Deck 8: Campaigns and Elections

Question 1

Public participation in elections is lowest in

A) Australia.
B) Great Britain.
C) the United States.
D) Italy.
E) France.

Answer 1

the United States.

Question 2

The main reason people participate in politics is

A) that voting is more rewarding than community activities.
B) the success of political parties in attracting people to vote.
C) a strong sense of civic duty.
D) the ease of voting registration requirements.
E) high levels of political information and awareness.

Answer 2

a strong sense of civic duty.

Question 3

Compared with white participation in the democratic process, African Americans participate

A) less than whites across the board.
B) more than whites of the same socioeconomic status.
C) only during some periods of history, such as the civil-rights movement in the 1960s.
D) more heavily in protest movements, riots, and demonstrations.
E) more heavily in national elections than in state and local contests.

Answer 3

more than whites of the same socioeconomic status.

Question 4

Evidence suggests that government officials tend to be better informed about and more in agreement with the opinions of

A) average citizens.
B) activists.
C) inactives.
D) parochial participants.
E) residents of so-called blue states.

Question 5

Compared with the public as a whole, political activists tend to be more

A) liberal.
B) conservative.
C) ideologically extreme on both the left and the right.
D) politically moderate, reflecting their sense of efficacy.
E) politically moderate, reflecting the influence of the media.

Question 6

The legal voting age in almost all other nations is

A) 19
B) 18
C) 21
D) 17
E) 20

Question 7

Which of the following was a major change in regard to American elections?

A) Direct election of members of the House
B) Equal representation in the electoral college
C) Uniform eligibility requirements for electors
D) Appointment of state legislators
E) Direct election of members of the Senate

Question 8

Which of the following resulted in a dramatic change in the number of blacks who registered and voted?

A) The Voting Rights Act of 1965
B) The Civil Rights Act of 1964
C) The ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870
D) The ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment in 1971
E) The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920

Question 9

The Nineteenth Amendment did not greatly alter electoral outcomes because

A) women did not register to vote, leaving decisions to men.
B) women voted more or less in the same manner as men.
C) women took the advice of men in making their voting decisions.
D) there were no policies of interest to women in these elections.
E) women refused to vote in protest of the war.

Question 10

When eighteen-year-olds got the vote, they

A) voted more frequently than the population as a whole.
B) were more heavily Democratic than Republican.
C) voted more Republican than Democratic.
D) voted for younger candidates in presidential elections.
E) made little difference to the outcomes of elections.

Question 11

Some scholars argue that the decline in voter turnout in the twentieth century is more apparent than real because in earlier elections

A) vote fraud inflated ballot counts.
B) the illiteracy of immigrants was not a factor.
C) property qualifications decreased the eligible electorate.
D) blacks were terrorized to keep them from voting.
E) were extended over several days.

Question 12

When did the United States begin using the secret ballot?

A) When VAP and VEP data became available
B) When the so-called Australian ballot was adopted
C) When the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965
D) When the government began registering people to vote
E) When the government began conducting the census

Question 13

VEP calculations attempt to

A) remove immigration statistics from calculations of voter turnout.
B) add employment data to calculations of voter turnout.
C) employ Census data and voter registration lists in calculations of voter turnout.
D) employ Census data for calculations of voter turnout.
E) remove ineligible voters from calculations of voter turnout.

Question 14

When the United States is compared to other democratic nations in terms of voting turnout as a percentage of voting age population, how does it rank?

A) last
B) first
C) in the middle
D) close to the top
E) close to the bottom

Question 15

In 1984, about 66% of voting-age Americans were registered to vote. By 2008, that figure changed to

A) 76%.
B) 84%.
C) 91%.
D) 98%.
E) 70%.

Question 16

When registered nonvoters in the United States were asked why they did not vote, what was the most common explanation?

A) illness
B) apathy over the candidates/issues
C) intense dislike of the candidates
D) no transportation to the polls
E) scheduling conflicts

Question 17

The increased reliance on the mass media by candidates has resulted in

A) campaigns becoming less costly.
B) issues becoming more important to voters.
C) an emphasis on the personal qualities of candidates.
D) PAC support becoming less important to candidates.
E) a decrease in soft money.

Question 18

In recent years states have tried to increase the importance of their primaries and caucuses by

A) excluding independent voters.
B) welcoming independent voters.
C) scheduling these events later in the contest.
D) scheduling these events earlier in the contest.
E) advertising these events nationally.

Question 19

The tendency of states, in recent years, is to __________ primaries and caucuses.

A) narrow-cast
B) commercialize
C) end-load
D) front-load
E) solidify

Question 20

What is a major strategic problem that presidential candidates face?

A) sounding upbeat in a down economy
B) appealing to die hard supporters in the primary and centrists in the general election
C) appealing to centrists in the primary and die hard supporters in the general election
D) presenting their voting record without revealing too much
E) deciding how to present the inevitable attack ads

Question 21

The 2008 election featured

A) senators as candidates.
B) governors as candidates.
C) a shaky economy and international conflict.
D) an unpopular president.
E) no incumbent president or vice president as a candidate.

Question 22

In general elections, visuals

A) present the candidate as doing newsworthy activities.
B) are poorly suited to the needs of television.
C) usually help the Republican candidate.
D) are being used less frequently.
E) are avoided by candidates in close races.

Question 23

As a campaign tool, televised debates

A) tend to favor the incumbents.
B) tend to favor the lesser-known candidates.
C) usually change voter behavior significantly.
D) usually have a clear winner.
E) showcase all candidates equally.

Question 24

In political terms, what does "astroturf" mean?

A) artificial grass
B) artificial grass used for campaign stops
C) a substitute for a "grassroots" movement
D) issues that are "off-limits" or "off-the- territory"
E) the public arena where hot topics are debated

Question 25

Which of the following has been shown to increase voter turnout?

A) reminding people to vote
B) telling people where to vote
C) mailing partisan appeals to voters
D) telling people how their neighbors have voted
E) showing TV ads

Question 26

Research has shown that negative ads

A) have no effect on elections.
B) decrease voter turnout.
C) increase voter turnout.
D) reduce the attacker's credibility.
E) confuse the issues in the voters' minds.

Question 27

In presidential elections, __________ are more loyal to their party's candidate.

A) Democrats
B) Republicans
C) Independents
D) no party's identifiers
E) Libertarians.

Question 28

In most presidential elections, a majority of the voters decide whom they will vote for

A) after the conventions.
B) during the primaries.
C) before the primaries.
D) just before the election.
E) after national newspapers have made their endorsements.

Question 29

There is evidence to suggest that Eisenhower's decision to "go to Korea" was influenced by

A) his cabinet.
B) party leaders in the Senate.
C) editorials that he had read in elite publications.
D) protesters outside the White House.
E) public-opinion polls.

Question 30

President __________ ordered endless polls, sometimes weekly, to help him decide what positions to adopt.

A) Bush
B) Clinton
C) Reagan
D) Carter
E) Eisenhower

Question 31

Which Democratic presidential candidate received 90 percent or more of Democratic votes?

A) Carter (1976 and 1980)
B) Clinton (1992 and 1996)
C) Gore (2000)
D) Kerry (2004)
E) Obama (2008)

Question 32

The rise in single-issue ideological groups has been associated with the

A) Internet.
B) rise of voter apathy.
C) rise in the power of political parties.
D) decline in overall religious activity.
E) decline in the power of political parties.

Question 33

Single-issue interest groups seem to have their greatest electoral impact on

A) primary elections.
B) general elections.
C) the electoral college.
D) incumbents.
E) political conventions.

Question 34

In a typical presidential election, about _____ percent of voters cannot be counted on to vote either Republican or Democrat.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 20
D) 50
E) 65

Question 35

The biggest factor affecting the votes of non-Democrats and non-Republicans is

A) the choices that candidates make regarding vice-presidential nominees.
B) the economy.
C) concern about crime.
D) international affairs.
E) the character of the candidates.

Question 36

The "pocketbook vote" refers to how

A) general economic conditions affect people's voting behavior.
B) spending on attack ads affect people's voting behavior.
C) voters' income is related to voting behavior.
D) special interest groups influence voting behavior.
E) voter participation influences voting behavior.

Question 37

Which of the following affects how people will vote for president?

A) the vice presidential nominee
B) the role of the mass media
C) the issues the candidate proposes
D) religion
E) presidential character

Question 38

In voting, the average person decides by

A) making a retrospective decision on issues.
B) making a prospective decision on issues.
C) ignoring issues totally and concentrating on personalities.
D) focusing on foreign-policy issues.
E) focusing on issues related to national defense and trade.

Question 39

An electoral realignment occurs when

A) a Census is taken and new districts are created.
B) a third party forces a new coalition among officeholders.
C) a candidate changes party affiliation.
D) voters ally with the parties in new ways so that there are large and enduring shifts throughout the population.
E) a party disappears and is replaced by a single-interest group.

Question 40

The 1932 realignment was brought on by

A) the women's vote.
B) economics.
C) civil rights.
D) religion.
E) immigration

Question 41

Realignment generally has been related to

A) shifting demographic patterns.
B) decisions made within party organizations.
C) new and important issues.
D) federal election laws.
E) elite opinion.

Question 42

Republican victories in the presidential elections from 1980 through 1996 indicate that a party realignment has

A) not yet occurred despite these victories.
B) succeeded only in producing a mandate for the Republican Party.
C) propelled the Republicans into the position of the dominant party.
D) occurred to some extent among white voters in the South.
E) occurred in so-called blue states.

Question 43

Evidence of decay in political parties is exhibited by the declining proportion of people identifying with either party and by the

A) election of more independent candidates to Congress.
B) rise in split-ticket voting.
C) lower quality of candidates representing the parties in Congress.
D) rise in political corruption.
E) increase in congressional investigations.

Question 44

The most loyal supporters of the Democrats have been

A) Catholics and rural people.
B) southerners.
C) rural people and Protestants.
D) African Americans.
E) union members.

Question 45

Poor voters, contrary to popular belief, more often support Republican candidates because

A) the Democrats have been disappointing when in office.
B) the Republicans are perceived as a more effective party.
C) the poor include many elderly, retired persons who are traditionally Republican.
D) Republicans support extensive social programs.
E) Democratic members of Congress have rarely supported increases in the minimum wage.

Question 46

Which of the following candidates did the textbook use as an example of developing name recognition?

A) Al Gore
B) Estes Kefauver
C) Ross Perot
D) Adlai Stevenson
E) John F. Kennedy

Question 47

When a voter sees and hears only what she or he wants, _____ is at work.

A) mental tune-out
B) selective attention
C) perceptual narrowing
D) sensory overload
E) conceptual burnout

Question 48

The legal limit on what a congressional candidate may spend is

A) $5,000.
B) $1,000.
C) $10,000.
D) $100,000.
E) nonexistent.

Question 49

In congressional elections, higher campaign spending is especially important for

A) the challenger.
B) the incumbent.
C) conservatives.
D) any candidate.
E) Democrats.

Question 50

Today, the major source of congressional campaign money is

A) PACs.
B) small individual donors.
C) the government itself.
D) corporations.
E) labor unions.

Question 51

For a presidential candidate to be eligible for federal matching funds, he or she must first

A) raise a total of $50,000 from individuals and other donors in each of thirty different states.
B) have the validated signatures of at least 5,000 registered voters on a petition in each of twenty-five different states.
C) raise $5,000 in individual contributions of $250 or less in each of twenty different states.
D) receive at least 25 percent of the vote in any three states having presidential primaries.
E) win the electoral vote of half the states.

Question 52

The 2002 campaign finance reform law set a limit of __________ on the amount any person can contribute to a single candidate in a single election.

A) $200
B) $2,000
C) $10,000
D) $50,000
E) $20,000

Question 53

The text concludes that elections

A) never make a difference in public policy because the bureaucracy makes the important decisions.
B) are less important today than before in changing public policy.
C) are irrelevant because the two parties are so similar.
D) are often significant in producing change.
E) rarely produce change that is substantial.

Question 54

An analysis of campaign promises made between 1944 and 1964 by the two major parties revealed that ____% of the promises were carried out.

A) 31
B) 46
C) 72
D) 64
E) 80

Question 55

Political parties play a smaller role in American elections than in other countries.

Question 56

In most parliamentary democracies, voter participation is very high.

Question 57

Political activists tend to be highly educated and have high levels of income.

Question 58

African Americans vote at a higher rate than whites when comparisons control for income and education.

Question 59

Political activists tend to have more extreme views than the citizens for whom they speak.

Question 60

It is common for democracies to deny prisoners the right to vote.

Question 61

The vote was extended to almost all white males by the end of George Washington's presidential administration.

Question 62

Literacy tests were suspended with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

Question 63

When first allowed to vote, women turned out in greater numbers than men.

Question 64

Today, younger voters are somewhat more likely than older voters to be Democrats.

Question 65

VAP data are problematic because they are based on Census reports and include ineligible voters.

Question 66

Post 1968 U. S. presidential elections have drawn over 70% of all registered voters.

Question 67

The United States places the full burden of voter registration on the individual.

Question 68

The impact of increased registration on voter turnout has been more dramatic than predicted.

Question 69

Motor-voter registration refers to the mobilization of voters on election days.

Question 70

When registered nonvoters were asked why they did not vote, the most common answer was voter apathy.

Question 71

Political campaigns today are largely run by the personal followers of each candidate.

Question 72

Political funds are increasingly under the control of party leaders.

Question 73

In recent years the tendency has been for states to try to run their primaries and caucuses as early as possible.

Question 74

When economic times are bad, incumbent presidents do well at the polls.

Question 75

Debates are usually an advantage for the challenger.

Question 76

There is clear evidence that recent debates have had an influence on presidential contests.

Question 77

Democratic voters support their presidential candidate less often than Republican voters support their party's candidate.

Question 78

Most voters have usually decided who they will support for president before the nominating conventions.

Question 79

A good rule of thumb is this: The more sources of voter information, the more the campaigns will make a difference.

Question 80

Single-issue ideological groups were unknown in American politics before the late 1960s.