AP Government: Unit 5 Test
1. One of the effects of growing older is that
a. People become more politically independent with age
b. Political apathy increases with age
c. The strength of one’s party attachment declines with age
d. Interest in politics decreases with age
e. Political participation increases with age
2. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 was designed to:
a. Reduce the number of qualifications for voting
b. Prevent states from denying suffrage to convicted felons
c. Eliminate voter registration
d. Reduce voter registration fraud
e. Increase voter turnout
3. Conservatives would tend to favor each of the following EXCEPT:
a. Free-market solutions
b. Fewer federal regulations
c. Low taxes
d. Affirmative action
e. Increased military spending
4. A coherent and consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue is referred to as
a. political efficacy
b. public opinion
c. pragmatism
d. realism
e. political ideology
5. The best predictor of how a citizen will vote is their
a. age.
b. religion.
c. family.
d. gender.
e. labor union status.
6. One way that whites prevented blacks from voting prior to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was by
requiring them to
a. Meet qualifications found in Article III of the Constitution
b. Register six months in advance of an election
c. Pass a literacy test
d. Become U.S. citizens
e. Memorize the Bill of Rights
7. Suffrage was extended in the 26th Amendment to
a. Those aged eighteen to twenty
b. Blacks
c. Women
d. Residents of the District of Columbia
e. Felons who had received presidential pardons
8. Suffrage was extended in the 19th Amendment to
a. Those aged eighteen to twenty
b. Blacks
c. Women
d. Residents of the District of Columbia
e. Felons who had received presidential pardons
9. Conservatives ideology is most closely linked to
a. Socialists
b. Classical liberalism
c. Libertarians
d. Neoconservatives
e. Neoliberals
10. National polls typically require _______respondents
a. 1000-1200
b. 1200-1500
c. 1500-2000
d. 2000-3500
e. 1200-2000
11. One reason that public policy often differs from public opinion is that
a. The U.S. Constitution places many checks on the influence of public opinion.
b. Public opinion polling tends to express the opinions of a political elite.
c. Public opinion is easy to gauge, while the effectiveness of public policy is not.
d. Public opinion tends to change much more slowly than public policy.
e. Public opinion is rarely informed at the beginning of the policy-making process.
12. If any given voter has a chance of being in a survey, the sample is best described as a __________ sample.
a. random
b. stratified quota
c. split
d. two-stage
e. bifurcated
13. Exit polls are conducted
a. just after a voter registers to vote.
b. during the national conventions.
c. on election day at polling places.
d. after each presidential debate.
e. when voters change their party identification.
14. Most adults adopt the party preference of their
a. peers.
b. employers.
c. teachers.
d. physicians.
e. parents.
15. Religious influences on public opinion are most pronounced with respect to __________ issues and less evident
in others.
a. foreign policy
b. state and local
c. ideological
d. economic
e. social
16. Which of the following is not a source of cleavage in public opinion?
a. Race
b. Social Class
c. Region
d. The Family
e. Ethnicity
17. The best predictor of whether a person will vote is
a. income.
b. academic achievement.
c. race.
d. gender.
e. age.
18. We often refer to political elites as
a. activists.
b. special interests.
c. politicos.
d. socialites.
e. the ruling class.
19. At the time the U.S. Constitution was ratified, voting was limited to
a. most white males.
b. most males.
c. property owners or taxpayers.
d. the commercial class.
e. farmers.
20. Conventional data comparing U.S. and European voter turnout rates are misleading because they
a. compute turnout by two different measures.
b. are compiled by different agencies.
c. fail to recognize different political cultures.
d. disregard the levels of voter fraud.
e. All of the above
21. Political participation encompasses all of the following activities except
a. voting.
b. paying your taxes.
c. writing your congressional representative.
d. signing a petition.
e. discussing politics.
22. Which amendment stated that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be abridged by the
United States or by any state on account of race, color, or condition of servitude”?
a. 12th Amendment
b. 23rd Amendment
c. 15th Amendment
d. 25th Amendment
e. None of the above
23. Between 1915 and 1925, the size of the eligible voting population in the U.S. almost doubled. The main reason
for this was that
a. the 15th Amendment was ratified.
b. women were given the right to vote.
c. the grandfather clause that denied voting to blacks was ruled unconstitutional.
d. literacy tests for blacks were ruled unconstitutional.
e. voter registration laws were abolished in seventeen states.
24. When Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1970 and lowered the voting age to 18,
a. the president vetoed the Act.
b. the 14th Amendment was overturned.
c. the Supreme Court declared the adjustment unconstitutional.
d. 35 state governors protested the change.
e. the number of eligible voters instantly doubled.
25. The _____ Amendment gave voters in the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections.
a. 15th
b. 20th
c. 22nd
d. 23rd
e. 26th
26. About _____ percent of the American population are completely inactive (they never discuss politics and don’t
vote).
a. 10
b. 20
c. 40
d. 50
e. 60
27. Those who cast ballots in elections but engage in no other form of political participation are called
a. voting specialists.
b. campaigners.
c. issue belligerents.
d. communalists.
e. parochial participants.
28. In states that have instituted same-day voter registration, the effect on voter turnout has been
a. a major decline.
b. a slight decline.
c. a slight increase.
d. a major increase.
e. no effect at all.
29. The number of elective offices in the U.S., compared with European nations, is
a. much lower.
b. slightly lower.
c. about the same.
d. slightly higher.
e. much higher.
30. Compared with Europeans, American voters are offered the opportunity to vote
a. much less frequently.
b. slightly less frequently.
c. more frequently.
d. just as often.
e. much less frequently, but their vote counts more.
31. One reason that members of the attentive public (activists) are more consistent in their ideological beliefs than
the average citizen is that they are
a. less influenced by peers.
b. less influenced by factors such as religion and family.
c. wealthier.
d. better informed.
e. more influenced by religion.
32. Which of the following does not accurately describe the views of libertarians?
a. Extreme emphasis on individual liberty
b. Extreme cutback on the role of government
c. Repeal income tax (get rid of IRS)
d. Government should only defend moral social issues
e. Phase out social security
33. The belief that the purpose of government is to protect people’s well-being by expanding the size and role of
government best describes
a. the conservative ideology.
b. the neoliberal ideology.
c. the “new deal” liberal ideology.
d. the classical liberal ideology.
e. the neoconservative ideology.
34. A public opinion that has some personal importance to the individual giving it is called a
a. latent opinion.
b. fluid opinion.
c. polarized opinion.
d. stable opinion.
e. salient opinion.
35. Which of the following are uses of public opinion polls?
a. Informing the public
b. Informing the candidates
c. Informing office-holders
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
36. Process in which people acquire their political beliefs is called
a. political ideology.
b. political socialization.
c. cross pressure.
d. political culture.
e. political spectralizing.
37. Youth, low income, and minority status are associated with which of the following participation groups?
a. Inactives
b. Parochial participants
c. Communalists
d. Campaigners
e. Voting specialists
38. Adoption of the Australian ballot enabled U.S. citizens to vote
a. early and often.
b. more easily.
c. by absentee ballot.
d. without being informed.
e. in secret.
39. A Mexican-American catholic woman who loves the Jon Stewart Show is more likely to vote for
a. a Republican candidate.
b. a Democrat candidate.
c. either party equally.
d. neither of the two major parties, but rather for a third party candidate.
40. A white male protestant that is the CEO of a fortune 500 company and has a Masters Degree in Business
Administration is more likely to vote for
a. a Republican candidate.
b. a Democrat candidate.
c. either party equally.
d. neither of the two major parties, but rather for a third party candidate.