Deck 8: Polarized Populism: Masses, Elites, and Ideological Conflict

Question 1

Which of the following metaphors is not commonly used to describe political campaigns?

A) War
B) A tea party
C) A fever
D) A hurricane

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Name two reforms that might increase the competitiveness of House elections.

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

If you were studying the effects of negative advertising on voters, how would you define a negative ad? Does it differ from the definition the author uses?

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

Explain one shortcoming of using the Campaign Media Analysis Group's advertising data for the study of House elections.

Question 5

The author defines a negative ad as _____.

A) one in which a candidate focuses mainly on her opponent
B) one in which a candidate focuses mainly on herself
C) one that is deceptive or misleading
D) one that increases cynicism among viewers

Question 6

A recent Supreme Court ruling which has allowed for the creation of _______ may expose voters to even more negative campaigns in the future.

A) independent redistricting commissions
B) Super-PACs
C) national party committees
D) 527 committees

Question 7

Which of the following helps voters learn the most about candidates in a House election?

A) A low volume of positive advertising
B) A low volume of negative advertising
C) A high volume of positive advertising
D) A high volume of negative advertising

Question 8

When two candidates in a campaign discuss the same issue, it is called _____.

A) confluence
B) mimicry
C) dialogue
D) dualism

Question 9

There is a general consensus among political scientists that _____.

A) political gerrymandering is a major cause of declining competition in House elections
B) competitive campaigns are more negative campaigns
C) positive ads are more informative for voters than negative ads
D) voters are exposed to more information in competitive elections than in uncompetitive ones

Question 10

Between 1992 and 2012, the average percent of House elections in a given election that were competitive was _____.

A) 8 percent
B) 23 percent
C) 42 percent
D) 87 percent

Question 11

The main argument of this chapter's author is that _____.

A) television ads inform and engage voters
B) voters learn about candidates only when an election is a toss-up
C) most of a campaign's informational benefits accrue when it is only moderately competitive
D) the best unit of analysis when studying advertising effects is the ad airing as opposed to the ad itself

Question 12

Polls show most Americans believe tough campaigns _____.

A) are enjoyable to watch
B) make representatives "work harder to represent their district"
C) make politicians "focus too much on fundraising and campaigning instead of being a good representative"
D) are the "linchpin" of American democracy

Question 13

Choose two democratic values and use them to evaluate the kinds of information voters need in a campaign to make an informed choice on Election Day.