Deck 9: Campaigns and Elections

Question 1

_____ are representatives from each political party who are allowed to monitor voting places to make sure that the election is run fairly and that fraud does not occur.

A) Delegates 
B) Poll watchers 
C) Electors 
D) Political consultants 
E) Pollsters

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Electors are selected during each presidential election year by _____.

A) the representatives of Congress 
B) the states' political parties 
C) members of the Credentials Committee 
D) presidential candidates 
E) members of the Senate

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In a closed primary,voters can vote for a party's candidates regardless of whether they belong to the party.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The vice president serves a term of _____ years.

A) four 
B) two 
C) six 
D) five 
E) eight

Question 5

Which of the following is a difference between general elections and special elections? 

A) Unlike special elections, general elections decide the office of mayor. 
B) Unlike special elections, general elections are held in odd-numbered years. 
C) Unlike special elections, general elections are held to choose the president. 
D) Unlike special elections, general elections are held every year. 
E) Unlike special elections, general elections are held in emergency situations.

Question 6

A representative in Congress resigns from his office due to ill health,leaving his seat in Congress vacant.In order to fill the vacancy,a(n)_____ must be held.

A) interim election 
B) emergency election 
C) bicameral election 
D) special election 
E) landslide election

Question 7

In the method of self-nomination to become a candidate for a local government post,_____.

A) a candidate is first nominated by a political party 
B) a candidate writes his or her name on the ballot on Election Day 
C) a candidate files a petition to be listed on the ballot 
D) a candidate should be a popular local personality in a geographical area 
E) a candidate should belong to a minority

Question 8

In most states,_____ provides a list of registered voters and makes certain that only qualified voters cast ballots.

A) a super PAC 
B) an election board 
C) an elector 
D) a credentials committee 
E) a 527 committee

Question 9

The first step to winning an election is: 

A) acclamation by the media. 
B) consultation with the electoral college. 
C) the fund-raising process. 
D) the nomination process. 
E) the appointment of a campaign manager.

Question 10

One way to skirt the rules described in the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)was to contribute to candidates instead of political parties.

Question 11

The District of Columbia has: 

A) no electoral votes because it is not a state. 
B) three electoral votes, even though it is not a state. 
C) five members in the House of Representatives, so it has five electoral votes. 
D) thirteen electoral votes, representing the thirteen original colonies. 
E) two members in the Senate, so it has two electoral votes.

Question 12

The senior Senator from a state met his demise in the middle of his fifth term,leaving his Senate seat vacant.In order to fill the vacancy,a(n)_____ must be held.

A) interim election 
B) emergency election 
C) bicameral election 
D) landslide election 
E) special election

Question 13

Which of the following is true of a general election? 

A) It is used to fill vacancies caused by reason of death. 
B) It is carried out to elect the governors of states. 
C) It is held to decide an issue before the next special election. 
D) It is regularly scheduled in even-numbered years. 
E) It is used to fill vacancies caused due to resignations.

Question 14

If no presidential candidate gets an electoral college majority,the votes are discarded,and the elections are conducted again.

Question 15

Which of the following is true of the winner-take-all system? 

A) In this system, the candidate who receives the largest popular vote in a state is credited with all that state's electoral votes. 
B) In this system, the top two candidates who receive the largest number of votes have another round of elections to decide the winner. 
C) In this system, an elector must receive 538 electoral votes in order to win. 
D) In this system, electoral votes must be distributed equally among the top three most popular candidates. 
E) In this system, the party that wins all the electoral votes controls both chambers of Congress.

Question 16

Which of the following public positions is chosen by voters during a national general election? 

A) Mayor 
B) President 
C) Governor 
D) Sheriff 
E) Viceroy

Question 17

Which of the following is true of a landslide election? 

A) It is held when a person has been removed from office due to treason. 
B) It is a win by a large margin in the popular vote. 
C) It is held to decide an issue before the next special election. 
D) It is regularly scheduled in even-numbered years. 
E) It is an alternative to primary elections.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of a special election? 

A) It is held to fill vacancies caused by reason of death. 
B) It is carried out at the national level to elect the president. 
C) It is held when a person has been removed from office due to treason. 
D) It is regularly scheduled in even-numbered years. 
E) It is held annually in the month of October.

Question 19

At least half of the budget for a major political campaign is consumed by television advertising.

Question 20

When the Constitution was drafted,the framers intended that electors would use their own discretion in deciding who would make the best president.

Question 21

In the run-up to the 1828 elections,a new party grew up around John Quincy Adams known as the _____.

A) Democratic Party 
B) Federalist Party 
C) Jefferson's Republicans 
D) National Republicans 
E) Anti-Federalist Party

Question 22

Who among the following can be described as a political consultant? 

A) Volunteer 
B) Diplomat 
C) Statesman 
D) Media adviser 
E) Party chairman

Question 23

In a semiclosed primary,_____.

A) voters are allowed to register with a party or change their party affiliations on Election Day 
B) voters request the ballot for the party of their choice, either the Democratic or the Republican ballot 
C) voters are allowed to vote for a party's candidates regardless of whether they belong to the party 
D) voters who are independents are automatically enrolled in the party for whom they vote 
E) voters could choose the candidates of more than one party

Question 24

Which of the following is true of a direct primary? 

A) Voters of major parties use direct primaries to elect delegates. 
B) Voters cast their ballots for candidates who will run in the general election. 
C) Voters choose delegates, who in turn choose candidates. 
D) Voter turnout for direct primaries is higher than it is in general elections. 
E) Voters choose candidates of more than one party.

Question 25

Elena Coolidge announces her bid for president.In an attempt to secure her nomination for president,she appeared on several news channels,visited schools and colleges across the country,and built relationships with eminent political personalities.She also started an education fund to raise money for underprivileged children.Elena Coolidge's efforts to unofficially secure a nomination can be termed as a(n)_____.

A) closed primary 
B) invisible primary 
C) top two primary 
D) blanket primary 
E) open primary

Question 26

Which of the following is a limit of the convention system that was used to nominate political party candidates? 

A) Convention meetings were unorganized and unstructured. 
B) A much narrower range of leaders were nominated than the caucus system of nominating. 
C) Most of America's geographic areas remained unrepresented at these conventions. 
D) Direct participation of ordinary voters in selecting delegates resulted in mob rule. 
E) Convention delegates were rarely chosen by a vote of the party's local members.

Question 27

In a blanket primary,_____.

A) voters declare their party affiliations on Election Day 
B) voters choose either the Democratic or the Republican ballot 
C) voters participate in the primary of the party with which they are registered 
D) voters choose candidates for each office without regard to party 
E) voters choose candidates from the party to which they belong

Question 28

After the collapse of the congressional caucus system,the National Republicans and the Democratic Party settled on a new method of choosing candidates for president and vice president called the _____.

A) national nominating convention 
B) presidential caucus 
C) national nominating confederation 
D) presidential primary 
E) invisible primary

Question 29

Beginning in 1800,the Federalists and Jefferson's Republicans held _____ to nominate candidates for president and vice president.

A) caucuses 
B) direct primaries 
C) conventions 
D) open primaries 
E) closed primaries

Question 30

_____ are party conventions held at the local level that elect delegates to conventions at the county or congressional district level.

A) Confederates 
B) Conglomerates 
C) Primaries 
D) Congresses 
E) Caucuses

Question 31

With an increased momentum of front-loading primaries,the fear of many Americans was that: 

A) an accelerated schedule of presidential primaries would favor the richest candidates. 
B) there would be insufficient time to conduct "invisible primaries." 
C) media attention and publicity would be compromised for presidential candidates. 
D) small early-voting states, like New Hampshire, would have an upper hand over wealthier states. 
E) there would be insufficient time to raise funds for political campaigns.

Question 32

Which of the following is true of an indirect primary? 

A) Voter turnout for indirect primaries is higher than it is in general elections. 
B) Voters cast their ballots for candidates who will run in the general election. 
C) Voters choose delegates, who in turn choose candidates to represent their party. 
D) Voters nominate candidates for Congress almost always through indirect primaries. 
E) Voters choose candidates of more than one party.

Question 33

The _____ evaluates the claims of national party convention delegates to be the legitimate representatives of their states.

A) electoral college 
B) Portfolio Committee 
C) 527 committee 
D) election board 
E) Credentials Committee

Question 34

A closed primary differs from an open primary in that: 

A) party members are allowed to vote only in the primary of their own party. 
B) voters must declare their party affiliations on Election Day. 
C) voters are allowed to vote for a party's candidates regardless of whether they belong to the party. 
D) Republican and Democratic candidates are listed on the same ballot. 
E) voters can choose the candidates of more than one party.

Question 35

By the end of Washington's eight years in office,political divisions among the nation's leaders had solidified into political parties.One such political party was the _____.

A) Democratic Party 
B) Libertarian Party 
C) Jefferson's Republicans 
D) National Republicans 
E) Anti-Federalist Party

Question 36

To run a successful campaign,which of the following is a responsibility of the campaign staff? 

A) To cast ballots in the electoral college 
B) To supervise the voting process in each precinct 
C) To persuade the voters to go to the polls 
D) To make certain that only qualified voters cast ballots 
E) To see that voting machines are available at the polling place

Question 37

Which of the following is true of primary elections? 

A) Voters select the candidates of their party who will run in the general election. 
B) Candidates who win the general elections contest in the primary elections. 
C) Candidates who contest in the elections are appointed by local party officials who were usually called bosses. 
D) Voter turnout is generally higher than general elections. 
E) Voters are allowed to choose the candidates of more than one party.

Question 38

In the state of Remary,in the run up to the general elections,a primary was conducted to select the top two candidates to represent the state.Candidates from all political parties participated in the same primary,regardless of party.The candidate receiving the highest number of votes and the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes then proceeded to contest in the general elections.This is an example of a(n)_____.

A) closed primary 
B) invisible primary 
C) top two primary 
D) blanket primary 
E) open primary

Question 39

Aylein Cranford is a front runner for the Republican nomination for President.Cranford very strongly encourages scientific research.However,contrary to her party's beliefs,she has often voiced her opposition to research involving animal testing.Despite many of her views running contrary to that of the party,Cranford is poised to take the nomination.In this scenario,Aylein Cranford would be described as a(n): 

A) conformist candidate. 
B) left-wing candidate. 
C) right-wing candidate. 
D) insurgent candidate. 
E) orthodox candidate.

Question 40

Which of the following is true of a semiopen primary? 

A) Voters who are independents are automatically enrolled in the party for whom they vote. 
B) Voters request the ballot for the party of their choice, either the Democratic or the Republican ballot. 
C) Voters are allowed to vote for a party's candidates regardless of whether they belong to the party. 
D) Voters are allowed to register with a party or change their party affiliations on Election Day. 
E) Voters could choose the candidates of more than one party.

Question 41

Governor Kramer announces his bid for president.For the success of his invisible primary,he appoints Elizabeth Duhamel.Elizabeth's duties include overseeing and coordinating the Governor's media coverage,public speeches,fund-raising activities,appointments,and travels.In this case,Elizabeth Duhamel is Governor Kramer's: 

A) vice-presidential nominee. 
B) grassroots volunteer. 
C) campaign manager. 
D) party chairman. 
E) political wingman.

Question 42

The 501c's ability to hide its contributors created a new campaign-finance issue.Which of the following best describes the views of the Democrats? 

A) That the right to freedom of association would be violated in encouraging donor anonymity 
B) That anonymous contributions were simply a further corruption of the political process 
C) That revealing the identity of donors would limit the amounts contributed to political campaigns 
D) That unaccounted contributions would provoke the Supreme Court to limit campaign financing 
E) That donors needed the right to remain anonymous so that they would not have to fear retribution

Question 43

Unlike super PACs,527 committees: 

A) were prohibited from directly supporting or opposing a specific candidate. 
B) were prohibited from expressly advocating specific issues pertaining to the general public. 
C) could make limited contributions directly to campaigns. 
D) would run negative ads to damage a candidate's opponents. 
E) accentuated the positives about a specific candidate.

Question 44

Which of the following statements is true of recent political fund-raising efforts? 

A) The microtargeting campaigning technique was pioneered by Hillary Clinton. 
B) In 2012, Romney's microtargeting operation vastly outperformed Obama's. 
C) One of the defining characteristics of Obama's fund-raising campaign was its decentralization. 
D) Conservatives have become the most effective fund-raisers with the onset of new Internet technology. 
E) Mitt Romney pioneered the online "moneybomb" fund-raising technique in 2008.

Question 45

In order to be elected as the president,a candidate must receive more than half of the _________ electoral votes available.A.350?B.538?C.435?D.270

Question 46

Each state has as many electoral votes as _________.A.it has U.S.senators and representatives?B.its number of political parties?C.it has representatives of Congress?D.its number of major cities

Question 47

Identify a provision that resulted from the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)of 1971.

A) It removed restrictions on the amounts that could be spent on mass media advertising. 
B) It removed restrictions on how much individuals and groups could contribute to candidates. 
C) It allowed corporations and labor unions to participate directly in political campaigns. 
D) It prevented corporations and labor unions from setting up political action committees. 
E) It created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer the act's provisions.

Question 48

The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)allowed corporations,labor unions,and special interest groups to set up national _____ to raise money for candidates.

A) independent expenditure funds (IEFs) 
B) take action funds (TAFs) 
C) political party caucuses (PPCs) 
D) political action committees (PACs) 
E) soft money committees (SMCs)

Question 49

The 501c's ability to hide its contributors created a new campaign-finance issue.Which of the following best describes the views of the Republicans? 

A) That the right to freedom of association would be violated in encouraging donor anonymity 
B) That anonymous contributions were simply a further corruption of the political process 
C) That revealing the identity of donors would limit the amounts contributed to political campaigns 
D) That unaccounted contributions would provoke the Supreme Court to limit campaign financing 
E) That donors needed the right to remain anonymous so that they would not have to fear retribution

Question 50

Which of the following best describes soft money? 

A) It is a political contribution not regulated by federal law. 
B) It is a candidate's contribution for his or her own campaign. 
C) It is spent by a corporation on independent political activities. 
D) It is money raised through social networking sites. 
E) It is money provided by the government towards presidential primaries.

Question 51

When e-mail fund-raising was newly introduced,one of the problems faced was that: 

A) many people were not yet online. 
B) the lists of prospects needed to be carefully prepared. 
C) monetary resources were unnecessarily drained. 
D) the cost of e-mailing was very high. 
E) only the conservatives benefitted from it.

Question 52

When the Citizens United decision was handed down,a flood of corporate cash was expected to enter the political system.The ruling did result in more corporate and union spending,but far less than anticipated because _________.A.many companies were reluctant to take stands that might alienate a large number of customersB.many companies were running losses as a result of economic recessionC.political parties refused to accept money from private corporations and unionsD.political parties wanted a more reliable source of funds to finance their ongoing political campaigns

Question 53

According to some lawyers,a 501(c)4 organization could make limited contributions directly to a candidate's campaign: 

A) as long as it used the "527" designation when it did so. 
B) during the primaries but not in the general election. 
C) as long as the candidate belonged to a third party. 
D) provided that it also contributed to the party committee. 
E) without revealing the identities of its donors.

Question 54

Which of the following is true of the ground game? 

A) It refers to the use of advertising in a presidential candidate's invisible primary. 
B) It is a colloquial term used for a candidate's opponents. 
C) It involves making public appearances a month before a general election. 
D) It is an attempt to learn damaging information about an opponent in a political campaign. 
E) It is used to identify the people whose votes a political campaign wants.

Question 55

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold Act): 

A) eliminated public financing for presidential primaries and general elections. 
B) set the amount that an individual could contribute to a federal candidate at $8,000. 
C) prohibited special interest groups from making independent expenditures in election campaigns. 
D) banned soft money at the national level and regulated campaign ads paid for by interest groups. 
E) allowed issue advocacy commercials within thirty days of a primary election.

Question 56

In 2004,President George W.Bush's chief political adviser,Karl Rove,pioneered a new campaign technique known as _____.

A) microtargeting 
B) narrowcasting 
C) filibustering 
D) lobbying 
E) stumping

Question 57

A general election is a regularly scheduled election to choose _________.A.mayors?B.senators?C.governors?D.sheriffs

Question 58

Governor Wymally's campaign manager discovers some implicating information about Mayor Ronalds,the competing presidential candidate.This piece of information will most likely contribute to Governor Wymally's win by a large margin.In this case,Governor Wymally's campaign manager has conducted _____.

A) psychological warfare 
B) character assassination 
C) black propaganda 
D) database microtargeting 
E) opposition research

Question 59

The _________ is a secret ballot that is prepared,distributed,and counted by government officials at public expense.A.Australian ballotB.French ballotC.Canadian ballotD.British ballot

Question 60

Ramsey Jordan,a renowned scientist,decides to run for president.Knowing that he lacks popular support,he has a meeting with his campaign manager to discuss how they can turn this around.Jordan decides to spread a tailored message to the scientifically-inclined voters,highlighting his vision and credentials in the field of science.In order to reach out to specific voters,Jordan should conduct _____.

A) moneybombing 
B) microtargeting 
C) filibustering 
D) narrowcasting 
E) stumping

Question 61

Describe the significance of the Internet in the transformation of American politics.

Question 62

Explain the functions of the electoral college in American presidential elections.

Question 63

Discuss the importance of presidential primaries and caucuses.

Question 64

Describe the structures and functions of a contemporary political campaign organization.

Question 65

Explain the concept of front-loading.