AP Government Review Questions
Political Parties, Interest Groups, Mass Media
Sample Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following does not explain why U.S. politics has been predominately a two-party system?
A. The first strong parties that developed were Federalist and Anti-Federalist, and historical experience has sustained this two-party tradition.
B. The two-party system perpetuates itself because of the way families socialize their children to identify with the major parties.
C. The U.S. system of proportional representation dictates that a candidate who finishes second may hold office.
D. U.S. political culture is fairly consensual, and the parties’ appeal fairly broad.
E. Election laws require minor party candidates to go to much greater lengths to get on the ballot than the two major parties.
2. Which of the following is not considered a function of a political party?
A. recruiting electoral candidates
B. uniting a broad coalition of voters to support a set of public policies
C. taking responsibility for operating the government after its members are elected to office
D. registering new voters to participate in elections
E. regulating interest group participation in the political system
3. Since 1964, members of labor unions have been most likely to vote for which type of presidential candidate?
A. Republicans
B. Democrats
C. Independents
D. Socialists
E. Conservatives
4. All of the following statements are true about the electoral college except
A. it is possible for a candidate to become president without obtaining a majority of popular votes
B. most states award their electoral votes on a proportional basis, as opposed to a winner-take-all basis
C. 270 electoral votes are necessary in order to be elected president
D. the electoral college meets approximately one month after the general election
E. if no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the winner is decided by the House of Representatives
5. Which of the following is an example of an indirect interest group technique?
I. meeting privately with public officials to persuade them to vote on behalf of the group’s interests
II. testifying at congressional hearings about proposed legislation
III. providing members of Congress or bureaucratic agencies with drafts of proposed legislation or administrative rules
IV. taking out advertisements in a national publication in support of a specific position
A. I and II
B. II and III
C. I, II, and III
D. II, III, and IV
E. I, II, III, and IV
6. Which statement is not true about lobbyists and lobbying?
A. Lobbyists frequently provide needed information to public officials
B. Lobbyists sometimes invite legislators to social occasions such as cocktail parties
C. Lobbyists sometimes write or help write pieces of legislation
D. Lobbyists can exert influence when they testify before executive rule-making agencies
E. Foreign lobbyists do not have the same rights of access to government officials as do domestic lobbyists
7. Interest groups
A. offer potential members incentives to join
B. rely solely on lobbying to influence the political process
C. are allowed to contribute as much money as they want to candidates for Congress
D. only represent corporations and other business interests
E. run candidates for political office
8. Which of the following are true about mass media coverage of presidential elections?
I. Mass media focuses almost exclusively on substantive issues
II. Mass media focuses primarily on the horse-race aspect of the campaign
III. Campaigns employ spin doctors in an attempt to obtain favorable media coverage
IV. Electronic media largely covers candidates, while print media covers substantive issues
A. I and II
B. II only
C. II and III
D. III and IV
E. II and IV
9. The majority of mass media campaign coverage tends to focus on
A. the presidential debates
B. third party candidates
C. who is currently winning and losing
D. the mood of the electorate
E. the major issues facing the country
10. The electronic media versus the print media tend to be
A. interested in in-depth analysis of news-events and candidates for office
B. generally more concerned about instantaneous news and events than analysis
C. focused on controversial and personal information about candidates
D. more heavily regulated by the legal system in this country
E. more invasive of personal privacy and intimate details of candidate’s lives
AP Government Review Questions
Political Parties, Interest Groups, Mass Media
Sample Free Response Questions
1. Identify three institutional and three political reasons that third or minor parties have not persisted in United States politics. Explain how each of these factors has contributed to the demise of such political factions.
2. Explain why a presidential candidate for the nomination of the Democratic or the Republican Party has to take more extreme policy positions (Democrat more liberal and Republican more conservative) to get the party’s nomination than he would take in the general election.