Practice quiz 2 Flashcards
Interest groups recognize that the greatest concern of legislators is to
be reelected.
Determining which public policy questions will be debated or considered is a process known as
agenda setting.
A movement that represents the demands of a large segment of the population for political, economic, or social change is called a
social movement.
George Washington viewed political parties as a
threat to national unity and the concept of popular government.
Successful interest groups and their representatives try to cultivate long-term relationships with
legislators and government officials.
More interest groups are formed to represent ______ interests than any other set of interests.
economic
People in large cities tend to be
liberal and Democratic.
An interest group is
an organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policymakers.
______ interest groups have probably been more successful than any other groups in obtaining subsidies from American taxpayers.
Economic
A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called
a two-party system.
By far, the greatest number of radio and television hours are dedicated to
entertaining the public.
______ are a shorthand way of describing congressional members’ voting records for interested citizens.
Ratings
Usually, the Gallup and Roper polls interview
about 1,500 individuals.
Which of the following is TRUE regarding political party membership?
Nothing is required to be a member of a political party.
The first partisan political division in the United States was between
the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Negative political ads can backfire when
there are three or more candidates in the race.
A voter or a candidate who does NOT identify with a political party is called
an independent.
After 1968, there was a slow-motion realignment that left the nation
almost evenly divided in politics.
With indirect techniques, an interest group
uses the general public or individual constituents to influence government officials.
Which of the following is NOT true of American political culture?
It is only shared by Americans of similar backgrounds.
A political party is a group of political activists who
organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy.
organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy.
divided
The public agenda is
issues that are perceived by the political community as meriting public attention and governmental action.
A large-scale, lasting change in the types of voters who support each of the major political parties is called
realignment.
Divided government is best understood as
the situation when the presidency and Congress are controlled by different parties.
The American Bar Association and the American Medical Association are examples of
interest groups of professionals.
All of the following statements about public-interest groups are true EXCEPT
public-interest groups work for issues that will benefit only the narrow interests of a particular group.
The years from 1817 to 1825, when James Monroe was president and there was, in effect, no political opposition, came to be known as the
Era of Good Feelings.
The National Right to Life Committee and the National Rifle Association are examples of
single-interest groups.
The key to success for interest groups is
access to government officials.
For the most part, the media depend on ______ for their revenues.
advertisers
Private opinion becomes public opinion when
it is publicly expressed and concerns public issues.
When interest groups try to generate public pressure, this activity is intended to
convince policymakers that public opinion supports the group’s position.
In 1996, Congress passed the ________ that had far-reaching implications for the communications industry.
Telecommunications Act
When an interest group and its lobbyists approach officials personally to present their case, they are engaging in
direct techniques.
The public tends to emphasize problems that are
immediate
“Umbrella groups” represent
collections of businesses or other entities.
Lobbyists are best defined as
organizations or individuals who attempt to influence legislation and the government’s administrative decisions.
a “political Machine”
is a powerful party organization that could deliver votes
Some have argued that the system of interest group politics leaves out
poor Americans.
The modern Republican Party was founded when the issue of ______ divided both existing political parties.
slavery
Legislation to reform the regulation of federal lobbying in 1995 resulted in all of the following EXCEPT
the Senate adopted a flat ban on gifts provided by lobbyists.
Which types of interest groups are defined as economic interest groups?
business, labor, and professional organizations.
A political party differs from an interest group in that
political parties want to operate the government and interest groups do not.
Functions of political parties in the United States include all of the following EXCEPT
signing up large numbers of committed, dues-paying members.
The principle of randomness in sampling means that
every person should have a known chance, and especially an equal chance, of being sampled.
Studies of bias in the media have reached
different conclusions: some found a liberal bias, while others found a conservative bias.
All of the following statements about the early Republican Party are true EXCEPT
it supported a strong national government.
What is a plurality system?
Whoever gets the most votes wins.
All of the following statements about the early Democratic Party are true EXCEPT
it supported a policy of federal spending on “internal improvements” such as roads.
Sampling error can generally be controlled by
taking a large enough random sample.
The answers given by respondents to poll questions are influenced by all of the following EXCEPT
Because of the decline in the ______ sector of the economy, national unions are looking to nontraditional areas for their membership.
A political advisor who tries to convince journalists of the truth of a particular interpretation of events is called a
