Test Questions

Front 1

Which of the following is NOT a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns?

Back 1

Prohibiting negative advertising

Front 2

How is a president chosen when none of the candidates receives a majority of the electoral college vote?

Back 2

The House chooses a new president by a majority vote of its state delegates.

Front 3

Explanations for low voter turnout include all or the following include registration requirements, weak party affiliation, weekday elections, and frequency of elections at the state and local level but does not include

Back 3

laws that protect voting rights for minorities.

Front 4

Since 1972, voters in presidential elections have

Back 4

become more focused on individual candidates.

Front 5

Since the early 1980s, the Republican Party platform has been increasingly influenced by

Back 5

evangelical Christians.

Front 6

Compared to the general population, delegates to presidential nomination conventions are

Back 6

more ideological.

Front 7

The issue of political parties is not addressed in the Constitution.

Back 7

True

Front 8

The framers of the United States Constitution left decisions on voting eligibility to the

Back 8

individual states.

Front 9

One reason for the persistence of a two party system in the United States is

Back 9

the low voter turnout in most elections.

Front 10

The following is true about political action committees (PACs):

Back 10

they make campaign contributions to gain access to legislators.

Front 11

The following best describes the differences between an open and closed primary:

Back 11

only voters who register as members of a political party may vote in that party’s closed primary, while independents and others may be eligible to vote in open primaries.

Front 12

The following best describes the concept of political efficacy:

Back 12

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

Front 13

The main intent of “motor voter” laws is to

Back 13

increase voter registration.

Front 14

is the leading predictor of how an individual will vote in a congressional election.

Back 14

Partisanship

Front 15

Registered voters directly elect

Back 15

Members of the Senate and Members of the House of Representatives.

Front 16

The following statement is true for both Democrats and Republicans:

Back 16

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to label themselves “conservatives.”

Front 17

is the process by which political values are passed to the next generation.

Back 17

Political socialization

Front 18

The following statement best describes the organization of the two major political parties in the United States:

Back 18

Separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and local levels.

Front 19

The primary function of political action committees (PACs) is to

Back 19

raise campaign funds to support favored candidates.

Front 20

Interest groups and political parties both promote United States democracy by

Back 20

linking citizens to the political process.

Front 21

The following statement is the MOST accurate statement about political parties in the United States

Back 21

it is increasingly difficult for third parties to gain more than two percent of the popular vote.

Front 22

The LEAST likely to vote is

Back 22

the young with low education levels.

Front 23

The following statements about voting behavior in the US is correct:

Back 23

College graduates are more likely to vote than are those who have at most a high school diploma.

Front 24

Considering all elections at all levels of government, electoral behavior in the US is best described as

Back 24

the majority of the electorate does not vote in most elections.

Front 25

The following is a provision of federal election laws:

Back 25

in areas with significant populations of linguistic minorities, voting materials must be made available in the preferred languages of the population.

Front 26

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

Back 26

party realignment.

Front 27

The following statement MOST accurately compares elections in the US with those in most other Western democracies:

Back 27

the voter turnout rate in the US is usually lower.

Front 28

would result from the direct election of presidential candidates.

Back 28

Each vote would count equally in determining which candidate won the election

Front 29

The following BEST describes the relationship between socioeconomic status and participation in politics:

Back 29

The higher one’s socioeconomic status, the greater the probability of active involvement in the political process.

Front 30

The following statement is accurate about political participation in the US today:

Back 30

similar proportions of eligible men and women vote in presidential elections.

Front 31

The term “horse-race journalism” refers to the tendency of the media to

Back 31

cover campaigns by emphasizing the relative standings of the candidates in the polls rather than the issues they discuss.

Front 32

The following generalization about group voting tendencies is true:

Back 32

African Americans Democrats tend to support the more liberal candidates within their party.

Front 33

The following is the MOST important influence on the choice made by voters in presidential elections:

Back 33

party platform adopted at the national convention.

Front 34

A primary election in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket is

Back 34

a closed primary.

Front 35

The largest amount of political coverage in newspapers during presidential campaigns is devoted to

Back 35

day-to-day campaign activities.

Front 36

A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48% of that state’s popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40% of the votes, and an independent candidate receives 12% of the vote. If the state is similar to most to the other states, who will the electoral votes most likely be allocated?

Back 36

The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 votes.

Front 37

An election involving more than two candidates in which the person who receives the most votes is the winner is called

Back 37

a plurality election.