Monday 26 October 2009
Interest Groups as Service Providers. Search Task
Three of the largest and most significant interest groups in the United States are the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the Sierra Club. While they engage in significant political activities, all three of these organizations do other things as well. Go to the web sites of these groups (http://www.aarp.org/, http://www.nra.org/, http://www.sierraclub.org/). For each group, identify three activities that the group engages in or sponsors that you would characterize as "non-political." Make a list of the activities that you have identified. How might these non-political activities actually help to serve the political interests of the organization and its members?
The Political Nature of the Masses
Before taking the test read 5 chapter on political participation and 6 chapter on political parties from “The Challenge of Democracy”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. 4: Political behavior that uses channels such as meeting with public officials, supporting candidates, and voting in elections is called...
a. Conventional Participation
b. Direct Action
c. Political Participation
d. Unconventional Participation
2. 4: A procedure by which voters can propose a measure to be decided by legislature or by the people is a(n)
a. referendum
b. initiative
c. recall
d. direct action
3. 4: Which of the following did not have the backing of the Progressives?
a. direct primary
b. referendum
c. traditional political parties
d. recall
4. 4: Of all the social and economic variables, what is the strongest single factor in explaining most types of conventional political participation?
a. Religion
b. Education
c. Gender
d. Social Class
5. 4: What is the single strongest predictor of conventional political participation in the U.S.?
a. race
b. class
c. gender
d. education
6. 4: In the United States, which of the following is the best predictor of voter turnout?
a. Age
b. Gender
c. Socioeconomic Status
d. Race
7. 4: In a study of five countries, Americans were more apt to engage in what form(s) of political participation?
a. voting
b. all forms of unconventional participation except protesting
c. all forms of conventional participation except voting
d. all forms of conventional participation
8. 4: Which of the following is an example of low-initiative political participation in the United States?
a. registering to vote
b. writing letters to Congress
c. voting
d. going to court
9. 5: All the following are examples of primary elections held by states except...
a. closed primaries
b. blanket primaries
c. split primaries
d. open primaries
10. 5: Which of the four choices is not a strategy used in election campaigns?
a. party-centered strategy
b. media-oriented strategy
c. issue-oriented strategy
d. image-oriented strategy
11. 5: the Federal Election Commission enforces which of the following:
a. Limits on financial contributions.
b. Who can run for office.
c. Legislation on referendums.
d. The number of parties allowed to run in a campaign.
12. 5: Lobbying activities performed by rank-and-file interest group members and would-be members is
a. direct lobbying
b. grassroots lobbying
c. high-tech lobbying
d. indirect lobbying
13. 5: Which of the following is NOT a function parties perform for the political system?
a. Nominating candidates for election to public office
b. Coordinating the actions of government officials
c. Structuring voting choice in elections
d. Fundraising for political campaigns
14. 5: The change in voting patterns that persists through several subsequent elections is known as:
a. a critical election
b. an electoral realignment
c. the result of a successful national convention
d. the result of a two-party electoral system
15. 5: The election of 1860 is considered "critical" because:
a. voters from the north and south began to realign their political views, tightening the once substantial geo-political gap in the electorate
b. it was marked by a significant shift in the patterns of party loyalty amongst voters
c. there was a split in the Republican party, which nominated two presidential candidates (Abraham Lincoln and John Breckenridge)
d. the election of 1860 is not considered a critical election; the following election, in 1864, was critical
16. 5: According to CoD, one major factor contributing to the decentralization of American parties is:
a. The public's lack of interest in politics
b. The lack of funding that parties are allowed to receive
c. Their reliance on primary elections to nominate candidates
d. The lack of cohesive ideas within the party
17. 5: According to the text, which one of these is not one of the four most important functions of a political party?
a. Nominating candidates for office
b. Helping nominees campaign for office
c. Coordinating the actions of government officials
d. Proposing alternative government programs
1. 4: Political behavior that uses channels such as meeting with public officials, supporting candidates, and voting in elections is called...
a. Conventional Participation
b. Direct Action
c. Political Participation
d. Unconventional Participation
2. 4: A procedure by which voters can propose a measure to be decided by legislature or by the people is a(n)
a. referendum
b. initiative
c. recall
d. direct action
3. 4: Which of the following did not have the backing of the Progressives?
a. direct primary
b. referendum
c. traditional political parties
d. recall
4. 4: Of all the social and economic variables, what is the strongest single factor in explaining most types of conventional political participation?
a. Religion
b. Education
c. Gender
d. Social Class
5. 4: What is the single strongest predictor of conventional political participation in the U.S.?
a. race
b. class
c. gender
d. education
6. 4: In the United States, which of the following is the best predictor of voter turnout?
a. Age
b. Gender
c. Socioeconomic Status
d. Race
7. 4: In a study of five countries, Americans were more apt to engage in what form(s) of political participation?
a. voting
b. all forms of unconventional participation except protesting
c. all forms of conventional participation except voting
d. all forms of conventional participation
8. 4: Which of the following is an example of low-initiative political participation in the United States?
a. registering to vote
b. writing letters to Congress
c. voting
d. going to court
9. 5: All the following are examples of primary elections held by states except...
a. closed primaries
b. blanket primaries
c. split primaries
d. open primaries
10. 5: Which of the four choices is not a strategy used in election campaigns?
a. party-centered strategy
b. media-oriented strategy
c. issue-oriented strategy
d. image-oriented strategy
11. 5: the Federal Election Commission enforces which of the following:
a. Limits on financial contributions.
b. Who can run for office.
c. Legislation on referendums.
d. The number of parties allowed to run in a campaign.
12. 5: Lobbying activities performed by rank-and-file interest group members and would-be members is
a. direct lobbying
b. grassroots lobbying
c. high-tech lobbying
d. indirect lobbying
13. 5: Which of the following is NOT a function parties perform for the political system?
a. Nominating candidates for election to public office
b. Coordinating the actions of government officials
c. Structuring voting choice in elections
d. Fundraising for political campaigns
14. 5: The change in voting patterns that persists through several subsequent elections is known as:
a. a critical election
b. an electoral realignment
c. the result of a successful national convention
d. the result of a two-party electoral system
15. 5: The election of 1860 is considered "critical" because:
a. voters from the north and south began to realign their political views, tightening the once substantial geo-political gap in the electorate
b. it was marked by a significant shift in the patterns of party loyalty amongst voters
c. there was a split in the Republican party, which nominated two presidential candidates (Abraham Lincoln and John Breckenridge)
d. the election of 1860 is not considered a critical election; the following election, in 1864, was critical
16. 5: According to CoD, one major factor contributing to the decentralization of American parties is:
a. The public's lack of interest in politics
b. The lack of funding that parties are allowed to receive
c. Their reliance on primary elections to nominate candidates
d. The lack of cohesive ideas within the party
17. 5: According to the text, which one of these is not one of the four most important functions of a political party?
a. Nominating candidates for office
b. Helping nominees campaign for office
c. Coordinating the actions of government officials
d. Proposing alternative government programs
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Democratic Theory Test
1. Arguments to support the idea that the U.S. does not have an elitist government include all of the following except:
The U.S. has many different minorities, not just one.
The U.S. has a government where minorities rule.
The U.S. government is decentralized.
In the U.S., all groups have equal influence on government decisions.
2. This 1787 plan for the new Constitution of the United States, which would replace the failed Articles of Confederation, was directly opposed to the Virginia Plan:
Connecticut Compromise
New Jersey Plan
Delaware Conclusion
Great Compromise
3. Which of the following does not distinguish pluralism from majoritarianism?
Pluralism does not demand much knowledge from citizens in general.
Pluralism seeks to limit majority action.
Pluralism suggests that a small group make all decisions.
Pluralism relies on a decentralized government structure.
4. The difference between a pluralist democracy and elite theory is:
elite theory is based on the idea of interest groups
Pluralist theory is based on the idea that a small group of people makes most of the important government decisions
elite theory describes a government that operates in an undemocratic fashion
pluralist theory defines government conflict in terms of a minority versus the majority
5. The Procedural View of Democracy includes all of the following except:
Majority Rule
Universal Participation
Government responsiveness to public opinion
Decentralization of Power
6. Which of the following is not part of the democratic theory of democracy?
All citizens participate
Each citizen has one vote
Each citizen is represented by a group
The total group's opinion is represented
7. During the founding days of the United States, government was marked by a loose confederation of states. The failure of this system, which brought about the development of our federalist system, was related to the fact that
no outline was given as to how many votes were needed to approve of important issues like war and taxation
the national government consistently overstepped its boundaries in regards to power and the states
there was a lack of emphatic support for a government that lacked a strong, centralized national government
no power was given to the national government to tax which made the national government dependent on the states
8. Which is not one of the four political principles embodied in the Constitution of the United States?
Socialism
Republicanism
Federalism
Separation of powers
9. What was the turning point in american cold-war foreign policy
the spanish-american war
the korean war
the cuba missile crisis
the vietnam conflict
10. What are the principles of procedural democracy
universal participation and political equality
majority rule.
social equality
A and B
11. Richard Nixon resigned before what branch of government was going to vote for impeachment?
The House of Representatives
The Senate
The Department of Justice
The Supreme Court
12: Which of the following is NOT a principle of the procedural democratic theory?
universal participation
majority rule
minority rights
political equality
13: Which of the following does not support the pluralist model of government?
filibuster
judicial review
referendum
interest groups
14: The type of democracy most compatible with minority rule is
pluralist
procedural
constitutional
direct
15: Which of the following is not a principle of procedural democracy?
Universal Participation
Political Equality
Minority Rule
Government Responsiveness to Public Opinion
The U.S. has many different minorities, not just one.
The U.S. has a government where minorities rule.
The U.S. government is decentralized.
In the U.S., all groups have equal influence on government decisions.
2. This 1787 plan for the new Constitution of the United States, which would replace the failed Articles of Confederation, was directly opposed to the Virginia Plan:
Connecticut Compromise
New Jersey Plan
Delaware Conclusion
Great Compromise
3. Which of the following does not distinguish pluralism from majoritarianism?
Pluralism does not demand much knowledge from citizens in general.
Pluralism seeks to limit majority action.
Pluralism suggests that a small group make all decisions.
Pluralism relies on a decentralized government structure.
4. The difference between a pluralist democracy and elite theory is:
elite theory is based on the idea of interest groups
Pluralist theory is based on the idea that a small group of people makes most of the important government decisions
elite theory describes a government that operates in an undemocratic fashion
pluralist theory defines government conflict in terms of a minority versus the majority
5. The Procedural View of Democracy includes all of the following except:
Majority Rule
Universal Participation
Government responsiveness to public opinion
Decentralization of Power
6. Which of the following is not part of the democratic theory of democracy?
All citizens participate
Each citizen has one vote
Each citizen is represented by a group
The total group's opinion is represented
7. During the founding days of the United States, government was marked by a loose confederation of states. The failure of this system, which brought about the development of our federalist system, was related to the fact that
no outline was given as to how many votes were needed to approve of important issues like war and taxation
the national government consistently overstepped its boundaries in regards to power and the states
there was a lack of emphatic support for a government that lacked a strong, centralized national government
no power was given to the national government to tax which made the national government dependent on the states
8. Which is not one of the four political principles embodied in the Constitution of the United States?
Socialism
Republicanism
Federalism
Separation of powers
9. What was the turning point in american cold-war foreign policy
the spanish-american war
the korean war
the cuba missile crisis
the vietnam conflict
10. What are the principles of procedural democracy
universal participation and political equality
majority rule.
social equality
A and B
11. Richard Nixon resigned before what branch of government was going to vote for impeachment?
The House of Representatives
The Senate
The Department of Justice
The Supreme Court
12: Which of the following is NOT a principle of the procedural democratic theory?
universal participation
majority rule
minority rights
political equality
13: Which of the following does not support the pluralist model of government?
filibuster
judicial review
referendum
interest groups
14: The type of democracy most compatible with minority rule is
pluralist
procedural
constitutional
direct
15: Which of the following is not a principle of procedural democracy?
Universal Participation
Political Equality
Minority Rule
Government Responsiveness to Public Opinion
Political Participation and Interest Groups. Simulation Task
You are the head of a large, national environmental group with a long history of activism in favor of environmental causes. Now, you are eager to prove that your group can be influential and capable of producing policy. Your membership is spread across the country. Currently, there is a Republican in the White House, and the Democrats have a slim majority in both the House and Senate. The next presidential election is three years away. Your organization is in favor of environmental policy that would impose tighter pollution restrictions against polluting the nation’s rivers, lakes, and oceans. There is a general agreement for this policy within Congress, yet the president has announced his opposition to the policy. You must develop a strategy for your group in hopes of getting something passed into law. Do you choose to:
1. Advocate a sweeping environmental bill that would impose stiff penalties on polluters and that finds support among most of your group's members.
2. Push for a more modest bill that allows for some pollution to continue while further cleaning up the nation’s water. This bill might be attractive to the president.
1. Advocate a sweeping environmental bill that would impose stiff penalties on polluters and that finds support among most of your group's members.
2. Push for a more modest bill that allows for some pollution to continue while further cleaning up the nation’s water. This bill might be attractive to the president.
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