AP Government EXAM: Parties & Elections Mr. Messinger INSTRUCTIONS: Mark all answers on your Scantron. Do not write on the test. Good luck!! 1. All of the following are true of the Electoral College system EXCEPT: a) It is possible to win the electoral vote but lose the popular vote b) A majority of electors is required to win c) Electors are awarded proportionally in a majority of states d) Candidates have historically focused on large states e) Many candidates today focus on swing states, or states where the race between the candidates is close. 2. Which of the following statements about the U.S. political party system is true? a) It has remained largely stable, with the Democratic and Republican parties dominating since the founding of the country b) It has experienced broad changes, with parties rising and declining over the years c) It all but ceased to exist by the 1980s d) It has grown steadily stronger as the power of the presidency has grown stronger e) It has rarely been strong and has never truly mobilized voters 3. Many Founding Fathers saw political parties as a) an important aspect of democracy b) effective only in raising money for campaigns c) appropriate for a direct democracy but not a republic d) a means of communicating public opinion to the president e) factions motivated by ambition and self-interest 4. Which of the following requires citizens to have a direct, government sponsored opportunity to register to vote? a) Political Efficacy b) Civic Duty c) Referendum d) Initiative e) Motor Voter Law 5. Which of the following statements about the two-party system is correct? a) Most European countries have such a system b) The U.S. is one of the few countries with such a system c) It exists in the United States because of the absence of local party organization d) It has existed in the U.S. only since the early 1900s e) It has always been on the verge of collapse 6. Why has the two-party system in the U.S. most likely persisted for so long? a) Because a minor party is unlikely to gather enough public support to elect its presidential candidate b) Because a two-party system discourages patronage and reduces voter interest in joining a minor party c) Because of the large number of divisive issues that have persisted in the United States since its founding d) Because a two-party system requires each party to be as narrowly based as possible, leaving little room for minor parties e) Because the two-party system forces third parties to subject themselves to media scrutiny
7. The most dramatic example of the winnertake-all principle in the U.S. electoral system is the a) ideal of pluralism b) municipal elections in a small New England town c) partisan judicial elections d) two-party system e) electoral college 8. The most significant fact about the 1960 presidential election (Kennedy vs. Nixon) was that a) the primaries pitted two branches of the Democratic Party against each other. b) an incumbent vice president lost his bid for the presidency. c) television played a role in determining the outcome of the election. d) voters elected the first Roman Catholic president. e) in an attempt to balance the ticket, the Democrats chose a Southerner as the vice presidential nominee. 9. Of the following voters, which is the least likely to vote? a) A Northerner b) A college graduate c) A regular attendee at religious services d) A person with a high sense of civic duty e) A person who lives in a rural area 10. All of the following help to explain the decline in voter turnout EXCEPT a) the increasingly difficult process involved in registering to vote. b) a decline in the sense of political efficacy. c) a decline in political parties. d) lack of interest. e) a decline in the belief that government is responsive to the concerns of citizens 11. James Madison believed that the latent causes of factions were rooted in a) the two-party system b) capitalist society c) religious conflict d) an improperly designed constitution e) the nature of man 12. Even though minor parties have little success in national elections, they have played an important role in many elections by a) forcing runoffs that sharpened the policy positions of the two major parties b) encouraging dissident factions to remain in the Democratic or Republican party c) removing barriers in state election laws d) influencing the public policy positions of the two major parties e) making the cost of running for president much higher 13. If party identification alone automatically determined election outcomes, which party would win the 2012 presidential election? a) Republican b) Democrat c) Socialist d) Green e) Progressive 14. All of the following are provisions of campaign law EXCEPT a) the unregulated use of soft money by state and local parties. b) a $2,400 limit on individual contributions to a candidate for a primary or general election. c) federal matching funds for candidates in federal elections who meet certain requirements. d) full disclosure of all money raised by presidential candidates. e) spending limits by state for all candidates who accept government funding. 15. All of the following are true of voter behavior EXCEPT that a) the higher the level of education, the more likely one is to vote. b) women statistically tend to be more liberal than men. c) the less political power a group has, the more likely it is to be liberal. d) parental affiliation is the greatest predictor of a person s own party identification. e) the younger the voter, the more likely he or she is to be conservative.
16. Modern televised debates between presidential and vice-presidential candidates during the general election have relatively little effect on voters decisions because the debates a) only reach a narrow audience of voters. b) occur late in the election process when most voters have decided for whom to vote. c) are stage-managed by the television networks. d) fail to provide adequate time for the candidates to discuss their positions on issues e) unfairly highlight candidates physical qualities rather than their policies. 17. A modern political fact of life that political parties need to recognize in order to be successful at the polls is that a) campaign finance reform is a major issue with voters. b) older voters are conservative and the population is aging. c) the gender gap elected Bill Clinton in 1996. d) most voters hold middle-of-the-road views on most issues. e) touting their accomplishments is the best way to win. 18. Incumbent members of the Senate tend to win reelection to Congress because I. often their districts have been drawn to support the incumbent s party. II. voters are more familiar with incumbents than with the challengers. III. the staff of incumbents solve problems for constituents and build up good will for their bosses that translate into support back home at election time. IV. incumbents are able to raise more campaign money than challengers a) I and II b) III and IV c) I, II, and III d) II, III, and IV e) I, II, III, and IV 19. Primaries are governed by I. party rules. II. state law. III. federal law. a) I only b) II only c) III only d) I and II e) I, II, and III 20. The Motor Voter Act includes all of the following provisions EXCEPT a) people who are eligible to vote can register by checking off a box when applying for or renewing their driver s license. b) voter registration forms must by available in public assistance offices and in military recruitment centers. c) the Act has dramatically increased voter turnout. d) voter registration may also be done by mail. e) periodically, states must send questionnaires to all registered voters in order to update voting people who have died and by correcting changes of addresses. 21. In the past four decades, the hold of the major political parties on the electorate was weakened by all of the following, EXCEPT: a) crossover voting in primaries. b) the substitution of direct primaries and caucuses for conventions of the party elite. c) split-ticket voting in general elections. d) news media coverage of campaigns. e) the rise of political interest groups. 22. When selecting a vice-presidential candidate, a presidential nominee is usually concerned primarily with choosing a running mate who a) has significant personal wealth b) adds balance and appeal to the national tickets c) comes from the same ideological wing of the party as the President d) can serve as the most important domestic policy advisor to the President e) can effectively preside over the Senate
23. Modern party platforms are determined by a) state parties. b) local parties. c) presidential candidates. d) party bosses. e) participants at the party s national convention 24. Criticisms of the election process typically include all of the following, EXCEPT: a) Disproportionate attention goes to the early primaries b) Money plays too large of a role c) Participation in the primaries is low and not representative of the entire electorate d) Disproportionate attention goes to the early caucuses e) The system allows little room for media involvement 25. Which of the following is a significant trend in the presidential nominating process over the past three decades? a) Replacement of national party conventions by national primaries for each party b) Increasing importance of presidential primaries rather than state conventions c) A sharply declining role for political action committees (PACs) d) Decreasing cost of campaigns e) Increasing control by political party leaders over outcomes 26. Which of the following is the most important influence on the choice made by voters in presidential elections? a) Partisan identification b) Party platform adopted at the national convention c) Vice-presidential running mate d) Endorsement by political incumbents e) Appeal of the candidates spouses 27. An election involving more than two candidates in which the person who receives the most votes is the winner is called a) a majority election b) a proportional election c) a plurality election d) a simple election e) an indirect election 28. Which of the following campaign financing reforms has been adopted? a) Increasing the amount of PAC contributions that a candidate can accept b) Abolishing soft money contributions c) Decreasing government subsidies to congressional campaigns d) Allowing more lobbyist gifts to candidates e) Eliminating federal matching funds 29. The advantages of incumbency in congressional elections include which of the following? I. Incumbents receive more campaign contributions than do challengers II. Incumbents are able to provide important services for individual voters III. The government provides campaign funds for incumbents IV. The President usually endorses incumbents for reelection V. Most American voters believe Congress does a good job a) I and II only b) III and IV only c) I, IV, and V only d) II, III, and V only e) III, IV, and V only 30. Which of the following is characteristic of the Electoral College? a) It mandates presidential electors to vote for the candidate to whom they are pledged b) It establishes a power base for thirdparty candidates c) It has resulted in frequent occasions when a candidate wins the electoral vote despite losing the popular vote d) It became part of the Constitution to give more power to the voters e) It gives the House of Representatives the power to determine who will be president if no candidate gets a majority of the electoral votes
31. The largest amount of political coverage in newspapers during presidential campaigns is devoted to a) day-to-day campaign activities b) the platforms of the major parties c) candidates policy stands on domestic issues d) candidates stands on foreign policy issues e) candidates experience and qualifications 32. A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48 percent of that state s popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40 percent of the vote, and an independent candidate receives 12 percent of the vote. If the state is similar to most other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated? a) The Democratic candidate will receive 5 electoral votes, the Republican will receive 4, and the independent will receive 2. b) The Democratic candidate will receive 6 electoral votes and the Republican will receive 5. c) The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 votes. d) The votes will not be allotted until there has been a runoff election between the Democratic and Republican candidates. e) The House of Representatives will determine the allocation of the electoral votes. 33. Which of the following is a result of the electoral college system? a) The winner of the presidency often lacks a majority of the popular vote b) Candidates focus on one-party states in which they can win most of the electoral votes c) The House of Representatives frequently chooses the President from the top three candidates d) Candidates focus on the states with the largest populations e) Campaign spending increases because candidates emphasize television advertising 34. Which of the following is the most accurate statement about political parties in the United States? a) Parties increasingly identify themselves with coherent ideologies to attract large blocs of voters b) The percentage of voters identifying themselves as either Democrats or Republicans has been declining since the 1970s c) National party organizations are generally the strongest party organizations d) It is increasingly difficult for third parties to gain more than two percent of the popular vote e) Most candidates prefer to run as independents rather than as Democrats or Republicans 35. When 18 to 21 year olds received the right to vote in 1971, in the 1972 national elections they did which of the following? a) Voted overwhelmingly for Republican candidates b) Voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates c) Voted overwhelmingly for radical candidates d) Turned out at a lower rate than the rest of the electorate e) Turned out at the same rate as the rest of the electorate 36. Considering all elections at all levels of government, which of the following best describes electoral behavior in the United States? a) Primary elections tend to elicit a higher voter turnout than do general elections b) The majority of the electorate does not vote in most elections c) Voter turnout plays an insignificant role in election outcomes d) Adult citizens under the age of 30 tend to have the highest rate of voter turnout e) Voters with strong party identification vote less regularly than do independents
37. Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the two major political parties in the United States? a) Parties have no organization except at the national level b) Parties are centrally organized to provide a smooth transition from one national campaign to the next c) Parties are organized much like a large corporation, in that decisions flow from national to state and local levels d) Local and state parties have virtually no power in the party system e) Separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and local levels 38. Which of the following best explains why delegates to both the Republican and Democratic Conventions in 1996 were much more likely to have college and postgraduate degrees than was the rest of the voting population? a) College education increases the likelihood of holding liberal political positions b) College education increases the likelihood of holding conservative political positions c) Political activism increases with education levels d) Education allows people to have more time to attend conventions e) Some states require delegates to hold college degrees 39. A major difference between the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary is a) greater turnout of voters in the Iowa caucus b) more loyal party regulars vote in New Hampshire c) exit polls are more accurate in caucus votes d) candidates must spend more money on gaining caucus votes e) New Hampshire voters use a secret ballot to vote 40. The franking privilege refers to the a) Federal Reserve Board s control over interest rates b) practice of permitting senators to preview lists of judicial nominees c) practice whereby legislators with the most seniority select the committees on which they want to serve d) right of the chair to control the schedule of his or her congressional committee e) right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government s expense 41. Which of the following took place after presidential candidates Truman in 1948, Nixon in 1968, and Clinton in 1992 won only pluralities of the popular vote? a) The election was formally decided in the House of Representatives b) The election was formally decided in the Senate c) The winning candidate took office after receiving less than 50% of the popular votes cast d) The electoral college votes cast by independents were critical in determining the winner e) The results of the popular vote necessitated a runoff 42. Which of the following is NOT a core value of United States political culture? a) Legal equality b) Political equality c) Economic equality d) Freedom of speech e) Freedom of religion 43. Of the following, the most important role in the political socialization of children is played by a) their peer groups b) their places of worship c) the family d) the media e) the school
44. Which of the following statements about voting behavior in the United States is correct? a) College graduates are more likely to vote than are those who have at most a high school diploma b) Voters under the age of 25 are more likely to vote than are those in any other age group c) Registration requirements have no significant effect on voter turnout d) Since 1920, the proportion of women have voted is approximately the same as the proportion of men who have voted e) During the twentieth century, the proportion of African Americans who voted was approximately the same as the proportion of White Americans who voted 45. Which of the following is a provision of federal election laws? a) A small fee must be paid by persons voting in federal elections b) On-site registrations to vote must be permitted on the day of any federal election c) Electoral districts must be apportioned to equalize the numbers of Democratic and Republican voters wherever a historic imbalance exists d) Citizens must be automatically registered to vote on their eighteenth birthday e) In areas with significant populations of linguistic minorities, voting materials must be made available in the preferred languages of the population 46. All of the following can affect the accuracy of public opinion polling EXCEPT the a) margin of error b) underdog effect c) wording of the questions on the survey d) interpretation of the survey results e) issues that are the subject of the survey 47. All of the following are reasons for lower voter turnout in congressional elections compared to presidential elections EXCEPT: a) Political advertisements use more smear tactics in presidential elections b) Voters are more aware of national issues than local issues c) There is more media coverage of presidential elections d) Voters believe that presidential elections have a greater impact on the country s future e) Candidates spend more money on presidential elections 48. Which of the following statements best describes congressional incumbency? a) Incumbents are usually able to win reelection b) Incumbents have had fundraising limits imposed on them by the Federal Election Commission c) Incumbents have been able to raise less money than their opponents d) Incumbents are able to use franking privileges to their tremendous advantage e) Incumbents look to have numerous debates with their opponents to gain name recognition 49. The importance of Shays Rebellion to the development of the United States Constitution was that it a) indicated that a strong, constitutionally designed national government was needed to protect property and maintain order b) revealed the necessity of both adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution and creating a new system of checks and balances c) demonstrated the intensity of antiratification sentiment within the thirteen states d) convinced the delegates attending the Constitutional Convention to accept the Connecticut Plan e) reinforced the idea that slavery should be outlawed in the new Constitution **Don t forget Question 50 on the next page!
50. In terms of politics, the phrase big tent refers to a) an idea formulated by Cornell Ventura that a presidential candidate, when properly motivated, will typically behave like a ring leader b) something used to protect a political party from rain, typically made of canvas c) the Latin phrase bigus tentus, which roughly translates to you did not studious! d) attempts by a political party to attract a wide range of people with varying interests and political concerns e) the fact that elections are like a circus