Political Science 001 - The Government of the United States » Fall 2021 » Chapter 7 & 8 Quiz

Need help with your exam preparation?

Question #1
527 committees are an important part of the American political system because they
A.   are charged with enforcing the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
B.   are able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as they do not coordinate their activities with a political party.
C.   operate the caucuses of each of the two main political parties.
D.   work closely with political parties to coordinate election campaign strategies and fund-raising efforts.
Question #2
The establishment of the Republican Party is a good example of
A.   internal mobilization.
B.   elite bargaining.
C.   external mobilization.
D.   proportional representation.
Question #3
The winner of the electoral college vote has NOT won the popular vote ________ time(s) in American history.
A.   One
B.   Ten
C.   thirty-four
D.   Four
Question #4
A proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote is called a
A.   ballot initiative.
B.   grassroots amendment.
C.   people’s compact.
D.   popular directive.
Question #5
Which of the following occurs when one party replaces another party that has dominated national politics for a lengthy period of time?
A.   divided party government
B.   external mobilization
C.   an electoral realignment
D.   proportional representation
Question #6
Politicians attempt to “balance the ticket” with members of many important groups because
A.   voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background.
B.   interest groups frequently engage in direct lobbying to enhance diversity in campaigns.
C.   the Constitution requires at least minimal levels of representation in election campaigns.
D.   affirmative action legislation from the 1960s requires proportional representation in all elections.
Question #7
The campaign funds raised and spent by 501(c)(4) organizations are called “dark money” because
A.   they are technically illegal under an unenforced provision of federal campaign finance law.
B.   they are only used to support candidates from relatively unknown third parties.
C.   they can only be used during nonelection years.
D.   donors and amounts contributed do not have to be made public.
Question #8
What is the ultimate goal of a political party?
A.   nominating candidates
B.   creating the party platform
C.   winning elections
D.   raising the most money
Question #9
Political parties hold primary elections or caucuses in order to
A.   select a single candidate to represent the party in the general election.
B.   take nominations for leadership positions within the party.
C.   vote on the party’s platform.
D.   raise money to spend on the party’s preselected candidate for the general election.
Question #10
More than one-third of the groups with lobbying offices in Washington are
A.   ideological groups.
B.   businesses and corporations.
C.   labor groups.
D.   public-sector groups.
Question #11
When an oil company is invited to participate in negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency over a proposed rule on offshore drilling, it illustrates that
A.   interest groups no longer attempt to influence representatives in Congress or judges and focus almost all of their attention, instead, on administrative agencies.
B.   the First Amendment to the Constitution only allows corporations to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
C.   Supreme Court decisions banning iron triangles have largely failed to limit interest group influence.
D.   federal agencies almost always attempt to consult relevant stakeholders before implementing a new rule.
Question #12
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was a Supreme Court case pursued as part of ________ strategy of litigation.
A.   the Human Rights Campaign’s
B.   the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s
C.   the Congress of Racial Equality’s
D.   the American Civil Liberties Union’s
Question #13
Interest groups are concerned with the ________ of government, while political parties are concerned with the ________ of government.
A.   legitimacy; power
B.   policies; personnel
C.   values; goals
D.   membership; authority
Question #14
Interest groups are permitted to spend as much money as they want on issue advocacy during a campaign season, as long as they
A.   do not employ any person who has formerly worked on a political campaign.
B.   are willing to publicize their membership lists.
C.   do not coordinate their efforts with a candidate’s own campaign organization.
D.   present both sides of the issue in their issue advocacy ads.
Question #15
Which of the following Supreme Court cases illustrates the use of litigation by an interest group?
A.   Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
B.   Roe v. Wade (1973)
C.   Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989)
D.   United States v. Nixon (1974)
Question #16
When a coalition of credit card companies forms an interest group called the Partnership to Protect Consumer Credit, this suggests that
A.   the free-rider problem does not apply to private corporations.
B.   public interest groups are now actively involving private corporations.
C.   private interests are hiding behind the ideals of public interests.
D.   credit card companies are interested in the public good.
Question #17
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) was significant because it
A.   prohibited interest groups from donating to electoral campaigns but increased the amount of money Super PACs could contribute.
B.   prohibited Super PACs from donating to electoral campaigns but increased the amount of money interest groups could contribute.
C.   dramatically decreased the flow of money from interest groups and Super PACs into politics and electoral campaigns.
D.   dramatically increased the flow of money from interest groups and Super PACs into politics and electoral campaigns.
Question #18
A ________ is the best example of an informational benefit provided by many interest groups.
A.   free T-shirt
B.   newsletter
C.   consciousness-raising workshop
D.   health insurance program
Question #19
The “poor” and the homeless are two examples of
A.   grassroots interest groups.
B.   public interest groups.
C.   citizen interest groups.
D.   potential interest groups.

Need help with your exam preparation?