PSC 101 FINAL EXAM 2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Winner-Take-All System - ✔✔Winner gets all representation (U.S. system mostly).
✔✔Federalism (Elections) - ✔✔States control how elections are run.
✔✔Primary Election - ✔✔Election to choose party nominees.
✔✔General Election - ✔✔Election between party nominees.
✔✔Electoral College - ✔✔System where electors vote for president.
✔✔Electoral Votes - ✔✔Votes cast by electors.
✔✔Popular Vote - ✔✔Votes cast directly by citizens.
✔✔Swing States - ✔✔States with unpredictable outcomes; decide elections.
✔✔Interest Group - ✔✔Organization that seeks to influence public policy.
✔✔Interest Groups vs Political Parties - ✔✔Groups influence policy; parties seek to win
elections.
✔✔Citizen Groups - ✔✔Promote public interest (e.g., environment).
✔✔Labor Unions - ✔✔Represent workers.
✔✔Business Groups - ✔✔Represent corporations.
✔✔Free Rider Problem - ✔✔People benefit without joining or contributing.
✔✔Selective Incentives - ✔✔Benefits offered to encourage group participation.
✔✔Material Benefits - ✔✔Money or tangible rewards.
✔✔Solidary Benefits - ✔✔Social interaction and networking.
✔✔Purposive Benefits - ✔✔Supporting a cause or belief.
✔✔Lobbying (Direct/Inside Strategy) - ✔✔Providing information to influence lawmakers.
✔✔Grassroots Lobbying (Outside Strategy) - ✔✔Mobilizing public to pressure officials.
, ✔✔Electioneering - ✔✔Supporting candidates.
✔✔PAC (Political Action Committee) - ✔✔Raises money to support candidates.
✔✔Super PAC - ✔✔Can raise unlimited money but cannot coordinate directly with
candidates.
✔✔Question Wording Bias - ✔✔If a survey asks, 'Do you support cutting wasteful
government spending?'
✔✔Agenda-Setting Effect - ✔✔If media heavily covers crime, what effect occurs?
✔✔Framing Effect - ✔✔If media presents immigration as a 'security threat.'
✔✔Partisanship Factor - ✔✔If a voter chooses based on party.
✔✔Solidary Benefit - ✔✔If someone joins a group for networking.
✔✔Material Benefit - ✔✔If someone joins for money perks.
✔✔Purposive Benefit - ✔✔If someone joins because they believe in the cause.
✔✔ Public Opinion - ✔✔Citizens' views on politics and government.
✔✔Political Socialization - ✔✔The process by which people develop political beliefs and
values over time.
✔✔Agents of Political Socialization - ✔✔Sources that shape political beliefs (family,
school, peers, media).
✔✔Family (socialization) - ✔✔Most influential early; shapes party identification and core
beliefs.
✔✔School (socialization) - ✔✔Teaches civic values like patriotism and participation.
✔✔Peers (socialization) - ✔✔Influence increases in adolescence/college; can shift
opinions.
✔✔Social Networks - ✔✔Groups of people we interact with that reinforce political views.
✔✔Ideology - ✔✔A set of beliefs about politics and the role of government.
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Winner-Take-All System - ✔✔Winner gets all representation (U.S. system mostly).
✔✔Federalism (Elections) - ✔✔States control how elections are run.
✔✔Primary Election - ✔✔Election to choose party nominees.
✔✔General Election - ✔✔Election between party nominees.
✔✔Electoral College - ✔✔System where electors vote for president.
✔✔Electoral Votes - ✔✔Votes cast by electors.
✔✔Popular Vote - ✔✔Votes cast directly by citizens.
✔✔Swing States - ✔✔States with unpredictable outcomes; decide elections.
✔✔Interest Group - ✔✔Organization that seeks to influence public policy.
✔✔Interest Groups vs Political Parties - ✔✔Groups influence policy; parties seek to win
elections.
✔✔Citizen Groups - ✔✔Promote public interest (e.g., environment).
✔✔Labor Unions - ✔✔Represent workers.
✔✔Business Groups - ✔✔Represent corporations.
✔✔Free Rider Problem - ✔✔People benefit without joining or contributing.
✔✔Selective Incentives - ✔✔Benefits offered to encourage group participation.
✔✔Material Benefits - ✔✔Money or tangible rewards.
✔✔Solidary Benefits - ✔✔Social interaction and networking.
✔✔Purposive Benefits - ✔✔Supporting a cause or belief.
✔✔Lobbying (Direct/Inside Strategy) - ✔✔Providing information to influence lawmakers.
✔✔Grassroots Lobbying (Outside Strategy) - ✔✔Mobilizing public to pressure officials.
, ✔✔Electioneering - ✔✔Supporting candidates.
✔✔PAC (Political Action Committee) - ✔✔Raises money to support candidates.
✔✔Super PAC - ✔✔Can raise unlimited money but cannot coordinate directly with
candidates.
✔✔Question Wording Bias - ✔✔If a survey asks, 'Do you support cutting wasteful
government spending?'
✔✔Agenda-Setting Effect - ✔✔If media heavily covers crime, what effect occurs?
✔✔Framing Effect - ✔✔If media presents immigration as a 'security threat.'
✔✔Partisanship Factor - ✔✔If a voter chooses based on party.
✔✔Solidary Benefit - ✔✔If someone joins a group for networking.
✔✔Material Benefit - ✔✔If someone joins for money perks.
✔✔Purposive Benefit - ✔✔If someone joins because they believe in the cause.
✔✔ Public Opinion - ✔✔Citizens' views on politics and government.
✔✔Political Socialization - ✔✔The process by which people develop political beliefs and
values over time.
✔✔Agents of Political Socialization - ✔✔Sources that shape political beliefs (family,
school, peers, media).
✔✔Family (socialization) - ✔✔Most influential early; shapes party identification and core
beliefs.
✔✔School (socialization) - ✔✔Teaches civic values like patriotism and participation.
✔✔Peers (socialization) - ✔✔Influence increases in adolescence/college; can shift
opinions.
✔✔Social Networks - ✔✔Groups of people we interact with that reinforce political views.
✔✔Ideology - ✔✔A set of beliefs about politics and the role of government.
