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Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 15: Public Affairs, Government Relations, and
Political Communications
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. What communication focus does a public affairs professional have in common with a
Public Information Officer?
a. organization-to-government
b. citizen-to-government
c. candidate-to-public
d. government-to-citizen
2. What branch of communications helps organizations interact with government
agencies and elected officials?
a. public relations
b. government relations
c. public affairs
d. political communications
3. How does government relations differ from public affairs in terms of who initiates
contact?
a. Initiator is an organization.
b. Initiator is a government entity.
c. Initiator is a nonprofit.
d. Initiator is a citizen.
4. What is the focus of political communication?
a. political office to government
b. elected official/candidate to public/voter
c. government to citizen
d. organization to government
5. Public affairs consultant David Payne believes that ______ is a euphemism for direct
lobbying of policymakers to influence regulations or laws.
a. public affairs
b. political communication
c. government relations
d. free speech
6. Which of the following is an example of government communications providing
information that can be considered essential to the well-being of the public?
a. How to donate to a charitable organization?
b. Where to find the best deal on a used car?
c. Why it’s better to use the U.S. Postal Service instead of Federal Express?
d. How to register to vote?
7. Compared to private sector PR, which of the following is unique to government sector
public affairs?
a. work on one project at a time
b. have unrestricted funding
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
c. must answer multiple clients simultaneously
d. have advanced technical capabilities
8. What communicators are duty-bound to inform their chain of command, fellow service
members, and the public about their activities?
a. private public relations specialists
b. military public affairs officers
c. government public information officers
d. all public communicators
9. Why is it important for Public Affairs Officers to foster positive relationships between
military bases and local communities?
a. Poor relationships can lead to base closures.
b. Local communities depend on base personnel for protection.
c. Local economies depend on base purchases.
d. Bases depend on local communities for a portion of their budgets.
10. What is the term for government relations when it includes indirect communications
activity to raise awareness and bring public pressure on government officials through
media coverage, petitions, and online campaigns?
a. marketing
b. public relations
c. public affairs
d. lobbying
11. According to the BBC, the British first began using the term “lobbying” in what time
period?
a. early 1700s
b. early 1800s
c. early 1900s
d. late 1900s
12. What did insurance provider Humana implement in Mississippi to position itself
ahead of its competitors while the federal government was preparing to launch the
Affordable Care Act (ACA)?
a. Humana Early Bird campaign, offering a 10% discount for citizens who enrolled in the
first month
b. Get to Know Humana campaign, featuring testimonials from local citizens on social
media
c. Humana Is the One for YOU Campaign, promoting the company’s insurance plans as
better than the competition
d. Campaign for a Healthy Mississippi, promoting awareness of the ACA and helping
people enroll
13. Which of the following is a dynamic, interactive process for the transmission of
information among politicians, the news media, and the public?
a. strategic communications
b. political communications
c. public affairs
d. government relations
14. More voters and prospects are seeking political and government news online versus
in the traditional media due to what current trend?
a. Politicians are increasing their use of the Internet as a tool.
b. Citizens want the most up-to-date news.
c. Citizens are canceling their print news subscriptions.
d. Citizens no longer trust traditional media news sources.
15. Who has recommended a return to positive messages and brand associations in
political communications?
a. Dana Perino
b. Lara M. Brown
c. Michael Cornfield
d. Dennis W. Johnson
16. How did the frequency of Facebook status updates by candidates Donald Trump
and Hillary Clinton throughout the 2016 campaign cycle compare to 2012 candidates
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney?
a. nearly equal
b. one third as often
c. half as often
d. more than twice as often
17. What dominates the world of political communications today according to political
communications expert Dennis W. Johnson?
a. Facebook
b. false news
c. Twitter
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
d. negative messages
18. At least ______ of U.S. adults shared election information on social media during a
one-week political snapshot taken in January 2016 by the Pew Research Center.
a. 25%
b. 36%
c. 44%
d. 50%
19. According to former White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, who tends to
believe the press is going to be on their side?
a. Democrats
b. Republicans
c. independents
d. sitting U.S. presidents
20. Before Ebola patient Nina Pham had even arrived at NIH Clinical Center for
treatment, what was flooding the NIH public affairs team?
a. public hysteria
b. media inquiries
c. government oversight
d. internet rumors
21. Why do American Hospital Association guidelines require hospitals to use one-word
descriptions like “good,” “fair,” or “serious” when describing a patient’s condition to the
media?
a. to use less space in news releases
b. to increase the accuracy of news releases
c. to lessen the chances of inaccurate media accounts
d. to protect the patient’s privacy
22. When announcing that Ms. Pham was Ebola-free at a final news conference, what
did NIH leaders do to help remove the stigma of this highly contagious disease?
a. They played a new 60-second public service announcement on how to protect
yourself from Ebola.
b. They hugged her.
c. They asked that all media representatives in attendance shake hands with Ms. Pham.
d. They allowed Ms. Pham to answer questions from the media.
23. As this chapter compared and contrasted public affairs, government relations and
lobbying, and political communications, it drew the conclusion that they are all ______.
a. more challenging than public relations
b. identical to public relations
c. unique areas of strategic communications
d. the same type of strategic communications
24. Government-to-citizen communications in public affairs is usually practiced in what
setting?
a. government or nonprofit
b. corporate
c. military
d. private
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
25. What is the term for organization-to-government communications involving direct
contact with politicians and government rule makers to provide a point of view?
a. government relations
b. influence peddling
c. lobbying
d. political communications
26. Political communications is a dynamic, interactive campaign-based process among
politicians, the news media, and the public, which flows in what direction?
a. organization-to-government
b. government-to-citizen
c. candidate-to-voter
d. voter-to-candidate
27. How does the position of Public Affairs Officer differ from that of Public Information
Officer?
a. corporate-based
b. nonprofit-based
c. government-based
d. military-based
28. What did the California Center for Public Health Advocacy use as the vehicle for
motivating the media, policymakers, and the public through a strategic public affairs
program linking sugary drinks to public health issues?
a. patient testimonials
b. primary and secondary research
c. data on the increase in soft drink sales
d. data on the increase in diabetes among all ages
29. Which of the following is an accurate measure of the success of the CCPHA
campaign to address the consumption of sugary drinks?
a. 75% of media coverage echoed the campaign’s key messages and research.
b. 50% of California state legislators quit drinking sugary drinks.
c. One California city became the first in the nation to adopt a soda tax.
d. 100% of California high schools removed soft drink vending machines from their
campuses.
30. Why did Walgreens select Chicago and Los Angeles as pilot cities for their First
Ladies Health Initiative supporting HIV/AIDS screenings?
a. They are two of the largest cities in the U.S.
b. Walgreens wanted to increase their business in these cities.
c. The corporate headquarters of Walgreens is in Chicago.
d. They both have a high rate of HIV/AIDS among their African American populations.
31. Not only did the Walgreens First Ladies Health Initiative in Chicago and Los Angeles
showcase this corporation’s commitment to health care; it was also a tremendous
benefit to the African Americans in these cities who received ______ health screenings.
a. 40,000
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
b. 72,500
c. 96,500
d. 100,000+
32. In a follow-up survey to the U.S. Navy’s “Keep What You’ve Earned” campaign,
38% of respondents indicated they would take one of three recommended actions:
decrease consumption, seek help, or ______.
a. join Alcoholics Anonymous
b. assist another sailor
c. drink alcohol only while on base
d. never drink and drive
33. When faced with lobbying efforts by organizations, what is one of the factors
mentioned in the text that elected officials must consider?
a. consumer protection
b. feasibility
c. cost to the government
d. cost to taxpayers
34. According to Lindsay Murphy of Racepoint Global, what factor distinguishes public
affairs teams from their government relations colleagues?
a. Their offices are in the Capitol building.
b. They never step foot on Capitol Hill to lobby.
c. They are on the federal government payroll.
d. They do not have to “know their audience.”
35. Humana implemented a CSR outreach program in Mississippi to educate citizens
and help them enroll in the Affordable Care Act after a Gallup survey found that the
state had an uninsured population of ______.
a. 50%
b. 35%
c. 20%
d. 10%
36. As stated by Professor Michael Cornfield, what did the Trump campaign
successfully combine with his use of Twitter and Facebook to outperform the Clinton
team in the general election?
a. outdoor campaign rallies
b. door-to-door volunteers
c. a data operation developed by the Republican National Committee
d. a well-timed media blitz
37. What does Dr. Lara M. Brown of George Washington University believe reached a
new low during the 2016 electoral cycle?
a. appeals for donations
b. celebrity endorsements
c. rumors and innuendos
d. negative campaign messages
38. Based on data tabulated during a one-week period in January of 2016, what
percentage of U.S. adults used Twitter to obtain political information?
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
a. 9%
b. 16%
c. 36%
d. 44%
39. The effort to curb government spending on communications is an ongoing battle
between ______ and those seeking to limit their communications and promotional
activity.
a. the military
b. the party in power
c. political organizations
d. nonprofit organizations
40. What did Congress add to legislation creating the Interstate Commerce Commission
in 1913?
a. The Bill of Rights
b. The Blaine Amendment
c. The Gillett Amendment
d. The Bricker Amendment
41. Who broke the story on the USDA approval of lean finely text beef and coined the
infamous name “pink slime”?
a. Dr. Oz
b. Diane Sawyer
c. Anderson Cooper
d. Jon Stewart
42. What derailed the USDA’s plan to convince consumers that lean finely text beef
products were safe and could be safely served to kids in our schools?
a. grocery store boycotts
b. a protest at USDA headquarters
c. school cafeteria workers united against it
d. public hysteria
43. Military Public Affairs Officers are responsible for advising senior leaders on
communication issues, assisting them in making well-informed decisions, and ______.
a. translating these decisions into effective communications operations
b. reporting these decisions to the commanding officer
c. informing the media of these decisions
d. revising these decisions as they see fit
44. What resulted from the efforts of PAO staff at Barksdale Air Force Base to develop
positive relationships with nearby neighbors who complained that Air Force planes were
disturbing the peace?
a. people realized they should not have bought homes next to the base
b. the homebuilder was run out of town
c. positive, ongoing dialog between the base and its neighbors
d. everyone was happy and complaints against the base stopped
45. What was used as a key motivator in the U.S. Navy’s social media-based internal
campaign to combat binge drinking among active duty sailors?
a. public shaming
b. docked pay and demotion
c. community service
d. transfer to an undesirable location
46. Which of the following is a form of organization-to-government communications?
a. public affairs
b. public information
c. government information
d. government relations
47. What is the term used to describe direct contact organizations have with elected
officials for the purpose of impacting legislation and regulations?
a. pitching
b. lobbying
c. arm-twisting
d. politicking
48. Why did almost 40% of adult users of social media either block or minimize political
content during the 2016 presidential campaign?
a. They were overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of posts.
b. They felt the posts were misleading.
c. To alleviate stress caused by the candidates’ negative attack strategy.
d. They had decided on a candidate.
49. What former White House Press Secretary acknowledged that in this role you
defend the press to the president as well as defending the president to the press?
a. Dana Perino
b. Mike McCurry
c. Dee Dee Myers
d. Josh Earnest
50. When the political communication process flows horizontally, who are the actors?
a. organizations and elected officials
b. candidates, advisors, and party officials
c. candidates and voters
d. government and citizens
True/False
1. A focus on public service is a common thread running through communications
practiced in a government setting.
2. While working for the U.S. government, public affairs professionals and PIOs are
encouraged to endorse and/or promote candidates and elected officials.
3. After the Gillett Amendment was enacted, government officials replaced references to
“public relations” and “publicity” with the term “public affairs” to avoid the new
requirement for post-approval funding.
4. According to USDA Deputy Assistant Administrator Aaron Lavalee, the public affairs
communicator has the opportunity to work every day to improve the lives of fellow
citizens.
5. The USDA became embroiled in a crisis communications scenario over a new type of
beef processing because consumers did not know or understand the facts.
6. The U.S. Navy’s “Keep What You’ve Earned” campaign focused on promoting
responsible drinking among active duty sailors.
7. Government relations and lobbying are forms of government-to-organization
communications.
8. Humana’s Campaign for a Healthy Mississippi is an award-winning example of a
combined corporate public affairs and government relations effort.
9. Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign strategy included the use of social
media to increase campaign donations, create supporters, and decrease voter turnout.
10. According to a Pew Research Center study on political engagement in January
2016, 44% of U.S. adults reported having learned about the 2016 presidential election
“in the past week” from both local and national print newspapers, far outpacing the
numbers for social media.
Short Answer
1. If a government communicator wants to get involved in a political campaign, what
should they do and why?
2. What are three reasons the public was enraged with the USDA over the so-called
“Pink Slime” debacle?
3. In addition to significantly expanding Humana’s health coverage in Mississippi, how
did its Campaign for a Healthy Mississippi benefit the company itself?
4. Identify the unintended impact of the “attack” strategy used by both 2016 presidential
candidates and explain why it occurred.
5. Why and how did the NIH depart from its norm of distributing news in written press
releases during the treatment of Ebola patient Nina Pham at NIH Clinical Center?
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Essay
1. Why does the U.S. government use the term “public affairs” instead of “public
relations”?
2. Ongoing efforts to keep a lid on government communications spending at the federal
level appear to be based on partisan politics. Explain why and provide an example.
3. Why do organizations engage in government relations and lobbying?
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
4. Given that the current trend in political communications is becoming increasingly
negative, what change is recommended by Lara M. Brown, executive director of the
Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University?
5. What tactics did the California Center for Public Health Advocacy use to execute a
strategic public affairs program focused on the link between consumption of sugary
drinks and the increase in health-related problems?
