Chapter 10. Campaigns and Elections

fewer restrictions on campaign donations

The trend in campaign finance law over time has been toward which of the following?

Correct Answer(s) coronavirus pandemic racial strife and mass protests Incorrect Answer(s) subprime lending war in the Middle East

What unique crises affected the 2020 presidential election?

Correct Answer(s) television advertisements voter-mobilization drives town halls rallies Incorrect Answer(s)

Which activities may be part of a campaign?

The Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, raised substantially more money than the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.

Which statement about campaign fundraising in 2016 is most accurate?

Picture Those who have run for office generally have higher levels of education (i.e., some college or more) than the U.S. population. (Among those who have run, only 19 percent have only high school education or less, whereas 38 percent of the U.S. population has only high school education or less.)

Which statement is correct?

Correct Answer(s) Redistricting is conducted to account for population shifts within a state. Redistricting can sometimes result in gerrymandering, in which districts are drawn in such a way to give one group (party, race, or ethnic group) an advantage over another. Incorrect Answer(s) The courts have banned the establishment of majority-minority districts through redistricting. Redistricting is a nonpartisan process that is carried out by the U.S. Census Bureau every 10 years.

Which statements about redistricting are true?

Incumbents (Incumbents tend to win re-election at very high rates.)

Which term describes a candidate who is running for re-election to a position in Congress that she already holds?

Less More

Relative to campaigns in the nineteenth century, today's campaigns require ________ effort by campaign workers and _________ campaign money.

picture 26% (Women represent 51 percent of the U.S. population yet represent only 25 percent of those who have run for office. This represents a gap of 26 percent. Women are underrepresented in elected office at all levels of government. One of the main explanations is the so-called ambition gap, which argues that women are less likely to run for elected offices even if they are qualified for the position.)

Study the Who Are Americans? infographic, and then answer the question. Women candidates are underrepresented as candidates relative to their population by what percentage?

Plurality system (To win in the plurality system, one candidate need only receive the most votes in the election.Most American elections are plurality elections, though a number of states have a majoritarian requirement. In majoritarian elections, if no candidate wins a majority of votes, a runoff election follows to determine a winner.)

Which form of electoral system is most common in the United States?

unlimited influential

527 committees and 501(c)(4) committees are independent expenditure groups that can raise and spend _________ amounts. Since 2012, these kinds of groups have played a(n) _______ role in elections through their financing of television and digital ads.

majority runoff election

A ________ electoral system, which requires a person to get more than 50 percent of the votes cast in the election to win, is usually paired with ______ to ensure that there is a single winner.

Democrats Republicans Won Runoff

Although ___________will continue to have control of the U.S. House of Representatives,_________ gained over a dozen seats. Most Republicans________ their re-election bids in the Senate, and partisan control of the Senate will be determined after the Georgia _________ election in January 2021.

Correct Answer(s) higher levels of turnout more interest in politics Incorrect Answer(s) higher income levels lower levels of political trust

Ballot initiatives influence political behavior. Which of the following characteristics are correct regarding citizens in states with ballot initiatives?

State legislature refers laws to voters for popular vote-referendum present in 50 states -referendum allows citizens to place proposed law directly on ballot-ballot initiative required for changes to state constitutions-referendum

Direct democracy enables voters to directly translate their preferences into government policy. Match each form of direct democracy to its correct characteristic(s).

Correct Answer(s) Almost all campaigns make use of public-opinion polls of likely voters. Campaigns make use of big data to inform their campaign strategies. Campaigns more often engage in micro-targeting. Incorrect Answer(s) Campaigns rarely employ negative ads because they are generally ineffective.

How are campaigns different now compared to several decades ago?

Correct Answer(s) These groups are not subject to the spending limits of the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act. These groups cannot coordinate directly with campaigns. Incorrect Answer(s) These groups have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. These groups do not have to disclose where they get their money.

How do 527s and 501(c)(4)s differ from more traditional campaign finance groups such as political action committees?

Correct Answer(s) There were more than 20 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. The Democratic primary featured the most diverse field of candidates to date. Incorrect Answer(s) Joe Biden showed a strong advantage from the very beginning of the Democratic primaries, preventing other candidates from gaining their footing to win delegates. The Democrats had a brokered convention that nearly led to Pete Buttigieg winning the nomination.

Identify the correct and incorrect statements about the 2020 Democratic Party.

Correct Answer(s) There was a sizable gender gap among voters. Ideological moderates and independents supported Joe Biden over Donald Trump. Incorrect Answer(s) Trump carried non-college-educated voters by 10 percentage points. Suburban voters supported Donald Trump over Joe Biden, similar to the 2016 election.

Identify the correct and incorrect statements about the 2020 presidential election.

Picture Latinos and Black Americans are represented in proportion to their percentage of the population, and this suggests that issues disproportionately affecting the Black and Latino communities will receive considerable attention by the government Overall, these data demonstrate that women and minorities face advantages as candidates and consequently, have been able to achieve parity in most elected positions.

Study the Who Are Americans? infographic, and then click on the statements in the passage that are not supported by the infographic. Who runs for office in the United States has an important influence on who eventually represents us in government. Although women are 51 percent of the U.S. population, only about a quarter of those who have run for office are women. The data on race and education present a more complex picture of diversity among those who run for office. Latinos and Black Americans are represented in proportion to their percentage of the population, and this suggests that issues disproportionately affecting the Black and Latino communities will receive considerable attention by the government.There is also a skew toward those with at least some college education or more running for office compared to those with a high school degree or less. Overall, these data demonstrate that women and minorities face advantages as candidates and consequently, have been able to achieve parity in most elected positions.

-Latinos -Blacks -Whites (Latinos are 18 percent of the population yet only represent 6 percent of those who have run for office.Blacks are 13 percent of the population yet only represent 5 percent of those who have run for office.Whites are 60 percent of the population yet represent 82 percent of those who have run for office.Many have noted that the three branches of government are overrepresented by White men. The patterns of who runs for office are also heavily skewed toward White Americans. This has important consequences for whose interests are represented in government and public policy.)

Place the groups in order from the most underrepresented in terms of their candidacies relative to population to those that are the most overrepresented.

Younger go back to this question

Studies find that political participation varies by age. Although younger voters typically participate at much lower rates than older voters, the picture is much more complex when analyzing other forms of political participation. _____________individuals are less likely to contribute money to a campaign. Younger individuals (ages 18-29) are more likely to ____________ compared to older individuals. Those between the ages of 30 and 49 are only slightly more likely than those between the ages of 18 and 29 to ___________ However, across all age groups, individuals are the least likely to ________ compared to the other forms of participation.

Correct Answer(s) Those with greater education levels are more likely to report contributing money to a political campaign. Those with greater education levels are more likely to report attending a political rally or event. Incorrect Answer(s) Less-educated individuals are more likely to report working or volunteering for a campaign. Generally speaking, more individuals report working or volunteering for a campaign than contributing money to a political campaign regardless of education levels.

Study the Who Participates? infographic, and then answer the question. Study the Who Participates? infographic, and then answer the question.

Primary Delegates Party Platform

The __________ or caucus votes determine the allocation of __________ at the party's convention. In addition to selecting the party's nominee, delegates also vote on the __________ at the convention.

They could raise and spend far more money on their own. (The last presidential candidate to accept public funding was Republican John McCain in 2008. He was outspent by Democrat Barack Obama by a wide margin.Candidates who accept federal funds are bound to strict spending limits, whereas candidates who do not accept federal funds are free to spend as much as they like. Both Biden and Trump had little incentive to limit their own fundraising.)

Why have most major party candidates declined federal funding for their presidential campaigns recently?

Correct Answer(s) It may be more effective with viewers because internet users seek out information. It is cheaper. It offers more possibilities for free advertisement. Incorrect Answer(s) The online audience is more susceptible to persuasive messages.

Why might digital media be more effective than television ads?

True (This is a direct result of Buckley v. Valeo which found that campaign donations are a form of free speech.)

Candidates can spend an unlimited amount of their own money in trying to win an election.

Recall (This process exists in 18 states and allows citizens a mechanism to remove a leader before their term is up.)

If voters are dissatisfied with their elected state official, they use this process to remove her before the term expires.

Correct Answer(s) state governments county governments city governments Incorrect Answer(s) national government

In the United States, which levels of government are most responsible for administering elections?

Picture increases in military spending and decreases in spending on social programs-Donald Trump liberalization of immigration rules-Joseph Biden stronger environmental regulations-Joseph Biden increases in social spending-Joseph Biden tax cuts and deregulation-Donald Trump opposition to immigration-Donald Trump

Match each issue to the candidate who held the position during the 2020 presidential campaign.

removed limits on how many PACs or candidates an individual can give to-McCutcheon et al. v. FEC (2014) introduced idea that campaign contributions count as speech-Buckley v. Valeo (1974) government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions-:Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Match the U.S. Supreme Court case to the effect it had on campaign spending.

presidential elections-four years midterm elections-two years congressional elections- two years

Match the frequency of the election cycle to the corresponding election type.

organizationally driven-grassroots campaign statewide campaign-mass media campaign local campaign-grassroots campaign money-intensive-mass media campaign

Match the type of campaign with the campaign characteristics that describe it.

policy positions personal characteristics.

Negative campaign ads are more likely to address_____________ , whereas positive campaign ads tend to focus on ______________

primaries and caucuses (The primaries and caucuses help choose the candidate who will go on to the general election.)

Of the many steps to becoming president, which of the following options happens first?

incumbent member of majority party incumbent member of minority party challenger candidate from majority party challenger candidate from minority party

Order the political candidates on their likelihood of attracting campaign donations from interest groups from most likely to least likely.

form an exploratory committee primaries and caucuses the convention general election electoral college inauguration

Place these steps for electing a president in the proper order (from earliest to latest).

form an exploratory committee primaries and caucuses the convention general election electoral collegein auguration

Place these steps for electing a president in the proper order (from earliest to latest).

True (Partisan polarization among voters and elected officials has reduced the number of voters splitting their tickets.)

Straight-ticket voting, in which a voter selects candidates from the same party for all partisan offices on the ballot, is more common now than in the 1970s and 1980s.

picture Latinos Blacks Whites

Study the Who Are Americans? infographic, and then answer the question. Place the groups in order from the most underrepresented in terms of their candidacies relative to population to those that are the most overrepresented.

congressional "King Caucus" delegates chosen by state party leaders delegates chosen by primaries and caucuses

Since America's Founding, candidates for president have been nominated using a variety of methods. Put the following nomination methods in order from earliest in American history to the most recent.

Probably not. The Supreme Court has equated campaign spending to free speech, so this type of restriction would be held as an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.

Suppose that Congress passed the "Block Billionaires from Buying Elections Act" that restricts the amount of money candidates can use to finance their own campaigns to $999,999. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. Is the law constitutional?

True (Both types of organizations have their uses in the vast universe that is the American campaign finance system.)

Unlike PACs, 527 organizations are not subjected to contribution limits and spending caps.

Correct Answer(s) Marceline is strongly pro-life, and she receives a phone call from a pro-life supporter of a local candidate. Jake is a doctor, and he receives a campaign mailer about a candidate's position on medical malpractice reform. Incorrect Answer(s) Simon works as an accountant, and he receives a generic robocall urging him to vote for a certain candidate. Finn is a supporter of free trade, and he watches a negative advertisement on TV during the local news.

Which of the following are examples of micro-targeting?

Correct Answer(s) Most such districts occur because of the geographic concentration of minority populations. The Supreme Court has generally opposed the creation of such districts. They occur when more than 50 percent of the people living in the district come from a minority racial or ethnic background. Incorrect Answer(s) Most majority-minority districts are represented by White members in Congress.

Which of the following are true about majority-minority districts?

Correct Answer(s) Party loyalties are fairly stable but can change over time. Partisan loyalty has a large impact on voters' evaluations of candidates and their vote choice. Incorrect Answer(s) Party affiliation is only weakly related to voters' candidate choice in presidential elections. Partisan affiliation plays a much stronger role in presidential elections compared to state legislative races.

Which of the following statements about the role of partisanship in elections are true?

Correct Answer(s) Looking at the electorate as a whole, party identification is stable. Individuals rarely change their party identification. Incorrect Answer(s) Individuals commonly change their party identification. Looking at the electorate as a whole, party identification is volatile. Individuals never change their party identification.

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the stability of party identification?

picture Correct Answer(s) Biden did better among Republicans than Trump did among Democrats. People who identify with a particular party give the vast majority of their votes to that party. Incorrect Answer(s) Democrats were the most likely group of the three to vote for third-party candidates. Independents were evenly split between the candidates.

Which of the following statements are supported by this figure?