AnswersOC27 US GOVT-2106310-Sem-MeadowsEvaluating Political Communication

3.19 Evaluating Political Communication Answers

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Read the opinion pieces from two different sources on the same topic.Source 1: The process is drastically different in a minority of states, including key election battlegrounds such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In those states, election workers are, with few exceptions, prohibited from opening mail ballots before Election Day. Election officials in these states have begged their state legislatures for increased flexibility over the past few years and have been repeatedly rebuffed, including by many legislators who criticized slow counting in 2020 or backed claims that the vote count showed evidence of fraud. Only in Michigan did some cities successfully convince their legislature to allow any processing before Election Day. But even in those rare cases, the time permitted is far less than election officials asked for (just two days before Election Day), and the change came too late for many cities to implement it by the 2022 election.–Brennan Center for Justice,"Why Does It Take So Long to Count Mail Ballots in Key States? Blame Legislatures”Source 2: This year's election serves as an unfortunate reminder that many states are bizarrely moving in the opposite direction, toward chaos. Not only are they turning Election Day into "voting month," but some states are also dragging out the process of counting votes for weeks. There's no reason for this, at least no good one. Florida's example proves that you can receive 5 million mail ballots, plus a similar number of early votes, yet release accurate and almost complete results on election night. That must come as a shock to voting officials in Washington state and Oregon, which will release their results . . . well, sometime after Easter, probably.–Washington Examiner,"Learn from Florida – States Don’t Need Weeks to Count Votes”

A
the writers’ political affiliations
B
the writers’ biases about how votes should be counted
C
the writers’ allegiance to states in which they have lived
D
the writers’ dissatisfaction with election outcomes
2
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In this photo, Charlie Crist is shown speaking during a press conference just prior to the 2022 election for Florida governor. During the press conference, Christ visually illustrates the rise in taxes under his opponent, Governor Ron DeSantis.

Question illustration
A
by attacking the character of his opponent
B
by appealing to logic and reasoning
C
by proving that he can be trusted to manage finances
D
by showing his appreciation of popular culture
Option D
3

One thousand people rally outside city hall to protest a city’s decision to build office buildings next to the city’s only park. Which of the following is the best example of the media acting as gatekeeper?

A
Instead of covering that event, the evening news runs a story about the mayor’s plan to plant more trees around town.
B
The media attends, takes lots of pictures, and encourages people to sign a petition against the new construction.
C
A reporter decides to investigate the mayor and see if she stands to profit in some way from the new office buildings.
D
A local news station reveals that the company building the new apartments has previously been in trouble for safety violations.
4

What is one way that political propaganda has changed in the age of social media?

A
Algorithms have made it easier for politicians to target those most likely to vote for them.
B
The ability to check the accuracy of all statements has caused a decline in propaganda use.
C
The ability to access multiple perspectives has made people less vulnerable to propaganda.
D
The goal of propaganda has changed in order to compete with all the technological developments.
5

Study the image.

Question illustration
A
It appeals to the public’s sense of patriotism and nationalism.
B
It exposes wrongdoing on the part of some political entity.
C
It reveals which issues are more important to the media than others.
D
It suggests that more should be done to help homeless veterans.
6

Question text not available

Question illustration
A
the tendency of politicians to tell the public whatever they want to hear
B
the stress politicians face when dealing with competing motives and desires
C
the wide range of difficult and enduring issues facing government today
D
the overly complex systems of government that thwart real change
7

Which phrase best describes the goal of a straw-man fallacy?

A
to discredit an opponent’s position by attacking traits or facts about them
B
to highlight and explain what is wrong with an opponent’s argument
C
to misrepresent or oversimplify an opponent’s argument in order to easily defeat it
D
to convince an opponent that they should do something because everyone else is
8

Which example best illustrates media bias?

A
A small newspaper struggling to stay afloat increases its advertising fee for the front page.
B
A radio station features two listeners on opposite sides of an issue and allows them both to speak.
C
One news outlet covers only the Republican candidate while the other covers only the Democratic candidate.
D
When sales fall, a newspaper moves stories about crime ahead of stories about the entertainment industry.
9

Which phrase best describes how media bias affects public awareness?

A
by determining who will pay attention to the news
B
by deciding what and how information is shared
C
by revealing the facts about important issues
D
by using a broad range of communication methods
10

Which best describes the goal of propaganda?

A
to inform the public about political events
B
to manipulate people’s actions and beliefs
C
to entertain readers with wild exaggerations
D
to illustrate society’s most glaring issues
11

Question text not available

Question illustration
A
plain folk
B
glittering generality
C
bandwagon
D
logical fallacy
Option D
12

Which phrase best explains why the media is referred to as the fourth estate (or fourth branch) of government?

A
because it has great influence over what happens in the government
B
because it decides how social issues will be addressed
C
because it remains unbiased in its coverage of issues and events
D
because it takes part in political decision-making
13

Which best describes why the public is a key part of editorial decisions?

A
If no one watched or paid attention to a story, the media would have no influence.
B
The public and media work together to determine what issues will be covered.
C
Media outlets work hard to ensure that only factual information is conveyed to the public.
D
The public must be informed to serve as the fourth estate and hold politicians accountable.
14

Read the political cartoon and quote about the United States Space Force, a faction of the US military that protects and defends US and allied interests in space."The United States is the preeminent power in space, and I know that our [Space Force] guardians will keep it that way. You are the bold ones who protect us from the threats from the heavens, the bold ones who will forge the way ahead, and the bold ones who will always be there, always above."–Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, remarks made at the Space Force change of responsibility ceremonyHow does the political cartoon’s message about Space Force compare to that of the quote?

Question illustration
A
Both the political cartoon and the quote support the role of Space Force, suggesting that it is necessary for the US to maintain control and stay safe.
B
Both the political cartoon and the quote are critical of Space Force, using exaggerated images and mocking language to convey their messages.
C
The political cartoon focuses on the importance of Space Force despite the cost, while the quote focuses on the dangers posed by other countries.
D
The political cartoon focuses on Space Force’s hefty costs, while the quote focuses on the importance of Space Force to the world’s safety.
15

Freedom of speech imposes which limit on propaganda?

A
It cannot discredit an opponent.
B
It cannot make an unpopular claim.
C
It cannot falsely incite panic.
D
It cannot oversimply the truth.
16

Question text not available

Question illustration
A
plain folk
B
glittering generality
C
bandwagon
D
logical fallacy
Option D
17

Read the excerpt from the beginning of a news article below.For the first time ever, US scientists at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California successfully produced a nuclear fusion reaction resulting in a net energy gain, a source familiar with the project confirmed to CNN. The US Department of Energy is expected to officially announce the breakthrough Tuesday.The result of the experiment would be a massive step in a decadeslong [sic] quest to unleash an infinite source of clean energy that could help end dependence on fossil fuels.

A
that nuclear fusion will cost virtually nothing
B
that nuclear fusion will solve several environmental issues
C
that nuclear fusion will be a power source in the near future
D
that nuclear fusion is a new scientific concept
18

Study the image.

Question illustration
A
It appeals to the public’s sense of patriotism and nationalism.
B
It exposes wrongdoing on the part of some political entity.
C
It reveals which issues are more important to the media than others.
D
It suggests that more should be done to help homeless veterans.

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