American Government Brief Version 11th Edition Wilson Test Bank

American Government Brief Version
11th Edition Wilson Test Bank

Visit to download the full and correct content document: https://testbankdeal.com/dow
nload/american-government-brief-version-11th-edition-wilson-test-bank/
CHAPTER 8: Campaigns and Elections
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Public participation in elections is lowest in

a. Australia.
b. Great Britain.
c. the United States.
d. Italy.
e. France.
ANS: C REF: 177 NOT: Factual
2. About __________ percent of Americans either do not participate in politics at all or limit that
participation strictly to voting.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 25
d. 35
e. 40
ANS: E REF: 178 NOT: Factual
3. A primary reason why people participate in politics is

a. that voting is more rewarding than community activities.
b. the success of political parties in attracting people to vote.
c. a strong sense of civic duty.
d. the ease of voting registration requirements.
e. high levels of political information and awareness.
ANS: C REF: 179 NOT: Conceptual
4. Normally speaking, which age group is the least likely to vote in a presidential election?
a. 18–24
b. 25–34
c. 35–44
d. 45–54
e. 55 and above
ANS: A REF: 179 NOT: Factual
5. Compared with white participation in the democratic process, African Americans participate
a. less than whites across the board.
b. more than whites of the same socioeconomic status.
c. only during some periods of history, such as the civil-rights movement in the 1960s.
d. more heavily in protest movements, riots, and demonstrations.
e. more heavily in national elections than in state and local contests.
ANS: B REF: 179 | 180 NOT: Factual
6. Evidence suggests that government officials tend to be better informed about and more in agreement
with the opinions of
a. average citizens.
b. activists.
c. inactives.
d. parochial participants.
e. residents of so-called blue states.
ANS: B REF: 180 NOT: Conceptual
7. Which constitutional amendment forbids states to deny the right to vote on account of age?
a. Thirteenth Amendment
b. Fifteenth Amendment
c. Nineteenth Amendment
d. Twenty-sixth Amendment
e. None of the above is true.
ANS: D REF: 180 NOT: Factual
8. Some states disenfranchise __________ for life.

a. felons
b. gamblers
c. former politicians
d. marijuana smokers
e. first-time, non-violent offenders
9. The legal voting age in almost all other nations is

a. 19.
b. 18.
c. 21.
d. 17.
e. 20.
ANS: B REF: 180 NOT: Factual
10. Which amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote on account of “race, color, or previous
condition of servitude”?
11. Compared with the public as a whole, political activists tend to be more
a. liberal.
b. conservative.
c. ideologically extreme on both the left and the right.
d. politically moderate, reflecting their sense of efficacy.
e. politically moderate, reflecting the influence of the media.
12. Which of the following was a major change in regard to American elections?
a. Direct election of members of the House
b. Equal representation in the electoral college
c. Uniform eligibility requirements for electors
d. Appointment of state legislators
e. Direct election of members of the Senate
13. Which of the following resulted in a dramatic change in the number of blacks who registered
and voted?
a. The Voting Rights Act of 1965
b. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
c. The ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870
d. The ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment in 1971
e. The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920
14. Which constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote?

15. The Nineteenth Amendment did not greatly alter electoral outcomes because
a. women did not register to vote, leaving decisions to men.
b. women voted more or less in the same manner as men.
c. women took the advice of men in making their voting decisions.
d. there were no policies of interest to women in these elections.
e. women refused to vote in protest of the war.
16. When eighteen-year-olds got the vote, they

a. voted more frequently than the population as a whole.
b. were more heavily Democratic than Republican.
c. voted more Republican than Democratic.
d. voted for younger candidates in presidential elections.
e. made little difference to the outcomes of elections.
ANS: E REF: 182 NOT: Conceptual
17. Some scholars argue that the decline in voter turnout in the twentieth century is more apparent than
real because in earlier elections
a. vote fraud inflated ballot counts.
b. the illiteracy of immigrants was not a factor.
c. property qualifications decreased the eligible electorate.
d. blacks were terrorized to keep them from voting.
e. were extended over several days.
ANS: A REF: 183 NOT: Conceptual
18. When did the United States begin using the secret ballot?
a. When VAP and VEP data became available
b. When the so-called Australian ballot was adopted
c. When the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965
d. When the government began registering people to vote
e. When the government began conducting the census
19. VEP calculations attempt to

a. remove immigration statistics from calculations of voter turnout.
b. add employment data to calculations of voter turnout.
c. employ census data and voter registration lists in calculations of voter turnout.
d. employ census data for calculations of voter turnout.
e. remove ineligible voters from calculations of voter turnout.
20. In most European nations, voter registration is

a. done for the voters by the government.
b. not required.
c. done by the voters by themselves.
d. more complicated than in the United States.
e. only possible if the voter owns property.
21. In 1993, Congress passed a law that allowed citizens to register to vote when they applied for
a. government jobs.
b. employment with community organizations.
c. college.
d. driver’s licenses.
e. participation in government funded construction projects.
22. When registered nonvoters in the United States were asked why they did not vote, what was the most
common explanation?
a. Illness
b. Apathy over the candidates/issues
c. Intense dislike of the candidates
d. No transportation to the polls
e. Scheduling conflicts
23. Studies suggest which of the following would be an effective way to increase vote turnout?
a. Direct mail
b. Radio ads
c. Door-to-door canvassing
d. Television ads
e. Election day festivals
24. When all is said and done, today, campaigns are largely run by
a. personal followers of the candidate.
b. party organizations.
c. large donors.
d. the media.
e. local politicians.
25. The increased reliance on the mass media by candidates has resulted in
a. campaigns becoming less costly.
b. issues becoming more important to voters.
c. an emphasis on the personal qualities of candidates.
d. PAC support becoming less important to candidates.
e. a decrease in soft money.
26. Which of the following have contributed to the increase in personal campaigns?
a. Primary elections
b. Political fundraising and patronage
c. Increased reliance on mass media
d. Decline in party identification
e. All of the above are true.
27. In recent years states have tried to increase the importance of their primaries and caucuses by
a. excluding independent voters.
b. welcoming independent voters.
c. scheduling these events later in the contest.
d. scheduling these events earlier in the contest.
e. advertising these events nationally.
ANS: D REF: 187 NOT: Conceptual
28. The tendency of big states, in recent years, is to __________ primaries and caucuses.
a. narrow-cast
b. commercialize
c. end-load
d. front-load
e. solidify
29. What is a major strategic problem that presidential candidates face?

a. Sounding upbeat in a down economy
b. Appealing to die-hard supporters in the primary and centrists in the general election
c. Appealing to centrists in the primary and die-hard supporters in the general election
d. Presenting their voting record without revealing too much
e. Deciding how to present the inevitable attack ads
30. If you must declare that you are a registered member of a party a considerable time in advance, then
you are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
31. If you are voting because no candidate received a majority of the votes in a previous election, then you
are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
32. If you can decide which party’s ticket you would like to participate in as you enter the voting booth,
you are voting in a(n) __________ primary.
a. open
b. closed
c. blanket
d. runoff
e. free love
33. The 2008 election was somewhat significant because it featured

a. senators as candidates.
b. governors as candidates.
c. a shaky economy and international conflict.
d. an unpopular president.
e. no incumbent president or vice president as a candidate.
34. In general elections, visuals

a. present the candidate as doing newsworthy activities.
b. are poorly suited to the needs of television.
c. usually help the Republican candidate.
d. are being used less frequently.
e. are avoided by candidates in close races.
35. As a campaign tool, televised debates

a. tend to favor the incumbents.
b. tend to favor the lesser-known candidates.
c. usually change voter behavior significantly.
d. usually have a clear winner.
e. showcase all candidates equally.
36. In political terms, what does “Astroturf” mean?

a. Artificial grass
b. Artificial grass used for campaign stops
c. A substitute for a “grassroots” movement
d. Issues that are “off-limits” or “off-the- territory”
e. The public arena where hot topics are debated
37. Which of the following has been shown to increase voter turnout?
a. Reminding people to vote
b. Telling people where to vote
c. Mailing partisan appeals to voters
d. Telling people how often their neighbors have voted
e. Showing TV ads
38. Research has shown that negative ads

a. have no effect on elections.
b. decrease voter turnout.
c. generate votes.
d. reduce the attacker’s credibility.
e. confuse the issues in the voters’ minds.
39. In presidential elections, __________ are more loyal to their party’s candidate.
a. Democrats
b. Republicans
c. Independents
d. no party’s identifiers
e. Libertarians
40. Which Democratic presidential candidate received 90 percent or more of Democratic votes?
a. Carter (1976 and 1980)
b. Clinton (1992 and 1996)
c. Gore (2000)
d. Kerry (2004)
e. Obama (2008)
41. In most presidential elections, a majority of the voters decide whom they will vote for
a. soon after the nominating conventions.
b. during the primaries.
c. before the primaries.
d. just before the election.
e. after national newspapers have made their endorsements.
42. There is evidence to suggest that Eisenhower’s decision to “go to Korea” was influenced by
a. his cabinet.
b. party leaders in the Senate.
c. editorials that he had read in elite publications.
d. protesters outside the White House.
e. public-opinion polls.
43. President __________ ordered endless polls, sometimes weekly, to help him decide what positions
to adopt.
a. Bush
b. Clinton
c. Reagan
d. Carter
e. Eisenhower
44. The rise in single-issue ideological groups has been associated with the
a. Internet.
b. rise of voter apathy.
c. rise in the power of political parties.
d. decline in overall religious activity.
e. decline in the power of political parties.
45. Single-issue interest groups seem to have their greatest electoral impact on
a. primary elections.
b. general elections.
c. the electoral college.
d. incumbents.
e. political conventions.
46. In a typical presidential election, about _____ percent of voters cannot be counted on to vote either
Republican or Democrat.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 20
d. 50
e. 65
47. The biggest factor affecting the votes of non-Democrats and non-Republicans is
a. the choices that candidates make regarding vice-presidential nominees.
b. the economy.
c. concern about crime.
d. international affairs.
e. the character of the candidates.
48. The “pocketbook vote” refers to how

a. general economic conditions affect people’s voting behavior.
b. spending on attack ads affect people’s voting behavior.
c. voters’ income is related to voting behavior.
d. special interest groups influence voting behavior.
e. voter participation influences voting behavior.
49. Which of the following affects how people will vote for president?
a. The vice presidential nominee
b. The role of the mass media
c. The issues the candidate proposes
d. Religion
e. Presidential character
50. When listing the primary factors that impact election outcomes, the authors do not include
a. vice-presidential nominees.
b. mass media.
c. issues discussed by candidates.
d. religion.
e. All of the above are true.
51. In voting, the average person decides by

a. making a retrospective decision on issues.
b. making a prospective decision on issues.
c. ignoring issues totally and concentrating on personalities.
d. focusing on foreign-policy issues.
e. focusing on issues related to national defense and trade.
52. An electoral realignment occurs when

a. a census is taken and new districts are created.
b. a third party forces a new coalition among officeholders.
c. a candidate changes party affiliation.
d. voters ally with the parties in new ways so that there are large and enduring shifts
throughout the population.
e. a party disappears and is replaced by a single-interest group.
ANS: D REF: 198 |199 NOT: Conceptual
53. There seems to have been ___________ realignments in American politics so far.
a. two
b. three
c. four
d. five
e. nine
54. The 1932 realignment was brought on by

a. the women’s vote.
b. economics.
c. civil rights.
d. religion.
e. Immigration.
55. Realignment generally has been related to
a. shifting demographic patterns.
b. decisions made within party organizations.
c. new and important issues.
d. federal election laws.
e. elite opinion.
56. Republican victories in the presidential elections from 1980 through 1996 indicate that a party
realignment has
a. not yet occurred despite these victories.
b. succeeded only in producing a mandate for the Republican Party.
c. propelled the Republicans into the position of the dominant party.
d. occurred to some extent among white voters in the South.
e. occurred in so-called blue states.
57. Evidence of decay in political parties is exhibited by the declining proportion of people identifying
with either party and by the
a. election of more independent candidates to Congress.
b. rise in split-ticket voting.
c. lower quality of candidates representing the parties in Congress.
d. rise in political corruption.
e. increase in congressional investigations.
58. The most loyal supporters of the Democrats have been

a. Catholics and rural people.
b. southerners.
c. rural people and Protestants.
d. African Americans.
e. union members.
59. Poor voters, contrary to popular belief, more often support Republican candidates because
a. the Democrats have been disappointing when in office.
b. the Republicans are perceived as a more effective party.
c. the poor include many elderly, retired persons who are traditionally Republican.
d. Republicans support extensive social programs.
e. Democratic members of Congress have rarely supported increases in the minimum wage.
60. Which of the following candidates did the textbook use as an example of the importance of media in
the development of name recognition?
a. Al Gore
b. Estes Kefauver
c. Ross Perot
d. Adlai Stevenson
e. John F. Kennedy
61. When a voter sees and hears only what she or he wants, __________ is at work.
a. mental tune-out
b. selective attention
c. perceptual narrowing
d. sensory overload
e. conceptual burnout
62. The legal limit on what a congressional candidate may spend is

a. $5,000.
b. $1,000.
c. $10,000.
d. $100,000.
e. nonexistent.
63. In congressional elections, higher campaign spending is especially important for

a. the challenger.
b. the incumbent.
c. conservatives.
d. any candidate.
e. Democrats.
64. Today, the major source of congressional campaign money is

a. PACs.
b. small individual donors.
c. the government itself.
d. corporations.
e. labor unions.
65. For a presidential candidate to be eligible for federal matching funds, he or she must first
a. raise a total of $50,000 from individuals and other donors in each of thirty different states.
b. have the validated signatures of at least 5,000 registered voters on a petition in each of
twenty-five different states.
c. raise $5,000 in individual contributions of $250 or less in each of twenty different states.
d. receive at least 25 percent of the vote in any three states having presidential primaries.
e. win the electoral vote of half the states.
66. The 2002 campaign finance reform law set a limit of __________ on the amount any person can
contribute to a single candidate in a single election.
a. $200
b. $2,000
c. $10,000
d. $50,000
e. $20,000
67. The text concludes that elections
a. never make a difference in public policy because the bureaucracy makes the important
decisions.
b. are less important today than before in changing public policy.
c. are irrelevant because the two parties are so similar.
d. are often significant in producing change.
e. rarely produce change that is substantial.
68. An analysis of campaign promises made between 1944 and 1964 by the two major parties revealed
that ____ percent of the promises were carried out.
a. 31
b. 46
c. 72
d. 64
e. 80
TRUE/FALSE
1. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey won the Democratic nomination without competing in a single state
primary.
ANS: T REF: 177
2. Young adults have voted at lower rates than older adults in every election since 1972.
ANS: T REF: 179
3. African Americans vote at a higher rate than whites when comparisons control for income and
education.
ANS: T REF: 179 |180
4. The Fifteenth Amendment says that no state can deny any citizen the right to vote on account of
gender.
ANS: F REF: 181
5. When first allowed to vote, women turned out in greater numbers than men.
ANS: F REF: 182
6. The Twenty-sixth Amendment gave those eighteen years of age and older the right to vote.
ANS: T REF: 182
7. Today, younger voters are somewhat more likely than older voters to be Democrats.
ANS: F REF: 182

8. VAP data are problematic because they are based on census reports and include ineligible voters.
ANS: T REF: 183
9. Post-1968 U. S. presidential elections have drawn over 70 percent of all registered voters.
ANS: T REF: 184
10. In recent years the tendency has been for states to try to run their primaries and caucuses as early as
possible.
ANS: T REF: 187
11. There is clear evidence that recent debates have had an influence on presidential contests.
ANS: F REF: 190
12. Democratic voters support their presidential candidate less often than Republican voters support their
party’s candidate.
ANS: T REF: 191
13. George W. Bush’s top White House political adviser, Karl Rove, was a self-taught polling expert.
ANS: T REF: 193
14. The political party of the most presidents gains congressional seats in off-year elections.
ANS: F REF: 194
15. President Obama’s attempts to expand the role and cost of government resulted in gains for
Democratic Party seats in the 2010 mid-term congressional elections.
ANS: F REF: 194
16. The Tea Party has no central leadership or policy.
ANS: T REF: 194
17. Candidates supported by the Tea Party consistently won primary and general elections.
ANS: F REF: 194
18. Single-issue ideological groups have a greater impact in general elections than in primaries.
ANS: F REF: 195
19. In a typical presidential election, the two major parties generally can expect to gather in 80 percent of
the vote no matter whom they nominate.
ANS: T REF: 196
20. When economic times are bad, incumbent presidents do well at the polls.
ANS: F REF: 196
21. The choice of a running mate for vice president usually has a critical impact on who wins or loses a
presidential election.
ANS: F REF: 197
22. It is clear that the mass media have a critical impact on who wins or loses a presidential race.
ANS: F REF: 197
23. Prospective voting is more common among political activists.
ANS: T REF: 198
24. Scholars believe that there have been ten major realignments in American politics.
ANS: F REF: 199
25. A “blue state” is one where Democrats usually win.
ANS: T REF: 200
26. Split-ticket voting was almost unheard of in the nineteenth century.
ANS: T REF: 200
27. The Democrats usually win the votes of the poor.
ANS: F REF: 202
28. A PAC must have at least 150 members.
ANS: F REF: 205
29. In 2010, the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the BCRA, ruling that it violated free speech
rights of corporations, labor unions, and nonprofit organizations.
ANS: T REF: 206
30. Studies confirmed that candidates typically keep about 25% of their campaign promises.
ANS: F REF: 210
ESSAY
1. What three facts have important implications for a theory of democracy?
ANS:
(a.) The large number of offices filled by elected officials
(b.) The low levels of participation in elections
(c.) The weak condition of political parties
2. What have been the three most important changes in elections since the broad political participation
brought on by the Jacksonian movement?
ANS:
(a.) The extension of suffrage to African Americans (Fifteenth Amendment)
(b.) The extension of suffrage to females (Nineteenth Amendment)
(c.) The extension of suffrage to those 18 years old (Twenty Sixth Amendment)
(d.) The direct election of U.S. Senators
3. What is the Australian Ballot? What party advocated the Australian Ballot?
ANS:
(a.) It was a reform advocated by the Progressives to curtail vote fraud.
(b.) It was a uniform ballot printed and distributed by the government.
(c.) The ballot was then cast in secret.
4. What features of our political system have contributed to the rise of personal rather than party-run
campaigns?
ANS:
(a.) Primary elections have weakened the ability of party leaders to select candidates.
(b.) Political funds and political jobs are increasingly under the control of candidates.
(c.) Increased reliance on media has resulted in greater attention on the personal
qualities of individual candidates.
(d.) Party identification is declining.
5. Identify four types of non–presidential primary elections and explain what each entails.
ANS:
(a.) Closed: Voters declare in advance which party’s primary they will participate in.
(b.) Open: Voter’s decide on Election Day, in the voting booth, which party’s primary
election they will participate in.
(c.) Blanket: Voters choose candidates from either party in a list of offices.
(d.) Runoff primary: If no candidate gets a majority of the votes, there is a runoff between
the two candidates with the most votes.
6. What are some things identified by the text that do and do not increase vote turnout?
ANS:
(a.) Do not increase voter turnout: Reminding people to vote, telling people where to
vote, and mailing partisan appeals to vote.
(b.) Do increase voter turnout: Telling people how often they have voted in the past, and
telling people how often their neighbors have voted.
7. Given the fact that more people typically identify with the Democratic party, why don’t the Democrats
always win?
ANS:
(a.) Democrats are less firmly wedded to the party.
(b.) Republican candidates have tended to gather a larger percentage of the Independent
votes.
(c.) Republicans are more likely to vote than Democrats.
8. What three things explained the unusual elections of 2010, where the Democrats lost 61 seats in the
House and 6 seats in the Senate?
ANS:
(a.) The Country was in the grip of a recession.
(b.) The President’s attempt to expand the role and cost of government was not popular.
(c.) The election became nationalized.
9. Summarize what we know and don’t know about single issue voters.
ANS:
(a.) Some say they are the result of the decline of political parties.
(b.) There is nothing new about such groups.
(c.) Although they have received a lot of media attention, it is not clear that they have an
effect on national elections.
(d.) They may have considerable impact on primary elections.
10. Scholars cannot say exactly what decides elections, but what three things appear to count the most?
ANS:
(a.) Political party affiliation
(b.) The state of the economy
(c.) The character of the candidates
11. Identify the five examples of party realignment identified by the text and the political parties that came
to power as result.
ANS:
(a.) 1800 (Jeffersonian Republicans)
(b.) 1828 (Jacksonian Democrats)
(c.) 1860 (Republicans)
(d.) 1896 (Republicans)
(e.) 1932 (Democrats)

American Government Brief Version 11th Edition Wilson Test Bank

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

American Government Brief Version 11th Edition Wilson Test Bank

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

American Government Brief Version 11th Edition Wilson Test Bank

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

American Government Brief Version

11th Edition Wilson Test Bank

1. Public participation in elections is lowest in

3. A primary reason why people participate in politics is

8. Some states disenfranchise __________ for life.

9. The legal voting age in almost all other nations is

14. Which constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote?

16. When eighteen-year-olds got the vote, they

19. VEP calculations attempt to

20. In most European nations, voter registration is

29. What is a major strategic problem that presidential candidates face?

33. The 2008 election was somewhat significant because it featured

34. In general elections, visuals

35. As a campaign tool, televised debates

36. In political terms, what does “Astroturf” mean?

38. Research has shown that negative ads

48. The “pocketbook vote” refers to how

51. In voting, the average person decides by

52. An electoral realignment occurs when

54. The 1932 realignment was brought on by

58. The most loyal supporters of the Democrats have been

62. The legal limit on what a congressional candidate may spend is

63. In congressional elections, higher campaign spending is especially important for

64. Today, the major source of congressional campaign money is

ANS: T REF: 177

ANS: T REF: 179

ANS: T REF: 179 |180

ANS: F REF: 181

ANS: F REF: 182

ANS: T REF: 182

ANS: F REF: 182

ANS: T REF: 183

ANS: T REF: 184

ANS: T REF: 187

ANS: F REF: 190

ANS: T REF: 191

ANS: T REF: 193

ANS: F REF: 194

ANS: F REF: 194

16. The Tea Party has no central leadership or policy.

ANS: T REF: 194

ANS: F REF: 194

ANS: F REF: 195

ANS: T REF: 196

ANS: F REF: 197

ANS: F REF: 197

23. Prospective voting is more common among political activists.

ANS: T REF: 198

ANS: F REF: 199

25. A “blue state” is one where Democrats usually win.

ANS: T REF: 200

26. Split-ticket voting was almost unheard of in the nineteenth century.

ANS: T REF: 200

27. The Democrats usually win the votes of the poor.

ANS: F REF: 202

28. A PAC must have at least 150 members.

ANS: F REF: 205

ANS: T REF: 206