Political Science 101- Introduction to American Politics » Spring 2021 » Chapter 7 Post Test
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Question #1
If a number of newspapers published stories exposing an elected official’s acceptance of monetary bribes from a corporation in exchange for passing a particular law, it would be an example of the media serving their role as a
A.
watchdog.
B.
first estate.
C.
judge and jury.
D.
first branch.
Question #2
Which of the following statements best characterizes the traditional news media’s relationship to objectivity?
A.
Given that completely objective reporting is unattainable because people inevitably have biases that shape their understanding of events, journalists do not attempt to be objective and report only one side of a story.
B.
The Federal Communications Commission requires that all journalists sign a “pledge of objectivity” before being employed at a media company.
C.
Journalists are trained to be objective in their reporting, so their personal biases rarely matter and their coverage of events almost always succeeds in objectively presenting both sides of a story.
D.
Although completely objective reporting is unattainable because people inevitably have biases that shape their understanding of events, journalists attempt to be objective by reporting both sides of a story.
Question #3
Public broadcasting refers to any television, radio, and digital media that
A.
sells subscriptions to members of the public.
B.
reports extensively on government officials and political issues.
C.
receives funding from the public through license fees, subsidies, or tax dollars.
D.
makes its content available to the public at no cost.
Question #4
Public broadcasting in the United States
A.
accounts for roughly the same share of the media market as in other Western democracies, such as France, Germany, and Denmark.
B.
accounts for a much smaller share of the media market than in other Western democracies, such as France, Germany, and Denmark.
C.
is illegal under the First Amendment to the Constitution.
D.
accounts for a much larger share of the media market than in other Western democracies, such as France, Germany, and Denmark.
Question #5
Which of the following stories would an American news outlet that relies primarily on advertising revenue be least likely to cover?
A.
a sex scandal involving a high-ranking government official
B.
a celebrity wedding
C.
an attack advertisement from a presidential candidate that accuses her opponent of racially insensitive remarks
D.
an economics professor providing testimony to a congressional committee on the effect of tariffs
Question #6
How did CNN earn $100 million more in advertising covering Trump than it would otherwise?
A.
Public broadcasters refused to cover Trump, leaving the field open to CNN.
B.
Coverage of Trump increased ratings, and higher ratings led to increased advertising revenue.
C.
CNN took on an explicitly pro-Trump message, encouraging viewers to vote for him, and therefore winning more favor from his campaign.
D.
Other news outlets did not cover Trump due to conflicts of interest. Trump’s TV shows had run on other networks except CNN.
Question #7
Which of the following is a good example of a media monopoly?
A.
NPR
B.
ESPN
C.
Disney
D.
the New York Times
Question #8
The trend in concentration of traditional media ownership occurred in large part due to
A.
government regulations enacted in the 1970s that required small media companies to sell their holdings to larger corporations.
B.
the relaxation of government regulations in the 1980s and 1990s.
C.
the federal government’s decision to end the Fairness Doctrine in 1968.
D.
the Supreme Court’s decision in Red Lion Broadcasting Company v. FCC.
Question #9
Which of the following news sources reaches the most Americans?
A.
radio
B.
television
C.
newspapers
D.
the internet
Question #10
Google News, Reddit, and Real Clear Politics are good examples of
A.
nonprofit journalism.
B.
news aggregators.
C.
niche journalism.
D.
the penny press.
Question #11
Which of the following is NOT a reason that many Americans appear to prefer online news?
A.
the up-to-the-moment currency of the information available online
B.
the accuracy and objectivity compared to traditional media outlets
C.
the convenience of getting news online
D.
the depth of the information available online
Question #12
Social media usage tends to
A.
exaggerate partisan polarization among the mass public because people pick their own friend networks and can avoid disagreeable ideas.
B.
influence the opinions of older Americans only because younger Americans are more skeptical of the information found on social media.
C.
have very little impact on politics because most people already have strong political opinions that cannot be shaped by news events.
D.
minimize partisan polarization among members of the mass public because people are exposed to new ideas and sources of information.
Question #13
The term “fake news” is most accurately characterized as
A.
false news stories circulated to generate ad revenue or to benefit one political candidate or party over another.
B.
news stories that criticize only one political party or candidate.
C.
news stories that reference anonymous sources.
D.
news stories that are published on blogs or social media platforms.
Question #14
“Filter bubbles” appear when
A.
news aggregation sites include content from a wide variety of sources and give no preference to American media organizations.
B.
journalists choose to cover only those stories that are acceptable to advertisers.
C.
search engines learn to cater to individual preferences and start to omit results that might challenge such preferences.
D.
people intentionally expose themselves to perspectives that challenge what they already believe to be true about the political world.
Question #15
________ is the power the media has to shape what issues Americans think about, and ________ is the power the media has to influence how Americans think about those issues.
A.
Priming; framing
B.
Framing; agenda-setting
C.
Agenda-setting; framing
D.
Framing; priming
Question #16
The power of the media to draw public attention to particular issues and problems is called
A.
canvassing.
B.
framing.
C.
agenda-setting.
D.
the bandwagon effect.
Question #17
According to political scientist Amber Boydstun, the media has a(n) ________ for breaking stories and a(n) ________ for covering them in greater depth.
A.
“patrol mode”; “alarm mode”
B.
“horse race mode”; “watchdog mode”
C.
“alarm mode”; “patrol mode”
D.
“watchdog mode”; “horse race mode”
Question #18
Suppose in a presidential primary, one candidate loses the first four state contests, but wins a major victory in a fifth and pivotal state. A priming effect that this candidate “has momentum” emerges in the media. What is the most likely outcome of such a priming effect?
A.
less media coverage of the election overall
B.
more support for the candidate from voters
C.
less support for the candidate from voters
D.
no change in support for the candidate from voters
Question #19
The media’s reporting of the Watergate affair led to
A.
a fundamental change in the nation’s libel laws.
B.
President Richard Nixon’s reelection.
C.
President Richard Nixon’s resignation.
D.
President Richard Nixon’s defeat in the 1972 election.
Question #20
Low-level officials who hope to publicize what they view as their bosses’ or the government’s improper activities are usually called
A.
whistle-blowers.
B.
watchdogs.
C.
bell ringers.
D.
adversarial journalists.
Question #21
In recent years, ________ has released thousands of secret government documents, exposing government corruption, torture, and war crimes.
A.
WikiLeaks
B.
the New York Times
C.
Twitter
D.
the Washington Post
Question #22
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the media often challenged President Trump’s assertions that the virus was a hoax and under control. This challenge is an example of
A.
corporate-driven journalism.
B.
public broadcasting journalism.
C.
yellow journalism.
D.
adversarial journalism.
Question #23
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is owned by
A.
the government and is not allowed to report anything without first receiving government approval.
B.
the government, but it is allowed to report whatever it wants.
C.
a private corporation and is allowed to report whatever it wants.
D.
a private corporation, but it is not allowed to report anything without first receiving government approval.
Question #24
Which media source is regulated by the federal government?
A.
the internet
B.
newspapers
C.
magazines
D.
television
Question #25
The fairness doctrine required that
A.
all regulated newspapers establish a section of the editorial page for letters from readers.
B.
all broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office with equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public.
C.
broadcasters who aired controversial issues provide time for opposing viewpoints.
D.
all network news reports be balanced and fair-minded or they would be labeled editorials.
Question #26
The traditional news media aim to provide objective reporting on current events by
A.
quoting only nongovernment sources in their coverage.
B.
excluding the personal views of reporters or editors from their coverage.
C.
including the personal views of reporters and editors in their coverage.
D.
quoting only official government sources in their coverage.
Question #27
The media are sometimes referred to as the “fourth branch of government” because
A.
they are explicitly discussed in Article IV of the Constitution.
B.
they could not do their job without cooperation from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
C.
they provide a check on the power of government and political leaders.
D.
they receive a number of subsidies paid for through tax revenue.
Question #28
Which of the following is an example of a public broadcasting organization?
A.
the New York Times
B.
the American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
C.
the National Broadcasting Network (NBC)
D.
the National Public Radio (NPR)
Question #29
Privately owned media companies in the United States earn most of their revenue from
A.
government grants.
B.
charitable donations.
C.
advertising.
D.
subscriptions.
Question #30
During the 2016 campaign, Hillary Clinton received half the amount of media coverage as Donald Trump. Which of the following is the best explanation why this came to be?
A.
The profit motive of the news industry. Stories about Trump were much more likely to be consumed and thus attracted more advertising dollars.
B.
A decline in ratings. The 2016 election was not seen as terribly contentious and the media simply focused its attention elsewhere.
C.
Clinton’s celebrity status meant that most voters were already aware of her stances and biography, so there was less need to cover her.
D.
Limitations on public broadcasting. Clinton was an elected official who supported public broadcasting. To avoid a conflict of interest, public broadcasters were forced to limit coverage.
Question #31
Much of the national news published in local newspapers is provided by
A.
USA Today.
B.
United Press International (UPI).
C.
National Public Radio.
D.
the Associated Press.
Question #32
Which of the following statements best characterizes media ownership in the United States?
A.
Most of the country’s television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book publishers, magazines, newspapers, and digital media sites are owned and operated by the federal government.
B.
A large number of small, privately owned corporations control most of the country’s television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book publishers, magazines, newspapers, and digital media sites.
C.
Most of the country’s television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book publishers, magazines, newspapers, and digital media sites are owned and operated by state governments.
D.
A small number of giant, privately owned corporations control most of the country’s television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book publishers, magazines, newspapers, and digital media sites.
Question #33
The fact that a smaller and smaller number of companies owns a larger and larger share of the American media is concerning primarily because it
A.
increases the risk of government censorship.
B.
violates the First Amendment to the Constitution.
C.
limits the ability of all news organizations to remain profitable.
D.
increases the risk that politicians and citizens who express less popular or minority viewpoints will have difficulty finding a public forum.
Question #34
The practice of training reporters to produce a standardized, seemingly neutral news product was the result of
A.
state government regulations that made blatant instances of media bias illegal.
B.
the newspaper industry’s reluctance to alienate readers with liberal or conservative political views.
C.
strikes and boycotts by journalists and newspaper readers during the early 1900s.
D.
federal government regulations that made blatant instances of media bias illegal.
Question #35
Despite its widespread availability, ________ typically report(s) on the narrowest range of topics and provide(s) the least depth of news coverage.
A.
radio
B.
the internet
C.
newspapers
D.
television
Question #36
What was the penny press?
A.
elite newspapers of early America, which included newspapers run by important Founders, including Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin
B.
cheap, tabloid style newspapers produced in the nineteenth century that expanded access to the news to less affluent readers
C.
online citizen journalists of the early 1990s and 2000s who were motivated by personal passion rather than money
D.
the ad-heavy news broadcasts of the major three television networks in the 1950s
Question #37
Individuals with home high-speed internet access and the technology and literacy skills to use it are called
A.
online natives.
B.
digital citizens.
C.
pro-sumers.
D.
news aggregators.
Question #38
The fact that only 63% of high school graduates have broadband internet access at home, while almost 90% of college graduates do, is an example of
A.
the education dividend.
B.
collegiate privilege.
C.
the digital divide.
D.
the filter bubble.
Question #39
Political scientists sometimes describe social media as “the new dinner table” because
A.
social media platforms are always free to use.
B.
social media platforms are often used for many different purposes, including completing homework assignments, paying bills, and researching job opportunities.
C.
there are strong norms on social media platforms that discourage discussions of politics and current events.
D.
discussions of politics and current events on social media occur within a network of friends and family.
Question #40
News produced by individuals and organizations who are not employed as professional journalists is called
A.
adversarial journalism.
B.
“fake news.”
C.
advocacy journalism.
D.
citizen journalism.
Question #41
A widely circulated story that the pope endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2016 was a good example of
A.
“fake news.”
B.
nonprofit journalism.
C.
yellow journalism.
D.
adversarial journalism.
Question #42
The dramatic rise in political information and the increasing diversity of the media have
A.
made political knowledge tests obsolete.
B.
led to massive increases in the average levels of political knowledge in the American public.
C.
led to massive decreases in the average levels of political knowledge in the American public.
D.
had very little impact on the average levels of political knowledge in the American public.
Question #43
The ability to find and effectively evaluate information online is referred to as
A.
i-capacity.
B.
information literacy.
C.
e-ability.
D.
search sophistication.
Question #44
Which of the following is the best definition of gatekeeping?
A.
The process by which news and information are filtered to the public by the media.
B.
The process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue.
C.
A model of reporting that involved adopting a stance of opposition and a combative style to expose perceived wrongdoing.
D.
The requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public.
Question #45
Suppose a major bank was hacked and millions of accounts were exposed to potential theft. The reasons why the hack were possible were lax security measures by the bank, but also that the vast majority of account holders uses weak and ineffective passwords. If the media were to mostly focus on the passwords issue and not the bank’s security measures, which of the following media effect would best describe this choice?
A.
agenda-setting
B.
framing
C.
priming
D.
indexing
Question #46
Priming refers to the
A.
process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue.
B.
bias that news organizations show toward covering dramatic and entertaining stories.
C.
tendency that people have to seek out news sources that confirm their prior beliefs about politics.
D.
fact that many important news stories go uncovered by the mainstream media.
Question #47
A liberal voter who only watches liberal shows on YouTube and only follows liberal commentators on Twitter can be said to have
A.
priming effects.
B.
agenda setting power.
C.
self-selection bias.
D.
gatekeeping.
Question #48
The fact that Democrats referred to the Obama administration’s health care initiative as “reform” instead of as “rationing” is an example of
A.
sound bites.
B.
framing.
C.
adversarial journalism.
D.
agenda-setting.
Question #49
Which of the following statements best describes the media’s role in the Watergate affair?
A.
Journalists investigated the Watergate affair but uncovered no wrongdoing on the part of President Nixon.
B.
Journalists did not investigate the Watergate affair until after President Nixon resigned.
C.
Relentless adversarial journalism revealed various abuses of power by President Nixon and led to his resignation.
D.
The journalistic reporting of the Watergate affair was filled with errors and led to government attempts to regulate the print media’s coverage.
Question #50
The Pentagon Papers were released as a result of
A.
a leak by a minor Defense Department staffer.
B.
investigations led by Washington Post reporters in 1972.
C.
a Freedom of Information Act request by the American Civil Liberties Union.
D.
President Nixon’s repudiation of the Johnson administration’s strategy in Vietnam.
Question #51
Reporting in which the media adopt a skeptical or even hostile posture toward the government and public officials is referred to as
A.
adversarial journalism.
B.
niche journalism.
C.
“fake news.”
D.
yellow journalism.
Question #52
What role did the media play in the impeachment of President Trump?
A.
It published the Pentagon Papers in the New York Times and Washington Post.
B.
It did not play any role in the impeachment of President Trump.
C.
It posted government documents through WikiLeaks on Trump’s possible misconduct.
D.
It exposed possible misconduct through a government whistle-blower.
Question #53
Which agency regulates broadcast media?
A.
Department of Commerce
B.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
C.
Public Broadcast System
D.
Federal Communications Commission
Question #54
The ________ provides candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages.
A.
diversity in media doctrine
B.
equal time rule
C.
right of rebuttal
D.
fairness doctrine
Question #55
In 1985, the federal government stopped enforcing the ________, arguing that it was no longer necessary due to the increasing number of television and radio stations.
A.
fairness doctrine
B.
net neutrality
C.
equal time rule
D.
right of rebuttal
Question #56
In the United States today, the government
A.
heavily regulates print media but imposes no regulations on radio and television broadcasts.
B.
does not own but regulates the content and ownership of broadcast media.
C.
controls most media content through regulations and tightly controlled press briefings.
D.
owns, but does not control, the major sources of media.
Question #57
Which of the following requires a Federal Communications Commission license in order to legally broadcast in the United States?
A.
cable television stations
B.
satellite radio channels
C.
over-the-air television stations
D.
internet websites
Question #58
If a radio station aired a personal attack against a candidate but refused to allow the same candidate the opportunity to respond to that attack on its station, the station would be in violation of
A.
net neutrality.
B.
the right of rebuttal.
C.
the fairness doctrine.
D.
the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Question #59
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was important because it
A.
ended the federal government’s licensing of radio and television stations.
B.
allowed for less concentration of media ownership than had been possible since regulation of the industry began in 1934.
C.
established the fairness doctrine.
D.
allowed for greater concentration of media ownership than had been possible since regulation of the industry began in 1934.
Question #60
In the United States, freedom of the press is protected by
A.
the Freedom of the Press Act of 1790.
B.
the First Amendment of the Constitution.
C.
the Declaration of Independence.
D.
Article I of the Constitution.
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