Question 1

The demographic composition of delegates at recent Republican and Democratic National Conventions resemble each party's partisan coalitions more than that of the American electorate as a whole.

Accepted Answer

Both parties' delegate demographics tend to skew towards their respective bases, which are not necessarily reflective of the entire American electorate.

Question 2

Party Nominating Conventions no longer serve a useful purpose today.

Accepted Answer

While the role and significance of nominating conventions have changed over time, they still serve an important function in formally selecting a party's candidate for the presidency and uniting the party behind that candidate. The conventions also provide a platform for the party to showcase its platform and message to a national audience.

Question 3

Which factors contributed the least to Clinton's defeat?

Accepted Answer

While the Democratic Party as a whole certainly played a role in the election, it was not a significant factor in Clinton's defeat. Factors such as her campaign's miscalculation of minority voting and failure to focus on certain key states had more impact. Clinton's affiliation with the Democratic Party was not a major issue in the election.

Question 4

The major broadcast networks have maintained extensive coverage of both major party conventions consistently since first broadcasting them in the 1950s.

Accepted Answer

The major broadcast networks have gradually reduced their coverage of both major party conventions over the years, often citing reasons such as cost, lower viewership, and the perception that the events have become more scripted and less newsworthy.

Question 5

Which of the following is not correct?

Accepted Answer

Hillary Clinton was not the first former senator to be nominated by a major party. Other former senators who have been nominated include Barack Obama, John Kerry and Bob Dole.

Question 6

Which factor contributed the most to Trump's victory?

Accepted Answer

Trump's victory was largely due to his Electoral College strategy. Although he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, he won the election by securing key states with a majority of Electoral College votes. Trump campaigned heavily in states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, which historically voted Democratic but ultimately swung in his favor in the election. His campaign also strategically focused on rural areas, which have a disproportionate amount of Electoral College votes compared to their population. This allowed him to secure enough electoral votes to win the presidency, despite losing the popular vote.

Question 7

Party platforms differ more now in policy and ideology than they did before the 1980s.

Accepted Answer

This is generally true, as the two major parties in the US have become more ideologically distinct in recent decades, with Republicans generally espousing conservative policies and Democrats generally espousing liberal policies. This trend began in the 1980s and has continued to the present day.

Question 8

Hillary Clinton adopted

Accepted Answer

Hillary Clinton adopted Obama's 2008 Electoral College strategy by focusing on winning swing states with large populations, such as Florida and North Carolina, rather than just trying to win the most overall states. This strategy ultimately failed as she lost some key swing states and ultimately the election.

Question 9

Which of the following slogans did Donald Trump not use in his 2016 presidential campaign?

Accepted Answer

Donald Trump did not use the slogan "Putin is my friend" in his 2016 presidential campaign. In fact, he faced criticism for his friendly remarks toward Russian President Vladimir Putin during the campaign.

Question 10

Because of the importance of caucuses and primaries to the current nominating system, first-ballot nominations of candidates have become routine.

Accepted Answer

Yes, first-ballot nominations have become routine in the current nominating system due to the significance of caucuses and primaries in determining the party's nominee.

Question 11

What was the major theme of the 2016 Democratic convention?

Accepted Answer

"Stronger Together" was the major theme of the 2016 Democratic convention, emphasizing the need for unity and inclusivity in the face of division and negativity in politics.

Quiz 6: The Post-Primary Campaign