question

disenfranchised

answer

denied the right to vote

question

suffrage

answer

the right to vote

question

bar

answer

prevent, prohibit

question

poll tax

answer

tax imposed as a qualification for voting

question

electorate

answer

the potential voting population

question

vigorous

answer

strong or powerful

question

alien

answer

foreign-born resident who has not become a citizen

question

registration

answer

a procedure of voter identification

question

transient

answer

person living in a State for a short time

question

literacy

answer

ability to read and write

question

purge

answer

remove names from poll books of those no longer eligible to vote

question

poll book

answer

official list of qualified voters

question

run afoul

answer

come into conflict with

question

preclearance

answer

prior approval by the Justice Department required for certain voting laws

question

gerrymandering

answer

drawing electoral district lines to limit a groups' voting strength

question

injunction

answer

a court order compelling or restraining a certain action

question

predecessor

answer

one who goes before

question

civilian

answer

someone not in the armed forces or police

question

split ticket voting

answer

voting for candidates of more than one party

question

political socialization

answer

process by which people gain their political opinions

question

ballot fatigue

answer

not voting for races further down on a ballot

question

straight ticket voting

answer

voting for candidates of only one party

question

off year election

answer

a congressional election between presidential elections

question

political efficacy

answer

feeling of influence in politics

question

Two long-term trends in the history of American voting rights include a gradual

answer

decrease in restrictions and a gradual increase in federal power

question

The 19th Amendment prevents States from depriving any person of the right to vote on account of

answer

gender

question

The lack of constitutional provisions about qualifications for voting suggests the Framers

answer

purposely left the power to set such qualifications to each State

question

Today, every State requires potential voters to satisfy qualifications based on citizenship, residence, and

answer

age

question

The main criticism of the registration requirement for voting is that it

answer

tends to disenfranchise the poor and less educated

question

Today, most States

answer

prohibit transients from voting

question

Which of the following tactics did many States once use to disenfranchise African American voters?

answer

literacy tests

question

Why did many African Americans in the South not vote even after the passage of the 15th Amendment?

answer

The Federal Government did not enforce the amendment

question

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was set up by the Civil Rights Act of

answer

1957

question

Preclearance requirements are meant to prevent

answer

changes in laws in order to dilute the voting rights of minorities

question

For which office are more votes regularly cast than for any other?

answer

President

question

Statisitically, which of the following is most likely to be a nonvoter?

answer

Gary, a single 25-year-old janitor from rural Georgia

question

The single most significant and lasting predictor of how a person will vote is

answer

party identification

question

Which of the following statements is evidence of the gender gap?

answer

More women than men tend to vote for Democrats

question

Since 1789, the history of American suffrage has been characterized by

answer

increased federal power over voting rights

question

Even after the passge of the 15th Amendment, what group remained the largest group of disenfranchised citizens in the United States for nearly 90 years?

answer

African Americans

question

According to the 26th Amendment, no State can deny any person the right to vote if he or she is at least

answer

18

question

All of the following are universal qualifications for voting in the United States except

answer

membership in a political party

question

Today, when prospective voters register to vote, they are usually asked

answer

how long they have lived at their current address

question

Which of the following situations describes a legal restriction on voting

answer

Bobbi is not allowed to vote because she is a patient in a mental institution

question

Which of the following was a result of the Civil Rights Act of 1960?

answer

Voting referees were appointed in places where there was voter discrimination

question

Which of the following elections will normally attract the greatest number of voters?

answer

a presidential election

question

Which of the following persons would be characterized an a "cannot voter"?

answer

someone who does not vote because it violates his/her religion

question

Today's independent voters are often

answer

young and above average in education, income, and job status

question

Which of the following factors will increase the likelihood that a person will vote, regardless of income, education, age, or race?

answer

a high sense of political efficacy

question

The "time'zone fallout" problem is most likely to discourage voter turnout in the

answer

west

question

The most recent expansion of the electorate involved

answer

lowering the minimum age for voting

question

According to the 24th Amendment, no State can

answer

require payment of any tax as a condition for voting for President

question

Which of the following allow new voters time to become familiar with local candidates and issues?

answer

residency requirements

question

What is the main reason for nonvoting?

answer

registration requirement

question

Which of the following voters is most like to practice split-ticket voting?

answer

an independent

question

An election in which candidates are not identified by party labels

answer

nonpartisan election

question

A party's primary in which only declared party members can vote

answer

closed primary

question

A party's primary in which any qualified voter can vote

answer

open primary

question

A primary in which every voter receives the same ballot, regardless of party

answer

blanket primary

question

An election held within a party to pick that party's candidates

answer

direct primary

question

A regularly scheduled election to make the final selection of office holders

answer

general election

question

When one candidate attracts votes for other candidates of the same party

answer

coattail effect

question

Monitors the voting process in each precinct

answer

poll watcher

question

The medium voters use to register a choice in an election

answer

ballot

question

The place where voters actually vote

answer

polling place

question

A voting district

answer

precint

question

Casting a ballot without going to a polling place

answer

absentee voting

question

Someone who donates money

answer

contributor

question

Contributions to political parties or similar organizations

answer

soft money

question

A gathering for the purpose of soliciting money

answer

fundraiser

question

A grant of money, usually from the government

answer

subsidy

question

Contributions given directly to candidates for their campaigns

answer

hard money

question

Political arm of a special-interest group

answer

Political arms committee (PAC)

question

Nomination is a critically important step in the electoral process because it

answer

limits the choices voters have

question

Which of the following describes the caucus method of nomination?

answer

Party members debate the candidates' merits and then vote in public to select a nominee.

question

Nomination by petition would most likely be used for a

answer

local school board candidate

question

One provision of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 was that it required states to

answer

replace all lever-operate and punch-card voting devices.

question

What is the main problem with punch-card voting devices?

answer

Voters might not make clean punches.

question

Advocates of voting by mail believe it

answer

reduces the cost of conducting elections.

question

In which of the following does Congress have the power to regulate the use of money?

answer

Presidential elections

question

All federal las dealing with campaign finance is administered by the

answer

Federal Election Commission

question

Why is hard money more difficult to raise than soft money?

answer

Hard-money contributions are limited in amount and must be reported

question

Today, the principal nominating method in most states is

answer

the direct primary.

question

The state of Iowa is famous for having the first what in Presidential primaries?

answer

Caucus

question

Most election law in the United States is

answer

state law

question

Which of these terms refers to the great length of the ballots in many elections?

answer

bed-sheet ballot

question

The largest item in most campaign budgets is

answer

television ads.

question

Who can contribute directly to a candidate running for a federal office?

answer

Political Action Committees (PACs)

question

The convention fell out of favor as the principal nominating method in American politics because

answer

party bosses found ways to manipulate the process.

question

In a blanket primary,

answer

every voter receives the same ballot, which lists every candidate, and voters can select candidates of either party.

question

Supporters of the open primary would most likely argue that it

answer

gives independent voters more of a voice in the nominating process.

question

A runoff primary is held only when

answer

an absolute majority of votes is needed to win a primary.

question

In which procedure are candidates nominated by means of a document signed by a certain number of qualified voters in the election district?

answer

petition

question

In the United States, congressional elections are held

answer

on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.

question

State laws generally restrict precinct size to an area with no more than _________ qualified voters.

answer

500 to 1000

question

Most politicians prefer the party-column ballot because it

answer

encourages straight-ticket voting

question

Which of the following ballots is used for informational purposes only?

answer

sample ballot

question

Opponents of online voting argue that

answer

voter secrecy can be easily compromised.

question

About what percentage of American voters ever make a campaign contribution?

answer

10 percent

question

When is campaign spending limited?

answer

when a presidential candidate accepts FEC subsidies

question

Hard-money contributions are given

answer

directly to candidates

question

What is the name of the ballot typically used in elections in the United States?

answer

Australian ballot.

question

Which of the following would be illegal under federal campaign finance law?

answer

making a campaign contribution in the name of a co-worker.

question

Who was the first presidential nominee in history to reject public money?

answer

Barack Obama

question

In the United States, the largest share of campaign dollars is consumed by

answer

the presidential election.

question

to teach, instruct

answer

indoctrate

question

attitudes held by large numbers of people about government and politics

answer

public opinon

question

person who has a very strong influence on others' views

answer

opinion leader

question

means of communication that reach large audiences simultaneously

answer

mass media

question

events and issues that concern the public at large

answer

public affairs

question

people with whom one regularly associates

answer

peer groups

question

a type of unscientific and unreliable public opinion poll

answer

straw poll

question

a sample in which everyone in the population has an equal chance of being interviewed

answer

random sample

question

organization that works to shape public policy

answer

interest groups

question

the population a poll aims to measure

answer

universe

question

a sample deliberately constructed to reflect the characteristics of a given population

answer

random sample

question

the instructions a constituency gives its elected officials

answer

mandate

question

a means of communication

answer

medium

question

the societal problems a nation's leaders and the public agree need government attention

answer

public agenda

question

short, sharply focused news item

answer

sound bite

question

restricted, curbed, limited

answer

hampered

question

Web site posting devoted to some specific subject

answer

weblog

question

spread throughout

answer

all-pervasive

question

An example of public opinion would include the views people have about the

answer

political parties.

question

Children first begin to learn about politics and current events from

answer

their family.

question

Which form of mass media probably is most influential on public opinion in the U.S.?

answer

television

question

One way historical events of the 1960s and 1970s have affected public opinion is that

answer

many Americans have less trust in government.

question

Why are the media not a good way of measuring public opinion?

answer

The media often reflect only the views of a vocal minority.

question

The failed Literary Digestpoll of 1936 did not

answer

correctly reflect the universe to be measured.

question

What aspects of public opinion are most difficult to measure?

answer

intensity, stability, and relevance of opinions

question

The most widely used sources for political news and information are television and

answer

the Internet

question

The media influence politics primarily by

answer

telling people what to think about.

question

Typically the most in-depth coverage of national politics and public affairs is offered by

answer

a newspaper.

question

Why is the term public opinion so hard to describe or understand?

answer

because there are many publics with many opinions

question

What is the role schools play in the formation of political opinions in children?

answer

Schools indoctrinate children to be good citizens.

question

People who have an unusually strong influence on the views of others are called

answer

opinion leaders.

question

Which of the following will most likely reinforce the opinions a person already has?

answer

peer groups

question

How did the prosperity of the 1950s influence public opinion?

answer

It made people optimistic.

question

Because election results are often seen as indicators of public opinion, a victorious candidate may claim to have a _______ from voters.

answer

mandate

question

Polls that seek to read the public's mind simply by asking the same question of a large number of people who are not identified according to any scientific principles are called

answer

straw votes.

question

What makes a scientific poll "scientific"?

answer

It is constructed using principles designed to produce a sample that accurately reflects the universe.

question

In the polling process, what is the "universe"?

answer

the whole population that the poll aims to measure

question

In the polling process, what does the pollster do after constructing a sample?

answer

prepares valid questions

question

If a polling sample is deliberately constructed to reflect the major characteristics of a given universe, it is a

answer

quota sample.

question

Pollsters have difficulty measuring all of the following EXCEPT

answer

attitude.

question

One reason why public opinion should not be the final determinant of public policy is that

answer

public opinion does not reflect minority views and interests.

question

Why has the Internet transformed the way people get political information?

answer

The Internet allows two-way commuication of information and opinions

question

What relationships do candidates and their campaigns have with the media?

answer

Candidates try to manipulate media coverage to their advantage.

question

Most news consumers tend to

answer

seek sources that agree with them.

question

What is the main difference between television and newspaper coverage of the news?

answer

Television mostly "skims" the news, while newspapers go more in depth.

question

Usually the earliest and longest-lasting influences on people's political opinions are

answer

family and school.

question

Different generations often have different views on public affairs because of

answer

historic events.

question

The main problem with using interest groups to measure public opinion is that

answer

it is hard to tell how many people are represented by an interest group.

question

What is the best way to measure public opinion?

answer

conducting scientific opinion polls.

question

The first step in the polling process is to

answer

define the universe.

question

What do you call a situation in which some voters are influenced by polls out of a desire to support a winner?

answer

the bandwagon effect

question

to suspend business temporarily during a session

answer

recess

question

the period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business

answer

session

question

two-year period of time during which Congress meets

answer

term

question

to suspend business until the next session

answer

adjourn

question

to end a session when the two houses cannot agree on a date for adjournment

answer

prorogue

question

a lawmaker who votes to reflect constituents' views

answer

delegate

question

a lawmaker who votes based on conscience

answer

trustee

question

being examined and acted upon by the full membership of the House or Senate

answer

floor consideration

question

process by which Congress checks to see that the executive branch is carrying out the policies Congress has set by law

answer

oversight function

question

benefit that allows members of Congress to mail letters postage-free

answer

franking priveldge

question

the people and interests a member of Congress represents

answer

constituency

question

name for a legislature in which all of the seats are never up for election at the same time

answer

continuous body

question

to distribute congressional seats among the States based on their population

answer

apportion

question

congressional election that occurs between presidential elections

answer

off-year election

question

elected from the State as a whole, rather than from a particular district

answer

at-large

question

By creating a bicameral Congress, the Framers of the Constitution

answer

settled the conflict between the New Jersey & Virginia Plans

question

Which of the following was an important reason that the Framers favored a bicameral legislature?

answer

Both Parliament and the colonial legislatures were bicameral

question

A President may call Congress into special session

answer

to deal with an emergency situation

question

The term of office for senators is

answer

three times as long as for members of the House

question

How many voting members does the House of Representatives have?

answer

435

question

A member of the House must be at least

answer

25 years old and a citizen of the United States for at least 7 years

question

The Framers hoped that ______ would help make the Senate a more responsible body than the House.

answer

longer terms

question

Until 1913, senators were chosen by

answer

their State's legislature

question

What proportion of senate terms expires every two years?

answer

one-third Correct!

question

Who is the "average congressman?"

answer

A white male in his late 50s

question

When members of Congress cast their votes in line with their party's platform and the views of their party's leaders, they are voting as

answer

partisans

question

In their role as servants of their constituents, members of Congress

answer

help citizens deal with the federal bureaucracy

question

The most important limit on congressional pay raises is the threat of

answer

voter backlash

question

What is the minimum number of representatives in Congress (both senators and members of the House) that a State can have?

answer

3

question

Congress must reapportion seats in the House of Representatives every

answer

10 years

question

What determines the TOTAL NUMBER of seats in the House of Representatives?

answer

Congress

question

Due to the length of their terms, House members may be more likely to

answer

listen to constituents' views

question

Why is the Senate called the "upper house"?

answer

Senators must be more qualified than House members

question

What is the total number of full-fledged members of Congress?

answer

535

question

Most members of Congress

answer

win reelection if they seek it

question

How many terms of Congress are there in a year?

answer

one-half

question

If the shape of a congressional district resembles a squiggly piece of spaghetti, what is the most likely explanation?

answer

The district was drawn to the advantage of the party in control of the State legislature

question

Since 1842, all seats in the House of Representatives have been filled

answer

from single-member districts

question

The Constitution requires that a member of the House must

answer

be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected

question

In recent elections, which informal qualification has increased most in importance?

answer

fundraising ability

question

When would a State elect two senators in the same election?

answer

when one of the Senate seats for that State has been vacated by death, resignation, or expulsion

question

The Senate is called a "continuous body" because, unlike the House,

answer

all of its seats are never up for election at the same time

question

More than half of the members of the Senate are

answer

lawyers

question

Besides screening bills, what is another major function that members of Congress perform as committee members?

answer

the oversight function

question

Rather than raise their own salaries, members of Congress often

answer

give themselves more fringe benefits

question

How many congressional voting districts does Iowa have?

answer

4

question

How many senators once served in the House of Representatives?

answer

about half

question

A(n) _________ is a proposed law.

answer

bill

question

When Congress changes its pay, the new salary goes into effect

answer

at the start of the next congressional term

question

A State's representation in the Senate is based on _________ and representation in the House of Representatives is based on ___________.

answer

equal representation; population

question

You Answered is characterized by private ownership of capital

answer

free enterprise system

question

determines the price for goods and services in a free market

answer

laws of supply and demand

question

combines land, labor, and capital to produce goods or services

answer

entrepreneur

question

holds that government should play a very limited role in society

answer

laissez-faire theory

question

all the human-made resources used to produce goods and services

answer

capital

question

a firm that is the only source of a product or service

answer

monopoly

question

merger of small private farms into large government-owned farms

answer

collectivization

question

provides extensive social services at little or no cost to consumers

answer

welfare state

question

system in which government bureaucrats plan economic development

answer

command economy

question

theory that economic equality cn be attained by democratic means

answer

socialism

question

returning nationalized enterprises to private ownership

answer

privatization

question

theory that economic equality requires a violent revolution

answer

communism

question

organization that provides a set of rules for international commerce

answer

World Trade Organization

question

a ban on trade with a particular country or countries

answer

trade embargo

question

a tax on imported goods

answer

tariff

question

economic interdependence among the world's nations

answer

globalization

question

a limit on the amount of a commodity that can be brought into a country

answer

importa quota

question

controlling imports to safeguard native industries from foriegn competition

answer

protectionism

question

What benefit has globalization provided to the U.S. economy?

answer

more products from around the world

question

All of the following are factors of production EXCEPT

answer

time

question

An economy in which private enterprise and governmental participation coexist is called a

answer

mixed economy

question

Companies like the Ford Moter Company and Microsoft that are owned by shareholders are called

answer

corporations

question

What is profit?

answer

the earnings of a business, minus its costs

question

According to Karl Marx, the value of a product should be determined by

answer

the amount of labor put into it

question

Communist economies are characterized by

answer

state ownership of the means of production

question

Which of the following countries has a communist economy today?

answer

North Korea

question

Command economies are often criticized because

answer

they deprive people of the freedom to decide how to use their income

question

Which of the following is the largest trade agreement in the world centered in Europe?

answer

EU

question

Which of the following statements about future trends in globalization will most likely be true?

answer

The United States will continue to be a leader in service exports

question

Physical capital is

answer

a product of human capital

question

In a mixed economy, the government will generally not

answer

take a laissez-faire approach

question

Sole proprietorships produce only a small fraction of annual sales in the U.S. economy because sole proprietorships

answer

mainly are small businesses

question

What drives the capitalist economy?

answer

the profit motive

question

Karl Marx first published his basic economic and social ideas in

answer

The Communist Manifesto

question

Placing enterprises under governmental ownership is called

answer

nationalization

question

What was the outcome of the Great Leap Forward?

answer

It was followed by a severe famine in China

question

The central task of the Securities and Exchange Commission is to

answer

oversee America's stock market

question

Which factor of production includes all natural resources?

answer

land

question

What are the four defining elements of a free enterprise system?

answer

private ownership, individual initiative, profit, and competition

question

In a free enterprise system, under which of the following conditions are prices most likely to fall?

answer

demand decreases, and supply stays the same

question

An advocate of laissez-faire theory would be most liely to oppose

answer

government price controls

question

Most buinesses in the United States are

answer

sole proprietorship

question

If a business's earnings are less than its costs, the business has

answer

a loss

question

Karl Marx considered the state and its social institutions to be

answer

tools that helped capitalists maintain their power over workers

question

Typical policies of socialist economies include

answer

nationalization, broadening of public services, high taxation, and a command economy

question

What is the role of the government in preserving the free enterprise system?

answer

the government maintains security and the rule of law

question

In many communist countries, peasant farmers were forced to give up their land because of the policy of

answer

collectivization

question

Why has socialism proven so popular in developing countries in Africa and Latin America?

answer

conomic injustice has made promises of government services appealing to the poor

question

If the Fed sets rate too high,

answer

the economy slows

question

In the global economy,

answer

most nations specialize in the production of certain goods

question

How does a tariff protect domestic industries from foreign competition?

answer

by making domestic products more attractive than foreign products

question

The United States economy is increasingly becoming a(n)

answer

service economy

question

Which of the following events was most instrumental in changing the amount of involvement by the Federal Govenment in the U.S. economy?

answer

the Great Depression of the 1930s

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