Deck 8: Campaigns and Elections

Question 1

Abolishing the electoral college

A)would require a Constitutional Amendment.
B)could be done by an act of Congress.
C)can be done on a state by state basis.
D)would require a switch to a parliamentary system of government.
E)is impossible.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which campaign financing reform was best known for restricting the political activities of civil servants?

A)Corrupt Practices Act
B)Federal Election Campaign Act
C)Supreme Court decision in Buckley v.Valeo
D)Hatch Act
E)McCain-Feingold Act

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The federal regulatory agency that enforces federal campaign laws is

A)the Federal Election Commission.
B)the Department of Elections.
C)the Congressional Campaign Committee.
D)the Voting Rights Commission.
E)the Federal Campaign Commission.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The 1974 Federal Election Campaign Act

A)created the Federal Election Commission.
B)placed limits on the sums that individuals and committees can contribute to candidates.
C)created an effective way to enforce campaign rules.
D)created the Federal Election Commission and placed limits on the sums that individuals and committees can contribute to candidates.
E)made political action committees unconstitutional.

Question 5

​The qualifications required to be a state governor are

A)​to be a natural-born citizen within state residency.
B)​to be a citizen aged 30 years or older.
C)​to be a citizen, aged 30 years or older, within state residency.
D)​to be a natural-born citizen, aged 30 years or older, within state residency.
E)​varied because they are set by the separate state constitutions.

Question 6

In a __________, political parties choose their candidates to run in the ___________. ​

A)partisan election; general election
B)primary election; secondary election
C)primary election; general election
D)general election; primary election
E)partisan election; primary election

Question 7

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 8

The 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizen's United v. FEC

A)increased the political power of corporations.
B)was supported by Republicans on the basis of free speech.
C)was opposed by Democrats because it gave corporations some political rights given to individual citizens.
D)ruled that corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates as long as those expenditures are not coordinated with the candidate campaigns.
E)​All of these choices are true.

Question 9

Campaigns for high offices today tend to

A)focus on winning independents, rather than turning out the party base.
B)focus on party base turnout, rather than independents.
C)be party centered.
D)be candidate centered.
E)be policy centered.

Question 10

The U.S. Constitution states that in order to run for the office of _____ the candidate must be a natural-born citizen.

A)U.S.senator.
B)U.S.representative.
C)U.S.president.
D)governor.
E)All of these choices are correct.

Question 11

Nine years of citizenship and at least 30 years of age is the requirement to be

A)the President.
B)the Vice President.
C)a governor.
D)a Representative.
E)a Senator.

Question 12

Tracking polls are used

A)on a daily basis to determine last-minute changes in the mood of the electorate.
B)by the government to determine if a candidate is receiving illegal campaign contributions.
C)to encourage voter turnout.
D)primarily in countries that have a multi-party political structure.
E)by the media throughout the election year.

Question 13

All of the following are reasons why many candidates for office are lawyers EXCEPT

A)they have a more flexible work schedule.
B)holding office is good publicity for their law practice.
C)political connections can help them later in their career.
D)they have trouble finding work in most states.
E)they may have long-term career aspirations for positions that require political appointment such as judgeships or jobs in federal agencies.

Question 14

James, who wants to run for public office, is a natural born citizen who is 29 years old. He is constitutionally qualified to be

A)a Representative.
B)a Senator.
C)Vice President.
D)President.
E)Emperor.

Question 15

Independent expenditures are

A)funds spent by the party independent without permission of the candidate.
B)personal funds spent by the candidate on campaign activities.
C)funds spent by political action committees that are not coordinated directly with a candidate's campaign.
D)funds spent by the Federal Election Commission.
E)funds spent by groups of independent voters.

Question 16

A striking feature of today's political campaigns is the

A)large number of people who are willing to volunteer their time.
B)positive theme that most candidates use exclusively through the election.
C)lack of money contributed to candidates for major political office.
D)importance of paid professionals rather than volunteers.
E)refusal of so many candidates to take advantage of the media.

Question 17

Holders of political office in the United States today are usually

A)representative of the general public.
B)evenly divided between men and women.
C)white and male.
D)younger than the candidates elected in the 1800s.
E)Roman Catholics.

Question 18

A ________________ is a statewide election of delegates to a party's national convention, where the delegates will choose the party's presidential nominee.​

A)​primary election
B)​party primary
C)​presidential primary
D)​delegate election
E)​general election

Question 19

Political Action Committees

A)are not covered by federal election laws.
B)are committees created under federal or state law for the purpose of collecting political donations.
C)coordinate all expenditures directly with the candidate.
D)collect funds from the candidate and transfer them to the political party.
E)are limited in how much they spend.

Question 20

When citizens vote for president on election day

A)they are voting for a slate of electors pledged to support a particular candidate.
B)their votes are weighted by their levels of education.
C)their votes are weighted by the number of times they have previously voted.
D)they become members of the electoral college.
E)they are also voting for all other candidates from the same party.

Question 21

Super PACs

A)allow America's very wealthy to donate unlimited funds to influence elections.
B)are political advertising councils that design political campaigns.
C)are limited to raising no more than $10 million per campaign cycle.
D)allow money to be spent on advertising and other political activities.
E)allow America's very wealthy to donate unlimited funds to influence elections, and spend money on advertising and other political activities.

Question 22

In most states, the slate of electors is chosen by ​

A)a majority of votes.
B)two-thirds of the votes.
C)a duality of votes.
D)a plurality of votes.
E)a proportionality of votes.

Question 23

When the top two candidates in a primary compete in a second primary for the 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 24

At the national convention

A)upon arrival most delegates are undecided as to whom they would like to see as the party's candidate.
B)the delegates from those states that had early primaries and caucuses are seated closest to the front of the convention center.
C)the presidential candidate is chosen by the party delegates.
D)elites within the political parties are entrusted with making the determination of an appropriate candidate based upon electability.
E)it usually take three ballots for the party to choose the presidential candidate.

Question 25

In the presidential elections

A)electors meet in the state's capital in December to cast their votes for the president.
B)a joint session of Congress meets in early January (after the presidential election) and the electoral votes are counted.
C)one can win the majority of the popular vote and not become president.
D)one can win the electoral college vote without winning the majority of the popular vote.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 26

The organizations that came to be known as "527s"

A)have become eclipsed in importance since the rise of super PACs.
B)were set up by political parties for anonymous donors' contributions.
C)run ads that are coordinated with the candidate's campaign ads.
D)are more powerful than super PACs.
E)were set up by political parties for anonymous donors' contributions, and run ads that are coordinated with the candidate's campaign ads.

Question 27

When voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation, 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 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 29

A candidate for office who is successful at winning support from elected officials, fund raisers, and interest groups could be said to be winning

A)an open primary.
B)a closed primary.
C)a top-two primary.
D)the invisible primary.
E)the superdelegation.

Question 30

A party-column ballot is a form of general election ballot

A)that is used by only a few states today.
B)that focuses attention on the office instead of the party.
C)in which the candidates are arranged in one column under their respective party.
D)that was held to be unconstitutional in 1948.
E)in which all candidates for each elective office are grouped under the title of the office.

Question 31

In __________ primary, a voter can vote for candidates from more than one party.

A)a top-two
B)a run-off
C)a closed
D)an open
E)a blanket

Question 32

A party leader or elected official who gets to vote at a party's national convention is known as a(n)

A)superdelegate.
B)elector.
C)elite delegate.
D)trustee.
E)supertrustee.

Question 33

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

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

Question 34

In presidential elections

A)voters elect the president directly.
B)the number of electors equals each state's number of senators (two) plus its number of representatives.
C)electors have always voted for the candidate who won their state's vote.
D)All of these choices are true.
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 35

Independent expenditures

A)must be made from the candidate's personal funds.
B)are unregulated funds spent by organizations and individuals on advertising or other campaign activities.
C)were banned by the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v.FEC.
D)were less important in the 2012 presidential election than in previous years.
E)must be coordinated with the activities of the candidate in which they are tied to.

Question 36

Superdelegates are a part of the presidential nomination process in the ​

A)Green Party.
B)Libertarian Party.
C)Federalist Party.
D)Republican Party.
E)Democratic Party.

Question 37

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)is determined by adding the number of representatives and the number of senators a state has in Congress.
E)is the same so as to ensure that each state plays an equal role in selecting the president of the United States.

Question 38

​A ballot in which all candidates for a particular elected post are grouped together is

A)​an Indiana ballot.
B)​an office-block ballot.
C)​a party column ballot.
D)​an absentee ballot.
E)​an Australian ballot.

Question 39

The manner in which members of the electoral college are selected within each state is currently governed by

A)state laws.
B)the Federal Electoral Selection Act.
C)Article II of the U.S.Constitution.
D)congressional oversight.
E)federal district court judges.

Question 40

The 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC allows

A)corporations, unions, and individuals to donate unlimited funds to presidential campaigns.
B)corporations, unions, and individuals to donate unlimited funds to entities that are "independent" of the candidates.
C)corporations, unions, and individuals to donate unlimited funds to political parties.
D)political parties to create special funds to donate to candidates from federal monies.
E)corporations, unions, and individuals to donate unlimited funds to presidential campaigns, as well as to entities that are "independent" of the candidates.

Question 41

Voter registration drives

A)are a non-controversial political activity.
B)became a political issue when Acorn, a community organizing group, was accused of violating election laws.
C)operate under very loose laws in Republican-controlled states.
D)are organized by public interest and political organizations in the week before an election.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 42

​That women could vote in Wyoming in 1870, but not nationwide until 1920, is reflective of

A)​the national government imposing conflicting election laws on the states.
B)​states admitted later to the union having more power over elections.
C)​the willingness of states to violate national laws.
D)​the writers of the Constitution allowing states to decide who can vote.
E)​the national government imposing conflicting election laws on the states, and of states admitted later to the union having more power over elections.

Question 43

All of the following are true of voter turnout EXCEPT

A)older Americans are more likely to vote than younger Americans.
B)the more education you have, the more likely you are to vote.
C)the higher your income, the more likely you are to vote.
D)African Americans are more likely to vote than whites.
E)whites are more likely to vote than Hispanics.

Question 44

Voter ID laws are often __________ because __________.

A)praised; they raise voter turnout across the board
B)praised; they have prevented millions of cases of fraudulent voting
C)criticized; they disproportionately affect the middle class
D)criticized; they disproportionately affect low-income and minority voters
E)criticized; they make it easier for non-citizens to vote

Question 45

​The use of the party-column ballot has been shown to

A)​increase the coattail effect.
B)​decrease the coattail effect.
C)​decrease straight-ticket voting.
D)​increase voter turnout.
E)​decrease the coattail effect and decrease straight-ticket voting.

Question 46

In midterm elections

A)voters choose all members of the U.S.House of Representatives.
B)national elections are held in which candidates for president are not on the ballot.
C)voters choose one-third of the members of the U.S.Senate.
D)voters choose all members of the U.S.House of Representatives, and national elections are held in which candidates for president are not on the ballot.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 47

Voter fraud

A)is regularly suspected but seldom proved.
B)was more common in the 1800s when votes were openly purchased than today.
C)is the argument frequently cited by supporters of voter ID laws.
D)may be overstated by some.
E)All of these choices are true.

Question 48

Voter turnout used to be calculated as a percentage of the __________, but now political scientists use the __________.

A)voting-age population; vote eligible population
B)voting-age population; total population
C)vote eligible population; voting-age population
D)total population; voting-age population
E)total population; vote eligible population

Question 49

​Almost all of the support for creating voter ID laws has come from

A)​Republicans.
B)​Democrats.
C)​libertarians.
D)​socialists.
E)​None of these choices is true.

Question 50

The right to vote

A)has been expanded since the writing of the Constitution.
B)has not been extended to those without property.
C)has been given to aliens as long as they are registered to vote.
D)can never be taken away.
E)is taken away if one doesn't vote in five elections.

Question 51

Which of the following groups tends to be overrepresented in the electorate?

A)wealthier people
B)people under the age of sixty-five
C)very young voters aged eighteen to twenty-four
D)the poor and homeless
E)Hispanics

Question 52

Voter turnout is commonly higher in __________ than in __________.

A)state elections; presidential elections
B)presidential elections; midterm elections
C)local elections; presidential elections
D)local elections; Congressional elections
E)primary elections; general elections

Question 53

Reported voter turnout _________ as education __________.

A)increases; decreases
B)randomly swings; increases
C)stabilizes; increases
D)decreases; decreases
E)stabilizes; decreases

Question 54

Reported voter turnout _________ as age __________.

A)increases; increases
B)increases; decreases
C)stabilizes; increases
D)stabilizes; decreases
E)decreases; increases

Question 55

In 2013, the Supreme Court overturned portions of

A)the Voting Rights Act, because race and politics no longer intersected.
B)the Voting Rights Act, because its formulas were considered obsolete.
C)the Voting Rights Act, because it could not be reaffirmed in Congress.
D)the Federal Election Campaign Act, because corporations have rights to free speech.
E)the Federal Election Campaign Act, because money is speech.

Question 56

​Voter ID laws are often enacted with the stated goal of _______________, but actually have the effect of _______________.

A)​increasing turnout; suppressing turnout among minorities and the poor
B)​increasing turnout; suppressing turnout among members of the armed forces serving abroad
C)​preventing vote fraud; suppressing turnout among minorities and the poor
D)​preventing vote fraud; making ID fraud more common
E)​preventing vote fraud; suppressing turnout among members of the armed forces serving abroad

Question 57

​The real world effect of voter ID laws in the 2012 election was that

A)​voter turnout was down across the board.
B)​they did not work and vote fraud was rampant.
C)​they had no measurable effect.
D)​turnout was down primarily among minorities, who were adversely affected by the laws.
E)​minorities felt their voting rights were under attack and turned out in higher than usual numbers.

Question 58

Felons and non-citizens who cannot legally vote are included in

A)the midterm voter population.
B)voter identification.
C)voter turnout.
D)the vote-eligible population.
E)the voting-age population.

Question 59

All of the following restrictions on voting have been loosened over time EXCEPT

A)racial restrictions.
B)citizenship restrictions.
C)sex/gender restrictions.
D)age restrictions.
E)property ownership restrictions.

Question 60

​The requirements to register to vote include all of the following EXCEPT

A)​choosing a political party.
B)​being age eighteen or older.
C)​being a citizen.
D)​having residency where you register.
E)​All of these choices are true.

Question 61

Explain the idea of a top-two primary election and discuss its implications if it were to be broadly implemented.

Question 62

Explain how the electoral college works, the situations in which it has produced controversial results, and the criticisms leveled against it.

Question 63

What should be the qualifications for voting in the United States? How tight should election rules be to prevent voter fraud? What would you do to prevent voter fraud?

Question 64

Discuss voter turnout among racial minorities and use at least one other demographic factor to better explain this phenomenon.

Question 65

How has the right to vote been expanded since the Constitution was written?

Question 66

​Discuss the effects of voter identification laws and argue whether these laws are a benefit or a harm to U.S. elections.

Question 67

Detail the qualifications for someone to become president of the United States and discuss the implications these qualifications have on the candidates we choose.​

Question 68

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

Question 69

African Americans today tend to be

A)more conservative than whites on all issues.
B)less liberal than whites on all issues.
C)supportive of the Republican Party.
D)somewhat conservative on certain cultural issues such as gay marriage and abortion.
E)independents and not supportive of either Republicans or Democrats.

Question 70

Historically, __________ have been among the most powerful influences on public opinion.

A)concerns about education
B)privacy concerns
C)concerns about war
D)concerns about healthcare
E)economic concerns

Question 71

Summarize the various legislation that has led to campaign finance reform and discuss the current campaign finance environment.

Question 72

Discuss the impact of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC, making note of the rise of super PACs and their effects on campaigns.