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Answer Key
1. D
2. D
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1. A coalition is best defined as
A) a group of individuals who serve together in a military unit.
B) a permanent alliance between like-minded individuals for the purpose of providing
general support to one another.
C) a legal partnership formed for the purpose of running a business.
D) a temporary grouping of people for the purpose of collective social or political
advocacy.
2. A group of students is refusing to leave the office of the president of their college until
the president takes action against a professor who will not excuse a student’s absence for a
religious holiday and allow him to make up his final exam. They refuse to leave when the
building is closing, and the police are called. This action is best defined as
A) an invitational approach to civility.
B) civil obedience.
C) a rally.
D) a sit-in.
3. A few dozen students are standing outside the administration building on their campus
waiting for an administrator to come out and walk past them. They are holding signs protesting
the quality of the food sold on campus. This action is considered
A) a boycott.
B) mobilization.
C) a rally.
D) a sit-in.
4. After an exciting rally at the state capitol building, Tiarra is excited to join involved with
a women’s rights group in her town. She volunteers to help and is invited to an organizer’s house
for a meeting. When she arrives, she sees three people folding press releases and affixing postal
stamps to hundreds of envelopes. Which of the following pieces of Bryan McCann’s advice
about activism does this situation illustrate?
A) Learn how to talk to news media.
B) Vary your strategy of public engagement.
C) Activism is primarily for the insider.
D) Most of the work is done behind the scenes.
5. Advocacy has globalized, which means that
A) advocates of social causes are traveling to recruit in other countries.
B) advocates for various causes across the globe mobilize in the same way.
C) advocacy for specific causes enjoys universal support worldwide.
D) advocacy includes people all over the world due to technological advances.
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6. The use of physical or psychological force to injure, harm, or alter something or
someone in order to cause or stop change is referred to as
A) confrontation.
B) violence.
C) social agitation.
D) civil disobedience.
7. The _____ approach to civility argues that the civil norms of politeness and courtesy
assume equality, and people may need to sacrifice civility to attract the attention of those in
power. A) confrontational
B) agitated
C) aggressive
D) contrarian
8. Much of the work of activism takes place behind the scenes. Which of the following is
an example of a common behind -the -scenes activity?
A) attending rallies held in major cities
B) making speeches
C) recruiting other activists
D) participating in education panels
9. The ______ approach to civility argues that it is better to be polite and courteous and
observe the norms of a given culture because it reduces the potential for suffering and violence.
A) invitational
B) agitation
C) disobedience
D) engagement
10. The attempt to make others more aware of cultural and political problems and challenges
is referred to as
A) recruiting.
B) protesting.
C) canvassing.
D) consciousness raising.
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11. Activist and communication studies professor Brian McCann says that _____ is crucial
to continue to motivate the group and reinforce its commitment.
A) public speaking
B) civility
C) celebration
D) disobedience
12. Which of the following statements best describes civic engagement?
A) It includes any legal form of participation in the political process.
B) It is another term for social agitation and involves violating norms to effect change.
C) It includes any participation in social or political processes, both legal and illegal.
D) It is being aware of social and political issues and forming an opinion on those
issues.
13. Which of the following statements best reflects Henry David Thoreau’s philosophy
related to advocacy?
A) Citizens should not try to reason with those in power, as it is impossible.
B) People should draw the line at not paying taxes, which are immoral.
C) Citizens must engage in civil disobedience to oppose immoral practices.
D) Sometimes violence is necessary, although it should be a last resort.
14. Darnell works for a large grocery store chain in his hometown. He is being laid off as
part of a corporate strategy to replace union workers with contract workers. Darnell and his
friends wage a Facebook campaign to encourage people to boycott the chain for unfair labor
practices. This action is best described as
A) institutionalism.
B) civic entitlement.
C) civil disobedience.
D) civil obedience.
15. Which of the following groups is considered a coalition?
A) several students who meet together weekly to discuss that week’s chemistry class
B) the men’s and women’s volleyball teams at a university
C) the Board of Education that, which oversees and manages your hometown’s a public
school district
D) several college students who join together to advocate for changing the school
mascot
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16. In 2011, Time magazine declared the _____ to be its annual Person of the Year in 2011
based on news media coverage of three very different social movements.
A) “The World Citizen”
B) “The Protester”
C) “The Common Person”
D) “The Disenfranchised Voter”
17. Rallies and protests both
A) involve civil disobedience.
B) protest something.
C) communicate support for something.
D) raise consciousness.
18. The Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, and Tea Party movements all appear to have
relied heavily on _____ and social networking to make their causes visible.
A) journalists
B) protest signs
C) community involvement
D) media spectacles
19. A decline in voting behavior or in the general willingness to participate in official
political processes has been linked by scholars to a larger erosion of
A) information quality.
B) empathy.
C) compassion.
D) civility.
20. One reason oratory is important in activism is that it substitutes _____ for _____.
A) arguments; violence
B) reason; passion
C) celebration; persuasion
D) engagement; agitation
21. Speech or behavior that is seen as polite, courteous, or appropriate to a given social or
public situation is referred to as
A) rhetoric.
B) civility.
C) civil obedience.
D) institutionalism.
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22. Protests and rallies are primarily considered _____ events and only secondarily
considered persuasive events because they are held for and among those who have common
interests and investments.
A) informative
B) entertainment
C) inclusive
D) celebratory
23. Communication studies scholar Craig Rood recommends a civic engagement stance he
calls _____ civility, which suggests those seeking civic engagement decide when to be
invitational or confrontational depending on the moment.
A) situational
B) balanced
C) flexible
D) contextual
24. When compared with celebratory speaking, speaking for political advocacy and social
change is less intimate and more
A) impromptu.
B) politically correct.
C) formal.
D) socially acceptable.
25. _____ has been identified by public speaking teachers in the United States as the most
important, eloquent, and influential speech of the twentieth century.
A) Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech
B) Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
C) Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural (“Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear”)
D) John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address speech
26. Speeches for political advocacy and social change are less intimate than celebratory
speaking because they are
A) usually televised.
B) delivered at family events, such as weddings.
C) given to large audiences, while celebratory speeches are not.
D) focused on persuasive goals in addition to celebratory ones.
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27. _____ was a famous advocate of civil disobedience and coined the term.
A) Rosa Parks
B) Martin Luther King Jr.
C) Henry David Thoreau
D) Mahatma Ghandi
28. Because it combines the goals of celebratory speaking with the functions of persuasive
speaking, speaking for political advocacy and social protest is classified as a _____ genre.
A) polarizing
B) controversial
C) hybrid
D) contradictory
29. Although they are both are popular tools in social movements, consciousness raising and
public speaking differ in their
A) focus.
B) strategies.
C) importance.
D) setting.
30. According to scholar Craig Rood, civic engagement researchers tend to argue for two
competing approaches to civility. These approaches are called
A) obedience and disobedient.
B) invitational and confrontational.
C) mainstream and nonmainstream.
D) engaged and disengaged.
31. Social movements are often characterized as _____, according to social movement
scholar Herbert W. Simons.
A) uninstitutionalized
B) unauthorized
C) impromptu
D) aggressive
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32. Craig Rood’s situational civility approach to civic engagement proposes that
A) civility should be a priority only if the situation calls for it.
B) we can decide how to act in any situation based on an objective definition of
civility.
C) in some situations civility is not possible so civil disobedience is necessary.
D) civility should be the norm, but the definition of civility may change according to
the context.
33. Ideally, social movement groups will be successful in achieving a renewed sense of
A) compassion.
B) commitment.
C) indignation.
D) solidarity.
34. Those who advocate an invitational approach to civic engagement do so because
A) civil norms assume equality, which is not always present.
B) policy insiders know what is best for others.
C) violating norms should be decided on a case -by -case basis.
D) it reduces the potential for suffering and possible violence.
35. As an approach to civic engagement, civil obedience is
A) aggressive.
B) confrontational.
C) laissez faire.
D) invitational.
36. Why are the celebratory goals of rallies and protests primary and the persuasive goals
secondary?
A) Rallies and protests are usually held for and among those who already agree with
their messages.
B) People will be more likely to attend these events if the protests and rallies feel like
celebratory social events and avoid dry, serious topics.
C) Making rallies and protests celebratory keeps the tone positive and upbeat rather
than angry and violent.
D) The persuasive goals are present-oriented, and the celebratory aspects are
future-oriented.
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37. Which of the following strategies is the LEAST likely to be effective in fostering change
in a society in which people are not permitted to speak their mind and express their views?
A) data leaks
B) boycotts
C) forbidden speech
D) civil obedience
38. Which of the following scenarios represents an act of civil disobedience?
A) Several people go to a government building and lay down in protest, refusing to
leave.
B) Several people gather outside a federal court building and hold signs calling for the
removal of a judge.
C) Several people meet in a conference center to support their preferred candidate who
is running for governor.
D) Several people sign a petition calling for a change to a federal law.
39. The social movements of our time often combine what happens on the street with what
happens
A) in the home.
B) in schools.
C) on the screen.
D) in small groups.
40. Efforts for social change and public speaking are naturally related to public speaking
because public speaking
A) emerged with democracy.
B) most efficiently spreads a message.
C) informs ordinary citizens about important topics in their society.
D) developed as a response to social change.
41. Protests and rallies are considered primarily _____ events and considered secondarily
_____ events.
A) persuasive; informative
B) informative; celebratory
C) celebratory; persuasive
D) persuasive; celebratory
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42. Speeches for political advocacy and social protest are hybrid speeches rather than
persuasive speeches because
A) these speeches must celebrate activists while also persuading them to act.
B) these speeches would otherwise be too serious to attract an audience.
C) persuasive speeches, unlike political advocacy speeches, usually lack passion.
D) those who oppose the cause are not likely to attend a speech to change their minds,
but they may attend a celebration.
43. Activism almost always entails
A) forbidden speech.
B) risk.
C) police action.
D) violence.
44. As an activist, your primary audience is like-minded people, and your secondary
audience is
A) the mass media.
B) people who disagree with you.
C) politicians.
D) coalition groups.
45. A person who deliberately violates widely accepted or sanctioned norms of a social or
political culture is best described as engaging in
A) a rally.
B) social agitation.
C) rioting.
D) forbidden speech.
46. Francesca works for a social justice organization. She has been asked to speak at a rally
in support ofing equal pay for women. What should she keep in mind as she prepares her
speech?
A) She should be careful not to become emotional because, as this could turn off
members of her audience.
B) She should address what the group advocates and what they protests and should
celebrate the crowd and the movement.
C) She should be sure to include lots of statistics on pay disparity to corroborate her
point.
D) She should try to persuade anyone who is not in support that pay inequity is a big
problem that needs to be solved.
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47. Which of the following communication principles and skills are most important in small
consciousness -raising meetings?
A) conflict resolution skills
B) leadership skills
C) small group discussion guidelines
D) negotiation skills
48. Even though social media allows for the massive and speedy distribution of information,
we should not forget how important and influential _____ can be.
A) rallying
B) face-to-face communication
C) social agitation
D) political posters
49. As a civic engagement tactic, Rosa Parks’s refusal to give up her seat on a city the bus to
a white rider is considered
A) situational civility.
B) civil obedience.
C) social agitation.
D) violence.
50. Herbert W. Simons says social movements are usually characterized as
““uninstitutionalized.”” What does this mean?
A) Social movements are not supported by those associated with formal institutions.
B) Social movement leaders are not part of any formal institution.
C) Social movements lack power because they are not part of any institution with real
power.
D) Social movements are characterized as ““out of the mainstream.””
51. Civilly obedient forms of speech are permitted and even encouraged in most _____
societies.
A) democratic
B) autocratic
C) socially agitated
D) anarchic
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52. How are civic engagement and civility related?
A) Some scholars believe a decline in civility has contributed to a decline in civic
engagement.
B) Some scholars believe an increase in civility has contributed to an increase in civic
engagement.
C) Some scholars believe a decline in civility has contributed to an increase in civic
engagement.
D) Some scholars believe an increase in civility has contributed to a decline in civic
engagement.
53. A group wants to communicate its opposition to federal policy on a larger scale. Which
of the following actions is most likely to directly achieve this directly?
A) holding a consciousness -raising session
B) forming a coalition with another like-minded group
C) staging a protest in front of a public building
D) writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper
54. The oratory art form operates through argument instead of
A) violence.
B) obstruction.
C) stalemates.
D) resistance.
55. Tiffany is the leader of an animal rights group that is trying to eliminate animal testing at
her university. The group has an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but its
membership level has remained stagnant. What action is most likely to help the group attract
like-minded members?
A) editing the group’s message
B) changing the group’s leadership
C) taking a break and regrouping
D) trying a new recruiting channel
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56. How do the celebratory and persuasive aspects of political advocacy and social protest
speaking differ from their persuasive aspects?
A) The celebratory aspect is present-oriented, and the persuasive aspect is
future-oriented.
B) The celebratory aspect is less important in important than the more substantial
persuasive arguments.
C) The celebratory aspect functions to counterbalances the seriousness of the
persuasive aspect.
D) The celebratory aspect is for members of the movement;, and the persuasive aspect
is for those who disagree.
57. Which of the following these is NOT likely to be a factor that would increase the
possibility of police intervention?
A) the issue of concern
B) the size of the crowd
C) the place where the protest is being held
D) the religious beliefs of the protesters
58. How are coalition building and consciousness raising alike?
A) Both benefit the advocate more than the movement.
B) The highlights of both are televised or recorded for social media sharing.
C) They are both behind-the-scenes ways to support social movements.
D) They both happen in public, large-scale settings.
59. According to Karma R. Chávez, why are coalitions often formed behind the scenes?
A) to ensure that advocates are all hearing the same message from the same person
B) to provide a safe place for advocates to share and express views and experiences
C) to keep advocates away from others who disagree with the coalition’s goals
D) to prevent others from being aware of any unethical behavior
60. Activist and communication professor Brian McCann reminds activists that activism is
primarily for the
A) marginalized.
B) insider.
C) underdog.
D) poor.
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61. A group of like-minded individuals who promote a particular cause, policy, or ideology
is referred to as a
A) social movement.
B) committee.
C) union.
D) faction.
62. Which action is most likely to motivate a group to remain devoted to social change?
A) forming a coalition with another like-minded group
B) having leaders or members give encouraging speeches
C) using a variety of strategies to raise consciousness
D) doing routine, behind-the-scenes work together
63. Most cultures across the globe teach us that _____ is to be avoided.
A) protest
B) social change
C) violence
D) resistance
64. Violence sometimes occurs in social movements because it
A) it is essential to civic obedience.
B) it is an invitational form of opposition.
C) it can communicate metaphorically.
D) it can cause or stop change.
65. Despite the fact that most cultures encourage avoiding it, _____ is frequently present in
the most serious social and political struggles in history.
A) civility
B) civil obedience
C) violence
D) protest
66. Advocacy often invites police involvement and
A) community support.
B) media censorship.
C) violence.
D) arrests.
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67. Social agitation deliberately violates norms.
A) true
B) false
68. Activist and professor Brian McCann notes that activism can be boring and because he
believes that very few people have the patience and perseverance to be activists.
A) true
B) false
69. Civic engagement follows the laws in place.
A) true
B) false
70. The speeches most lauded and remembered are persuasive in character.
A) true
B) false
71. A rally is a meeting of people to support a social or political cause.
A) true
B) false
72. Techniques of celebratory speaking apply more directly to social and political advocacy
than do the techniques of persuasion do to social and political advocacy.
A) true
B) false
73. Civil obedience has been an important rhetorical strategy used by social and political
leaders in the histories of many countries, especially the United States.
A) true
B) false
74. Solidarity is a feeling of agreement or unity in a community about a belief, a cause, an
event, or a proposed action.
A) true
B) false
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75. The art of public speaking emerged with the advent of democracy.
A) true
B) false
76. Social movements aim to change the government.
A) true
B) false
77. A protest cannot be a rally because it is staged to oppose or object to something or
someone.
A) true
B) false
78. Social agitation is a confrontational approach to civic engagement.
A) true
B) false
79. Social agitation is a form of civil disobedience.
A) true
B) false
80. Much of the work activists do to plan social change involves mass communication.
A) true
B) false
81. Speech changes hearts and minds, so it is perceived as a powerful threat to those in
power. A) true
B) false
82. Speeches of political advocacy and social protest are part of the rhetoric or discourse of
social movements.
A) true
B) false
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Answer Key
1. D
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