Political Programs and Methods - Assignment Example

__________________________________                                         Dworkin     Section One – Multiple Choice point each)   (1)    What do interest-group politics tend to reflect the bias of?   a)      Religious activists b)      Unionized workers c)      Well-educated, upper-income professionals d)     The groups with the largest membership   (2)    The Bill of Rights is basically a series of amendments on what:   a)      Citizens must do b)      Citizens must not do c)      The federal government must do d)     The federal government must not do   (3)    Before the introduction of the Australian ballot to the American system, each ballot was:   a)      Exclusive to one party b)      Secret c)      Identical d)     Administered by the states   (4)    An attempt by a group to influence the policy process through persuasion of government officials is known as:   a)      Access b)      Lobbying c)      Media management d)     Going public   (5)    The American two-party system emerged for the first time with the:   a)      Whigs and Democrats b)      Republicans and Democrats c)      Progressives and Democrats d)     Federalists and Democratic-Republicans   (6)    Why do people take political cues from others rather than study the issues themselves?   a)      Most people lack the ability to understand most political issues. b)      Shortcuts help people make good decisions while relieving them of the having to gather their own information. c)      They feel compelled to vote like their peers. d)     The financial costs of gathering political news are too high.   (7)    Which landmark Supreme Court case on campaign finance equated spending money with the right of free speech?   a)      Buckley v. Valeo b)      McConnell v. FEC c)      McCain v. Feingold d)     Gibbons v. Ogden   (8)    Which of the following explains why high-income African Americans are more likely to support policies that are likely to help large numbers of low-income or underemployed African Americans?   a)      Socioeconomic status b)      Collective action c)      Public opinion d)     Linked fate   (9)    Modern political parties in the U.S. can best be described as:   a)      Minor political entities b)      Service organizations c)      Institution crafters d)     Policy repositories   (10)           An electorate that selects several candidates from a single electoral district is called a(n) ______ district.   a)      Split b)      Third-member c)      Multiple-member d)     Winner-take-all         Section Two – Short Answer  (2 points each)   Partial credit will be offered on these questions.     (1)    Civil rights did not become a part of the Constitution until 1868 with the adoption of the __________ Amendment.  14th   (2)    In order for the Supreme Court to grant certiorari, agreement has to be reached by at least __________ justices.   Four  (3)    The two (2) primary pathways through which media coverage shapes what people think are __________ and __________.   Priming and Framing   (4)    Special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join are examples of __________ benefits.    Incentive (5)    One or more US Supreme Court justices may agree with the majority but disagree with the rationale presented in the majority opinion.  These justices may then draft a:    Concurring opinion (6)    The single strongest predictor of how a person will vote is that individual’s __________.    Party identification   (7)    The Republican Party gained the votes it needed to end Democratic dominance of the political process through Richard Nixon’s __________.  Southern Strategy   (8)    The court case that established the legal power of the Supreme Court to review acts of Congress was:  Marbury v. Madison   (9)    The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government is called __________.    Pluralism (10)            In presidential elections, every state is allocated votes in the Electoral College equal to the number of:   Representation in both houses of Congress       (1) Why do politicians and political activists form political parties?  As with any form of collective actions, politicians and political groups see the value of forming groups as a means of accomplishing their goals. Moreover, the creation of political parties allows for a rapid level of voter identification with respect to where a given candidate stands on a host of issues. If political parties did not exist, the voter would have an exceptionally hard time identifying what particular point of view the candidate might hold on issues concerning foreign policy, economics, the minimum wage, and a great many other issues. Essentially, the creation of these groups and parties are done as a function of providing a least common denominator; one towards which large resonance within the electorate can be directed. (2) Discuss the difference between ideological politics and identity politics.  Identity politics is focused on the range or extent to which voting in a given way can promote the interests of an individual or of an identifiable group. By means of contrast and comparison, ideological politics is predicated upon promoting a given political ideology that a person, or group of persons, believes is beneficial in application on a more universal level. Whereas it might be understood that identity politics is necessarily bad and ideological politics is necessarily good, they both have a relevant level of importance and merit inclusion within a democratic system of governance that champions the needs of the majority of citizens and requires others to consider the means by which their voice can be heard. (3) Explain the differences between prospective voting and retrospective voting.  Prospective voting is predicated upon making a decision based upon the available information that one might have on a candidate they are unfamiliar with or one that has never before held the office for which they are running. By means of contrast, retrospective voting is a process by which the electorate analyzes the information that they have in terms of a candidate they have been able to evaluate and then makes a judgment accordingly. Naturally, in many instances, the luxury of having a choice between prospective voting and retrospective voting is not exhibited; however, this partially helps to explain why “buyer’s regret” is so oftentimes exhibited in mid-term elections and others in which the public has come to be fully aware of the type of behavior/antics they can expect from those that they elected. (4)  What strategies are available for interest groups to influence public policy?  There are a number of strategies that can be used. By far the most used, and commensurately the most powerful, is to band together with other like minded interest groups as a means of pooling resources and seeking to create a maximal impact on the way in which public policy is crafted. This can also be effected by donating substantial sums of money or directly lobbying; or doing both of these at the same time. Furthermore, for those interest groups that are not successful at direct lobbying and cannot donate huge sums of money, energizing a constituency or “base” of voters that can in turn directly lobby the political process themselves is another effective means whereby interest groups are able to influence public policy. (5)  What factors account for differences in public opinion?    Socio-economics, race, religion, country of origin, and gender all have a powerful determinant force on establishing differences of public opinion. For instance, whereas it might not be possible to determine how a particular election might be determined, it is possible to view different socio-economic groups, different races, different religious groups, and different genders and create an estimated result based upon the propensity of individuals within these demographics to behave in a particular manner at the polls. Differentials in lifestyle and worldview are of course diverse and factor greatly into the way in which individuals reflect their public opinion; however, taken on aggregate, the best means of establishing a baseline of understanding this public opinion is by dividing it commensurate with the groups and dynamics represented above. (6)  Is voting an accurate reflection of public opinion?  Why or why not?  Essentially, the answer to this question is no. One of the main reasons behind this has to do with the fact that there is a large percentage of individuals that do not engage with the political process; for one reason or another. As such, public opinion is representative of the wide and broad swath of understanding that society is able to exhibit; whereas voting is only representative of what certain members of society might think concerning a given issue or set of issues. For instance, it is widely known that older Americans are much more likely to vote as compared to their younger counterparts. Within this dynamic, the reader can see how public opinion might skew in one direction; yet, the voting populace might skew another. (7)  List and explain the five limitations on judicial power.   The first limitation is with respect to the fact that judges are not elected; they are selected by a given executive position within the county, city, state, or by the President of the United States. This limitation ensures that the rule of law will be applied appropriately and not evolve based upon the desires of the democratic process. A secondary limitation has to do with the fact that if the Supreme Court finds a law unconstitutional, it is NOT the role of the Supreme Court to then amend the law; instead it is the role of the Congress to pass new legislation as a means of amending it. A third limitation is with regard to the fact that the judicial branch has no role in enforcing the law. A fourth limitation has to do with the fact that the judges must rule based upon existing precedent and the Constitution itself; not based upon their own whim or volition. Finally, the judicial system cannot redefine or limit the powers that are granted to the other branches of governance. (8)  Using specific examples, describe the political and legal strategies used to advance the civil rights movement.    Beginning with the end of the Civil War, activists throughout the nation were keenly interested in seeking to apply the legal protection and benefits that the Constitution offered to all members of society; regardless of race. In the case of Brown v Board of Education, it was argued that the process of segregation was fundamentally denying African Americans the right to equal rights within the United States educational system and thereby inherently against what the Constitution of the United States explicitly required. Furthermore, issues relating to equal rights, equal pay, and other issues relating to equality were also approached from the standpoint of ensuring that a truly free and equal society would fulfill the tenets of equal representation under the rule of law set out to establish.     (9)  Why is the Electoral College controversial?  Should be retained or abolished?  Why? The Electoral College is controversial due to the fact that it does not determine who will be president based upon a majority of votes throughout the nation. By dividing states based upon their overall representation (in both House and Senate), the Electoral College operates by providing a “winner take all” system; and one that many argue is not representative of the way in which a true democracy should work. For purposes of the United State’s unique political culture and history, it is the view of this particular student that the Electoral College should be abolished. As the United States seeks to represent to the world the embodiment of what a free and democratic society exhibits, it is a travesty that this antiquated system continues to dominate the way in which presidents are selected. Moreover, its most recent history has been sullied with the debacle of the 2000 presidential election cycle in Florida; one in which experts still continue to disagree with the way in which a very close election was called and Florida’s electoral college went on to elect then candidate George W. Bush.      (10)  What makes some interest groups more effective at influencing political outcomes than others?  Special interest groups are a simple and effective tool in creating political change; due in part to the fact that they can focus their entire energy on a single topic. For instance, an anti-abortion political action group is highly vocal and effective as it can devote all of its time and resources lobbying and attempting to energize its base with respect to this single issue; as compared to seeking to lobby and energize a diverse group of citizens on other issues that may or may not be otherwise related. Read More