Gov 105 Final Exam Study Guide Part 2 latest updated

Which of the following is the definition of ideology provided in the lecture? A. Those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed B. A person's partisan identification C. A set of shared beliefs about the proper order of society and how it can be achieved D. A political philosophy associated with the placement of value on the exercise of individual liberty - Answer- A set of shared beliefs about the proper order of society and how it can be achieved Overall, Texans are generally in support of all of the following policies EXCEPT: A. Limited government B. Laws which emphasize individual autonomy C. Limited social services D. A significant social safety net - Answer- A significant social safety net How is populism different from other ideological influences in Texas political culture? A. It lacks specific political and philosophical content B. It focuses on the preservation of rights C. It is highly suspicious of any change in beliefs and practices D. It is based on a rigid sense of moral rights and wrongs - Answer- It lacks specific political and philosophical content Ideology provides individuals with all of the following EXCEPT: A. Ideas we often consider "common sense" B. A way of thinking about the world in a coherent way C. A binding material for different ideas about politics D. Detailed answers to policy decision - Answer- Detailed answers to policy decisions Which political philosophy is associated with a reflexive suspicion in changes in established beliefs and practices? A. Republicanism B. Populism C. Social conservatism D. Classical liberalism - Answer- Social conservatism Which areas tend to be more attentive to government-delivered services? A. Rural B. Frontier C. Exurban D. Urban - Answer- Urban Which of the following pairs accurately describes trends in collision with each other in Texas? A. Increasingly wealthy urban areas and economic downturns in rural areas B. Conservative state governmental institutions and increasingly liberal urban areas C. Highly religious rural areas and secular exurban areas D. The lack of political influence of urban areas and traditionally powerful rural areas - Answer- Conservative state governmental institutions and increasingly liberal urban areas Which of the following cities in Texas is NOT among the top most populous cities in America? A. San Antonio B. Dallas C. Houston D. Austin - Answer- Austin Which of the following accurately characterized Texas over the last few decades? A. Rural areas close to urban areas are becoming less connected to nearby cities B. Urban areas are declining due to problems in the inner city C. Urban areas are becoming more conservative D. The state is becoming overwhelmingly urban - Answer- The state is becoming overwhelmingly urban Areas identified as "exurban" are: A. the outer rings of urban core areas B. The closest residential areas of the urban core areas C. Less desirable places to live than the urban cores D. Predominantly based on agricultural production - Answer- The outer rings of urban core areas Which of the following best describes Barry McBee's discussion of the potential for public education to fall outside of the "low tax, low service" orientation of Texas voters? A. There was a lot of potential for the Texas Legislature to craft a long-term solution B. Most Texans and policymakers have a limited understanding of how public education is funded C. The Constitutional requirements for a public education system are easy to satisfy D. Most Texans don't consider public education funding a local matter - Answer- Most Texans and policymakers have a limited understanding of how public education is funded According to Erica Grieder, Governor Perry's additions to the traditional "low taxes, low services" Texas policy model are: A. long terms in office and funding for education B. Business subsidies and anti-union laws C. Light and regulations and tort reform D. Business recruitment and transportation - Answer- Light regulations and tort reform According to Barry McBee, Texas' low rankings in several measures of social welfare are a result of A. the voters electing officials who say they won't increase spending B. Texans' clear understanding that low taxes lead to low social rankings C. Texans' desire to spend available funds to improve the business climate D. Texans' not paying attention to comparisons with other state - Answer- The voters electing officials who say they won't increase spending According to Professor Murdock, what is likely to happen in the next few decades if current demographic trends continue without any changes in the current socioeconomic differences between different ethnic and racial groups? A. The state's ability to maintain a high tech economy will improve B. The share of the labor force with less than a high school education will get smaller C. The average household income in the state will decline D. The number of married couples living in poverty will decrease - Answer- The average household income in the state will decline According to Professor Murdock's lecture, which of the following is true about the implications of demographic change for education in Texas future? A. The number of African American children in Texas schools is expected to increase greatly by 2040 B. Demographic trends suggest that Texas schools will require much less state funding by 2040. C. Middle class Anglos are likely to constitute the majority of children in Texas schools by 2040. D. It is likely that a large majority of the children in Texas schools will be Latino and low income by 2040 - Answer- It is likely that a large majority of the children in Texas schools will be Latino and low income by 2040 According to the video, the "revolving door" in the Texas legislature is: A. largely consistent with the original intent of the design of the legislature in the Constitution B. an unintended consequence of the creation of a "citizen legislature" C. mostly a phenomenon that happens in obscure policy areas D. a relatively rare if important occurrence - Answer- An unintended consequence of the creation of a "citizen legislature" According to the video, county judges: A. are insulated from politics B. report to their city council C. generally exercise little influence in their jurisdictions D. oversee the County Commissioner's courts - Answer- Oversee the County Commissioner's courts According to the video, which of the following was a result of a change to the Texas Constitution in the 1970s? A. The governor serves a four-year term in office B. Term limits were placed on the governor C. It became easier for the legislature to overturn vetoes. D. The governor has the ability to appoint a cabinet - Answer- The governor serves a four-year term in office According to the video, which of the following is a potentially negative consequence of the design of the Texas legislature? A. Legislators spend too much time in Austin B. A lack of connection with people who have "regular jobs" C. Potential conflicts of interest D. A lack of expertise in specific policy areas - Answer- Potential conflicts of interest According to the video, the Texas Constitution is similar to the U.S. Constitution, but differs in that: A. the U.S. Constitution was shaped more by populism than was the Texas Constitution B. the Texas Constitution separates powers less than does the U.S. Constitution C. the Texas Constitution seeks to limit government more than the U.S. Constitution D. the U.S. Constitution relies more on the direct election of public officials - Answer- The Texas Constitution seeks to limit government more than the U.S. Constitution Which of the following is generally true of Constitutional special elections? A. They are dominated by very conservative voters B. They happen infrequently C. They have low voter turnout D. Campaign money determines outcomes - Answer- They have low voter turnout In Special Constitutional elections, what do interest groups generally do to maximize their impact? A. Rely heavily on television advertising B. Seek to register new voters who will vote for their preferred options C. Focus on mobilizing turnout among their members D. Engage in public debate with other interest groups to increase voter interest - Answer- Focus on mobilizing turnout among their members According to the video, why did legislators in 2013 prefer a constitutional amendment rather than passing legislation in handling the comprehensive state water plane? A. the two chambers of the legislature couldn't come to an agreement on specifics of the plan B. Influential interest groups strongly supported implanting the plan via an amendment C. Partisan division in the Senate required passing an amendment rather than a regular bill D. It provided legislators with political cover for government spending in the plan - Answer- It provided legislators with political cover for government spending in the plan Proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution must ultimately be approved by whom? A. The Legislature B. The voters C. The Governor D. County commissioners courts - Answer- The voters Why have there been so many amendments to the Texas Constitution? A. Because the amendment requirements are simple and easy to meet B. Because the Constitution contains operational detail in many areas C. Because overly complicated and outdated legislative procedures D. Because interest groups are so powerful in the Texas system - Answer- Because the Constitution contains operational detail in many areas Based on the rest of the unit as well as the video, which of the following is NOT a reason per diems might have been a contentious issue for Texas legislators? A. Because as part-time legislators, they were both forgoing income from their regular jobs and needed sufficient money to live in Austin B. Because Texas's high inflation relative to the rest of the U.S. lowered the value of the per diems C. Because the per diem rate affects legislator incentives regarding the amount of deliberation on bills and the length of regular and special sessions D. Because so much focus in Texas is placed on limiting government expenditures - Answer- Because Texas's high inflation relative to the rest of the U.S. lowered the value of the per diems What is the major gist of Karina Davis's suggestion about altering the Texas Constitution? A. The rule regarding the part of a legislative session in which bills can be passed should be revisited B. The rule regarding legislator per diems is outdated C. The constitution requires a major overhaul in order to facilitate legislative activity D. The part-time status of Texas legislators means there isn't enough time to pass important bills - Answer- The rule regarding the part of a legislative session in which bills can be passed should be revisited Which of the following phenomena is Karina Davis's comments about the Texas Constitution's complexity meant to explain? A. Frequent constitutional conventions to make a number of large changes all at once B. The difficulty the legislature faces in tackling complex policy issues C. Requests that the federal government play a larger regulatory role in Texas D. Infrequent amendments because of disputes over priorities - Answer- The difficulty the legislature faces in tackling complex policy issues When Karina Davis says that "it makes it difficult that so much is prescribed in the Texas Constitution," what specifically is difficult? A. Expanding the role of the state parliamentarian B. Calling a constitutional convention to fix the constitution's flaws C. Passing large, multifaceted pieces of legislation D. Gaining cooperation among legislators of different ideologies - Answer- Passing large, multifaceted pieces of legislation When releasing a public poll, professional rules of disclosure require the release of ALL of the following information about the poll EXCEPT: A. Dates of the interviewing B. The size of the sample C. The identity of the respondents D. The complete wording of all questions - Answer- The identity of the respondents Why have most people not been contacted to participate in a public opinion poll? A. The small number of people necessary for a sample make the odds of being chosen to participate very small B. Most people's phone numbers and email addresses are available for use by pollsters C. Most people don't follow politics closely and so are not asked to participate in polls D. Public opinion polls are not a legitimate part of democracy, so pollsters are very careful about whom they contact - Answer- The small numbers of people necessary for a sample make the odds of being chosen to participate very small What is the main characteristic of a scientific sample? A. Careful selection of people willing to engage in face-to-face interviews B. The inclusion of all members of the population C. The use of computers to collect and store survey date D. Random selection of potential survey respondents - Answer- Random selection of potential survey respondents In the cross tabulation example (taken from the New York Times) on the "Polling 101 site," what percentage of African American respondents thought that race relations in their community were GENERALLY BAD? A. 72.4% B. 51% C. 15.1% D. 21.7% - Answer- 21.7% The "margin of error" typically reported with polls refers to what kind of error? A. Measurement error B. Sampling error C. Response error D. Coverage error - Answer- Sampling error Public opinion polls contribute to the democratic process by potentially helping to fill in gaps in information: A. for bureaucrats who need voters' guidance in forming policies B. for elected officials in between elections C. that would otherwise lead people not to vote D. for voters who use polls to form opinions - Answer- For elected officials in between elections "Those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed" is a famous political scientist's definition of: A. political culture B. feedback C. representative democracy D. public opinion - Answer- Public opinion What sort of information can elected officials learn from public opinion? A. the use of more effective campaign tactics B. New academic studies on policy C. More detail about what their constituents want D. How to make better moral choices when in office - Answer- More detail about what their constituents want In public opinion polling, samples are drawn in an effort to gain information about the attitudes of: A. important politicians B. a larger population C. people who are informed about politics D. specifically targeted individuals - Answer- A larger population Attitudes about politics that public opinion polls show to remain widespread and relatively stable over long periods of time eventually become part of: A. political culture B. public education curriculum C. a scientific consensus D. a body of accepted facts - Answer- Political culture When reading poll results, one should expect a legitimate poll to include: A. a source whose political beliefs are consistent with yours. B. information about the source and design of the poll C. the responses of the entire population being sampled D. color graphics that clarify the meaning of the results - Answer- Information about the source and design of the poll People participating in public opinion polls are able to quickly form opinions on subjects they know little about by using: A. information gained during a quick phone call during the survey B. personal experiences and broad political predispositions C. information available on the Internet D. the results from previous polls on the same subject - Answer- Personal experiences and broad political predispositions According to the discussion in the video, the feedback loop between elected officials and public opinion includes each of the following EXCEPT: A.public attitudes form based on extensive information about issues B. political leaders often attempt to frame issues to elicit certain responses from the public C. the public responds to political leader's actions D. political leaders attempt to respond to voters' attitudes - Answer- Public attitudes form based on extensive information about issues According to the video, for the most part, immigration policy issues are generally under the jurisdiction of: A. state government B. city and county government C. the state legislature D. the federal government - Answer- The federal government According to the video, in the "most important problems facing Texas" polling items discussed, immigration and border security were cited by large shapes of which of the following groups of Texans? A. Hispanics B. Legislators C. Republicans D. Democrats - Answer- Republicans According to the lecture, politicians tend to respond to public opinion about public policy: A. only when public opinion corresponds to how the policy process actually operates B. even though attitudes may be uniformed and internally contradictory C. only during times that they are running for reelection D. primarily when they agree with the public's view on a specific issue - Answer- Even though attitudes may be uniformed and internally contradictory According to the discussion of the UT/Texas Tribune Poll in the video, Texans viewed all of these issues among the most important problems facing the COUNTRY except: A. immigration B. the economy C. the budget deficit D. political corruption - Answer- Immigration According to Professor Shaw, how do campaigns use the information provided by polling? A. To make decisions about how to deploy resources B. To replace campaign advertising in their strategic plans C. To do a better job of raising campaign funds D. To persuade reporters that their candidate is winning - Answer- To make decisions about how to deploy resources According to Professor Shaw, why do news organizations like to cover public polling of elections? A. Coverage of poll results enables the news media to express their liberal bias while still seeming objective B. Most editors and reporters have a bias toward empirical data that allows them to publish stories that seem objective C. Information about who is winning and losing in a campaign enables the media to keep readers interested in a narrative D. Reporters know that voters use poll results when making up their minds whom to vote for on Election Day - Answer- Information about who is winning and losing in a campaign enables the media to keep readers interested in a narrative According got Professor Shaw, when is the public most likely to use information from public polls? A. During presidential primary campaigns B. During gubernational election campaigns C. During intense domestic policy debates D. During foreign policy crises - Answer- During presidential primary campaigns According to the article, which of the following characterizes public opinion of both the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and comprehensive immigration reform? A. A majority of Texans oppose both the creation of health insurance marketplaces and allowing immigrants who earn advance degrees to stay in the country. B. Texans tend to support at least some of the specific provisions of both policy packages more than they favor the overall packages C. A majority of Texans support the individual mandate in the ACA but oppose increasing border security D. Texans tend to support the Affordable Care Act more than they favor comprehensive immigration reform - Answer- Texans tend to support at least some of the specific provisions of both policy packages more than they favor the overall packages According to the chart describing attitudes toward the Affordable Care Act, what percentage of those who identify with the Tea Party were STRONGLY OPPOSED to the ACA? A. 67% B. 93% C. 5% D. 64% - Answer- 93% According to the article, how have Republicans used rhetoric to put comprehensive immigration reform in a negative light among voters? A. They have equated comprehensive immigration reform with amnesty for illegal immigrants B. They have equated comprehensive immigration reform with increasing border security C. They have equated comprehensive immigration reform with English-only requirements D. They have equated comprehensive immigration reform with the Affordable Care Act - Answer- They have equated comprehensive immigration reform with amnesty for illegal immigrants According to the results of a 2009 UT/Texas Tribune poll, what group of voters was most supportive of voter identification laws at the time the poll was taken? A. Libertarians B. Democrats C. Republicans D. Independents - Answer- Republicans The list of acceptable pieces of identification under voter identification laws is controversial because- A. Only state-issue student I.D. cards are considered valid pieces of identification B. The valid pieces of identification listed are not issued by the state C. Immigrants also carry these pieces of identification D. The valid pieces of identification are more likely to be held by certain groups - Answer- The valid pieces of identification are more likely to be held by certain groups According to the UT/Texas Tribune polls discussed in the video, between 2009 and 2012, members of what party most obviously changed their attitudes towards voter identification policy? A. Independents B. Republicans C. Democrats D. None-attitudes didn't change in that period - Answer- Democrats According to the video, states most likely to have passed voter ID bills at the time the legislation was being discussed in Texas were governed by: A. Democratic Governors and Democratic legislatures B. Republican governors and Republican legislatures C. Democratic governors and Republican legislatures D. Republican governors and Democratic legislators - Answer- Republican governors and Republican legislatures Which of the following is NOT a valid form of identification under Texas's voter I.D. law? A. Texas concealed handgun license issued by the Department of Public Safety B. A student identification card with a photo C. A United States passport D. A U.S. citizenship certificate with a photograph - Answer- A student identification card with a photo According to the video, the most common source of news is: A. social media B. radio C. newspapers D. television - Answer- Television According to the video, the use of social media applications in campaigns- A. provides more means of communicating with interested parties B. is generally considered to be the most important campaign strategy C. has reduced the amount of conflict inside campaigns D. has created an uncompetitive electoral atmosphere - Answer- Provides more means of communicating with interested parties What is one of the downsides to campaigns investing resources into new media? A. New media efforts are generally more expensive than traditional media B. The demographic characteristics of new media users suggest they have low rates of political participation C. Their education level makes users of new media generally harder to persuade D. New media will likely reach fewer people in the future than they do now - Answer- The demographic characteristics of new media users suggest they have low rates of political participation Which of the following political figures is most associated with breaking new ground in the use of social media applications in politics? A. George W. Bush B. Barack Obama C. Mitt Romney D. John Kerry - Answer- Barack Obama According to the video, most contemporary campaign staffs include someone who- A. specializes in writing computer code B. has worked for one of the major social media companies C. makes sure that more money is spent on digital media than on television and cable advertising D. specializes in digital media strategy - Answer- Specializes in digital media strategy According to Daron Shaw, what is the democratic function of contrast ads? A. They help clearly define differing policy positions among candidates B. They help mobilize voters and increase voter turnout C. They can legally be sponsored by outside groups and thus increase the plurality of voices D. They increase name recognition of the various candidates in a race - Answer- They help clearly define differing policy positions among candidates According to Daron Shaw, how do the public's perceptions of campaign ads differ from the views of political scientists? A. The public is more likely to view contrast ads as portraying positive features of a candidate B. Political scientists are more likely to view contrast ads as informative and not necessarily negative C. The public tends to place ads into more and different types of categories than political scientists D. Political scientists are more likely to see the negativity underlying ads that appear neutral on the surface - Answer- Political scientists are more likely to view contrast ads as informative and not necessarily negative According to Vincent Harris, how are most Republican campaigns dividing money between digital and televised forms of advertising? A. Digital advertising has become the dominant form in several statewide campaigns B. The share of advertising money going to digital media still amounts to scraps C. They are splitting the money roughly evenly between the two sides D. There is still more television money, but the digital media sector will soon surpass it - Answer- The share of advertising money going to digital media still amounts to scraps According to Vincent Harris, what is one cause of tension between digital media specialists (such as himself) and the traditional television political ad industry? A. Television sector specialists are threatened by the dominance of digital media among younger, internet-savvy U.S. demographics B. Television sector specialists display a condescending air toward the digital media sector