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Chapter 6&9

Terms in this set (63)

A person who votes in the presidential election but does not vote for a congressional candidate in the same election is known as
A. an actual nonvoter
B. a "cannot-voter"
C. an independent voter
D. "nonvoting voter"
"nonvoting voter"
All of the following are significant reasons for nonvoting in United States elections today EXCEPT
A. rules and regulations that make registration and voting cumbersome
B. widespread use of religious and literacy tests
C. apathy or distrust of politics
D. long-term mental or physical illness or illness on an election day
widespread use of religious and literacy tests
All of the following have been used to keep African Americans from voting EXCEPT
A. poll taxes
B. literacy tests
C. federal court orders
D. threats and social pressures
federal court orders
Gerrymandering is unfair because
A. it makes voter registration difficult for uneducated white males
B. it sets district boundaries to decrease one group's voting strength
C. it increases the voting power of minority groups
D. no one has the right to divide electoral districts for elections
it sets district boundaries to decrease one group's voting strength
In general, more of the electorate votes
A. in general federal elections
B. in off-year elections
C. in primary or special elections
D. for county offices, rather than for State offices
in general federal elections
In the past, some States limited voting rights by
A. charging a poll tax
B. overruling grandfather clauses
C. passing political socialization laws
D. eliminating the literacy test
charging a poll tax
Literacy tests worked to deny the right to vote to African Americans primarily because
A. African Americans were asked questions that were more difficult than those asked of prospective white voters
B. it was specifically provided for in the Constitution
C. the tests were only required in Southern States
D. all white voters had higher literacy rates
African Americans were asked questions that were more difficult than those asked of prospective white voters
People with no sense of political efficacy
A. display a strong sense of party identification
B. feel that any choice they make will have no effect
C. are also known as "cannot-voters"
D. only vote in off-year elections
feel that any choice they make will have no effect
The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, did not secure the right of African Americans to vote primarily because
A. the Federal Government did not intervene to uphold the amendment
B. it did not state that voting rights could not be denied to African Americans
C. it was repealed by Congress shortly after ratification
D. it prevented State leaders from acting on behalf of potential voters who were being discriminated against
the Federal Government did not intervene to uphold the amendment
The phenomenon in which fewer votes are cast for offices farther down the ballot is called
A. split-ticket voting
B. ballot fatigue
C. voter alienation
D. straight-ticket voting
ballot fatigue
The provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its amendments of 1970, 1975, and 1982 apply to
A. federal elections only
B. all federal and State elections, but not to all local elections
C. all national, State, and local elections
D. State and local elections only
all national, State, and local elections
The single most significant predictor of a person's partisan voting behavior is his or her
A. educational background
B. perceptions of government
C. party identification
D. political efficacy
party identification
The term political socialization can be defined as the
A. belief that one's vote does not count
B. process by which people formulate their political attitudes and opinions
C. practice of voting for candidates of only one specific party in any given election
D. process in which individual is abandoned in favor of party politics
process by which people formulate their political attitudes and opinions
To prevent fraudulent voting, most States require voters to
A. be able to read and write
B. be a natural-born citizen
C. register
D. pay a poll tax
register
Today many States require that all voters
A. be citizens of the United States and residents of the State
B. meet specific literacy requirements
C. be familiar with the candidates and issues before voting
D. be natural-born citizens of the United States
be citizens of the United States and residents of the State
Which act first established a federal commission to investigate claims of individual voter discrimination?
A. Civil Rights Act of 1960
B. Civil Rights Act of 1957
C. Civil Rights Act of 1964
D. Voting Rights Act of 1965
Civil Rights Act of 1957
Which of the following is NOT a long-term trend marking the expansion of suffrage in the United States?
A. eliminating requirements based on race
B. removing restrictive requirements based on religious belief
C. eliminating requirements based on tax payments
D. the Federal Government taking less of a role in protecting suffrage rights
the Federal Government taking less of a role in protecting suffrage rights
Which of the following statements about suffrage is TRUE?
A. The Constitution gives the Federal Government the power to set suffrage qualifications
B. States may require the payment of a tax as a condition for voting in federal elections
C. States may set only qualifications that relate to citizenship and age
D. States require that any person wishing to vote must meet specific qualifications for citizenship, age and residence
States require that any person wishing to vote must meet specific qualifications for citizenship, age and residence
Which of these State suffrage laws would violate some provision in the federal Constitution?
A. a law setting a maximum age for voting
B. a law permitting aliens to vote
C. a law allowing voting rights to those 16 and 17 years old
D. a law denying the right to vote to any person convicted of a felony
a law setting a maximum age for voting
As party identification has weakened,
A. the number of independents has grown
B. the need for candidates of outstanding capability has declined
C. voters have tended toward the Democratic Party
D. sociological factors have declined in importance
the number of independents has grown
Based on voter turnout statistics, it is clear that many people
A. tend to vote in off-year elections if the ballot is not too long
b. believe voting is too time consuming
C. find voting for President more important than voting for members of Congress
D. have never voted
find voting for President more important than voting for members of Congress
For which of the following reasons might African Americans have been reluctant to sue States for voter discrimination?
A. low voter turnout throughout the South
B. gerrymandering
C. lack of cause
D. longstanding patterns of violence and threats against African Americans
longstanding patterns of violence and threats against African Americans
In which of the following locations would voters show the most support for a Democratic candidate for President?
A. rural Nebraska
B. Boston, Massachusetts
C. suburban New Jersey
D. Maine
Boston, Massachusetts
Literacy requirements were usually aimed at
A. young voters
B. all of the above
C. minority groups
D. poor whites
minority groups
One factor that drew northern African Americans to the Republican Party before the 1930s was its status as
A. the party of Abraham Lincoln
B. the dominant party since George Washington's day
C. the party of the "rich and well-born"
D. the first American political party
the party of Abraham Lincoln
One step that helped clear the way for African American suffrage was the Supreme Court's ruling that at least some functions of political parties are
A. illegal
B. preferable to others
C. outside the requirements of the 15th Amendment
D. public, not private
public, not private
The amendments to the 1965 Voting Rights Act
A. eliminated all literacy qualifications
B. required ballots to be printed in both English and the language of the minority involved
C. broadened the law's pre clearance provisions to cover other minority groups
D. all of the above
all of the above
The differences in voting patterns between men and women have been shown to be
A. issue-oriented
B. a recent phenomenon
C. income-related
D. too small to measure
issue-oriented
A labor union is an organization of workers who
A. work on farms
B. hold exactly the same political beliefs
C. work in the same job or industry
D. represent the interest of the business community
work in the same job or industry
A positive aspect of interest groups is that they
A. eliminate the need for factions in government
B. use propaganda to influence public policy
C. have a strong influence on political parties
D. help stimulate interest in public affairs
help stimulate interest in public affairs
A public-interest group is different from any other interest group because it
A. focuses on the roles that make Americans different from one another
B. chooses to work for more specific goals rather than broader goals
C. works to benefit many or all people, regardless of their affiliations
D. hides its activities and beliefs from the public
works to benefit many or all people, regardless of their affiliations
All of the following are criticisms of interest groups EXCEPT
A. They keep a close watch on public officials
B. They do not necessarily represent the people for whom they claim to speak
C. It is hard to tell how many people they represent
D. They may have an influence far greater than their size
They keep a close watch on public officials
All of the following are examples of groups that promote causes EXCEPT the
A. American Civil Liberties Union
B. American Legion
C. National Rifle Association
D. Sierra Club
American Legion
All of the following are goals of interest groups EXCEPT
A. supplying the public with information they believe the people should have
B. promoting a particular public policy
C. being chiefly interested in winning elections and controlling government
D. building a positive image for their group
being chiefly interested in winning elections and controlling government
All of the following are propaganda techniques EXCEPT
A. supporting a government policy change
B. the bandwagon approach
C. using glittering generalities
D. presenting only one side of an issue
supporting a government policy change
All of the following organizations serve the interests of organized labor EXCEPT the
A. National Grange
B. United Mine Workers
A. AFL-CLO
D. United Transportation Union
National Grange
An interest group tries to persuade people to
A. respond to its members' shared attitudes
B. nominate certain members for public office
C. join a political party
D. find ways to cooperate privately
respond to its members' shared attitudes
Common Cause and the League of Women Voters are examples of
A. economic groups
B. private pressure groups
C. business groups
D. public-interest groups
public-interest groups
Interest groups are also called pressure groups mainly because
A. they seek to put pressure on the government to affect policies
B. they put pressure on individuals to join in the group's interests
C. belonging to a group can create pressure, or stress, in one's life
D. they put pressure on group members to act in certain ways
they seek to put pressure on the government to affect policies
Interest groups are MOST interested in
A. winning a broad range of elections
B. influencing specific public policies
C. affecting a broad range of public policy issues
D. nominating specific candidates for office
influencing specific public policies
Interest groups know that public opinion is important because
A. no policy will stay in place very long without public support
B. a candidate cannot gain office without full public support
C. laws cannot be passed in opposition of public opinion
D. no group can provide enough information to alter public opinion
no policy will stay in place very long without public support
Lobbying is the process by which group pressures are applied to
A. legislative bodies
B. executive agencies
C. judicial courts
D. all aspects of the public policy-making process
all aspects of the public policy-making process
Lobbyists today are people who generally
A. work within the governmental process to affect policies
B. use unfair propaganda to get a group's point across
C. work illegally to get their group's needs met
D. are hired by the government to support certain policies
work within the governmental process to affect policies
Most interest groups are formed on the basis of
A. religious interests
B. the interests of all citizens
C. geographic interests
D. economic interests
economic interests
One way interest groups become involved in the election process is by
A. nominating candidates for office
B. providing campaign funds
C. having members secretly join political parties
D. changing into a labor union
providing campaign funds
Organized interest groups apply pressure to government through all of the following means EXCEPT
A. the use of propaganda
B. contributing to political campaigns through their PACs
C. forming minor political parties
D. lobbying
forming minor political parties
PACs that concentrate their efforts on one particular issue are also called
A. single-interest groups
B. labor unions
C. trade associations
D. public-interest groups
single-interest groups
Propaganda is a technique
A. based on logical conclusions
B. used to influence people to adopt a particular belief
C. used to express the truth about a matter of public policy
D. that depends upon people's preferences
used to influence people to adopt a particular belief
Propaganda techniques aim to be
A. immoral
B. persuasive
C. objective
D. unethical
persuasive
Public affairs are those events and issues
A. that concern only the President and the executive branch
B. that concern only officeholders in government
C. that concern all or most people
D. that are held or discussed in public places
that concern all or most people
Single-interest groups try to affect elections based on
A. each candidate's stand, in regard to the groups' interests
B. which party is in power at the time
C. the broad views of all the candidates
D. the candidate's party affiliation
each candidate's stand, in regard to the groups' interests
The American Medical Association and the American Bar Association are examples of
A. labor groups
B. trade associations
C. business groups
D. professional groups
professional groups
The term grass roots refers to
A. party politicians
C. interest groups
C. average voters
D. trade associations
average voters
Trade associations usually represent
A. non-profit groups
B. farm workers
C. labor unions
D. the business community
the business community
Unlike the major political parties, interest groups
A. do not nominate candidates for office
B. are accountable to the public as a whole
C. try to influence public opinion
D. do not attempt to influence the policies of government
do not nominate candidates for office
Although interest groups do not try to attract large numbers of voters, they DO try to attract
A. the support of political parties
B. nominations to public office
C. stricter limits on campaign spending
D. favorable attention from lawmakers
favorable attention from lawmakers
Interest groups
A. must have at least one thousand members
B. take care not to express views that are critical of other interest groups
C. are most often based on religion
D. frequently conflict with one another
frequently conflict with one another
Interest groups are accountable to
A. other interest groups
B. both b and c
C. their members
D. the voters
their members
Interest groups perform positive functions for which of the following groups?
A. the public at-large
B. government officials
C. their members
D. all of the above
all of the above
The expansion of suffrage in the United States
A. was accomplished outside the United States legal system
B. was outline in the text of the Constitution
C. is the subject of all constitutional amendments made since 1810
D. has been moved forward by amendments and civil rights acts
has been moved forward by amendments and civil rights acts
Pressure groups operate
A. at all levels of government
B. only at the national level of government
C. at the State and local levels
D. only within the legislative branch
at all levels of government
An interest groups work is over when
A. the election is over
B. both a and b
C. the legislation they favor or oppose is passed of defeated
D. none of the above
none of the above
If labor groups can be said to focus on___, then public-interest groups can be said to focus on____.
A. influencing government/influencing the public
B. nominating candidates/ electing candidates
C. the tree/the forest
D. the big picture/the smaller picture
the tree/the forest
THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH...