Question 1

The Electoral College system worked as it was intended in only the first two presidential elections.

Accepted Answer

The Electoral College system was established by the founding fathers to balance the interests of small and large states in presidential elections. It worked as intended in the first two presidential elections where George Washington was unanimously elected. However, since then, there have been several instances where a candidate who did not win the popular vote still won the presidency by securing the majority of the Electoral College votes. This has led to criticism of the Electoral College system and calls for its reform or abolition.

Question 2

The first method for political parties to select nominees for president, beginning in 1800, was known as ___________________.&#10;A)national nominating conventions&#10;B)activist caucuses&#10;C)direct primaries&#10;D)partisan congressional caucuses

Accepted Answer

The first method used by political parties to select nominees for president was through partisan congressional caucuses. This method was utilized in the early 19th century, where members of Congress from each party would meet to choose their party's candidate for the presidency.

Question 3

The 2000 election was settled by the U.S.Supreme Court after voting issues occurred in which state?&#10;A)Florida&#10;B)Ohio&#10;C)Pennsylvania&#10;D)Michigan

Accepted Answer

The 2000 election was settled by the U.S. Supreme Court after voting issues occurred in the state of Florida.

Question 4

At the turn of the twentieth century, Progressives such as Robert La Follette of Wisconsin and Hiram Johnson of California proposed this type of nominating process, in order to break the power of state party bosses and their machines.

A)Delegate conventions
B)Activist caucuses
C)Direct primaries
D)Roundtable meetings

Accepted Answer

The direct primary was proposed as a way to allow party voters to directly choose their candidates, rather than leaving the decision in the hands of the party bosses and their machines. This was seen as a way to increase democracy and reduce corruption in the political process.

Question 5

The Electoral College is biased against Democratic candidates.

Accepted Answer

The Electoral College system is not inherently biased against any particular party. It reflects the distribution of electoral votes based on state populations and can favor different parties over time depending on geographic and demographic shifts.

Question 6

In which of the following election years was there NOT a controversy involving the Electoral College?&#10;A)1876&#10;B)1932&#10;C)2000&#10;D)2016

Accepted Answer

There was no controversy involving the Electoral College in the 1932 election.

Question 7

The framers of the Constitution feared a direct popular vote.

Accepted Answer

The framers of the Constitution were concerned that a direct popular vote might result in a dominant faction using their numbers to control the government, which is why they created the Electoral College as a compromise.

Question 8

Under the initial plan for the Electoral College, the second place vote recipient in elections&#10;A)would be nominated to the Supreme Court.&#10;B)would not receive anything.&#10;C)would be selected as vice president.&#10;D)would become the Speaker of the House.

Accepted Answer

The initial plan for the Electoral College designated that the second-place candidate would become vice president.

Question 9

The winner-take-all voting in the Electoral College helps minor parties become more competitive.

Accepted Answer

The winner-take-all system in the Electoral College actually works against minor parties as it often leads to them not receiving any electoral votes despite receiving a significant amount of support from voters. This is because the winner-take-all system awards all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most votes in that state, and minor party candidates typically do not receive enough votes to win a state. As a result, minor parties may be discouraged from running candidates in the Electoral College and instead focus their efforts on other forms of political engagement.

Question 10

The Constitution gives the states authority to conduct elections for federal officials, but it also grants Congress the power to make or alter such regulations.

Accepted Answer

Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to make or alter regulations regarding federal elections, while also acknowledging that the states have the authority to conduct such elections.

Deck 1: Gateways to American Democracy