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77 questions
What is the purpose of a political party's platform?
to tell Americans what to believe
to outline and make clear their views on important issues
to help candidates who don't understand the issues
to make it easy for opposing parties to adopt their views
What is a strategy an interest group might use to influence an election's outcome (results)?
pay candidates to quit running
conduct public opinion polls
run TV and newspaper ads
hire high-powered lobbyists to influence legislators
The Save the Turtles Political Action Committee (PAC) can only support one candidate. The chart below shows four candidates' positions on important issues. Which candidate would the PAC choose to support, based upon this information?
Don McDude
Bernie McSanders
Mitchie O'Connell
Hilaria McLinton
What do lobbyists try to do?
help Congress in writing legislation for the common good
ensure the federal budget balances
help the President to choose Supreme Court justices and Cabinet members
influence the decisions made by government officials
Which is NOT a way that the media affects government?
monitor elected officials to ensure responsible behavior
influence voters' criteria for evaluating candidates
encourage voters to share their beliefs and views
shape legislation (laws) by influencing Congressional voting
How do Political Action Committees (PACs) influence government?
advising the President
staffing Congressional offices
financially supporting causes and campaigns
sending written summaries of cases to the Supreme Court
What do the following groups have in common? M.A.D.D., A.A.R.P., W.W.F., N.R.A., P.E.T.A.?
They're all government agencies seeking to influence Congress.
They're all nonprofit groups seeking funding for their causes.
They're all political third parties seeking election of supportive candidates.
They're all interest groups seeking to draw attention to and lobby for their causes.
Why is the same event sometimes reported differently by different news networks?
Newspapers and networks hold certain political beliefs (biases) that are shown in their reporting.
Newspapers and networks don't get enough information to report events accurately.
Some newspapers and networks just want to trick the public into believing things that aren't true.
Political parties pay newspapers and news networks to make them look good, leading to false reporting.
What would be the most accurate source to find information about candidates' views during an election?
a private interest group's website
a record of the candidates' voting history on issues-related legislation
a TV commercial sponsored by a political party
a newspaper editorial
Carlos is 21 years old. He goes to college in the evenings, works at a nursing home for senior citizens during the day, and is happy to return to his rented apartment home at night. Based on the candidates' positions on the chart, which one is Carlos most likely to vote for?
Candidate A
Candidate B
Candidate C
Candidate D
"The impeachment of Trump doesn't matter to me because he's the Republican candidate, and I always vote Republican" would be an example of:
Retrospective voting
Prospective voting
Party-line voting
Rational choice
"I'm going to vote for Bernie Sanders in the primary because I think he has the best plan to help me with my student loan debt" would be an example of:
Retrospective voting
Prospective voting
Party-line voting
Rational choice
"Nancy Pelosi's leadership in the House has been awful, I will vote Republican because of it" would be an example of:
Retrospective voting
Prospective voting
Party-line voting
Rational choice
"I'm voting for Joe Biden because he gives me hope that we will be able to unify our country and begin to get things done across party lines" would be an example of:
Retrospective voting
Prospective voting
Party-line voting
Rational choice
Voting rights have __________ over time.
Increased
Decreased
Which amendment gave African American men the right to vote?
13th
14th
15th
17th
Which Amendment led to the direct election of Senators?
17th Amendment
18th Amendment
20th Amendment
23rd Amendment
Based on the original wording of the Constitution, who elected Senators?
the people in the State
the state legislature
the Electoral College
the governor of the State
Which Amendment gave women the right to vote?
23rd
18th
21st
19th
Which Amendment abolished poll taxes?
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
Which of the following was NOT banned by the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
Motor voter laws
Grandfather Clauses
Literacy Tests
Poll taxes
Which Amendment gave 18-20 year olds the right to vote?
23rd
26th
27th
25th
What did the Motor Voter Act do?
It requires you to renew your driver's license in order to vote.
It requires states to transport you to the polls on election day.
It requires states to let you register to vote when you apply for or renew your driver's license.
It requires you to have a state ID to vote.
What conclusion can be drawn from analyzing the chart?
The majority of Americans take get involved in the political process through donating money to a campaign.
Volunteering for a political campaign is the way that most baby boomers participate in politics.
Attendance at political rallies has increased in the last decade.
Casting a vote is the primary way that most Americans participate in government.
According to historical data, which age group has been known to have the highest voter turnout?
18-24
25-44
45+
Which of the following can be contributing factors to low voter turnout in the United States?
Lack of information, Experience, Residential Mobility and Income
Elections held on random days of the week
Taxes imposed by the king
All of the above
A preference, opinion or attitude that favors one way of thinking or feeling over another.
Third Parties
Bias
Society
Government
A Political Party that is not one of the two major parties in the country; a minor party
Two-Party System
Socialist Party
Political System
Third Party
A Political System consisting primarily of two major political parties, more or less equal in strength.
Two-Party System
Socialist Party
Political System
Third Party
A political party that believes that the federal government should take a more active role in people's lives, particularly those who are in need.
Republican Party
Democratic Party
Libertarian Party
Socialist Party
A political party that believes in individual freedom and believes the only purpose of government is to protect this freedom.
Republican Party
Democratic Party
Libertarian Party
Socialist Party
A political party that believes that the federal government should play a less active role in people's lives and that individuals can take care of themselves without government help.
Republican Party
Democratic Party
Libertarian Party
Socialist Party
A written statement of the goals of a political party.
Candidate
Government
Party Platform
Society
An organization that tries to get political power by electing members to public office so that their political ideas can become laws or policies
Political System
Government
Party Platform
Political Party
What is the primary goal of political parties?
to create a national platform
to get their candidates elected
to collect campaign contributions
to attract members who agree on issues
Which of these is the most common form of individual involvement with a political party?
attending a party rally or meeting
making a financial contribution to the party
registering to vote as a member of the party
working on the campaign of a party candidate
The American tendency toward ________ encourages the two major parties to build broad coalitions.
big government
idealism
radicalism
moderation
an organized effort to influence the policy process by persuading public officials to favor or oppose action on a specific issue
Interest group
lobbying
platform
Political action committee
All of the people entitled to vote in a given election
pluralism
Primary election
electorate
Political party
an organization that seeks to achieve power by electing its members to public office
political action committees
political parties
pluralism
lobbying
any organized group whose members share a common goal and try to promote their interests by influencing government policymaking and decision making
Interest group
platform
Political action committee
lobbying
a political party’s statement of principles and objectives
Interest group
caucus
platform
ideology
an electoral system that awards offices to the highest vote-getters without ensuring representation for voters in the minority; under this system, a slim majority of voters can control 100 percent of elected offices
caucus
electorate
proportional representation
winner-take-all system
an organization that raises and distributes funds to candidates running for office
Political party
Interest group
platform
political action committees (PACs)
a political system in which two parties dominate the electoral process and control the government
public agenda
political action committees
two-party system
pluralism
an election in which voters determine their party’s nominee for an elective office
primary election
open primary
midterm election
general election
a public official seeking reelection to the position he or she currently occupies
party base
self-announcement
incumbent
swing voter
an election in which voters choose among candidates from different parties to fill an elective office
caucus
primary election
general election
winner-take-all system
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