Houston Community College – Central
Exam 2
Gov 2305
Chapters 5-8
Review
Chapter 5
1. Can one’s ideology at age twenty be a positive predictor of one's ideology at age forty?
2. What best defines "Public opinion"?
3. What is the process by which an individual’s political opinions are shaped by other people and the
surrounding culture?
4. Define the following: 1) partisan event, 2) realignment, 3) policy mood shift, and 4) partisan
conceptualization
5. According to the text, what are the factors that influence one's opinions?
6. What are the objectives/purposes of a mass survey?
7. A subgroup that is carefully chosen from a larger group of people is known as what?
8. What is the effect on public opinion that causes individuals to shift from a moderate position to one on
either end of the political right or left?
9. Over the last three decades, how have the ideological views of the American public changed?
10. Which television format is characterized by a person sitting behind a desk reading news copy?
11. Which term describes a situation in which one company owns most of the media in a single
community?
Chapter 6
12. What kind(s) of impact do American political parties have on elections or public policy?
13. Does the Democratic Party, more or less, stand for the same issues as its historic predecessor, the
Democratic-Republican Party?
14. Why do people vote for a minor-party candidate?
15. A political party is an organization committed to improving what?
16. According to the text, which political party is considered the oldest?
17. A party system is defined as what?
18. What factors contributed to the disintegration of the Federalist Party?
19. The term party principle refers to what?
10. Rewarding party supporters with benefits, like government jobs, is known as what?
11. In which party system did the issue of slavery become the central issue of debate and, ultimately, get
resolved?
12. What led to the rise of the Republican Party in the 1850s?
13. Any organization that uses unofficial patronage to secure political power for a group of leaders and
workers is called what?
14. Which important event led to the New Deal Coalition?
15. What groups were involved in the New Deal Coalition?
16. Which groups became more likely to support the Democratic Party during the sixth party system?
Chapter 7
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A typical election involves an incumbent and who else?
What is an election called in which only registered members of a particular party can vote?
What are the restrictions on voter eligibility?
What happens when voters are unable to go to the polls on Election Day?
Who is involved in a runoff election?
Traditionally, the first primary in the nation occurs where?
What happens if no candidate receives a majority of the Electoral College votes?
A district with no sitting legislator who runs for reelection is called what?
What roles do internet and social media sites play in political campaigns?
Who is responsible for regulating the financing of campaigns?
According to the text, what is the general turnout among registered voters in presidential elections?
According to the text, members of which group generally do not turn out in large numbers to vote?
What describes a situation in which a popular president generates additional support for legislative
candidates and helps them gain office?
30. A straight-ticket voter is characterized as someone who does what?
31. In a representative democracy, citizens can indirectly influence government policy by doing what?
Chapter 8
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Interest groups that have large budgets have a significant advantage doing what?
What best defines an interest group?
What are the key features of an interest group?
How do interest groups become political?
What resources are available to interest groups to influence public policy?
The term revolving door refers to what?
Inside strategies usually involve what kind(s) of tactics?
Grassroots lobbying is best defined as what?
What is the primary difference between a 501(c)(3) organization and a 527 organization?