A.P. Government and Politics

Mr. Kielmeyer

Media and Interest Groups

  1. The chances of a public official in Great Britain successfully suing journalists who libel them in public are
  2. About the same as in the U.S.
  3. Considerably less than in the U.S.
  4. Considerably greater than in the US
  5. Non existent
  6. Not generally known
  1. One factor that explains the greater freedom enjoyed by U.S. radio and television stations, compared to those in France, is that
  2. French radio and television must earn a profit
  3. France has an Official Secrets Act that allows it to punish those who divulge sensitive information
  4. The Supreme Court has declared all laws regulating the media as unconstitutional
  5. The U.S. federal government does not impose rules on broadcasters
  6. U.S. radio and television stations are privately owned
  1. In the years of the early republic, newspapers were financially supported by
  2. Advertising
  3. Payments by the Associated Press
  4. Subsidies from political parties and politicians
  5. Mass circulation
  6. Religious clubs and organizations
  1. Changes in U.S. politics have occurred at the same time changes in the organization and technology of the media. This seems to suggest that
  2. The nature of journalism dictates the nature of politics
  3. Politics will respond to changes in how communication is carried on
  4. The technology of journalism responds to changes in politics
  5. Journalism is more important than politics in determining how the government will operate
  6. The nature of politics dictates the nature of journalism
  1. For all their excesses, the sensationalist mass newspapers of the late nineteenth century effected several important changes in the press, including
  2. Demonstrating how profitable criticizing the government could be
  3. Encouraging cultural and religious diversity in U.S. society
  4. Limiting the role of technology in journalism
  5. Give a greater power to a social elite
  6. Giving greater power to a political elite
  1. A member of Congress who wishes to maximize their news attention is well advised to
  2. Propose increasing taxes
  3. Propose lowering taxes
  4. Praise the president
  5. Attack the president
  6. Author new legislation
  1. The new era of electronic journalism is best characterized by
  2. An emphasis on talk shows and a diminishing importance of cable television
  3. A diminishing importance of the big three networks and a rise in popularity of cable entertainment-type programs
  4. Greater interest in probing confrontations on policy issues by major network journalists and less interest in human interest stories
  5. A diminishing interest in policy issues and a rise in overall popularity of major network programs
  6. Emergence of news magazine programs on major networks
  1. The mass media are not a true mirror of reality because
  2. Reporters are more conservative than the general public
  3. The news emphasizes sensational events and ignores positive social trends
  4. A process of selecting, editing and emphasis exists in news reporting
  5. The media tend to emphasize national issues over local ones
  6. The media tend to emphasize local issues over national ones
  1. The U.S. media, including the electronic media, is primarily oriented to its local market and local audience. The reason(s) for this is (are) the
  2. FCC regulations that compel local affiliates to accept national network broadcasts
  3. FCC regulations that limit multiple media ownership in a given market
  4. Wide scale ownership of the press by large national corporations
  5. Shrinking number of total news sources available to the average citizen
  6. Dominance of partisans in ownership positions who insist on winning supporters market by market
  1. The national media often play the role of gatekeeper. This means they can
  2. Influence public opinion on most issues
  3. Influence what subjects become national politics
  4. Prevent certain politicians from winning office by not covering their campaigns
  5. Provide greater depth on stories than the local press
  6. Channel public opinion in a manner that causes politicians to respond
  1. The media typically report presidential elections as horse races because of the media’s role as
  2. Arbiter
  3. Watchdog
  4. Scorekeeper
  5. Mirror of reality
  6. Mediator
  1. The news media interpret a candidate’s second place finish in the Iowa caucuses as a sign of strength. In this role the media are acting as
  2. Gatekeeper
  3. Scorekeeper
  4. Watchdog
  5. Investigator
  6. B and C
  1. When Israeli general Ariel Sharon sues Time magazine for libel, the jury decided
  2. Time’s stories on Sharon were accurate
  3. Time had libeled Sharon and must pay damages
  4. Time had libeled Sharon but not intentionally
  5. Sharon lacked standing to sue in a U.S. court
  6. Sharon had shown no true case or controversy
  1. The case of Myron Farber, a reporter from the New York Times, dealt with the question of
  2. Whether police can search newsrooms
  3. The grounds for libel
  4. The definition of obscenity
  5. The definition of incitement
  6. The confidentiality of a reporters sources
  1. Radio licenses must be renewed every ___ years, while television licenses must be renewed every ___ years.
  2. 7, 7
  3. 5, 5
  4. 7, 5
  5. 5, 7
  6. 2, 7
  1. The content of radio and television broadcasts is regulated in ways that newspapers and magazines are not. For instance, broadcasters are required by law to
  2. Provide free advertising to all candidates
  3. Allow a candidate to petition for a stations endorsement
  4. Allow individuals the right to reply to an attack, provided it did not occur on a regular news program
  5. Present contrasting sides of controversial public issues
  6. Produce public debates and forums for the discussion of current issues
  1. For the media to broadcast presidential debates in 2004, which of the following had to be agreed to?
  2. Both points of view had to be given equal time
  3. Invitations to all other candidates for president had to be issued and their refusals obtained
  4. All three major networks had to agree on the format of the debates
  5. The debates had to be sponsored by a interest group and covered as a news event
  6. The debates had to feature questions by members of the news media
  1. Why is a candidate for the Senate more likely to advertise on television than a candidate for the House?
  2. Because a senator’s constituency is more widely spread geographically
  3. Because a senator’s constituency is more narrowly concentrated geographically
  4. Because a senator’s constituency might include a sizable portion of voters who do not watch television
  5. Because senators typically choose media that provide a more direct way of reaching voters
  6. Because a senator’s salary is three times that of a House member who can rarely afford such advertising
  1. In presidential elections throughout this century, most local newspapers have
  2. Favored the Democrat in all but one instance
  3. Favored the Democrat slightly more often than the Republican
  4. Favored the Republican in all but one instance
  5. Favored independents, with the exception of Ronald Reagan
  6. Split about evenly between parties
  1. Mass media probably have the least effect on
  2. How politics is conducted
  3. How candidates are selected
  4. How candidates are perceived
  5. How policies are formulated
  6. How people vote in elections
  1. On which of the following issues are the media most likely to have the greatest influence on the national political agenda?
  2. An issues such as unemployment that effects people personally
  3. An issue such as the environment with which people have little personal experience
  4. An issue such as abortion of school prayer with which the courts have been involved
  5. An issue such as school taxes that affects people at the local level
  6. A and C
  1. _____ tend to see greater ideological differences between candidates than do____.
  2. Radio listeners, television viewers
  3. Television viewers, newspaper readers
  4. Television viewers, radio listeners
  5. Newspaper readers, television viewers
  6. Newspaper readers, radio listeners
  1. Regarding their relationship with the media, U.S. public officials generally
  2. Try to avoid the media to prevent damage to their reputations
  3. Resist the media at every opportunity
  4. Rely on the media to take initiative on media coverage
  5. Rely on the media only to the extent that the media can help set a political agenda
  6. Spend a great deal of time cultivating the media
  1. According to recent polls, Americans claim to get most of their news from
  2. Magazines of opinion
  3. Local newspapers
  4. National newspapers
  5. National newsweeklies
  6. Television
  1. Compared to the number of people who watch a television news program every day, the number who read a newspaper every day is
  2. Much larger
  3. Somewhat larger
  4. Somewhat smaller
  5. Much smaller
  6. About the same
  1. Compared to average citizens, members of the national media are
  2. Far more conservative
  3. Far more liberal
  4. Somewhat more conservative
  5. Somewhat more liberal
  6. About the same
  1. The U.S. Constitution contributes to the problem of press leaks by
  2. Creating freedom of the press
  3. Separating the branches of the government
  4. Establishing a national government
  5. Establishing a Supreme Court
  6. Establishing the executive branch and its appointed officers
  1. Surveys suggest most Americans believe
  2. The media slants its coverage
  3. The media have too much influence
  4. Abuse its constitutional protections
  5. All of the above
  6. None of the above
  1. Among the weapons that the government uses to constrain journalists is the
  2. Threat of the government ‘s revoking a journalist’s license
  3. Enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act
  4. Need for journalists to stay on good terms with their inside sources of information
  5. Threat that press officers will bypass the local media and reach the national media directly
  6. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Nixon v. U.S.
  1. The source of a background story is typically
  2. One of the wire services
  3. Not identified by name
  4. The president’s press secretary
  5. The president himself
  6. The president’s chief of staff
  1. James Madison believed that the latent causes of faction were rooted in
  2. The two party system
  3. Capitalist society
  4. Religious conflict
  5. An improperly designed constitution
  6. The nature of man
  1. One reason interest groups are so common in the United States is that
  2. Society is relatively homogenous
  3. Political parties are relatively strong
  4. Political authority resides in a handful of officials
  5. Important decisions are made in only a handful of places
  1. In the United States, unlike Great Britain, interest groups can easily gain access to government because
  2. Political parties are relatively powerful
  3. power is centralized in the legislative branch
  4. important decisions are made in only a few places
  5. our constitutional system is so limited
  6. political authority is widely dispersed
  1. The emergence of large, mass membership unions was an example of interest groups forming as a result of
  2. Government policy
  3. The evolution of talented leadership
  4. The enlargement of government responsibilities
  5. Broad economic developments
  6. Legislative capitulation
  1. One type of interest group whose representation in Washington has skyrocketed since 1970 is the
  2. Professional organization
  3. Trade association
  4. Corporate lobby
  5. Union lobby
  6. Public interest lobby
  1. The U.S. wine industry is represented in Washington by a group that seeks to influence public policy regarding wine. This group is most accurately called a(n)
  2. Membership interest
  3. Solidary group
  4. Institutional interest
  5. Public interest lobby
  6. Referenced interest
  1. Which of the following is true of most people who are sympathetic to the aims of a mass-membership interest group?
  2. They do not join it
  3. They join, but don’t pay dues
  4. They join, pay dues, but do not participate in the activities of the group
  5. They join, pay dues, and participate in the activities
  1. People who join the parent teacher associations (PTAs) are most likely to do so as a result of ____ incentives.
  2. Solidary
  3. Material
  4. Purposive
  5. Tangible
  6. Smothering
  1. Which of the following is NOT an example of a material incentive?
  2. the opportunity for members to market their products through cooperatives
  3. low cost life insurance
  4. the appeal of the organizations stated goals
  5. free assistance in preparing tax returns
  6. free assistance in estate planning
  7. The National Council on Social Studies offers its members reduced rates on hair replacement systems. Such benefits to members are
  8. Solidary
  9. Material
  10. Purposive
  11. Party
  12. Concurrent
  1. To be effective, purposive membership organizations count on
  2. Keeping issues in the spotlight
  3. Not Keeping issues in the spotlight
  4. Major foundation funding
  5. Favorable treatment by the courts
  6. Litigation that receives little public attention
  1. A public-interest organization can be defined as one that, if its goals were achieved, would benefit primarily
  2. Those who are not members of the organization
  3. The government
  4. The membership
  5. The political parties
  6. Legislative leaders
  1. A PIRG is an organization dedicated to
  2. Working on and studying local consumer issues
  3. Opposing the nuclear arms race
  4. Opposing the mandatory attendance policy at school assemblies
  5. Providing campaign funds to unpopular candidates
  6. Supporting civil rights for homosexuals
  1. One of the important activities of PIRG law firms is to
  2. Bring suits on behalf of persons harmed by some public policy
  3. Provide members of Congress with timely information on controversial issues
  4. Document lawsuits against government agencies
  5. Give legal advice to public interest organizations
  6. Block litigation which opposes governmental regulations
  1. Which of the following statements about a social movement is generally true?
  2. The more extreme its position, the smaller its size
  3. The more liberal its position, the larger its size
  4. The more moderate its position, the smaller its size
  5. The more purposive its membership incentives, the smaller its size
  6. It can only take place when courts are open to the prospect of radical change in the law
  1. A major cause in the decline of union membership in the United States was a(n)
  2. Shift in the nation’s economic life toward industrial production
  3. Decline in public support for unions
  4. Shift in the nations economic life away from service delivery
  5. Increase in the number of union members with purposive incentives
  6. Increase in the number of union members with concurrent incentives
  1. Common Cause, a liberal organization founded in 1970, gets its financial support from
  2. Union and corporate sponsorship
  3. Foundations
  4. Direct-mail solicitation
  5. Providing non political material incentives to members
  6. Low interest loans from the political parties

48. The Americans who are most likely to join interest groups are

  1. religious people
  2. people in small communities
  3. people in economic distress
  4. people with above average incomes
  5. the progeny of car dealership owners and osteopaths attending small liberal arts colleges and studying Ancient Mongolian political philosophy with a minor in Bolivian Art

49.The example of farmers illustrates that interest groups from the same sector are often

  1. An unbeatable combination
  2. Divided among themselves
  3. Unrepresentative of their members
  4. Sure of their own best interests
  5. Unified, but incapable of action

50. The best measure of an interest groups influence is its

  1. size
  2. wealth
  3. organizational skill
  4. contacts
  5. issue dexterity

51. The most effective commodity at the command of interest groups is

  1. money
  2. allegiance
  3. persuasiveness
  4. media access
  5. information

52. Lobbyists are retrained from misrepresenting facts or misleading legislators by

  1. the 1984 truth in lobbying law
  2. the open nature of the lobbying process
  3. governmental regulation agencies such as the FTA
  4. the fear of losing legislator’s trust and confidence
  5. supervision of the federal courts

53. One type of political cue a legislator might consider before taking a position on an issue would be

  1. what lobbies are in favor of the issue
  2. what bureaucratic changes would need to be made if the legislation passes
  3. what the Supreme Court’s position is on the issue
  4. what type of technical information is available to lobbyists
  5. the general position of articles appearing in law reviews

54. The primary purpose of legislative rankings used by various interest groups is to

  1. inform the general electorate of major issues
  2. compare the performances of different legislators
  3. provide a cover for illegal influence peddling
  4. influence the behavior of legislators
  5. guide administrative officers in the interpretation of federal regulations and statutes

55. The 1993 Brady Bill was opposed by which of the following interest groups

  1. national organization of women
  2. national rifle association
  3. sierra club
  4. NAACP
  5. ACLU

56. Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Money is probably one of the most effective ways by which interest groups advance their causes
  2. The bulging wallets of power interest groups buy more influence today than it did 50 years ago
  3. Campaign finance laws place no restrictions on the amount of money that interest groups give to candidates
  4. Corporations and labor unions cannot form PACs
  5. None of the above are correct

57. Could a member of Congress start a political action committee?

  1. no, PACs are organizations, not individuals
  2. no, PACs influence legislators and therefore cannot consist of legislators
  3. yes, and many have
  4. yes, but only after the legislator leaves Congress
  5. yes, but only after being re-elected at least once

58. The term revolving door is used to mean

  1. entry level jobs requiring little experience
  2. agencies frequently reflect the view of interest groups which lobby them directly
  3. administrations in which senior cabinet members serve only short terms
  4. lobbyists waiting outside the door to speak to officials
  5. a departing government official joining a firm with which he or she had been doing business

59. The Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946

  1. had considerable effect
  2. had a slight impact on lobbying activities
  3. had little practical effect
  4. was effective with respect to the registration of lobbyists
  5. resulted in the accurate reporting of interest group finances

60. Interest group activity is protected by

  1. 1st amendment
  2. 5th amendment
  3. 14th amendment
  4. 27th amendment
  5. civil rights act of 1964