INTEREST GROUPS/POLITICAL PARTIES/MEDIA: PRACTICE TEST 1) Ticket-splitting can result in: A) difficulties in enacting public policy. B) increased party discipline. C) more votes for a minor party. D) switching membership in political parties. E) voting with one party in one presidential election, and another party in the next presidential election. 2) Lobbyists provide members of Congress all of the following EXCEPT A) expertise. B) ideas and innovations. C) information. D) help with accomplishing their legislative goals. E) soft money contributions made directly to their campaigns 3) In the past forty years, there has been: A) an increase in voters who identify with one or the other major political party. B) a sharp rise in the number of people identifying with minor parties. C) a decline in party desertion. D) an increase in both parties of strong party identification among the electorate. E) an increase in independents. 4) American political parties tend to take middle-of-the-road stands on major issues A) in order to achieve electoral victories. B) while the public tends to have stronger opinions C) because most of the American electorate does not follow public affairs very closely. D) because of the influence of interest groups. E) in spite of evidence that more extreme positions generate more excitement and likelihood for electoral victory. 5) Sound bites: A) strengthen the role of issues in presidential election campaigns B) can enhance a candidate s image. C) appeal to elites more than the mass public. D) are not allowed in issue advocacy ads. E) are banned by the FCC. 6) All are true about 527 s EXCEPT: A) they are not allowed to run issue advocacy ads. B) they are tax-exempt groups. C) they can accept donations. D) they can spend money on election activities. E) they are a type of interest group.
7) The media may have less influence than many think because: A) their main goal is to earn profits. B) they must follow the Fairness Doctrine. C) of selective exposure. D) of federal restrictions on issue advocacy ads. E) of federal restrictions against media consolidation. 8) Unlike interest groups, political parties A) are policy specialists. B) do not take positions on policy issues. C) are unable to spend money on election campaigns. D) are policy generalists. E) have a narrower scope than interest groups. 9) According to Madison in Federalist #51, which of these would reduce the abuses caused by factions? A) A republic of virtue B) Establishing strong majority factions C) A Bill of Rights D) A geographically large republic E) A two party system 10) Interest groups offer incentives to join in order to: A) influence members of Congress. B) gain access to key congressional staff members. C) bribe presidential candidates. D) gain access to congressional leaders. E) overcome the free rider problem. 11) Which is true about newspapers since 1960? A) Their number has increased B) Their number has decreased, but their circulation has increased C) Their circulation has increased D) Their number has increased, but their circulation has decreased E) Their number has decreased, and their circulation has decreased 12) Of these, the LEAST important factor that PACs take into account when determining whether to support a candidate is the candidate s: A) party affiliation B) voting record C) membership on an important congressional committee D) chances of winning E) political influence 13) All of these are true about PAC contributions to candidate campaigns EXCEPT: A) they are not allowed less than 30 days before an election.
B) they are an example of hard money. C) their amounts are limited by federal law. D) they must be disclosed to the FEC. E) they are given largely to incumbents. 14) The largest number of PACs are run by: A) labor unions. B) corporations. C) nonconnected groups. D) trade associations. E) health associations. 15) In terms of organizational structure, American political parties are A) organized more by regions of the country than at the state or national level. B) decentralized and fragmented. C) useless. D) centralized and hierarchical. E) tightly controlled organisms that exert tremendous control over candidates. 16) Which is an example of a linkage institution? A) Congress B) Supreme Court C) Political parties D) FEC E) White House Office 17) All of these explain the growth of interest groups EXCEPT: A) development of communications technology B) diversity of population C) diffusion of power in government D) the single member district system E) multiplicity of access points in government 18) According to theory, interest groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace. A) Marxist B) free market C) pluralist D) hyperelitist E) elitist 19) The supreme power within each of the parties is the A) president. B) state party organizations. C) Supreme Party Court. D) national convention.
E) National Senate Campaign Committee. 20) Since 1968, American politics has largely been characterized by A) divided government. B) Republican control of both the Congress and presidency. C) dominance by the New Deal coalition. D) Democratic control of both the Congress and presidency. E) Democratic control of the presidency and Republican control of Congress. 21) A trial balloon is a A) story leaked by a reporter to government officials. B) method of gauging public reaction to a possible policy initiative. C) method used by the media to provide balance to their stories. D) way of increasing media consolidation. E) directive by judges to deny access to reporters in certain sensitive cases. 22) In Federalist #10, Madison proposed to cure the mischiefs of factions by: A) controlling their effects B) removing their causes C) abolishing equality D) forcing citizens to share certain beliefs E) amending the Constitution 23) The policy agenda is A) the laws that have been passed in previous terms of Congress. B) a list of priorities to which government officials address their time and energies. C) the daily schedule of presidential appointments. D) a linkage institution between people and government. E) the list of cases before the Supreme Court 24) The single member district system: A) is used in European parliamentary government B) has been struck down by the Supreme Court C) is opposed by the Democratic Party D) is opposed by the Republican Party e) is a barrier to success for third parties in the US 25) An amicus curiae brief is A) a method of influencing the Congress. B) a petition to release a death row inmate. C) a written argument submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case. D) the written statement of a court's decision in a case explaining the reasons for the decision. E) an oral or written appeal of a court decision made by the losing party. 26) Political parties perform all of the following tasks EXCEPT A) registering voters. B) raising money for campaigns.
C) assisting the president in making appointments to office. D) donating soft money to interest groups. E) advocating public policies. 27) Of the following, people get most of their news from A) magazines. B) their peers. C) radio. D) newspapers. E) television. 28) People gradually moving away from both parties is referred to as A) partisan drift. B) dealignment. C) coalition politics. D) alignment. E) realignment. 29) Which of the following is NOT one of the basic interest group strategies in America? A) influencing rules and regulations of federal agencies B) gerrymandering C) making campaign contributions D) lobbying E) litigating 30) Superdelegates are: A) Republican delegates to the national convention who are selected by caucuses B) Democratic delegates to the national convention who are selected by caucuses C) Both Republican and Democratic convention delegates who are pledged to support a particular candidate D) Democratic party leaders who have discretion for whom they vote at the national convention E) Republican party leaders who have discretion for whom they vote at the national convention 1a 2e 3e 4a 5b 6a 7c 8d 9d 10e 11e 12a 13a
14b 15b 16c 17d 18c 19d 20a 21b 22a 23b 24e 25c 26d 27e 28b 29b 30d