CB Unit 5 Test

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 best describes the concept of political efficacy?

• It is the belief that the average citizen can make little or no difference in an election.

• It is the belief that an intelligent voting decision cannot be made without information.

• It is the belief that the media must provide unbiased information for citizens to be able to make well-informed choices.

• It is the belief that one can make a difference in politics by expressing an opinion and acting politically.

• It is the belief that politicians must keep the electorate well-informed if they are to govern efficiently.

The most widely performed act of political participation in the United States is

• writing letters to public officials

• voting in local elections

• voting in presidential elections

• contributing money to political candidates

• attending local party meetings

A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that

• interest groups typically shift their positions on issues over time, while political parties tend to keep the same position on issues over time

• interest groups usually recruit candidates for office, while political parties usually limit themselves to making campaign contributions to candidates

• political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy

• political parties tend to have narrow coalitions of support, and interest groups tend to have broad coalitions of support

• political parties usually focus on one issue, while interest groups focus mainly on many issues

Interest groups and political parties both promote United States democracy by

• expressing detailed, ideologically distinct programs

• centralizing public authority

• linking citizens to the political process

• increasing domination of the political process by elites

• lobbying members of Congress

Which of the following is true of amicus curiae briefs?

• They are used by interest groups to lobby courts.

• They are used exclusively by liberal interest groups.

• They are used exclusively by conservative interest groups.

• They are now unconstitutional.

• They are the means by which a litigant seeks Supreme Court review of a lower court decision.

The concept of “critical elections” is most closely associated with

• the electoral college process

• elections during wartime

• the nomination process

• economic recession

• party realignment

Which of the following represents a consequence of candidate-centered electoral campaigns?

• A decrease in the role of political parties in campaign management

• A decrease in the number of third-party candidates on the ballot

• A decrease in the amount of money spent on political campaigns

• A decrease in voter outreach and mobilization efforts

When party members meet to nominate a candidate for office, they participate in which of the following?

• The nomination process

• The election process

• The campaigning process

• The voting process

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) did which of the following?

• It created interest groups known as 527s.

• It made it illegal for unions to donate to presidential campaigns.

• It banned soft money donations to national parties.

• It banned candidates from running negative advertisements.

• It banned third-parties from federal funding.