question

Individuals who decide to run for elective office can be divided into two groups:

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B. Those who are recruited and self-starters

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One of the reasons for the increased intensity of campaigns in the last decade is that they are now centered on the party and not on the candidate. a. True b. False

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B. False

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To win in American elections today, candidates seek to capture all of the votes of their party's supporters, a majority of the independent voters, and a few votes from supporters of the other party. a. True b. False

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A. True

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Today, the presidential nomination process is controlled by:

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e. the pulic rather than party elites

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U.S. citizens who turnout to vote at the highest rate are:

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A. Retirees

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A(n) ________ is secret and is prepared, distributed, and counted by government officials in order to make it more difficult to pressure people to change their votes.

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B. Australian Ballot

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The number of electors that each state has in the Electoral College:

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C. is determined by the number of US representatives and senators a state has,

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When no presidential candidate gets a majority of the vote in the Electoral College:

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The election is decided by the US House of Representatives

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Legal qualifications for registering to vote in Texas would not include being: a. a resident of the county. b. at least 18 years old. c. a citizen of the United States. d. a county tax-payer.

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D a county tax-payer

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Which of the following would not explain low voter turnout in Texas? a. Political structure b. Low population c. Socio-economic categories d. Political culture

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B Low population

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If no candidate receives a majority vote in the primary election, a ________ is required to declare a winner.

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B run-off primary

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Primary elections in Texas are held on the second Tuesday of:

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C March of even-numbered years

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Special elections in Texas are held for all of the following purposes, except:

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A confirming a governor's appointment

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________ is sensationalistic, irresponsible journalism.

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E Yellow journalism

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A sound bite is:

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E a brief, memorable comment that can be easily fit into news reports.

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________ is a(n) interpretation of campaign events or election results that is favorable to the candidate's campaign strategy.

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D spin

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The White House press corps:

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A consists of reporters assigned to cover the presidency on a full-time basis

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________ is the process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes.

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A Political socialization

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Women in America are more likely to support ________ than men in America.

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C Social welfare programs

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The most important consideration in drawing a sample for a public opinion poll is:

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B the random selection of respondents

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. Since the early 1990s, Americans have reliably shown more confidence in ________ than any other government institution.

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E the miltary

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Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of

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C President of the United States

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Candidates for public office are likely to be

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B Lawyers

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Part of the reason for the increased intensity of campaigns in the last decade is that they are now centered on the

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C candidate and not on the party

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A small group of individuals that is gathered to identify in-depth feelings about candidates and issues is called a

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C Focus group

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. Most PAC contributions go to

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B incumbents

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When only declared party members can vote in a primary election, it is called a(n)

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A closed primary

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When voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation, it is called a(n)

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B. open primary

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The American electoral process is said to a. favor wealthier candidates. b. further the aims of special interest groups. c. be dominated by older voters. d. all of the above

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D all of the above

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States that have been tagged as ____ states will see intense campaigning up to the very day of the election.

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D battleground

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The Americans who turn out to vote at the lowest rate are

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D the youngest voters

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Voter turnout for local elections is a. much greater than for presidential elections. b. much less than for presidential elections. c. slightly greater than for presidential elections. d. slightly less than for presidential elections.

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B much less than for presidental elections

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. The people who cast their ballots in the Electoral College are called

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C. electors

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Which of the following is true? a. Although it is theoretically possible for a candidate to win the electoral vote while losing the popular vote, this has never happened in our history. b. The Framers ensured that it would be impossible for a candidate to win the electoral vote without also winning the popular vote. c. The Constitution requires that the members of the Electoral College vote in a manner consistent with their states' popular vote. d. The only way that our nation could cease to use the Electoral College is through the process of constitutional amendment.

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D. the only way that our nation could cease to use the Electoral College is through the process of constitutional amendement

question

In a recall election, voters can

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C. Remove elected officials from office

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. The most common form of political participation in America is

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C registering to vote and voting

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All of the following are reasons why people vote except a. their individual vote determines the winner. b. to hold public officials accountable. c. to express a political opinion. d. to be politically active.

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A their individual vote determines the winner

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Polls show that voter turnout is influenced by all the following factors except a. age. b. religion. c. income. d. education.

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B religion

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To be eligible to vote on Election Day in Texas, a person must be all the following except a. a citizen of the United States. b. registered to vote 30 days prior. c. a resident of their voting precinct. d. pre-registered with a political party.

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D pre-registered with a political party

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In order to vote in Texas, an eligible voter must also a. own property. b. be born in Texas c. pay a poll tax. d. register to vote.

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D register to vote

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Since passage of the _____________ a person can register to vote when renewing a driver's license.

answer

A "motor voter" law

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Compared to voter turnout in other countries, the United States ranks a. slightly higher. b. about the same. c. significantly lower. d. significantly higher.

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C significantly lower

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The national elections that take place halfway between presidential elections are called

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A midterm elections

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A method in which party members vote to help select their party's candidates for the next general election is referred to as the

answer

B convention system

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In practice, the Texas primary system operates much like a(n) a. open primary. b. run-off primary. c. closed primary. d. blanket primary.

answer

A open primary

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When members of one party vote in the other party's primary in order to influence the election's outcome it is called

answer

B cross-over voting

question

Which of the following is required to win a primary election? a. A plurality of the votes b. A majority of the votes c. A unanimous vote d. A recent facelift

answer

B a majority of the votes

question

Which of the following is directly responsible for registering voters and conducting general elections in Texas? a. Various county-level officials b. The Federal Election Commission c. The Texas Ethics Commission d. The Texas Secretary of State's office

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A various county-level officials

question

An election in which party nominees compete for national, state, and county elected offices is referred to as a

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D general election

question

The ability to cast your ballot locally prior to Election Day is referred to as

answer

A early voting

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. Studies have shown that successful campaign ads are those that

answer

C focus on negative attributes

question

The most expensive cost of campaign advertising is using

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C radio and television

question

The vehicle through which interest groups contribute funds to candidates is

answer

D political action committees

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Major functions of the mass media in the United States include all of the following except a. entertainment. b. conducting elections. c. reporting the news. d. providing a political forum.

answer

B conducting elections

question

Most of the media in the United States are

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C private-for-profit corporate enterprises

question

Publicly owned media outlets are

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A often are subsidized by the government

question

Two inventions that led to the development of mass-readership newspapers were

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B the high speed rotary press and the telegraph

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Radio talk shows have been dominated by

answer

A conservative commentators

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In the United States, the mass media are dominated by

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A television

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________, a show on Comedy Central that resembles an actual newscast, blurs the line between fiction and reality by featuring guests from the world of politics and government.

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D the Daily show with Jon Stewart

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One of the major tactics of paid-for political announcements is

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D to use negative advertising

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. The 1960 presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon

answer

C illustrated the importance of the candidates' televised images

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Generally, in presidential debates

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A challengers have much more to gain from debating than do incumbents

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The media are most influential with those persons who

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D are undecided voters

question

The journalists assigned to cover the presidency on a full-time basis are members of the

answer

D White House press corps

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The protections of the _____ Amendment are intended to keep the flow of news as free as possible, because it is an essential part of the democratic process.

answer

A first

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Which of the following is true concerning the media and the 2008 elections? a. The claims that the major news networks were more positive to Obama than McCain were substantiated. b. The claims that the major news networks were more positive to McCain than Obama were substantiated. c. Both candidates were covered fairly by various critics. d. Both candidates appeared on late-night comedy shows, including Saturday Night Live.

answer

A the claims that the major news networks were more positive to Obama than McCain were substantiated

question

Because there is no one "public," but rather many different publics, surveying public opinion actually means

answer

B describing the aggregate of individual attitudes shared by some portion of the adult population

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General agreement among the citizenry on an issue is

answer

A a consensus

question

. The transfer of political attitudes and beliefs a. is more likely to occur from children to the parents. b. is more likely to occur from parents to children. c. is just as likely to occur from children to parents as it is to occur from parents to children. d. hurts the head.

answer

B is more likely to occur from parents to children

question

Peer groups are most likely to influence political attitudes when

answer

D the peer group is actively involved in political activites

question

Historically, Roman Catholic families tend to be

answer

D democrats

question

Traditionally, Protestant families tended to be .

answer

A republicans

question

Voters who are more devout and attend services regularly, regardless of church affiliation, are

answer

A more likely to vote republician

question

A random sample means that

answer

A every person in the target population has an equal chance of being selected

question

In opinion polling, the difference between what the sample results show and what the true result would be if everybody had been interviewed is termed

answer

D sampling error

question

The values that shape American political culture include all of the following except a. personal achievement. b. liberty. c. equality. d. government control of the economy

answer

D government control of the economy

question

Which of the following is not a form of political expression? a. Voting for individuals who represent your views b. Writing a letter to your Congressperson c. Calling your Senator's office d. Watching television

answer

D watching television

question

Which of the following is an accurate description of the impact of the media? a. The media is successful in telling people what to think. b. The media does not impact what people think or what people think about. c. The media may not be successful in telling people what to think, but they are stunningly successful in telling their audience what to think about. d. The media has no impact on public opinion.

answer

C the media may not be successful in telling people what to think, but they are stunningly successful in telling their audience what to think about.

question

Which of the following minority groups supports the Republican Party? a. African Americans b. Puerto Ricans c. Cuban Americans d. Mongolians

answer

C cuban americans

question

The United States is a(n)__________of government.

answer

C federal system

question

Powers specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution are known as

answer

D enumerated powers

question

Powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are

answer

B reserves to the states

question

The full faith and credit clause

answer

b. protects the rights of citizens as they move from state to state.

question

The ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland established the doctrine of

answer

C implied powers

question

Federal legislation that requires states and municipalities to comply with certain rules is known as a

answer

C federal mandate

question

National authority has traditionally been preferred by

answer

A liberals

question

_____ have traditionally opposed the increasing size and scope of the federal government.

answer

B conservatives

question

The transfer of power from the national government to state and local governments is known as

answer

C devolution

question

The Declaration of Independence was written by

answer

A Thomas Jefferson

question

After the United States gained its independence, the first system of government was created by the

answer

D Articles of Confederation

question

Generally speaking, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were

answer

D experienced in political office or military service

question

The Great Compromise

answer

b. created a Congress composed of two chambers: one with representation based on population and the second with equal state representation

question

The Constitution created a a. confederal system of government that grants fewer powers to the national government than the Articles of Confederation. b. federal system of government that grants fewer powers to the national government than the Articles of Confederation. c. confederal system of government that divides powers between the states and national government. d. federal system of government that divides powers between the states and national government.

answer

d. federal system of government that divides powers between the states and national government.

question

Originally, the Bill of Rights

answer

B did not apply to the state governments

question

Which practice was abolished by a constitutional amendment? a. Dueling b. Flag burning c. Slavery d. Execution by the electric chair

answer

C slavery

question

Freedom of the press is protected by the

answer

A First Amendment

question

A political party is a group of individuals who

answer

B organize to win elections and operate the government

question

A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called

answer

B a two-party system

question

An interest group is

answer

C an organization that actively attempts to influence government policy

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