AP Govt Unit 5: Political Participation

The practice of “microtargeting” is a powerful campaign tool for parties if they are able to

• command greater loyalty to their party platform

• attract a large audience for their national party conventions

• develop a unified message that appeals to a majority of voters

• collect and manage large databases of information on specific groups of voters

A person votes for Democratic candidates based on the belief that the policies of the Democratic Party will be personally beneficial. This type of voting matches which of the following voting behavior models?

• Prospective voting

• Retrospective voting

• Split-ticket voting

• Sociological voting

Of the following groups of eligible voters, which is LEAST likely to vote?

• The young with low education levels

• The middle-aged with low education levels

• Middle-aged and older women

• Blue-collar workers

• Middle-class black people

Of the following, which is the most important reason that voter turnout is lower in the United States than in most other industrial democracies.

• American citizens are more apathetic than are citizens in other democracies

• There are fewer elections in the United States than in other democracies.

• It has traditionally been more difficult to register to vote in the United States than in most other industrial democracies.

• United States elections receive less media attention than do elections in other democracies.

• Unlike other industrial democracies, the United States has a two-party system.

In which of the following ways do political parties primarily rely on to finance their election activities?

• Parties rely primarily on tax revenue.

• By winning elections, parties are able to fund government programs they care about.

• Parties sell posters, stickers, buttons, and other products.

• Parties solicit funds from private donors who often times contribute large sums of money.

Which of the following demographic groups has voted most consistently for the Democratic Party in national elections over the last three decades?

• African Americans

• Protestants

• Hispanics

• Wealthy white males

Which of the following describes an effect of the Twenty-Fourth Amendment?

• It assured equal access to places of public accommodation regardless of race.

• It increased the importance of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

• It reduced barriers to political participation on the basis of gender.

• It eliminated poll taxes.

Which of the following describes the result in a winner-take-all, single-member-district plurality system?

• The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins.

• The candidate must receive at least 51% of the votes to win.

• The top two vote-getters compete in a run-off election.

• A political party must receive 51% of the votes to win all of the seats in the district.

Which of the following is an accurate statement about political participation in the United States today?

• A majority of Americans campaign for a candidate in each presidential election.

• Over 75% of Americans vote in presidential elections.

• People who participate in the political process are usually angry at government.

• Similar proportions of eligible men and women vote in presidential elections.

Which of the following is a true statement about the role of the media in providing citizens with information?

• Investigative reporting dominates the news because it is less expensive than political commentary.

• Demand for instantaneous news reporting has led to the growth of 24-hour news operations and a shift to online media consumption.

• The media is increasingly controlled by the major political parties, who determine which stories are covered by the press.

• There has been an increase in social media and Internet news consumption by the public, causing the top five media conglomerates to have greater control over public opinion.