Deck 13: Elections and Campaigns

Question 1

Arnold is running in the Republican primary for a congressional seat.Which of the following voters would Arnold be most likely to try and appeal to in the primary,according to the median voter theorem?

A) the extreme right-wing voter
B) the median voter for the entire district
C) the median voter in the Republican primary
D) the extreme left-wing voter in the Republican primary
E) the median voter in the Democratic primary

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Counties that use single-member district plurality elections are likely to see which of the following effects on policy,when compared to counties that use other electoral systems?

A) They will be less business-friendly.
B) They will be more business-friendly.
C) They will be more supportive of liberal social policy.
D) They will be more supportive of conservative social policy.
E) The type of election used by a country does not affect its policy preferences.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

There are two candidates in an election: George and Lucille.George is a liberal,while Lucille is a conservative.The electorate is 40 percent liberal,15 percent moderate,and 45 percent conservative.If both George and Lucille rely on median voter theorem to guide their campaign strategy,what type of campaign will each run?

A) George will run a very liberal campaign, while Lucille runs a very conservative campaign.
B) Lucille will run a very liberal campaign, while George runs a very conservative campaign.
C) Both will run extremely liberal campaigns.
D) Both will run moderate campaigns.
E) Both will run extremely conservative campaigns.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The accountability effect assumes that the main function of elections is to ____________________.

A) provide incentives for politicians to stay honest and hardworking
B) promote republican virtue among voters
C) ensure two-party dominance in government
D) protect the property rights of individuals
E) ensure that voters are held responsible for the electoral choices they make

Question 5

Which electoral rule declares the candidate with the largest number of votes the winner without holding further runoff elections?

A) majority rule
B) unanimity rule
C) plurality rule
D) Borda count
E) consensus

Question 6

How many votes must a candidate receive to win an election under a plurality rule?

A) more than half of all votes cast
B) all of the votes cast
C) more votes than any other candidate
D) more votes than all other candidates combined
E) two-thirds of the votes cast

Question 7

Which is an electoral district to which only one seat for a particular political office is allocated?

A) unitary district
B) solitary district
C) single-member district
D) unified district
E) common district

Question 8

Marc is a Democratic candidate running for State Senate in Louisiana,a state that uses a majority rule-based electoral system.How much of the vote would Marc need to receive to avoid a runoff and win the election?

A) He would need to receive more votes than any of the other candidates.
B) He would need to receive more votes than any of the other candidates, and at least 40 percent of the vote.
C) He would need to receive at least 50.1 percent of the vote.
D) He would need to receive at least 60 percent of the vote.
E) Majority rule systems do not have a runoff.

Question 9

According to Article I,Section IV of the U.S.Constitution,"the Times,Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives" may be directly regulated by ____________________.

A) state legislatures
B) the Federal Election Commission
C) the president
D) city councils and county commissions
E) the Supreme Court

Question 10

Henry is a Republican candidate for State Senate in New York.He asks you what strategy will maximize his ability to raise money from supporters.Which election policy strategy do you recommend to him?

A) median voter theory
B) divergence theory
C) spatial model
D) mode voter theory
E) retrospective voting model

Question 11

Which electoral rule governs the election of the president and vice president by the electoral college?

A) majority rule
B) unanimity rule
C) plurality rule
D) Borda count
E) consensus

Question 12

Which is NOT a feature of the Australian ballot?

A) It is printed by the government.
B) It lists all parties or candidates competing for each office.
C) It is identical for all voters.
D) It does not require advance voter registration.
E) It is marked in private.

Question 13

Miguel,Tammy,and Hyeran run against one another for class president.Each student in the class is allowed to cast a ballot indicating only his or her top choice for the office.Miguel receives 10 votes,Tammy receives 8 votes,and Hyeran receives 5 votes.Under which electoral rule would Miguel be declared the winner without requiring a runoff election?

A) majority rule
B) unanimity rule
C) plurality rule
D) Borda count
E) consensus

Question 14

What strategy of voting assumes that candidates will moderate their election arguments to win elections?

A) median voter theorem
B) maximum voter theorem
C) divergence theory
D) retrospective voting model
E) a game of thrones

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the theoretical effect elections have on corruptibility of politicians?

A) Voters could be on the jury of an elected official on trial, and hence politicians are checked on their ability to be corrupt.
B) Democracies are generally never corrupt.
C) Politicians want to stay in office, and generally want to do things, like avoiding corruption, that will keep them in office.
D) Elected politicians are more likely to take bribes than those who are not elected.
E) Elections have no effect on whether an elected official is corrupt or not.

Question 16

Which country was the first to use the modern form of balloting,based on standardization of ballots to help increase privacy?

A) the United States
B) Canada
C) the United Kingdom
D) France
E) Australia

Question 17

The difficulty voters face in evaluating whether candidates for office share their values and preferences,and whether candidates are corrupt,creates a/an ____________________.

A) coordination problem
B) Prisoner's Dilemma
C) collection-action problem
D) principal-agent problem
E) unstable coalition

Question 18

What level of government operates and regulates all American elections?

A) the United Nations
B) the federal government
C) state governments
D) local governments
E) none; elections are administered by an independent body

Question 19

____________________ often redraw/s the boundaries of congressional districts after the redistribution of seats in Congress that follows each decennial census.

A) The Federal Election Commission
B) State governments
C) The Department of Justice
D) The Speaker of the House
E) The Electoral College

Question 20

According to the median voter theorem,which of the following election ideology strategies in a primary/general election system would be the most effective for a Democratic candidate for office?

A) Run a liberal campaign in the primary, then run a conservative campaign in the general election.
B) Run a liberal campaign in the primary, then a moderate campaign in the general election.
C) Run a moderate campaign in both primary and general elections.
D) Run a liberal campaign in both primary and general elections.
E) Run a conservative campaign in both primary and general elections.

Question 21

What distinguishes a ballot initiative from a referendum?

A) Nothing. The terms are interchangeable.
B) A ballot initiative is financed by private citizens or organizations. A referendum is financed by the state.
C) A referendum is used to consider constitutional questions. A ballot initiative is used for ordinary legislation.
D) A ballot initiative is used to consider changes to federal law. A referendum is used to consider changes in state law.
E) A referendum considers legislation proposed by a legislature. A ballot initiative considers legislation proposed by citizens.

Question 22

Which federal agency is responsible for regulating campaign contributions to and spending by candidates for Congress and the presidency?

A) National Election Agency
B) Federal Election Commission
C) Office of the Solicitor General
D) Combined Federal Campaign
E) General Services Administration

Question 23

Which is a primary election in which registered voters may participate regardless of party affiliation?

A) open primary
B) free primary
C) closed primary
D) Australian primary
E) partisan primary

Question 24

Which type of contributions are typically subject to regulation by the Federal Election Commission?

A) contributions to political parties for voter mobilization
B) contributions to 527 organizations
C) contributions to candidates for federal office
D) contributions to 501(c)3 organizations
E) contributions to political parties for voter education

Question 25

Why do some researchers not believe that interest group involvement in direct democracy initiatives is a major problem?

A) Interest groups only get involved in a few issues, and therefore have little effect on general policy.
B) Interest groups are too small to have major effects on public policy.
C) Interest groups on both sides of an issue run ads, so they cancel each other out and don't have much effect on voters' preferences.
D) Interest groups are generally disliked by Americans, who see through their arguments very easily.
E) Interest groups are not allowed to get involved in direct democracy following the case Baumgartner v. Jones (1993).

Question 26

A voter who casts a ballot for the candidates of one party for some offices and the candidates of another party for other offices has submitted a/an ____________________ ballot.

A) mixed
B) pluralist
C) Australian
D) split
E) sideways

Question 27

Which is a primary election in which only voters registered with the party may participate?

A) open primary
B) free primary
C) closed primary
D) Australian primary
E) partisan primary

Question 28

In 2012,voters in Maine voted at the ballot box to allow same-sex couples to legally marry,as the result of a petition brought by interested citizens.The result of the vote was that the state began to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples following certification of the ballot results.What type of direct democracy best describes the events in Maine?

A) referendum
B) recall
C) initiative
D) Borda count
E) primary

Question 29

Ned and Jaime are registered voters going to vote in a Democratic primary.Ned is a registered Democrat,while Jaime is a registered Independent.In what primary system will both Ned and Jaime be able to vote?

A) open primary
B) free primary
C) closed primary
D) Australian primary
E) partisan primary

Question 30

Which type of contributions are called ?0Òhard money?1Ó?

A) contributions to political parties for voter mobilization
B) contributions to 527 organizations
C) contributions to candidates for federal office
D) contributions to 501(c)3 organizations
E) contributions to political parties for voter education

Question 31

What group is the primary agenda setter on referendums?

A) the general populace
B) interest groups
C) state legislatures
D) a state's governor
E) the media

Question 32

Which is an election held to vote directly on legislation or a constitutional amendment proposed by a group of citizens outside of the legislature?

A) convention
B) primary
C) referendum
D) initiative
E) palladium

Question 33

What was the primary effect of Citizens United v.FEC (2010)?

A) Corporations and unions were limited further in their ability to donate to political campaigns.
B) Corporations and unions may spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns as long as the spending is independent of direct candidate donation.
C) Individuals, but not corporations or unions, can donate as much money as they would like directly to candidates.
D) All campaign finance laws have been completely overturned, and anyone can donate as much money as they would like directly to campaigns.
E) All campaigns must now be run with public funds.

Question 34

Which is an election held to vote directly on legislation or a constitutional amendment passed by a legislature?

A) convention
B) primary
C) referendum
D) initiative
E) palladium

Question 35

Brian is a radio show host who wants to prolong the Republican primary for President.To do so,he suggests to his listeners (mostly registered Democrats)that they should all go vote in the Republican primary in a closed primary state,to help the second-place candidate win the state and prevent the first-place candidate from getting an insurmountable lead.What is the problem with Brian's plan?

A) According to the rules of the primary in the state in question, registered Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary.
B) The tactic that Brian is using was deemed illegal in the case Snyder v. Phelps (2011).
C) Radio listeners are generally less likely to vote than TV watchers.
D) There are likely not enough Democratic voters to overwhelm the Republican voters in the primary.
E) There is no problem. This plan will work perfectly, the Republican primary will continue, and the Democratic Party will have a major advantage at election time due to their extra time to prepare.

Question 36

Which is a specific type of formal organization,regulated by the Federal Election Commission,that raises money from donors to support the election campaigns of candidates for federal offices?

A) political party fund
B) candidate support network
C) donor trust
D) political action committee
E) 527

Question 37

What type of organization,created in the aftermath of Citizens United v.FEC (2010)was created to spend money raised from individuals,corporations,and unions,independent of political candidates?

A) PAC
B) 527 organization
C) SuperPAC
D) MegaPAC
E) 504(c)3 organization

Question 38

On average,voters in primary elections are ____________________ compared to voters in general elections.

A) less educated
B) less committed to partisan causes
C) less ideologically extreme
D) less affluent
E) less politically moderate

Question 39

Americans for a Better Tomorrow,Tomorrow was a political organization created by satirist Stephen Colbert to spend money raised from individuals,corporations,and unions using the rules created from Citizens United v.FEC (2010).As such,he could not collaborate with any candidate,and in fact had to turn power over the organization over to Jon Stewart when Colbert himself became a candidate for office.What term best describes Americans for a Better Tomorrow,Tomorrow?

A) PAC
B) 527 organization
C) SuperPAC
D) MegaPAC
E) 504(c)3 organization

Question 40

Which of the following best describes the current state of presidential nominating power?

A) Most of the power rests in the hands of party activists due to their ability to come out for early primaries and caucuses.
B) Most of the power rests in the hands of the party leadership and power brokers through the use of rule changes since the 1970s.
C) All power rests in the hands of the primary voting constituency, who effectively choose the nominee over the course of the primary season.
D) The media has enormous power in determining who the nominee will be based on coverage at debates.
E) The candidates themselves have the most power, through their negotiations during the conventions.

Question 41

Compare and contrast the partisan model of voting with the retrospective model of voting.What are the major assumptions of each model? How are these similar or different? What are the principal predictions of each model about the behavior of voters,and what implications do these predictions have for the behavior of parties and candidates in American national elections?

Question 42

The use of which of the following technologies is considered to have been the most important turning point in American election campaigns?

A) radio
B) television
C) the printing press
D) telephone
E) telegraph

Question 43

What is the plurality rule? What is a single-member district? Which federal elections are typically subject to these electoral institutions? What are two important consequences of the combination of the plurality rule with single-member districts in American national politics?

Question 44

Compare and contrast the spatial model of voting with the directional model of voting.What are the major assumptions of each model? How are these similar or different? What are the principal predictions of each model about the behavior of voters,and what implications do these predictions have for the behavior of parties and candidates in American national elections?

Question 45

In comparison,United States elections are more ____________________-focused than other countries due to the nature of American electoral rules.

A) party
B) media
C) candidate
D) locally
E) federally

Question 46

Which model of voting predicts that a voter will cast a ballot for the candidate who is ideologically closest to her?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 47

Nigel identifies himself as a strong Republican.In 2008,he decided to vote for the Republican Party's nominee Senator John McCain,even though he had several important disagreements with him,and it is likely that he would have voted for any Republican nominee over Barack Obama.Nigel's behavior is most consistent with which model of voting?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 48

What is the Australian ballot,and what are its major features? How were American elections conducted prior to the introduction of the Australian ballot? Why was the Australian ballot introduced? Identify and explain two important consequences of the Australian ballot in American national elections.

Question 49

A state's sales tax rate is currently 8 percent.Peter would prefer to reduce the tax rate to 7 percent.The Republican candidate running for governor proposes cutting the tax rate to 3 percent.The Democratic candidate proposes raising the tax rate to 9 percent.Peter votes for the Democratic candidate.Peter's behavior is most consistent with which model of voting?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 50

The use of campaign ads like Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" and Ronald Reagan's "Morning in America" can best be described as ____________________.

A) free media
B) paid media
C) private media
D) online media
E) public media

Question 51

Americans Coming Together is a political organization that raises money to advocate publicly for and against specific candidates,parties,and policies in federal elections,though it has no formal association with any political party or candidate.What is Americans Coming Together?

A) political party fund
B) candidate support network
C) donor trust
D) political action committee
E) 527

Question 52

Which model of voting emphasizes the role of a citizen's psychological attachment to a political party in shaping the way she responds to political information and makes voting decisions?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 53

Which model of voting predicts that a voter will cast a ballot for the candidate who proposes to move policy in the direction preferred by the voter?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 54

Though both candidates in an election may prefer to run positive campaigns,each candidate has incentives to "go negative" regardless of the type of campaign run by his opponent.This set of considerations creates a/an ____________________ for candidates when deciding what type of campaign to operate.

A) coordination problem
B) Prisoner's Dilemma
C) collective-action problem
D) principal-agent problem
E) unstable coalition

Question 55

Which model of voting emphasizes citizens' judgments about the past performance of officeholders in deciding whether to retain an individual or party in political office?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 56

A state's sales tax rate is currently 8 percent.Jose would prefer to reduce the tax rate to 7 percent.The Republican candidate running for governor proposes cutting the tax rate to 3 percent.The Democratic candidate proposes raising the tax rate to 9 percent.Jose votes for the Republican because both he and that party's candidate favor tax cuts.Jose's behavior is most consistent with which model of voting?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 57

Pravarti is concerned about a period of economic trouble.She observes that the current president has successfully enacted several policies designed to catalyze economic growth;yet,the country's economy has grown very slowly and may be headed for another recession.She decides to vote against the incumbent president's party in the next election.Pravarti's behavior is most consistent with which model of voting?

A) directional model
B) retrospective voting model
C) perverse voting model
D) partisan model
E) spatial model

Question 58

Which is an organization without any formal relationship with any party or candidate that nonetheless advocates publicly for or against specific candidates,parties,or policies?

A) 9 3/4
B) candidate support network
C) 504(c)3
D) political action committee
E) 527

Question 59

Compare and contrast initiatives and referendums.How are these two forms of direct democracy different? Who are the main agenda setters in each case? What effect does direct democracy have on policy? What are the main arguments for and against the utility of direct democracy?

Question 60

In 2006,Markos Moulitsas,a prominent liberal blogger and founder of Daily Kos,endorsed Jon Tester,at the time a State Senator,for the United States Senate election in Montana.Moulitsas focused extensive energy on Tester in the primary and general election,which helped his national profile and contributed to Tester's eventual victory.In terms of elections (and in terms of Jon Tester),what term best describes Moulitsas's actions?

A) free media
B) paid media
C) private media
D) online media
E) public media

Question 61

What is a PAC? What is a 527? What sort of relationships do PACs and 527s have with parties and candidates? How do these organizations fit into the scheme of federal campaign finance regulations?