exist?

answer

to make a profit!

question

why do we have political parties?

answer

the constitution makes no mention of parties, early leaders were pretty clearly anti-party. yet, parties arise almost immediately

question

what is a political party according to the text?

answer

political parties are organizations that seek to win elections for the purpose of influencing the outputs of govt

question

why are elections important?

answer

they have consequences. parties do indeed have differing views of how the nation should look

question

Party Systems Eras

answer

1792-1824: Federalists* vs. Democratic-Republicans 1828-1856: Democrats* vs. Whigs 1860-1892: Democrats vs. Republicans* (fairly even) 1896-1928: Democrats vs. Republicans* 1932-1964: Democrats* vs. Republicans 1968-1992: Democrats vs. Republicans* 1992-20??: Democrats* vs. Republicans: not dominated by either party but mostly democrat

question

what do Parties do?

answer

select candidates, contest elections, champion ideas, mobilize voters, govern after elections

question

political socialization

answer

the process by which people form their ideas about politics

question

other variables that affect our ideology

answer

race or ethnicity, gender, personality, political context

question

Republicans: tend to be conservative but there are subsets:

answer

-Traditionalist -Libertarians -Neoconservatives -Fiscal conservatives -Moderates

question

Democrats: tend to be more liberal but there are subsets:

answer

-Progressives -Labor Unions -Deficit Hawks -Civil Rights Caucus -Moderates

question

unique attributes of American Parties

answer

pragmatism, decentralization, two-party system, US Parliamentary system, First Past the Post (FPTP)

question

Turnout in American elections

answer

Presidential elections= 60% or less Mid-term elections= 40% or less Primaries= 20% or less

question

3 categories of voters

answer

passionates, scorekeepers, uninvolved or IDGAS

question

3 factors of probability to vote

answer

age, education, socioeconomic status

question

secondary factors of probability to vote

answer

gender or party loyalty

question

What about minorities or voting?

answer

minorities do not vote in large percentages

question

Why are minorities not included on the list of factors?

answer

less likely to vote and because likely to have less education, money and be younger

question

is non-participation a problem?

answer

democracy = rule by the people, not SOME of the people low participation means that our elected officials do not have the support of most Americans election results are dominated by the well-educated, well-to-do, elderly in our society

question

What theory suggests that the competition between interest groups is responsible for policymaking?

answer

pluralism

question

The argument that interest groups are a tool of the political elite and are thus used to advance the views of the wealthy and powerful was first set forth by

answer

C. Wright Mills

question

If an individual joins an interest group as a way of advancing his or her own economic interests, what type of benefits is that individual seeking?

answer

material

question

The American Trial Lawyers Association is a successful interest group primarily because

answer

members tend to be wealthy

question

A unionized workplace that requires employees to join the union by state law is known as a(n)

answer

closed shop

question

If an interest group files an "amicus curiae" brief, it is engaging in what type of activity?

answer

litigation

question

Which of the following Supreme Court justices was once an important official with the ACLU?

answer

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

question

The FCC's "equal time rule" applies to

answer

television networks

question

The "partisan press era" refers to

answer

the post-Revolutionary War era through the mid-1800s.

question

The president who most effectively communicated his positions through press conferences was

answer

John Kennedy

question

The medium that most Americans say is their primary source of news is

answer

television

question

MOSAIC, the first graphical Internet browser, was developed by

answer

students at the University of Illinois

question

Which of the following is a news program produced by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?

answer

Newshour with Jim Lehrer

question

The theory of media effects suggesting that viewers imitate what they view on television through observational learning is

answer

social learning

question

The theory of media effects suggesting that the media are influential in telling people what to think about is

answer

agenda setting

question

Media coverage of which presidential candidate focused a great deal of attention on his association with the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright?

answer

Barack Obama

question

In 1796 and 1800, Thomas Jefferson ran for president as a candidate from which political party?

answer

Democratic-Republicans

question

The modern Democratic Party's first successful attempt to win the presidency occurred in

answer

1828 with the victory of Andrew Jackson

question

All of the following are considered to be critical realigning elections except

answer

Jefferson's victory in 1800

question

Party identification is measured by asking voters

answer

which party they support

question

The condition when American government is characterized by split-party control of Congress and the presidency is known as

answer

divided government

question

Governments that rely on proportional representation as a means of selecting a national legislature and ruling government most typically have what type of party system?

answer

multiparty system

question

The most successful third party in U.S. presidential election history, whose candidate received more votes that the Republican Party candidate, was

answer

Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party in 1912

question

In the modern era of elections, which level of party organization has the least amount of influence in nominating candidates for office?

answer

national parties

question

Which of the following makes it easier for candidates to bypass the parties in a pathway to the party nomination?

answer

direct primary elections

question

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution declares "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be abridged by the United States or any state on account of race, color, or any previous condition of servitude"?

answer

15th

question

The 1857 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that slaves were property and could not become legal citizens of the United States, thus precipitating the Civil War, was

answer

Scott v. Sanford

question

Members of which one of the following demographic groups are most likely to turnout to vote in an election?

answer

18 to 24 year olds

question

Which of the following is not an example of a "high-stimulus" election?

answer

mayoral race

question

The state that held the first direct primary election for the party nomination was

answer

Aaron Burr

question

Which of the following amendments to the Constitution limits the office of president to two terms?

answer

22nd amendment

question

The 2012 prenomination campaign for the GOP included all of the following candidates, except

answer

John McCain

question

Which of the following states holds the first caucus of the presidential nominating process?

answer

Iowa

question

The vice presidential candidate chosen to run with President Barack Obama was

answer

Joe Biden

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