Government Unit Two
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Created by:
VassarHopeful on March 2, 2011
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82 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 electorate | In the United States the ________ or the potential voting population, is made up of nearly 200 million people |
| political efficacy | People who do not believe their actions can affect politicts have no sense of ______ |
| independent | is the term regularly used to describe those people who have no specific major party affiliation |
| gerrymandering | Dividing electoral districts to limit the voting strength of a particular group is known as |
| literacy | a person's ability to read or write, is no longer used to qualify voters |
| franchise | the right to vote, suffrage |
| party identification | People who are strongly loyal to a given party have strong |
| transients | Persons living in a State for a short period of time are sometimes called ______ |
| The 15th Amendment Ratified in 1870, did not secure the right of African Americans to vote primarily because | the federal government did not intervene to uphold the amendment |
| The provisions of the Voting Right Acts of 1965 and its amendments of 1970, 1975 and 1982 apply to | all national state and local elections |
| To prevent fraudulent voting most states require voters to | register |
| In the past, some states limited voting rights by | charging a poll tax |
| Which of the following statements about suffrage is true? | States require that any person wishing to vote must meet specific qualifications for citizenship, age, and residence |
| The expansion of Suffrage in the United States | has been moved forward by amendments and civil rights acts |
| Which act first established a federal commission to investigate claims of individual voter discrimination | Civil Rights Act of 1957 |
| In general, more of the electorate votes | in general federal elections |
| The single most significant predictor of a person's partisan voting behavior is his or her | party identification |
| The term political socialization can be defined as the | process by which people formulate their political attitudes and opinions |
| Literacy tests worked to deny the right to vote to African Americans primarily because | African Americans were asked questions that were more difficult than those asked of prospective whites |
| Gerrymandering is unfair because | it sets district boundaries to decrease one group's voting strength |
| A person who votes in the presidential election but does not vote for a congressional candidate in the same election is known as | a "nonvoting voter" |
| Today many states require that all voters | be citizens of the United States and residents of the State |
| People with no sense of political efficacy | feel that any choice the make will have no effect |
| Which of these Stat suffrage laws would violate some provision in the federal constitution? | a law setting a maximum age for voting? |
| The phenomenon in which fewer votes are cast for offices farther down the ballot is called | ballot fatigue |
| Without asking for idividual party identification what three to five questions might you ask someone to determine his or her voting behavior? | income, education, gender, age, religion, ethnicity |
| The detailed provisions of federal election laws are important | to maintain honest and free elections at all levels |
| The constitution gives the power to set the date holding congressional elections to | congress |
| Which of the following is NOT legal under the current federal presidential campaign financing laws? | A person or group can contribute unlimited funds to a candidate's political campaign |
| The most costly items in a typical campaign budget today are | television advertisements |
| The biggest drawback of the need for large amounts of money to campaign is that | people who cannot raise the money are denied a chance to be elected |
| The purpose of poll watchers is to | make sure that only qualified people vote |
| Why are voting machines used? | to minimize vote-counting errors |
| Which of the following statements about PACs (political action comittees is FALSE? | The can raise funds only for presidentaial and congressional campaigns |
| Petitions to nominate candidates | are generally required by State law for nominating minor party candidates |
| The nominating stage is imprtant in the electoral process mostly because | nominations set real limits to the choices voters can make in general elections |
| Money is an indespensible campaign resource because | it allows candidates to make themselves known to the public |
| On which ballot are candidates listed together inder the ttle of the position they seek? | office-group ballots |
| which of the following ballots tends to encourage straight-ticket voting? | party-column voting |
| The smallest geographic unit for conducting an election is a | precinct |
| In a closed primary | only declared part members may vote |
| Campaign contributions to a presidential candidate can | be made by any American |
| A primary in which candidates are not labeled by party is known as a | nonpartisan primary |
| which of the following statements about the federal elections commission (fec) is False? | It regulates the use of money in state and local elections only |
| split ticket voting | casting ballots for candidates from different parties for different offices in the same election |
| pluralistic society | consisting of several distinct cultures and groups |
| electorate | the people eligible to vote in any given election |
| plurality | the greatest number of votes cast for a single office |
| ward | a unit into whch cities are divided for the election of city council members |
| Over time, the ideas first developed by minor parties are ofter _____ by major parties | borrowed |
| People belong to a particular political party | voluntarily, because they made a personal choice |
| Most single issue parties have been | short lived |
| Parties that hold a particular set of beliefs and often supported marxist thinking are known as | ideological parties |
| The national chairperson of a major political party | manages the party's headquarters |
| Which of the following groups has tended to support the Democratic party in recent decades? | union members |
| In the United States, a political party is made up of a group of people who | work to get candidates elected to political offices |
| Which of the following is a sign of weakened political parties? | split-ticket voting |
| An increasing number of Americans today | identify with neither political party |
| Which of the following statements about federalists is TRUE? | A strong national government was of great concern to them? |
| The two-party system developed in the United States mainly because | conflicts about the constitution created opposing viewpoints |
| Which statement does not describe one type of minor party? | The members of a minor party tend to support the platform of a major party |
| Which of the following is NOT a major function of either of the two major parties in the United States? | to unite people and concentrate solely on one public policy matter |
| All of the following organizations serve the interests of organived labor except the | National Grange |
| Interest Groups know that public opinion is important because | no policy will stay in place very long without public support |
| One way interest groups become involved in the election process is by | providing campaign funds |
| Public Affairs are those events and issues | that concern all or most people |
| Trade associations usually represent | the business community |
| Most interest groups are formed on the basis of | economic interests |
| An interest group tries to persuade people to | respond to its member's shared attitudes |
| Lobbying is the process by which group pressures are applied to | all aspects of the public policy-making process |
| A positive aspect of interest groups is that they | help stimulate interest in public affairs |
| Interest groups are also called pressure groups mainly because | they seek to put pressure on the government to affect policies |
| Single interest groups try to affect elections based on | each candidate's stand in regard to the group's interests |
| The term grass roots refers to | average voters |
| Lobbyists today are people who generally | work within the governmental process to affect policies |
| Propoganda is a technique | used to influence people to adopt a particular belief |
| Propoganda techniques aim to be | persuasive |
| A labor union is an organization of workers who | work in the same job or industry |
| Common Cause and the League of Women Voters are examples of | public interest groups |
| Interest groups are MOST interested in | influencing specific public policies |
| Organized interest groups apply to pressure to government through all of the following mean EXCEPT | forming minor plotical parties |
| Today lobbyists are people who | work within the governmental process to affect policies |
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