POS2041 Revel Chp 5-10 – Flashcards
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When the variability of individual public opinion is taken and averaged out, what can be said about overall public opinion over time?
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The general stability and consistency of opinions indicates a rational public.
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What is public opinion?
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Attitudes expressed by ordinary people on various political topics.
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Which of the following would be least likely to influence a respondent's answer about proposed abortion legislation?
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Citizenship
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In a true democracy, there must be a close match between ______, government policies, and actions, at least in the long run.
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Public Opinion
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On the assumption of _______, opinion changes for perfectly understandable reasons, such as dramatic events, new information, or changes in perspective among American leaders.
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A rational public
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The process by which individuals come to have certain core beliefs and political attitudes is generally referred to as...
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Political Socialization
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A system of interrelated and coherently organized political beliefs and attitudes is...
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Political Ideology
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If you were reading an article in Time magazine about public opinion on the president's proposal to increase the estate tax, you should keep in mind that...
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...changes in question wording can make a big difference in the survey results
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Why does timing of an election poll matter?
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If the poll is conducted too far away from the election the results may not be accurate.
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Which of the following questions has the most neutral phrasing?
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"Do you favor government efforts to reduce smoking?"
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When we look at colleges and universities as a source of political socialization, we find that students become, on average, more ______ as they near graduation.
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Liberal
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Adam grew up in a suburb, preferred to play outside rather than inside, attended public school, and regularly attended worship services with his mom and dad. Which of these factors is most likely to inform Adam's political views?
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Living with both his mom and dad
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Declining trust in government has contributed to...
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...declining public support for policies viewed as contributing to social inequality of economic instability
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Why are surveys never perfect even with proper sampling?
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Perfect random sampling is not feasible
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An example of Asian Americans taking a liberal stance in terms of government would be...
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...supporting universal healthcare
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In the age of the Internet, which media has the central role of gathering and reporting serious political and governmental news?
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The mainstream media
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_______ is the process of bring public attention to specific issues by providing extensive coverage of those issues and ignoring other issues.
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Agenda Setting
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What is a standard treatment of the media under authoritarian regimes?
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Censorship
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Critics of the media election coverage complain that it does not pay enough attention to the...
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...policy positions of the candidates
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News media in the United States are dominated by...
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Corporate Ownership
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The heavy reliance on official sources means that government officials may often be able to control, to a large extent, __________.
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what journalists report and how the report it
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Why is it important for citizens in a democracy to have good information about politics and policies?
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A democracy requires accurate information so that people can make informed decisions about their government.
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Given current standards of popular reporting, which of the following would be the least newsworthy, meaning which is likely to get the least media coverage?
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Substantive policy issues
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One reason mainstream news organizations remain the most important institutions in setting the agenda of American politics is that...
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...many of the alternative sources on the Internet reach only small and fragmented audiences
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__________ is news reported with no evaluative language.
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Objective journalism
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Which of the following is an example of recent changes in the media to help maintain profits?
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Closing down foreign bureaus
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Democratic societies, such as the United States, assume that...
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...government officials should be subject to the scrutiny and review of the media
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How did the media influence the American public's feelings regarding the Vietnam War?
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Graphic images of the war turned American sentiment against the war
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Which of the following is an example of framing?
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The way a story is portrayed on the evening news
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How can agenda setting affect public policy?
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The public tends to evaluate political leaders based on the items emphasized by the media.
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Which of the following is the largest source of campaign donations?
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Business groups
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Voluntary associations that seek to influence government are called...
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Interest Groups
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In The Federalist No. 10, James Madison addresses
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the "evils of factions"
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The Sierra Club runs ads showing how the building of a new power plant will negatively affect the air and water quality in local neighborhoods. This is an example of how interest groups can...
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...educate the public to shape public opinion
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The argument that every group in the American system has opportunity to be heard is based on...
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...access points for influence at different levels and branches of government.
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Which of the following is true of interest groups?
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They try to affect political policy by taking their case to members of the legislature
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If a new government policy imposes higher taxes on the sale of gasoline, and soon after many new interest groups are created supporting fewer regulations on gasoline produces and distributors, this is the best examples of what in practice?
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Disturbance Theory
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Over time, the buildup of special protections, privileges, and treatments in society results in...
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...resistance to change
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One reason for the decline in the political power of organized labor is...
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...a decline in union membership, and organized efforts by business to undermine union organization drives
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The National Rifle Association works to advance the protection of gun ownership by all citizens. The political influence of the NRA illustrates...
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..the ability of a small but influential group to influence public policy
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Public interest groups work to gain protection for goods that benefit all of society and cannot be withheld from anyone. Which of the following is an example?
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Clean air
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When an interest group launches a publicity campaign to draw attention to the plight of immigrant workers, it is engaged in...
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Outside Lobbying
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Unlike public interest groups, private interest groups...
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...work to achieve benefits only for their members
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What are the two main goals of congressional lobbyists?
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Have bills they favor passed; prevent bills they oppose from passing
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What is the consequence of having narrow, special, and privileged interest groups dominating the American political system?
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Democratic ideals are threatened
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An interest group that grew out of the women's movement is the...
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National Organization for Women
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Which social movement, first appearing in 1999, is concerned with income inequality in the United States and Third World countries, food safety, labor rights, and unfair trade practices?
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Anti-globalization movement
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The women's movement was able to build on a broad network of meetings to talk about common problems, commonly known as...
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...consciousness-raising groups
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What is the conscious refusal to obey a law that a group considers unfair, unjust, or unconstitutional called?
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Civil Disobediance
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Socially and economically radical movements that do not win popular support and instead arouse the hostility of political leaders may be categorized as ________ social movements.
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repressed
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The protests that broke out in 1969 after police raided a New York City nightclub that was popular with gay and lesbians were known as the...
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Stonewall riots
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In a time of economic recession, the most probable reason the anti-globalization movement would have difficulty gaining support is because...
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...people are more concerned with individual survival than fairness
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Although gay and lesbian movements are more accepted because of changing societal attitudes, one of the major reasons they have not seen more success is that...
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they sparked strong counterattacks from groups such as Focus on the Family
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The Occupy Wall Street slogan "We are the 99 percent" resonated with many Americans because it...
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...captured the idea of the inequality of wealth distribution in the United States
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A social movement needs to have a supportive environment in order to succeed. An example is the civil rights movement which began when...
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...overt racism among the public was declining
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A catalyst for a movement can be a positive or a negative event. The important aspect is that the event...
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...makes movement members determined to succeed
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How do social movements differ from interest groups?
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Interest groups are longer lasting and more organized
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What most created the conditions for the major social movements in American History?
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Social Distress
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What is the long-term relationship between social movements and interest groups?
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Social movements, if successful, often turn into interest groups
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One of the indications that the women's movement was successful was that it....
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helped trigger a counter-movement to save traditional family values
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The members of the abolitionist movement practiced civil disobedience when they...
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...helped escaped slaves get to freedom
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What event helped convince a majority of Americans that labor unions were a good idea?
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the Great Depression
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What is one function of the party label?
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It helps voters learn about prospective public officials.
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Why would third parties benefit from proportional representation?
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They could win seats without having to win a majority of votes
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National convention delegates endorse a ______, a statement of their party's principles, goals, and plans.
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Party Platform
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Which electoral reform would make it easier to elect third-party candidates to Congress?
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Proportional Representation
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Much of the public perceives the Democratic Party to be...
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Liberal
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The _____ was the majority party in the United States from 1933 to the late 1960s
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Democratic Party
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The major American political parties are made up of...
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...loose coalitions of individuals and groups
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The American two-party system promotes...
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...more ambiguous policy positions in national campaigns
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Republicans dominated politics until 1932 due to the _____ in 1894
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Party Realignment
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In a time of ________, voters are more willing to cross party lines
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Dealignment
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The New Deal coalition received broad support from....
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...blue-collar workers
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In running a campaign, which group would you want to rely on?
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Party Activists
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Which of the following most accurately describes party organization in the United States?
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The national, regional, and local parties often operate independently
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Which of the following is a primary function of political parties?
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Mobilizing support for issues and candidates
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Multiparty systems are more likely to lead to...
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Coalition Governments
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Using a normal vote, Republicans would have overcome Democrats by four to five percentage points in elections between 1952 and 1972. Given that, how have Democrats continued to win elections?
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By adding attractive candidates who augmented their lead in party identification
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Voting based on what you think a candidate will do in office exemplifies...
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Prospective Voting
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The American electoral system is based on winner-take-all rules. These rules encourage...
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...a moderate two-party system
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Congressional elections are most often won by...
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Incumbents
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What is the benefit of a political action committee (PAC) receiving funds from a nonprofit education organizing group, called a 501(c) committee?
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The 501(c) committee does not need to disclose its donors right away.
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which of the following is an example of a valid criticism of the Electoral College?
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The Electoral College makes it possible for a person to become president without receiving a majority of support from the nation's voters.
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Which of the following statements about female voters is accurate?
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Women make up a majority of the US electorate
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Individuals cast votes for an intermediary elector to the Electoral College, which votes on their behalf for a presidential candidate. In this system...
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Smaller states have disproportionately high influence in the selection of the president
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What is the first step a candidate must take when running for public office?
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Gaining the party nomination
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James has been putting off registering to vote, and it its finally election day. In which of the following states must James live if he can take advantage of same-day registration?
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Wisconsin - Answer North Dakota California New York
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What is one advantage of fixed terms for elected positions?
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Government cannot hold elections only at times that benefit those in office.
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What is one difference between 527s an 501s?
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501s are not obligated to report the identities of their contributors.
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Which of the following helps explain why wealthier citizens are more likely to vote?
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Wealthy citizens are more likely to think they can affect the political system to their advantage
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What is the annual limit on independent expenditures by parties and interest groups?
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There is no limit.
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Which of these is an example of the use of "hard money?"
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Money donated to a campaign to buy television ads for the candidate.
