Candidates & Media

Political action committees were formed to do which of the following?

• allow interest groups to pay lobbyists

• allow interest groups to contribute money to candidates and campaigns

• assign volunteers to groups that need them

• fund the mass media

The MOST important reason to look at the source of political advertising is to protect them from?

• Bias

• Fraud

• Slander

• Media

Which question would a citizen want to ask to determine whether a lobbyist is working on behalf of the public interest?

• Has the lobbyist worked as a public official before?

• How long has the person been a lobbyist?

• How much is the lobbyist being paid?

• What organization hired the lobbyist?

What is the best reason that press releases from a politician or a government agency are not always the best source of public information about an issue?

• They are not covered by news outlets.

• They give too much detail to be useful.

• They may be released too late to be useful.

• They may present only one point of view about an issue.

Why is it important to analyze political ads carefully before choosing a candidate?

• Political ads are designed to convince you to vote for a candidate and may not present all sides of an issue.

• Political ads are usually an afterthought for a campaign and probably do not contain up-to-date information.

• Political ads contain only propaganda and lies and should not be a factor when selecting a candidate.

• Political ads often present a balanced viewpoint of all issues and therefore can be a good source of information.

What is the most important thing that a political debate can teach a voter about a candidate?

• how much support the candidate already has

• what kind of television personality the candidate has

• where the candidate stands on certain issues

• whether the candidate is comfortable on camera

According to their posters, what is the reason Maria could be considered more qualified than Todd to be elected mayor?

• Her political policies

• Her college education

• Her campaign promises

• Her experience working in government

Which type of communication is shown in this poster?

(The poster below was created in 1917)

• propagandized

• accurate

• biased

• informational

What would be the most effective way for a special-interest group to try to influence the outcome of a presidential election?

• to conduct a public opinion poll

• to hire a lobbyist

• to hold a primary election

• to run television advertisements

Which of the following would be the best source for accurate information about a candidate’s experience and qualifications?

• an interest group’s concealed propaganda

• a letter to the editor published in the local newspaper

• an unbiased voter guide written by an independent group

• a speech made by an opposing candidate