US-GOV CHAPTER 9-11 – Flashcards

Which of the following conclusions can be made about voting behavior? A.) young people turn out more than any other age group B.) minorities generally support Republicans candidates C.) Southerners vote more than Northerners D.) voting is class-based activity E.) women vote more for republicans candidates than men

Which class of people has the highest political efficacy and votes the most? A.) middle class B.) lower class C.) upper class D.) upper-middle class E.) political efficacy has no relation to class

The primary election system of selecting presidential candidates has had which of the following effects? A.) it has increased the importance of state party organizations B.) it has loosened the hold of party leaders over the nomination process C.) it has reduced the role of citizens in the candidate selection process D.) it has lowered the cost of running for office E.) it has led to a decline in the importance of party voter-registration drives

Considering all elections at all levels of government, which of the following best describes electoral behavior in the United States? A.) primary elections tend to elicit a higher voter turnout than do general elections B.) the majority of the electorate does not vote in most elections C.) voters turnout plays an insignificant role in election outcomes D.) adult citizens under the age of 30 tend to have the highest rate of voter turnout E.) voter with strong party identification vote less regularly than do independents

Which of the following trends has come about in the nearly two centuries of Americans electoral history? A.) an increase in suffrage opportunities B.) the consistent increase in voter turnout C.) third-party victories D.) campaign finance reform affecting congressional races E.) positive voter support of Congress

Which of the following people is most likely to vote in a general election? A.) a 25 year old high school dropout B.) a 65 year old professor D.) a 19 year old college student C.) a 16 year old high school student E.) a 30 year old college graduate

Which of the following statements about the electoral college is correct? A.) each state may split its electoral votes among as many candidates as it wishes B.) each states is equally represented in the electoral college C.) the electoral college was created by an amendment to the Constitution D.) the results of electoral college voting tend to distort the winner's margin of victory, when compared to the popular vote for president E.) each state's delegation to the electoral college consists of the state U.S. senator's and representatives

Which of the following elections legally uses federal money during campaign? A.) Presidential elections B.) Gobernatorial elections C.) local elections D.) Congressional Elections E.) none of the above

All of the following statements concerning interests groups are true EXCEPTS A.) interest groups are policy experts B.) interest groups attempt to appeal to a broad spectrum of political interests. C.) interest groups often run their own candidates for public office D.) interest groups lobby government on different levels E.) interest groups have specific policy goals

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court established which of the following principles? A.) The federal government has the power to regulate commerce B.) The judicial branch cannot intervene in political disputes between the president and congress. C.) The federal bill rights places no limitations on the states D.) States cannot interfere with or tax the legitimate activities of the federal government E.) it is within the judiciary's authority to interpret the constitution

Which of the following Supreme Court decision established the concept of judicial review? A.) Miller v. California B.) Mapp v. Ohio C.) McCulloch v. Maryland D.) Marbury v. Madison E.) Korematsu v. United States

Which of the following statements is TRUE about the effect of ethnic groups on voter choice? A.) Cubans tend to vote Democratic B.) Northern Protestants tend to vote Democratic C.) Jews tend to vote Democratic D.) The religious right tends to vote Democratic E.) Born-again Christians tend to vote Democratic

All of the following are criticisms raised against the nomination system EXCEPT A.) the media have too much power to shape the presidential campaigns B.) too much weight is place on early primaries in unpresentatives states C.) the campaign process is too long D.) it discourages many qualified politicians from running E.) few citizens are permitted to participate in the nomination process

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the voting behavior of Americans over the age of 65? A.) they are as, or more, likely to vote than are members of other age groups, because they have received the highest level of formal education of all age groups B.) they are as, or more, likely to vote than are members of other age groups because they believe that they have a personal stake in government policy C.) they are less likely to vote than are members of other age groups, because it is difficult for them to get to the polls D.) they are less likely to vote than are members of other age group, because they are less likely to be aware of elections schedules E.) they are less likely to vote than are members of other agre group, because very few senior citizens run for political office

The task of writing a party's political platforms is left to: A.) the national convention B.) the national committee C.) the national chairperson D.) the national party platform committee E.) each state party writes its own

An initiative petition is: A.) when a member of the legislature proposes a bill B.) when the governor proposes a bill C.) when citizens put a proposed law on the ballot D.) when a congressional committee proposes a bill E.) when the courts strike down a law as unconstitutional

The terms "political efficacy" is defined as a person's: A.) Sense of civic duty D.) level of political knowledge C.) political ideology D.) eligibility to vote in election E.) belief in the ability to influence politics

A corporate lobbyist would be LEAST likely to have an informal discussions about a pending policy matter with which of the following? A.) a member of the House in whose district the corporation has a plant. B.) a member of the White House staff concerned about the issue C.) a member of the staff of the Senate committee handling a matter of concern to the corporation D.) a federal judge in whose court a case important to the corporation is being heard E.) a journalist for a major newspaper concerned about the issue

The best definition for the term interest group is A.) a formal organiztion of people with common interest who run candidates that believe in those same interests. B.) an organiztions of people with shared policy goals that enter the policy process at numerous places in attempt to advance those goals c.) a groups of individuals who are hoping to accomplish nonspecific goals for the general improvement of society D.) a formal organization that sponsors activities that are narrow in scope and focus; it pursues essentially single issues E.) a group of people who share common ideas but have no formal membership and who exert little political influence.

Which of the following definitions best describes the term iron triangle? A.) The close working relationship between the three levels of the judicial branch B.) The cooperation between the federal, state and local governments C.) The relationships between diplomats, the president, and the Senate in treaty D.) the close relationship between an agency, a Congressional committee, and an interest group that often becomes a mutually advantageous alliance E.) the cooperation of the military, executive branch, and the legislative branch, when planning and financing a military action

Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Electoral College? A.) each state has as many electoral votes as it has United States Senators and Representatives. B.) except for Maine and Nebraska, every state has a winner-take all system C.) if no candidate receives and Electoral College majority, then the election goes to the House Representatives D.) the state parties select slates of electors; these are often assigned as a reward for faithful service to the party E.) Electors are bound by the Constitution to vote the way their state voted, and they cannot vote their conscience

Which of the following is an example of a single-issue group? A.) National Right to life Committee B.) Greenpeace C.) National Education Association D.) American Medical Association E.) National Organization of Women

There are thousands of interest groups in the United States because A.) the political process is stable B.) many believe they have a right to have access to leaders C.) the political system is equally open to all D.) the political system is rapidly changed by public input E.) the parties are unable to control the political agenda

Which of the following political theories would argue that many senators and representatives come from the upper classes of American society A.) elite B.) pluralist C.) hyperpluralist D.) centrist E.) majoritarian

Which of the following is true of amicus curiae briefs A.) they are used by interest groups to lobby courts B.) they are used exclusively by liberal interest groups C.) they are used exclusively by conservative interest groups D.) they are now inconstitutional E.) they are the means by which a litigant seeks Supreme Court review of a lower court decision

Presidential Primaries are A.) required by the Constitution B.) used in all states C.) used to select members of the Electoral College D.) an alternatives to the use of "caucuses" to select delegates to national party conventions E.) used only in the Republican Party

The principal reason why eighteen-year-olds were enfranchised in 1971 was A.) universal education B.) the Vietnam War C.) higher income levels D.) availability of information via the electronic mail D.) the civil rights movement

All of the following are legitimate functions of registered lobbyists EXCEPT A.) testifying at public hearings B.) providing members of Congress with statistical data C.) preparing reports D.) presenting media spots E.) nominating candidates for political office

Which of the following best describes the relationship between educational background and participation in politics? A.) the more schooling one has, the more likely one is to vote B.) the less schooling one has, the more likely one is to run for public office C.) there is no relationship between educational background and participation in politics D.) people with a high shool education are more likely to vote than either those who did not finish high school or those with a college degree E.) those with no formal schooling have a greater personal interest in policy and tend to vote more often than those with high school diplomas

Which of the following person would be most likely to vote? A.) a black factory worker living in the South B.) a white middle-aged attorney from the West C.) a 19 year old from the Midwest D.) a 30 year female secretary with three children from the Northeast E.) a high school dropout from the Northeast

Voter turnout in the U.S. compared to other developed industrialized democracies is A.) one of the lowest B.) the highest, reflecting our role as the world's leading democracy C.) about average D.) above average E.) slightly below average, but improving

In a presidential election, if no candidate recieves an electoral college majority A.) the winner of the popular election becomes president B.) a run-off election is held with a new slate of electors C.) the election is thrown in into the House Representatives D.) the election is thrown into the full Congress E.) the Supreme Court determins the winner

Which of the following is NOT generally a method that interest groups use to influence the government? A.) Bribery B.) Direct lobbying C.) Testifying before Congress D.) Political donations E.) Endorsements

The term "iron triangle" refers to the interrelationship of the A.) president, Congress, and the Supreme Court B.) electorate, Congress, and political action committees c.) local, state and federal governments D.) State Department, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council E.) federal bureaucracy, congressional committees, and lobbyist

Under which of the following conditions are people most likely to vote? A.) when they believe that none of the contested races is close B.) when voters see clear differences between political candidates C.) when the voter is unfamiliar with the candidates D.) when the voter is uanffiliated with a political party E.) during a midterm election