PSC 101 EXAMS SCRIPT 2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Watchdog Role - ✔✔Media monitors government and exposes wrongdoing.
✔✔Linking Institution - ✔✔Media connects citizens to government.
✔✔Minimal Effects Theory - ✔✔Media reinforces existing beliefs rather than changing
them.
✔✔Agenda-Setting - ✔✔Media influences what issues people think are important.
✔✔Framing - ✔✔Media influences how people think about an issue.
✔✔Conglomeration - ✔✔Media ownership concentrated in a few large corporations.
✔✔For-Profit Media - ✔✔Media focuses on stories that attract viewers and generate
revenue.
✔✔Soft News - ✔✔Entertainment-based news (crime, celebrities, scandals).
✔✔Horse-Race Coverage - ✔✔Focus on who is winning/losing in elections.
✔✔Political Party - ✔✔Organization that seeks to win elections and control government.
✔✔Democratic Party - ✔✔Generally liberal; supports more government involvement.
✔✔Republican Party - ✔✔Generally conservative; supports limited government.
✔✔Party Identification (Party ID) - ✔✔Psychological attachment to a political party.
✔✔Negative Partisanship - ✔✔Strong dislike of the opposing party.
✔✔Partisanship as Social Identity - ✔✔Party ID becomes part of identity (like religion).
✔✔Realignment - ✔✔Major shift in party support over time.
✔✔New Deal Realignment - ✔✔Shift where Democrats gained support from working-
class voters.
✔✔Fundamentals of Elections - ✔✔Partisanship and the economy.
✔✔Retrospective Voting - ✔✔Voting based on past performance (especially economy).
, ✔✔Incumbent - ✔✔Current officeholder running for re-election.
✔✔Challenger - ✔✔Candidate running against incumbent.
✔✔Voter Turnout - ✔✔The percentage of eligible voters who vote.
✔✔Factors Increasing Turnout - ✔✔Civic duty, education, income, political interest.
✔✔Civic Duty - ✔✔Belief that voting is a responsibility.
✔✔Single-Member District - ✔✔One representative per district.
✔✔Plurality Voting - ✔✔Candidate with most votes wins (not necessarily majority).
✔✔Majority Voting - ✔✔Candidate must receive more than 50%.
✔✔Runoff Election - ✔✔Second election between top two candidates if no majority.
✔✔Proportional Representation - ✔✔Seats allocated based on percentage of votes.
✔✔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).
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Watchdog Role - ✔✔Media monitors government and exposes wrongdoing.
✔✔Linking Institution - ✔✔Media connects citizens to government.
✔✔Minimal Effects Theory - ✔✔Media reinforces existing beliefs rather than changing
them.
✔✔Agenda-Setting - ✔✔Media influences what issues people think are important.
✔✔Framing - ✔✔Media influences how people think about an issue.
✔✔Conglomeration - ✔✔Media ownership concentrated in a few large corporations.
✔✔For-Profit Media - ✔✔Media focuses on stories that attract viewers and generate
revenue.
✔✔Soft News - ✔✔Entertainment-based news (crime, celebrities, scandals).
✔✔Horse-Race Coverage - ✔✔Focus on who is winning/losing in elections.
✔✔Political Party - ✔✔Organization that seeks to win elections and control government.
✔✔Democratic Party - ✔✔Generally liberal; supports more government involvement.
✔✔Republican Party - ✔✔Generally conservative; supports limited government.
✔✔Party Identification (Party ID) - ✔✔Psychological attachment to a political party.
✔✔Negative Partisanship - ✔✔Strong dislike of the opposing party.
✔✔Partisanship as Social Identity - ✔✔Party ID becomes part of identity (like religion).
✔✔Realignment - ✔✔Major shift in party support over time.
✔✔New Deal Realignment - ✔✔Shift where Democrats gained support from working-
class voters.
✔✔Fundamentals of Elections - ✔✔Partisanship and the economy.
✔✔Retrospective Voting - ✔✔Voting based on past performance (especially economy).
, ✔✔Incumbent - ✔✔Current officeholder running for re-election.
✔✔Challenger - ✔✔Candidate running against incumbent.
✔✔Voter Turnout - ✔✔The percentage of eligible voters who vote.
✔✔Factors Increasing Turnout - ✔✔Civic duty, education, income, political interest.
✔✔Civic Duty - ✔✔Belief that voting is a responsibility.
✔✔Single-Member District - ✔✔One representative per district.
✔✔Plurality Voting - ✔✔Candidate with most votes wins (not necessarily majority).
✔✔Majority Voting - ✔✔Candidate must receive more than 50%.
✔✔Runoff Election - ✔✔Second election between top two candidates if no majority.
✔✔Proportional Representation - ✔✔Seats allocated based on percentage of votes.
✔✔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).
