WorksheetsUnit Six Review
Total questions: 56
Worksheet time: 28mins
Gabriel Sarwan only votes for political candidates whose platforms directly benefit the profitability of his small business.
This voting behavior can best be characterized by which of the following models?
Party-line voting
Rational choice voting
Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Twenty-fourth Amendment?
A state institutes a law requiring state-issued photo identification to vote
A state institutes a fee to vote in a presidential election
Priyanka Kumble votes for political candidates based solely on their platforms and the policies they and their party plan to implement once elected.
Which model of voting behavior does this best represent?
Prospective voting
Rational choice voting
Which of these statements best explains why the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been important to expanding political participation in the United States?
It introduced the requirement of showing an official form of identification to register for or vote in an election to deter voter fraud
It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin
It enforced the Fifteenth Amendment by preventing states from using legal barriers to prevent African Americans from voting
Which of the following best summarizes the data presented in the table for the 2008 presidential election?
Independent voters are more likely to align with Republican candidates
Partisanship has no impact on voter choice in an election
Weak Democrats and Republicans voters are more likely to stay home than vote
Party identification is a strong predictor of how a person voted in an election
Which of the following statements accurately describes a trend depicted in the graph?
Boomers consistently showed the highest trust in government during the Reagan administration
Trust in government fell most sharply among the greatest generation during the Carter administration
Trust in government rose steadily across all generations throughout Clinton's first term
Trust in government declined across all generations over the course of George H.W. Bush’s administration
Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the chart?
Race influences which candidate voters support in an election
Black Americans are more likely to vote than any other race
Which pairing below correctly matches both a constitutional protection of voting rights and a past or current structural barrier to voting?
A
B
C
D
Which of the following important functions of democracy would most likely be more difficult without political parties?
Reducing voter fraud in elections
Educating voters on upcoming elections
Which of the following scenarios is an example of how the media can act as a linkage institution?
A reporter publishes an article on the importance of using reusable straws over plastic straws
A news anchor posts a Twitter poll asking his followers to vote whether he should wear a green tie or a purple tie that day
A major newspaper organization publishes poll results indicating the percentage of the American public who support legislation to ban affirmative action programs
Linkage institutions are best defined as which of the following?
A formal or informal association of people seeking to influence governmental policy in favor of their interests
Organizations that raise money with the goal of supporting or defeating candidates, parties, or legislation
Organizations of people with similar political ideologies that seek to influence public policy by getting candidates elected
Groups that connect people to the government and turn people’s concerns into political issues
Which of the following statements describes the role political parties within Congress play to promote their party’s public policy agenda?
The majority party appoints staffers in the executive branch, including the bureaucracy, who promote the party’s legislative priorities
The minority party recruits candidates for government office when there is a special election
The majority party selects committee chairs who promote the party’s legislative priorities
Based on the above graph, which of the following correctly summarizes how demographics of all voters changed between 1992 and 2016?
Voters are slightly more diverse ethnically, slightly less educated, and significantly younger as a demographic
Voters are significantly more diverse ethnically, significantly better educated, and slightly older
Which term accurately describes the presidential electoral change brought about by the permanent switch of many conservative white southerners from the Democratic party to the Republican party in the mid 1960s?
Party realignment
Party recalibration
Which of the following best explains a consequence of candidate-centered campaigns?
Candidates rely heavily on the party to fund campaigns
The party’s role in nominating candidates has grown
The party’s role in nominating candidates has weakened
“As is now well known, political parties in recent years have built databases to facilitate targeting strategies. These databases list the names and contact information for all voters in a district, along with information about their personal traits, their neighborhoods, and their history of political participation. Politicians and their campaigns use these lists to perceive the electorate. The lists help them understand who their supporters are, what issues different voters care about, and how they should present themselves to voters in their campaign appeals. This large-scale collection of data influences how politicians perceive voters, and in turn, it affects how they interact with voters.”
-Source: Eitan D. Hersh, Hacking the Electorate: How Campaigns Perceive Voters, 2015
Which of the following statements best summarizes the author’s argument on how political parties use voter data?
To clarify political messages and enhance mobilization efforts
To acquire damaging information on political opponents
Which of the following statements accurately summarizes why it is virtually impossible for third-party candidates to become president?
The Electoral College uses a winner-take-all system
Third parties do not qualify for super PAC funds in presidential races
Which of the following scenarios is an example of a way that one of the major political parties can negatively impact a third party’s chance of winning?
Attempt to form a coalition with the third party
Add issues that concern third-party voters into their platforms
Based on the data shown in the table and your knowledge about the Electoral College, which of the following statements best explains the distribution of electoral votes?
Electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins a majority of the votes within a state
Electoral votes are only awarded to a candidate if there is a clear majority winner, or the election goes to a runoff
Electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins the higher percentage of votes within a state
Like the old Progressive Party, a new generation third-party called the Working Families Party (WFP) has successfully competed in specific geographies in recent years, forging opportunistic alliances with either of the major parties while building a precinct-level organization and support.
Based on this information and current election rules, which of the following is the best strategy for the WFP to influence public policy in the United States?
Challenge the nominees of one or both major parties at their national conventions
Concentrate on “grass roots” campaigns in local elections lacking two-party competition
Political scientists use the term “political realignment” to describe which of the following?
A profound shift in the balance of power between major political parties
The creation or death of political parties
The presidential election of 1968 was conducted against a backdrop of assassinations, race riots, widespread demonstrations against the Vietnam war, and violent confrontations between police and anti-war protesters at the Democratic National Convention.
It also included a strong third party effort by former Alabama Governor George Wallace, a pro-segregation Democrat running as independent. The election outcome was a victory for GOP candidate Richard Nixon, with Wallace receiving 46 electoral votes from southern states.
Which of the following terms accurately characterizes this election and political era?
Disenfranchisement
Party realignment
Based on the table above, which of the following variables made the most difference in winning an election for a third-party or independent candidate in these 7 elections?
In which decade they ran
Which party they represented
Whether the candidate was an incumbent
Which of the following statements accurately summarizes what the National Rifle Association, American Association of Retired Persons, the National Right to Life Committee, Reproductive Rights Action League, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) all have in common?
They all represent professional associations and businesses concerned with public policies that affect their members
They all represent advocacy groups seeking to benefit people unable to represent themselves
They all represent citizen groups attempting to influence government policies that they believe will benefit the public at large
They all represent cause groups representing members that care intensely about a single issue or small group of related issues
Which of the following statements best explains how candidate-centered campaigns have weakened the influence of political parties on the political process?
Candidates can raise campaign funds by appealing to voters and PACs directly
Candidates have refused to identify with parties in hopes of gaining independent voters
Looking at the chart from 1981 until 2011, which of the following is an accurate trend related to party control of the Senate?
Transitions in party control of the Senate occurred most often following mid-year elections
The U.S. experienced a unified government during this time period with both the president and Congress representing the same party
Which of the following describes the message in the political cartoon?
Incorporation of a third-party’s agenda is a way for a dominant party to secure voters who would have voted for the third-party
The major political parties are unwilling to incorporate a third-party agenda because third parties are often unsuccessful
Third parties are more successful than major parties because they appeal to a broader base of voters
A risk of incorporating a third party's agenda is that the third party's platform may eclipse the dominant party's platform
Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Twenty-fourth Amendment?
A state institutes a law requiring state-issued photo identification to vote
A court refuses to provide a lawyer for a defendant who cannot afford one
A court sentences a defendant to life in prison for stealing a loaf of bread
A state institutes a fee to vote in a presidential election
Which of the following is a structural barrier to political participation enforced in certain states today?
Voter ID laws
Poll taxes
Rumana Modi votes for political candidates whose rhetoric and policy initiatives while serving in office align with what she wants to be done in the future.
Which model of voting behavior does this best represent?
Rational choice voting
Party-line voting
Retrospective voting
Prospective voting
Which constitutional change in the early twentieth century led to an increase in democratic participation in the United States?
States no longer could segregate public schools under the principle of “separate but equal”
States’ use of poll taxes to keep African Americans from voting was disallowed
The method by which US senators are elected was changed
Which aspect of the 2016 presidential election has fueled a debate about how democratic the constitutional process is for electing US presidents?
A state-by-state recount of the popular vote changed the final tally based on accusations of corruption in the vote count
Even though Democrat Hillary Clinton outpolled Donald Trump by nearly 2.9 million popular votes, Trump won with a majority of electoral votes
Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Ohio frequently changed electoral support of presidential candidates from one major party to the other in elections between 1980 and 2016, with every presidential winner carrying at least three of these four states.
What term describes these politically contentious areas of the country?
The blue wall
Perennial swing states
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of a closed primary and a caucus?
A
B
C
D
Based on the results shown in the table, who won the election?
The Democratic Party
The Republican Party
Which of the following best explains why direct primaries have become a mainstay of American politics since the early 1900s?
The democratic merits of giving the electorate more influence in choosing candidates outweigh the benefits of depending on party leaders' expertise
Party leaders have become notorious for choosing candidates who are untrained and not well known by the voters
Based on the information in the graph, which of the following statements is true about congressional elections over this period?
Incumbents were more likely to win elections in the Senate, but not the House
Incumbents were less likely to win elections because of critiques of their policy decisions while in office
The majority of incumbents in both houses won their races in every election
Which of the following statements is supported by the data shown in the graph?
Voters turn out at a lower rate for presidential elections than in midterm elections
Voters turn out at generally the same rate for both general elections and midterm elections
Voters turn out at a higher rate for presidential elections than in midterm elections
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the information in the graph?
Senators were more likely to be reelected than members of the House of Representatives in this period
Members of the House were more likely to face political challengers in their primary elections in this period.
The Senate incumbent reelection rate decreased over time as people became more dissatisfied with Congress
Members of the House typically had higher incumbency rates than Senators in this period
Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend illustrated in the line graph?
the rise of party-centered campaigns as consultants are usually supplied by political parties
the decline in media attention for political campaigns as elections have become less competitive
the emergence of grassroots campaigns in which supporters take to social media to campaign for their candidate
the professionalization of elections as most candidates have relied on political consultants
Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend illustrated in the bar chart?
an increase in campaign costs as candidates tend to run for at least a year before the election
a shift towards grassroots fundraising and campaigning as candidates can spend time in small communities
an increase in voter turnout as people can get to know candidates better as they run for office
an over-reliance on political parties as they have to campaign for candidates up for reelection
Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the chart?
Election cycles in the United States have gotten longer over the past fifty years.
The US government is placing limits on election cycles to match the cadence of other major countries.
The United States election cycle lasts significantly longer than other countries around the world.
Which of the following statements accurately describes the information presented in the line graph?
Media reports on elections as if they are horse races, leading to more of a spotlight on political news.
New opportunities opened up for political consultants as the role of the presidency expanded.
Newspapers started mentioning the use of political consultants in 1970, and it has continued to increase.
A campaign advertisement appears on TV and in social media that says, “Candidate Smith has a record that includes policies that will hurt all Americans. If these policies are put into place, much of your hard-earned savings will be taxed away, and your well-paying job will be moved overseas. Be sure to vote on election day."
Which statement below best explains what limitations, if any, might be placed on this campaign message?
Smith’s opponent could use “soft money” to pay for the ad and does not have to claim support for it
Smith’s opponent would have to use personal funds to pay for the ad, which must include hard evidence to support the accusation
Which two interest group sectors in the chart show the greatest percentage difference between their contributions to each of the two major parties?
Lawyers/Lobbyists and Agribusiness
Finance/Insurance/Real Estate and Communications/Electronics
Ideology/Single Issue and Health
Energy/Natural Resources and Labor
Based on the information in the graphic, which of the following claims would an opponent to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010) most likely make?
Voter turnout will likely increase by 32% as campaign contributions and campaign advertisements increase
Campaign finance laws are sufficient and have not given any person an unfair advantage in the amount a person can donate
Campaign finance laws allow a small proportion of the US population to influence elections unfairly through unlimited political contributions
Which statement best summarizes a central criticism in the ongoing debate surrounding the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?
The Supreme Court has extended First Amendment protection of political speech at the expense of election fairness
The Federal Election Commission has reduced the amount of “hard money” campaign contributions, resulting in a decrease in voter registrations and turnout
"The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves…and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote . . ."
Excerpt from Amendment XII of the US Constitution
Which of the following statements would the constitutional founders most agree with in regards to this excerpt from the Twelfth Amendment?
The Electoral College reflects a rejection of popular sovereignty by making the process indirect and convoluted, thus taking the national constituency out of the selection process
The Electoral College addresses a profound distrust of power residing with the chief executive, as this indirect electoral procedure preserves the superiority of the legislative branch
The indirect method shows how committed the new republic was to boosting the power of the national government by giving electors from each state the role of “kingmakers” in presidential selection
This indirect method prevents voters across the country from ignoring better qualified candidates outside their region, and allows less populous states greater influence in presidential selection
Which of the following best explains the danger that “attack journalism” poses to political participation?
This type of election coverage focuses more on poll results and speculation about a likely winner than on substantive differences between candidates, reducing voter interest
This media coverage aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a politician’s personality, which turns elections into beauty pageants at the expense of issue debates
By treating government officials and candidates as targets to be stalked in pursuit of scandal, attack journalists create the impression that all politicians are ineffective and untrustworthy
Which of the following accurately describes a trend of public trust in the federal government from 1958 to 2017?
Public trust has generally declined, rising briefly during periods of economic growth and the 9/11 crisis
Public trust has increased during wartime administrations when the nation’s citizens have rallied around the president
Which of the following scenarios is an example of how the media can act as a linkage institution?
A political action committee donates money to a candidate for Senate to use for commercial advertisements
A reporter interviews students and teachers after a school-wide evacuation because of a fire
A political party advertises a “Rock the Vote” concert on Facebook to get people aged 18-21 to vote
A television network airs the results of public opinion poll projecting the winner of the 2016 presidential election
Use the text below to answer the following question.
“If you start from the understanding that important party decisions are made before the voters weigh in, the question 'who’s winning?'—or, alternately, 'who is the party choosing, and which people are making that choice?'—becomes one of the best ways to give ordinary citizens who want to become more active political participants the information they need. (If you’re not a party member, meanwhile, knowing the process by which the party made its choice—rather than just the outcome it arrived at—can still help inform your own political participation.)”
-Greg Marx, “In Defense of (the Right Kind of) Horse Race Journalism,” Columbia Journalism Review, September 6, 2011.
Regarding the above excerpt, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
Journalists should spend more time writing about differences in campaigns as well as predicting winners in tightly contested races a few days before the election
Horse race journalism is a more effective tool for informing voters and attracting their participation when applied to primary elections instead of general elections
The data displayed in the infographic best supports which of the following statements?
As of 2011, Disney and Viacom control 30% of the American media market
Since 1983, American news sources have become increasingly diverse and partisan
As of 2011, all of American media is under the control of six companies
Since 1983, American news sources have become concentrated in the hands of a few companies
Read the passage and answer the question below.
“We advocate abolishing the term "citizen journalist." These people can call themselves "citizen news gatherers," but it is no more appropriate to call them citizen journalists than it would be to sit before a citizen judge or be operated on by a citizen brain surgeon.
Because of declining revenues, newspapers, magazines and TV stations actually think they can get these "volunteers" to replace the professionals . . . that they can abandon their print editions, and have bloggers post without covering stories as they happen. Yes, there are a million news blogs, but only one New York Times. But to continue its reputation, the Times must uphold traditional editorial principles. So must we all.”
-Editorial, The Digital Journalist, 2009
Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
Traditional editorial principles are needlessly restrictive in the digital age
The vast number of news blogs has made traditional publications like the New York Times unnecessary
It is inaccurate to label citizen journalists “volunteers” as they are usually paid by newspapers and TV stations for their stories
Although bloggers can cover stories as they happen, they do not have the training to provide good quality news coverage
Which of the following is a true statement about the role media plays in providing citizens with political knowledge?
It can determine a citizen's core political beliefs about the role of the government in the United States.
It enhances people’s access to political information so they can make thoughtful decisions about their representatives and policy.
Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend in the chart?
Increased political efficacy among millennial and Gen X voters
Increased uncertainty among consumers over the credibility of news sources and information
