AP Gov Unit 5 MC Test

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.

A political science professor is researching the effects that the Fifteenth and Twenty-Sixth Amendments have had on the American political system. Which of the following is the most likely reason the professor is researching these amendments?

• To study the expansion of the right to equal protection under the law
• To study the expansion of voting rights
• To study the expansion of due process rights
• To study the expansion of federal authority over states

Which of the following describes the Twenty-Fourth Amendment?

• It desegregated places of public accommodation.
• It required elections for the United States Senate.
• It reduced barriers to political participation on the basis of gender.
• It eliminated poll taxes.

An advertisement airs on television attacking a candidate running for office. The advertisement was produced and distributed by a group that was not affiliated with nor funded by any political campaign. Which of the following statements explains why this expenditure is not prohibited by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 ?

• The press can freely criticize elected officials in their publications.
• Political spending by groups not directly affiliated with a campaign is a form of protected speech.
• The press can protect the confidentiality of their sources with regard to campaign funding violations.
• Restrictions on individual contributions to political campaigns violate the First Amendment.

Critics of the winner-take-all aspect of the electoral college are most likely to make which of the following arguments?

• The winner-take-all system of the electoral college undermines the rights of states.
• A state's presidential election results rarely mirror a state's congressional election results.
• The winner-take-all system of the electoral college drives presidential candidates to focus on winning states that are considered to be part of their core supporters.
• The winner-take-all system of the electoral college encourages presidential candidates to focus their time and effort disproportionately on battleground states with larger populations.

Which of the following arguments best supports a claim that the Electoral College does not fully support democratic principles?

• The winner-take-all system encourages candidates to campaign in every state, which limits the attention each state will receive from the candidates.
• Electors are chosen by the voters in each state, which gives parties undue influence over candidates' success.
• At times, a candidate who receives the most popular votes may not win the presidential election.
• The Electoral College lacks transparency because electors frequently switch their vote during the national convention.

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
• Straight ticket voting
• Rational choice voting

While the central goal of political parties is to win elections, parties can also support democracy. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates this relationship?

• A political party changes its stance on environmental policy after its candidates receive large contributions from an energy company.
• Political parties use the social media site Instagram to reach out to younger voters to inform them about upcoming elections and encourage them to register to vote.
• The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure uses research given to it from the American Society of Civil Engineers when amending an infrastructure bill.
• A former member of Congress takes a job as a political consultant to advise current members on their campaigns and raise money for elections.

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 oftentimes contribute large sums of money.

A citizen who uses the rational choice model of voting behavior selects candidates for office based on

• what is thought to be in the citizen’s own self-interest
• the label of the party running for office
• predictions of how a candidate will perform in the future
• the recent performance of the candidates running for office