question

affirmative action

answer

government policies or programs that seek to redress past injustices against specified groups by making special efforts to provide members of these groups with access to educational and employment opportunities

question

Brown v. Board of Education

answer

the 1954 Supreme Court decision that struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine as fundamentally unequal. This case eliminated state power to use race as a criterion of discrimination in law and provided the national government with the power to intervene by exercising strict regulatory policies against discriminatory actions

question

civil rights

answer

obligation imposed on government to take positive action to protect citizens from any illegal action of government agencies as well as of other private citizens

question

de facto

answer

literally, "by fact"; practices that occur even when there is no legal enforcement, such as school segregation in much of the United States today

question

de jure

answer

literally, "by law"; legally enforced practices, such as school segregation in the South before the 1960s

question

discrimination

answer

use of any unreasonable and unjust criterion of exclusion

question

equal protection clause

answer

provision of the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing citizens "the equal protection of the laws." This clause has been the basis for the civil rights of African Americans, women, and other groups

question

Fifteenth Amendment

answer

one of three Civil War amendments; guaranteed voting rights for African American men

question

Fourteenth Amendment

answer

one of three Civil War amendments; guaranteed equal protection and due process

question

gerrymandering

answer

apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party

question

intermediate scrutiny

answer

test used by the Supreme Court in gender discrimination cases, which places the burden of proof partially on the government and partially on the challengers to show that the law in question is unconstitutional

question

"Jim Crow" laws

answer

laws enacted by southern states following Reconstruction that discriminated against African Americans

question

redlining

answer

a practice in which banks refuse to make loans to people living in certain geographic locations

question

"separate but equal" rule

answer

rule doctrine that public accommodations could be segregated by race but still be equal

question

strict scrutiny

answer

test used by the Supreme Court in racial discrimination cases and other cases involving civil liberties and civil rights, which places the burden of proof on the government rather than on the challengers to show that the law in question is constitutional

question

Thirteenth Amendment

answer

one of three Civil War amendments; abolished slavery

question

agencies of socialization

answer

social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals' basic political beliefs and values

question

attitude (or opinion)

answer

a specific preference on a particular issue

question

bandwagon effect

answer

a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner

question

conservative

answer

today this term refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulae and economic arrangements. Conservatives believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom

question

democracy

answer

a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

question

equality of opportunity

answer

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

question

gender gap

answer

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

question

liberal

answer

today this term refers to those who generally support social and political reform; extensive governmental intervention in the economy; the expansion of federal social services; more vigorous efforts on behalf of the poor, minorities, and women; and greater concern for consumers and the environment

question

liberty

answer

freedom from governmental control

question

marketplace of ideas

answer

the public forum in which beliefs and ideas are exchanged and compete

question

measurement error

answer

failure to identify the true distribution of opinion within a population because of errors such as ambiguous or poorly worded questions

question

political efficacy

answer

The ability to influence government and politics

question

political ideology

answer

a cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government

question

political socialization

answer

the induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

question

probability sampling

answer

a method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent

question

public opinion

answer

citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events

question

public-opinion polls

answer

scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

question

push polling

answer

a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

question

random digit dialing

answer

a polling method in which respondents are selected at random from a list of ten-digit telephone numbers, with every effort made to avoid bias in the construction of the sample

question

salient interests

answer

attitudes and views that are especially important to the individual holding them

question

sample

answer

a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population

question

sampling error

answer

polling error that arises based on the small size of the sample

question

selection bias

answer

polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in overrepresenting or underrepresenting some opinions

question

values

answer

basic principles that shape a person's opinions about political issues and events

question

agenda setting

answer

the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems

question

equal time rule

answer

the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public

question

fairness doctrine

answer

a Federal Communications Commission requirement for broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues to provide time for opposing views. The FCC ceased enforcing this doctrine in 1985

question

framing

answer

the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

question

priming

answer

process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or political actor

question

right of rebuttal

answer

a Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or television broadcast

question

sound bites

answer

short snippets of information aimed at dramatizing a story rather than explaining its substantive meaning

question

American political community

answer

citizens who are eligible to vote and who participate in American political life

question

civic engagement

answer

a sense of concern among members of the political community about public, social, and political life, expressed through participation in social and political organizations

question

gender gap

answer

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

question

litigation

answer

a lawsuit or legal proceeding; as a form of political participation, an attempt to seek relief in a court of law

question

lobbying

answer

a strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature

question

mobilization

answer

the process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political activity

question

political participation

answer

political activities, such as voting, contacting political officials, volunteering for a campaign, or participating in a protest, whose purpose is to influence government

question

poll tax

answer

a state-imposed tax on voters as a prerequisite for registration. Poll taxes were rendered unconstitutional in national elections by the Twenty-fourth Amendment, and in state elections by the Supreme Court in 1966

question

protest

answer

participation that involves assembling crowds to confront a government or other official organization

question

public relations

answer

an attempt, usually through the use of paid consultants, to establish a favorable relationship with the public and influence its political opinions

question

socioeconomic status

answer

status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige

question

suffrage

answer

the right to vote; also called franchise

question

turnout

answer

the percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote

question

When did civil rights become part of the Constitution?

answer

With the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.

question

illusion of saliency

answer

the impression conveyed by the polls that something is important to the public when it actually is not

question

Legal segregation is called ____ segregation.

answer

de jure

question

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited

answer

d. all of these - a. discrimination in public accomodations b. school segregation c. employment discrimination

question

What was the Seneca Falls Convention?

answer

a meeting in upstate New York regarding women's rights

question

Civil Rights of 1964

answer

by far the most important piece of legislation passed by Congress fostering equal opportunity in the United States

question

Dred Scott v. Sandford

answer

In 1857, the Court held that Scott had no due process rights because as a slave he was his master's permanent property regardless of his master's having taken him to a free state or territory.

question

Shelley v. Kraemer

answer

The Court ruled against the widespread practice of "restrictive covenants," whereby the seller of a home added a clause to the sales contract requring the buyer to agree not to sell the home later to any non-Caucasian, non-Christian, and so on.

question

Parents involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District #1

answer

2007 case ruled that racial balancing could not be factor in student assignment

question

Which constitutional amendment abolished slavery?

answer

Thirteenth

question

This constitutional amendment guaranteed voting rights for African American men.

answer

Fifteenth

question

Legal segregation is called________

answer

de jure

question

To draw voting districts so that one group or party is unfairly advantaged is called

answer

gerrymandering

question

The practice of financial institutions refusing to lend money for housing mortgages for entire neighborhoods is called

answer

redlining

question

When hearing gender-related discrimination cases, the Court uses the doctrine of

answer

intermediate scrutiny

question

In 1990, Congress passed the _______________ which guarantees equal employment rights and access to public businesses for the disabled.

answer

Americans with Disabilities Act

question

_______ is defined as compensatory action to overcome the consequences of past discrimination.

answer

affirmative action

question

In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the Supreme Court ruled that Michigan's Law school's affirmative action policy

answer

was constitutional since race was only used as a plus factor and not a quota.

question

What Supreme Court case first restricted the use of racial quotas in university admissions?

answer

University of California v. Bakke

question

By what year did blacks and women both have the constitutional right to vote?

answer

1920

question

"Massive Resistance" refers to efforts by southern states during the late 1950s and early 1960s to

answer

defy federal mandates to desegregate public schools

question

Which of the following organizations established a Legal Defense Fund to challenge segregation?

answer

the National Association for the Advancement fo Colored People (NAACP)

question

What ruling made discrimination by private employers and state governments illegal?

answer

the 1964 Civil Rights Act

question

Which of the following is NOT an example of an area in which women have made progress since the 1970s in guaranteeing certain civil rights? a. sexual harassement b. intgegration into all-male publicly supported universities c. more equal funding for college women's varsity athletic programs d. the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment

answer

the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment

question

Which civil rights measures dealt with access to publc businesses and accomodations?

answer

the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act

question

Which case represents the Brown v. Board of Education case for lesbians and gay men?

answer

There has no been a Supreme Court ruling explicitly protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination.

question

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company

answer

In 2007 Court made it harder for workers to use Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to sue for discrimination.

question

LULAC

answer

League of United Latin American Citizens founded in 1929 to eliminate the segregation of Mexican American students

question

Mendez v. Westminister

answer

1947 case which overturned school segregation in Orange County, California

question

Romer v. Evans

answer

1996 case which explicitly extended fundamental civil rights portections to gays and lesbians by declaring unconstitu-tional a 1992 amendment to the Colorado state constitution that prohibited local governments from passing ordinances to protect gay rights.

question

Lawrence v. Texas

answer

2003 case which overturned Bowers and struck down a Texas statute criminalizing certain intimate sexual conduct between consenting partners of the same sex and gave gays and lesbians the right to privacy

question

In what case did the Supreme Court find that "rigid quotas" are incompatible with the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?

answer

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

question

The term used to denote the beliefs and attitudes that people have about issues, events, and personalities

answer

public opinion

question

What is the so-called gender gap?

answer

Political differences between men and women.

question

Which of the following variables is likely to affect public opinion?

answer

all of them - income, race, and education

question

The processes through which underlying political beliefs and values are formed are collectively called

answer

political socialization

question

The set of underlying orientations, ideas, and beliefs through which individuals come to understand and interpret politics is called

answer

public opinion

question

__________ is the ability to influence government and politics

answer

political efficacy

question

The ___________ are among the most powerful forces operating in the marketplace of ideas

answer

communication media

question

_________ are scientific instruments for measuring public opinion.

answer

Public opinion polls

question

The impression conveyed by polls that something is important to the public when it actually is not

answer

illusion of saliency

question

The term public opinion is used to describe

answer

the beliefs and attitudes that people have about issues

question

Variables such as income, education, race, gender, and ethnicity

answer

often create differences of political opinion in America

question

Agencies of socialization are

answer

family, social groups, and education

question

When men and women respond differently to issues of public policy, they are demonstrating an example of

answer

the gender gap

question

The process by which Americans learn political beliefs and values is called

answer

political socialization

question

In addition to one's basic political values, what other two factors influence one's political opinions?

answer

political knowledge and the influence of political leaders, private groups, and the media

question

Which of the following is (are) NOT an important external influence on how political opinions are formed? a) the government and political leaders b) private interest groups c) the media d) The Constitution

answer

The Constitution

question

The term used in public opinion polling to denote the small group representing the opinions of the whole population?

answer

sample

question

When politicians, pollsters, journalists, or social scientist assume something is important to the public when in fact it is not, they are creating

answer

an illusion of saliency

question

A familiar polling problem is the "bandwagon effect," which occurs when

answer

polling results influence people to support the candidate marked as the probable victor in a campaign

question

There are three national newspapers, there are only three true national newspapers. Which one is NOT one? a) the Wall Street Journal b) The Christian Science Monitor c) USA Today d) the Washington Post

answer

the Washington Post

question

American radio and television are regulated by

answer

The Federal Communications Commission

question

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was an attempt to

answer

loosen federal restrictions of media ownership; allow broadcasters, telephone companies, and cable companies to compete with one another; and ban indecent sexual material accessible to minors on the Internet.

question

The FCC requires broadcasters to provide individuals the right to respond to personal attacks, which is known as the

answer

right of rebuttal

question

The FCC's fairness doctrine

answer

is no longer in effect

question

Slate magazine, ACTBlue, and Facebook illustrate

answer

the growing influence of the internet in American media.

question

Which of the following factors influences the interpretation a news story receives from the media?

answer

all of them - a) the audience of the news b) journalists and producers c) the sources or topics of the news

question

"Although they represent only a small percentage of the population, individuals under the age of fifty whose family income is in the 80th percentile or better account for nearly 50 percent of the retail dollars spent on consumer goods in the U.S." This statement supports the authors' contention that

answer

a) the print and broadcast media cater to the preferences of consumers b) the media cater to the upscale segments of their audiences c) the media attempt to understand the tastes and preferences of consumers

question

Which of the following sources of news typically covers topics with the LEAST depth of coverage?

answer

television

question

The nationalization of the news has been influenced by which of the following trends in ownership of the media?

answer

The wave of mergers and consolidations following the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act

question

Which of the following best describes national news in the United States?

answer

Nationalized and centralized

question

Which of the following Supreme Court cases overruled the government's attempt to regulate the content of the Internet?

answer

Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union

question

Which two of the principles affect the political content of radio and television broadcasts?

answer

The equal time rule and The Fairness Doctrine

question

What has an impact on the nature of media coverage of politics

answer

Reporters, Political actors, News consumers

question

Which of the following is a strategy available to poor people to increase their coverage by the news media?

answer

Protest

question

The media's powers to determine what becomes a part of the political discussion and to shape how political events are interpreted by the American people are known as

answer

Agenda setting and framing

question

Which of the following can be considered an example of a news enclave?

answer

Internet chat rooms

question

Which of the following exemplifies the liberal bias in the news media?

answer

a) Talk radio programs b) The Wall Street Journal c) The American Spectator d) None of these

question

The newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst was responsible for encouraging U.S. involvement in which war?

answer

The Spanish-American war

question

American women got the right to vote in

answer

1920

question

The debate over ______________ provokes questions about whether we need more direct participation to promote political equality and a vibrant democracy.

answer

checkbook democracy

question

The phenomenon called the 'gender gap' refers to the fact that

answer

women are more likely to vote for Democrats than men are.

question

___________ is the strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature.

answer

lobbying

question

What was the effect of the Motor Voter Registration Act in the first Presidential election after it passed?

answer

Voter registration rose, but voter turnout did not.

question

____________ is an organization that connects people to politics, such as a political party, or to a governmental organization, such as the Congress.

answer

A political institution

question

Checkbook democracy arises when

answer

there is a decline in political participation; fund raising becomes the most important task for political organizations; participation levels take on an unequal economic bias.

question

For many years, analysts have referred to the ________ vote as the "sleeping giant," because this is such a large group with relatively low levels of participation.

answer

Latino

question

When income and education are taken into account, Latinos and African Americans vote at

answer

the same rate or slightly higher than white ethnics.

question

Participation that involves assembling crowds to confront a government or other official organization is considered

answer

protests

question

The Constitution was amended to allow women the right to vote in all public elections in

answer

1920

question

Which country(ies) has higher voter turnout than the United States?

answer

Italy is the highest, Australia and Sweden, then Germany, then Spain

question

Voter turnout is HIGHEST for which level of government?

answer

national elections

question

Which of the following is not a form of political participation

answer

watching the news on television

question

What is the most common form of political participation?

answer

voting

question

Which of the following best describes the electorate in the United States prior to the 1820s?

answer

Landowning while males over the age of twenty-one

question

Women won the right to vote in ____________ with the adoption of the __________ Amendment.

answer

1920; Nineteenth

question

Civic education takes place during

answer

all of these - elementary school, high school and election campaigns

question

What negatively affects voter turnout in the United States?

answer

Both registration requirements and weak parties

question

Of all the factors explaining political participation, which is the most important?

answer

Mobilization of people by political institutions

question

Which of the following are examples of obstacles to political participation for African Americans?

answer

Poll taxes and white primaries

question

After passage of the Motor Voter Act in 1993, participation in the 1996 elections

answer

declined somewhat

question

Americans who do vote tend to be _____________ than the population as a whole.

answer

wealthier, whiter, and more educated

question

illusion of saliency

answer

the impression conveyed by polls that something is important to the public when actually it is not

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