Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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The
_____-television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet-are together among the most powerful
methods of communicating a message to a huge group of people, since they combine the influence of
both the broadcast media and the print media. a. | mass media | c. | news | b. | digital cable | d. | pressure groups | | | | |
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2.
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Organizations that usually support policies that benefit business in general and work
toward seeking policy goals that benefit their particular membership. a. | social
classes | c. | peer groups | b. | trade
organizations | d. | congressional
committees | | | | |
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3.
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Established by and representing a labor union, company, or special interest group,
_____ raise and donate campaign funds on behalf of the organizations or people they represent. They
are a major force in politics. In the last 20 years, they have become the most important source of
political contributions. In order to be legitimate, they must raise money from at least 50 volunteer
donors and that money must be given to at least five candidates in a federal election. Each candidate
may receive up to $5,000 each in each election. a. | Political Action Committees
PAC's | c. | Pressure Groups | b. | Political Persuasion Committees
PAC's | d. | National Chamber of
Commerce | | | | |
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4.
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Employed by some of the best survey-taking firms, a _____ is a technique to ascertain
public opinion on a subject. The main premise of the technique is that everyone should have an equal
probability of being selected to give his or her opinion. It is the most important factor in an
accurate opinion poll. a. | focus group | c. | straw poll | b. | universal
sample | d. | random sample | | | | |
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5.
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People
who resist change much more strongly than do either moderates or conservatives. _____ not only do not
want society to change, they are willing to actively fight against social change. a. | reactionaries | c. | Fascists | b. | Communists | d. | Libertarians | | | | |
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6.
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_____
is the collected attitudes of a group of adults. Because there is no one true "public," but
rather many different groups with their own distinct opinions, there is no one definitive _____.
Political scientist V. O. Key Jr. described public opinion as what governments "find it prudent
to heed." a. | political
propaganda | c. | community opinion | b. | public
opinion | d. | public
socialization | | | | |
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7.
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Persons on the extreme left side of the political spectrum who do not believe in
working within the established political processes to achieve their goals and who often want to
destroy the established governmental system. a. | libertarians | c. | radical conservatives | b. | radical left | d. | liberals | | | | |
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8.
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Small
numbers of people who represent a cross-section of the total population that has been polled on a
specific issue. a. | samples | c. | pods | b. | groups | d. | clusters | | | | |
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9.
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People
with political views that are in the middle ground between liberal and conservative. a. | Southern
Democrats | c. | Northeast
Republicans | b. | moderates | d. | radicals | | | | |
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10.
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Systems by which interest groups evaluate (rate) the performance of legislators based
on how the legislators have served the interest groups a. | ratings
systems | c. | evaluation/popularity
systems | b. | legislative systems | d. | interests systems | | | | |
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11.
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In the
political spectrum, those who resist change more strongly than do moderates or conservatives.
a. | communists | c. | liberals | b. | radical left | d. | radical right | | | | |
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12.
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An
_____ is a person with well-thought-out political opinions that are consistent on a number of issues.
_____ are frequently zealous advocates of their own points of view a. | ideologue | c. | Democrat | b. | Republican | d. | lethargic | | | | |
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13.
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A
polling sample that does not accurately represent the population. a. | alien sample | c. | unbiased sample | b. | biased sample | d. | population sample | | | | |
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14.
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A
person who usually acts as an agent for a group that seeks to bring about the passage or defeat of
legislative bills, to influence their content, or to influence administrative
actions. a. | loyal
opposition | c. | lobbyist | b. | unionist | d. | chamber organizer | | | | |
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15.
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_____
is a philosophy of government that favors the maintenance of existing organizations. Generally, they
are pragmatic and emphasize free enterprise capitalism, strict law and order, minimal economic
intervention by the government, and national traditions. They also often favor military strength and
enforcement of traditional social values. a. | Communism | c. | Fascism | b. | Conservatism | d. | Liberalism | | | | |
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16.
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A
random survey to discover popular views on matters of public importance. a. | public opinion
poll | c. | statistical mean
survey | b. | double blind study | d. | focus group | | | | |
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17.
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_____
is the process by which people acquire their political attitudes and beliefs. This process usually
occurs through association with friends, family, and coworkers. Some of the key elements are his or
her economic status, education level, religion, race, current events, the media, and opinion
leaders. a. | political
socialization | c. | political
persuasion | b. | political radicalization | d. | political orientation | | | | |
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18.
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In
such surveys as opinion polls, the _____ is the difference between the sample's results and the
results had each person been polled. a. | sampling error | c. | justification | b. | sample | d. | random sample | | | | |
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19.
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A
_____ is a group of people, usually friends or associates, who are about the same age and who share
the same social characteristics, i.e., religion or occupation. They play a major role in the
socialization of both children and adults, helping to shape beliefs, behaviors, and
attitudes. a. | political
party | c. | liberal or conservative
group | b. | peer group | d. | social group | | | | |
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20.
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Also
known as pressure groups or lobbies, _____ are organized groups of people who share common goals,
such as increasing the political power of senior citizens or stopping an unpopular bill. They
actively try to influence legislators' and policymakers' opinions by approaching them in Congress
many lobbies, by wielding public opinion, and through electioneering. a. | politicians | c. | elected representatives | b. | interest
groups | d. | social clubs | | | | |
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21.
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The
opposite of conservatism, _____ is a political ideology based on support for civil rights, tolerance
for social and political change, and the advocacy of government action to improve individuals'
welfare. They also favor international cooperation and government regulation of
business. a. | liberalism | c. | moderation | b. | radicalism | d. | libertarianism | | | | |
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22.
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A term
derived from citizens' habit of accosting legislators in the lobbies of their legislative chambers to
make their opinions known before a vote, _____ is a process in which individuals or organizations try
to influence the outcome of a legislative vote, the content of a bill, or a decision by the
government. In the last part of the 19th century, _____ earned themselves a bad name because they
often tried to bribe lawmakers. Nowadays, they still have a reputation for being aggressive, but they
perform an important role in government by letting legislators know what constituents
want. a. | filibustering | c. | clustering | b. | lobbying | d. | organizing | | | | |
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23.
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All
individuals over 16 who are working or who are actively looking for a job. a. | labor force | c. | adults | b. | peer groups | d. | unemployed | | | | |
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24.
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A
survey of opinions taken to estimate the strength of opposing candidates or the popularity of a
proposed law. a. | public
opinion | c. | political
socialization | b. | straw poll | d. | trial and error | | | | |
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