Question 1

Which of the following is accurate?&#10;A) The candidate who spends the most money invariably wins.&#10;B) Since Citizens United, money spent on campaigns is hard to trace.&#10;C) Individuals can give unlimited amounts directly to a candidate.&#10;D) Businesses and labor unions can give unlimited amounts directly to a candidate.

Accepted Answer

Since the Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court in 2010, there has been an increase in spending by outside groups on political campaigns, such as Super PACs and dark money organizations, making it harder to trace the source of campaign funding. However, none of the other options are accurate: A is a common perception but not always true, as seen in instances where candidates with less money have won elections; C is false, as individuals have a limit on how much they can give directly to a candidate; and D is also false, as businesses and labor unions cannot donate directly to candidates but can give to outside groups.

Question 2

On average, incumbents:&#10;A) spend less than their challengers in congressional elections&#10;B) find it harder to raise campaign money than open-seat candidates do&#10;C) are permitted to raise campaign money from businesses, but not from labor unions&#10;D) greatly outspend their challengers in congressional elections

Accepted Answer

Incumbents typically have greater access to campaign funding and use their advantages in office to raise significantly more money than their challengers. This allows them to outspend challengers and enhance their chances of winning re-election.

Question 3

In state Supreme Court elections:&#10;A) candidates are not allowed to raise any money&#10;B) interest groups are prohibited from making campaign contributions&#10;C) spending is generally very low&#10;D) most of the campaign money comes from groups with an interest in the justices' rulings

Accepted Answer

State Supreme Court elections tend to be funded by interest groups, such as corporations, labor unions, and trial lawyers, who have a stake in the decisions the justices make. Candidates can and do raise money, and spending can be significant, but often the bulk of the funds come from these outside groups rather than individuals.

Question 4

Money spent by party organizations in coordination with a candidate's campaign is called what?&#10;A) Independent spending.&#10;B) Political action committee spending.&#10;C) Coordinated spending.&#10;D) Bundling.

Accepted Answer

Money spent by party organizations in coordination with a candidate's campaign is called coordinated spending.

Question 5

Spending by individuals, party organizations or other groups on campaign ads but without consulting with the candidate is called:&#10;A) coordinated spending&#10;B) bundling&#10;C) independent spending&#10;D) inter-party transfers

Accepted Answer

Independent spending refers to money spent on campaign ads by individuals or groups that is not coordinated with the candidate or their campaign. This type of spending became more prominent after the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010, which struck down limitations on independent spending by corporations and unions. Coordinated spending, on the other hand, involves any spending that is done in cooperation with a candidate or their campaign, and is subject to stricter limits and disclosure requirements. Bundling refers to the practice of grouping or "bundling" donations from multiple individuals to increase the impact of their giving, while inter-party transfers are the movement of funds between political parties.

Question 6

Campaign spending in the U.S. is:&#10;A) much less than Americans spend on lottery tickets per year&#10;B) much less overall than in British elections&#10;C) about the same overall as in British elections&#10;D) much more than the U.S. spent on the war in Iraq

Accepted Answer

Campaign spending in the U.S. is much less than what Americans spend on lottery tickets per year. The U.S. spends significantly more on elections compared to British elections, and the cost of the Iraq war was much higher than campaign spending.

Question 7

In congressional elections, campaign spending:&#10;A) usually makes more of a difference for incumbents&#10;B) usually makes more of a difference for challengers&#10;C) usually makes more of a difference for candidates in open-seat races&#10;D) rarely makes a difference

Accepted Answer

Campaign spending usually makes more of a difference for challengers because they need to increase their name recognition and communicate their message to voters, whereas incumbents typically already have established recognition and support.

Question 8

The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of the 1970s:&#10;A) allowed candidates to keep the names of their bigger contributors secret&#10;B) allowed individuals to give unlimited amounts directly to federal candidates&#10;C) provided public funding for presidential general-election campaigns&#10;D) ruled that Political Action Committees (PACs) could not contribute to federal candidates

Accepted Answer

The Federal Election Campaign Act of the 1970s provided public funding for presidential general-election campaigns. This was done to reduce the influence of special interest groups and wealthy donors on presidential elections. The Act also established contribution limits for individuals and PACs, and required that candidates disclose the identity of their larger contributors. However, the Act did not allow individuals to give unlimited amounts directly to federal candidates, nor did it prohibit PACs from contributing to federal candidates.

Question 9

Most money contributed directly to candidates comes from where?&#10;A) PACs.&#10;B) Interest groups.&#10;C) Political parties.&#10;D) Individuals.

Accepted Answer

Most money contributed directly to candidates comes from individuals. According to the Federal Election Commission, in the 2020 election cycle, individuals contributed more than $3.3 billion to federal candidates, while PACs contributed just under $800 million, interest groups contributed just over $1 billion, and political parties contributed just over $1.5 billion.

Question 10

Political groups other than party organizations whose purpose is to raise and spend money to influence elections are called what?&#10;A) Independent expenditures.&#10;B) Political Action Committees (PACs).&#10;C) Lobbyists.&#10;D) Campaign consultants.

Accepted Answer

Political Action Committees (PACs) are groups that raise and spend money to influence elections. They are not affiliated with any political party and can support or oppose candidates based on their own criteria. Independent expenditures refer to spending by individuals or groups that is not coordinated with a candidate or party. Lobbyists are individuals or groups hired to influence government officials on behalf of an interest group or organization. Campaign consultants are professionals hired by candidates or parties to provide strategic advice on how to win an election.

Question 11

Organizations set up by incumbents to distribute money to other incumbents or challengers in their party are called ______.&#10;A) super PACs&#10;B) campaign consulting firms&#10;C) political party organizations&#10;D) leadership PACs

Accepted Answer

The answer of Organizations set up by incumbents to distribute...

Question 12

Money raised and spent according to FECA rules is called:&#10;A) soft money&#10;B) hard money&#10;C) independent expenditures&#10;D) super PACs

Accepted Answer

The answer of Money raised and spent according to FECA...

Question 13

The FECA reforms had this effect:&#10;A) they slowed the growth of campaign spending by presidential candidates for about three decades&#10;B) they prevented big givers from spending any money on presidential campaigns&#10;C) they had no effects on the political parties&#10;D) they made it much easier for candidates to hide the identities of their biggest donors

Accepted Answer

The answer of The FECA reforms had this effect:&#10;A) they...

Question 14

The Supreme Court ruling that said restricting a candidate's spending infringed on the candidate's right to free speech was:&#10;A) Citizens United (2010)&#10;B) McCain Feingold (2002)&#10;C) Buckley v. Valeo (1976)&#10;D) McIntosh vs. FEC (2015)

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Supreme Court ruling that said restricting...

Question 15

Groups called 527s and 501cs are allowed to do what in financing campaigns?&#10;A) Expressly call for the election or defeat of specific candidates.&#10;B) Accept unlimited contributions and spend without limit on election advocacy.&#10;C) Give campaign money directly to federal candidates or parties.&#10;D) Loan unlimited funds to candidates for judgeships.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Groups called 527s and 501cs are allowed...

Question 16

BCRA banned what sort of campaign money?&#10;A) Hard money contributions to national party organizations.&#10;B) Soft money contributions to national party organizations.&#10;C) Independent expenditures in campaigns.&#10;D) PAC spending on independent expenditures.

Accepted Answer

The answer of BCRA banned what sort of campaign money?&#10;A)...

Question 17

Super PACs:&#10;A) must report to the Federal Election Commission where their money comes from&#10;B) have existed in American politics for more than a century&#10;C) can donate money directly to any federal candidate&#10;D) are not allowed to accept contributions of more than $1,000 from an individual

Accepted Answer

The answer of Super PACs:&#10;A) must report to the Federal...

Question 18

Which of the following is true about state campaign finance rules?&#10;A) All states must follow the same set of rules about campaign money in state campaigns.&#10;B) Campaign finance rules keep state campaign spending very low.&#10;C) Out-of-state groups are not allowed to spend money on state campaigns.&#10;D) Each state makes its own campaign finance rules for state-level offices.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is true about...

Question 19

Define each of the following and briefly explain why it is relevant to the study of political parties.&#10;-Independent spending.

Accepted Answer