Deck 8: Campaigns and Elections

Question 1

With regard to candidates for office, all of the following are true EXCEPT

A) until recently, women were considered to be appropriate candidates only for lower-level offices.
B) today, only 35 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified woman for president.
C) most candidates are white and male.
D) the number of women running for office is increasing.
E) candidates are likely to be professionals.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following best describes a focus group?

A) A poll carried out on a regular basis to analyze long-term trends
B) When professional consultants organize a discussion about candidates or certain political issues among small groups of ordinary citizens
C) Phone calls that are made to certain likely voters
D) A group that measures the national mood
E) A census taken of a group

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In 2012, total campaign spending for reached $2.6 billion.

A) the presidential candidates alone
B) the presidential and congressional candidates
C) all national and state candidates for office combined
D) all national, state, and local candidates for office combined
E) the candidates for governor of California

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In 1954, fewer than 20 percent of adults identified themselves as , whereas today that share is about 40 percent.

A) Republicans
B) Democrats
C) Libertarians
D) Socialists
E) Independents

Question 5

The job of a political consultant may include all of the following EXCEPT

A) choosing the candidate's official portrait.
B) choosing campaign colors.
C) overseeing campaign advertising.
D) nominating a candidate for office.
E) devising a campaign strategy.

Question 6

As a result of , the number of African American public officials has increased throughout the United States.

A) improved educational opportunities
B) public-awareness campaigns
C) the Tenth Amendment
D) major civil rights legislation in the 1960s
E) decreasing interest in holding political office among whites

Question 7

Before the advent of , a strong party organization at the local, state, or national level could furnish most of the services candidates needed.

A) Democratic dominance
B) widespread political scandal
C) political apathy
D) television campaigning
E) print media campaigning

Question 8

The Hatch Act of 1939 is best known for

A) facilitating the growth of political action committees.
B) placing no limit on overall campaign spending.
C) restricting the political activities of civil servants.
D) being the first law designed to regulate campaign financing.
E) its many loopholes and general ineffectiveness.

Question 9

Today, in national elections, most campaign tasks are handled by

A) former successful politicians.
B) professionals who donate their time for free.
C) amateur politicians.
D) paid professionals.
E) volunteers.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about recruiting candidates is true?

A) Recruiting candidates is easier for Republicans.
B) Recruiting candidates is easier for higher offices with more prestige.
C) Recruiting candidates is harder for the office of register of deeds.
D) Recruiting candidates is harder for the office of county treasurer.
E) Recruiting candidates is easier for local offices than any other.

Question 11

Constitutionally, the President must be

A) a citizen for at least twenty-one years.
B) a citizen for at least thirty-five years.
C) a naturalized immigrant to the United States.
D) at least twenty-one years old.
E) at least thirty-five years old.

Question 12

If a candidate is a highly visible incumbent seeking reelection,

A) name recognition may be a serious problem.
B) they should leave the major parties and run as an independent.
C) there may be little need for campaigning except to remind the voters of the officeholder's good deeds.
D) the strategy will be to keep as low a profile as possible.
E) the incumbent must devote almost every moment to campaigning to avoid seeming overly confident and arrogant.

Question 13

The people who wanted to be the Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential campaign first needed to raise enough funds to

A) win the title of highest-funded candidate.
B) put up billboards in urban areas.
C) run for local office.
D) tour the nation to see if they had enough local supporters.
E) air attack ads on television.

Question 14

Tracking polls are

A) taken on a nearly daily basis as the election approaches.
B) used by the government to determine if candidates receive illegal contributions.
C) only relevant early in the campaign.
D) usually not reliable sources of information.
E) taken only by the regular pollsters such as Roper, Harris, and Gallup).

Question 15

As detailed in the Constitution, the formal requirements for the office of senator include that he or she must be

A) a citizen for at least seven years.
B) a natural-born citizen.
C) a resident of the state from which elected.
D) a resident of a different state from the president.
E) at least twenty-five years old.

Question 16

The qualifications for state legislators are

A) set by the state constitutions.
B) set by the U.S. Constitution.
C) usually higher for those in the lower chamber of the legislature.
D) usually much more stringent than the legal qualifications for serving as governor.
E) usually just an age requirement.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about political officeholders is true?

A) Officeholders represent the general public.
B) Officeholders are fairly evenly divided between men and women.
C) Officeholders are mostly white and male.
D) Officeholders are diverse, racially and ethnically speaking.
E) Officeholders are Roman Catholics.

Question 18

Why do campaigns no longer depend on political parties?

A) Election laws make political parties irrelevant.
B) Many candidates become liberals.
C) Fewer people identify with them.
D) Many candidates become independents.
E) Interest groups regulate campaign expenditures.

Question 19

Which of the following statements best describe why lawyers are more likely to campaign for and hold political office?

A) They have more flexible schedules, and political involvement can make a valuable contribution to their careers.
B) The patients they see can wait for them, or see other professionals.
C) They usually have summers off, which aids in campaigning.
D) The money they make in political office is usually far more than what they make as blue collar workers.
E) The connections they make in politics allow them to easily become CEOs when they eventually leave.

Question 20

State and national candidates are typically nominated through a

A) general election.
B) primary election.
C) judicial appointment.
D) runoff election.
E) party leader appointment.

Question 21

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 banned

A) soft money contributions to national parties.
B) campaign ads by special interest groups.
C) independent expenditures by special interests.
D) the practice of lobbying.
E) interference in presidential elections by the Federal Election Commission.

Question 22

The process in which more and more states move their primaries into the first months of the year is known as

A) impact-minimization.
B) holding a "top­two" primary.
C) holding blanket primaries.
D) front-running.
E) front-loading.

Question 23

Which Supreme Court ruling limited the amount that candidates could spend on their own campaigns, but was later found unconstitutional?

A) Citizens United v. FEC 2010)
B) Buckley v. Valeo 1976)
C) The Hatch Act of 1939
D) The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
E) The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

Question 24

Superdelegates are

A) party leaders or elected officials who are given the right to vote at the party's national convention.
B) the five delegates who raise the most money for the party.
C) no longer permitted at national conventions.
D) elected at the state level.
E) appointed by the president.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about "527" groups is true?

A) They have not impacted campaigns.
B) They were named after the number of members legally required to form the group.
C) They run issue ads to energize voters.
D) They must pay taxes which fund elections.
E) They are no longer active.

Question 26

The number of political action committees PACs)

A) has remained stable since the 1970s.
B) grew after 1976 but declined in the 1990s.
C) grew significantly after 1976 but has leveled off since the 1990s.
D) grew significantly between 1900 and 1950 but leveled off in the 1960s.
E) has grown exponentially since 1976 to more than 20,000 today.

Question 27

When only declared party members can vote in a primary election, it is called

A) a closed primary.
B) an open primary.
C) a run-off primary.
D) a blanket primary.
E) a caucus.

Question 28

When or why were primary elections were first mandated?

A) Primary elections were mandated by President Andrew Jackson.
B) Primary elections were conducted to eliminate the practice of "beauty contests."
C) Primary elections strengthen the influence of party bosses.
D) Primary elections started in 1968 in Chicago.
E) Primary elections started in 1904 in Wisconsin.

Question 29

Under the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC,

A) corporations and unions are allowed to make direct contributions of $100,000 or less to candidates.
B) corporations and unions are allowed to make direct contributions of any amount to candidates.
C) corporations and unions are banned from spending money on issue ads.
D) corporations and unions are limited to spending $100,000 per issue ad.
E) corporations and unions are allowed to spend whatever they wish on issue ads.

Question 30

Reforms to the Federal Election Campaign Act in 1974 did NOT

A) limit campaign contributions.
B) provide public funding for presidential elections.
C) provide public funding for congressional elections.
D) require disclosure of contributions and spending.
E) create the Federal Election Commission FEC).

Question 31

Which of the following statements about the Buckley v. Valeo case is true?

A) The Supreme Court ruled that issue advocacy advertising was unconstitutional.
B) The Supreme Court ruled that the use of focus groups in political campaigns was unconstitutional.
C) The Supreme Court got rid of the Federal Election Commission.
D) The Supreme Court ruled that the amount candidates could spend on their own campaigns cannot be limited.
E) The Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to restrict in any way the amount congressional candidates could spend on their own behalf.

Question 32

A meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policies is called

A) an open primary.
B) a caucus.
C) a winner-take-all primary.
D) a local election.
E) a blanket primary.

Question 33

When the top two candidates in a primary compete in another primary for a majority of votes, it is called

A) a closed primary.
B) an open primary.
C) a run-off primary.
D) a blanket primary.
E) a caucus.

Question 34

A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special interest group to raise campaign donations is a

A) focus group.
B) political action committee.
C) volunteer clearinghouse.
D) special interest committee.
E) political party organization.

Question 35

In 2012, most Republican Party presidential primaries and caucuses allocated delegates

A) in a 70/30 split between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
B) on a winner-take-all basis.
C) on a proportional basis.
D) according to the results of "beauty contests."
E) according to the results of a poll among superdelegates.

Question 36

"Soft money" in political campaigns is best described as

A) campaign contributions made by foreigners.
B) matching grants made by the federal government.
C) small campaign donations.
D) campaign contributions to political parties that escaped limits of federal or state election law.
E) money obtained from illegal sources.

Question 37

Candidates in state and local elections are mostly chosen by

A) who looks the best on TV.
B) Republican Party caucuses.
C) superdelegates from the Democratic Party.
D) direct primaries.
E) indirect primaries.

Question 38

Which of the following best describes an open primary?

A) Voters are allowed to vote for any candidate of their own political party.
B) Voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation.
C) Candidates have to compete in a single election of the top two vote-getters.
D) The vote takes place on only one day.
E) Voters can vote in a party caucus.

Question 39

Independent expenditures by special interests are

A) coordinated by law with a candidate's campaign.
B) unregulated political expenditures by PACs, organizations, and individuals that are not coordinated with candidate campaigns or political parties.
C) only allowed by labor and agricultural interests, not business interests.
D) less important in the 2004 elections than in previous election years.
E) no longer visible during modern political campaigns.

Question 40

Advertising paid for by interest groups that support or oppose a candidate or a candidate's position on an issue) without mentioning voting or elections is called

A) a PAC advertisement.
B) a soft-money contribution.
C) issue advocacy advertising.
D) a hard-money expenditure.
E) payola profiteering and pilfering.

Question 41

Explain how the right to vote has been expanded since the Constitution was written.

Question 42

Describe the two schools of thought concerning the importance of low voter turnout.

Question 43

The two major parties prefer an) ballot because it encourages straight-ticket voting.

A) absentee
B) oral
C) open
D) party-column
E) office-block ballot

Question 44

Some observers argue that an excessive concern with voting fraud makes it harder for

A) Republicans to get voted into office.
B) tracking polls to accurately predict election results.
C) people to take election results seriously.
D) women to vote.
E) minorities and poor people to vote.

Question 45

The Electoral College is central to the American presidential electoral system. Explain how it works, when it has engendered controversial results, the criticisms it has endured, and why it has largely survived since 1804.

Question 46

The most likely determinant of how people vote is

A) party identification.
B) perception of the candidates.
C) issue preferences.
D) litmus tests on the abortion issue.

Question 47

Felons and ex-felons, and new immigrants who are not yet citizens, are included in the

A) voting-age population.
B) vote-eligible population.
C) local election turnout numbers.
D) state election turnout numbers.
E) demographics usually targeted by minor parties.

Question 48

Many states have prohibited convicted felons from voting. Should this practice be continued, in your opinion? Why or why not?

Question 49

Compared to past campaigns, how different is campaigning in the twenty-first century? Use specific examples in your answer.

Question 50

The number of members each state will have in the Electoral College

A) cannot exceed fifty members.
B) cannot be changed without a constitutional amendment.
C) changes every four years.
D) equals that state's number of senators plus its number of representatives.
E) is the same so as to ensure that each state plays an equal role in selecting the president of the United States.

Question 51

The Australian ballot is best described as a

A) secret ballot prepared, distributed, and tabulated by government officials at public expense.
B) color-coded ballot made by the political parties to show poll watchers who a voter is voting for.
C) ballot manufactured in Geneva, Switzerland.
D) voice vote, in lieu of a secret ballot.
E) ballot used by the Democratic Party only.

Question 52

What does each poltical party use to determine which delegates may participate in the national convention?

A) A grassroots coalition
B) A caucus committee
C) A credentials committee
D) A secret ballot
E) A "beauty contest"

Question 53

The number of eligible voters who cast ballots on Election Day is referred to as the

A) political education rate.
B) voter turnout.
C) political participation rate.
D) voter dissatisfaction rate.
E) voter impact.

Question 54

Regarding voter requirements, each state

A) has different qualifications for voting and registration.
B) must have identical voter registration qualifications.
C) can impose residency requirements of any length in order for voters to register.
D) requires voters to register by mail.
E) allows voters to register up to the day of the election.

Question 55

Explore the strategies devised by interest groups and parties to get around campaign finance reform legislation.

Question 56

The selection of electors is governed by

A) the Bill of Rights.
B) the Freedom of Information Act.
C) the National Electoral College Selection Act.
D) local laws.
E) state laws.

Question 57

Some suggest that American adolescence is now widening into the early twenties. Should the voting age, therefore, be raised to 21 years of age? Why or why not?

Question 58

Describe the factors that influence political preferences. Which appear to be the most important? Why might this be?

Question 59

Describe the different kinds of primaries. How does the type of primary, and the timing of primaries, impact election results?

Question 60

Voter fraud has been considered by some to be a serious issue. What reforms are needed, in your opinion, to set both qualifications for voting and deter or prevent fraudulent voting?