Chapter 6 - Campaigns and Elections

The Electoral College system was designed to award the office of president to a consensus candidate, yet some argue the system has prevented representative democracy A) Identify and explain one feature of the Electoral College system that is intended to elect a consensus candidate for president B) Identify and explain one feature of the Electoral College that prevents representative democracy C) Identify one potential change to the Electoral College system and explain how this change could improve the presidential election process

- The Electoral College system selects a president based on whoever receives the majority of the voters. This is a general agreement of more than half of the voters - The electors of the Electoral College do not have to vote in accordance with the people they represent. They are independent and can choose who they believe is best even though most of the time they do vote in accordance with their constituents - If the Electoral College made the electors vote in accordance with their constituents it would make it closer to a true democracy

Since the 1970s, competing views and governing institutions have established campaign finance regulation for federal elections A) Identify and explain one responsibility of the Federal Elections Commission B) Identify and explain one structural trait that allows the FEC to enforce campaign finance laws C) Select two elements of campaign finance below and explain how these elements impact campaign finance policy or enforcement - First Amendment - Soft money - Buckley v. Valeo - Political action committees

- The FEC monitors campaign spending. This allows candidates an equal opportunity when running for an office - The Board of Commissioners makes decisions dealing with elections and they oversee campaigns and elections. - The First Amendment says the government can't stop people or companies from supporting a candidate. - Soft money is money going to a party and not to a political candidate and avoids legal limitations put in place such as those on Hard money donations

What is the most expensive element of a political campaign? A) Television advertising B) Consultants and pollsters C) Journalists' interviews D) Yard signs and flyers E) Appearances on television news broadcasts

A

Which is the first official contest for presidential candidates seeking their party's nomination? A) New Hampshire Primary B) Iowa Caucuses C) National convention D) Televised debates between Republican and Democratic nominees E) The vote in the Electoral College

B

Which statement regarding the Electoral College is true? A) The United States no longer uses the Electoral College system to elect the president B) In order to win the presidency, a candidate must win a majority of electoral votes C) No president has ever won the popular vote and not the electoral vote D) Every state uses the winner-take-all system E) If no candidate receives a majority, the U.S. Senate decides presidential election

B

Which type of primary election allows voters to declare their party affiliation on election day? A) Blanket B) Open C) Closed D) Runoff E) Invisible

B

Which of the following statements regarding public or televised debates in a campaign is true? A) Incumbents and front-runners desire more public debates B) For televised debates, all candidates are entitled to participate C) Candidates can be damaged by verbal slips and missteps D) Election law states candidates must debate publicly E) Debates are typically advantageous to the Democratic candidate

C

Which statement is accurate concerning incumbent candidates? A) The major parties rarely nominate incumbents as presidential candidates B) Political action committees prefer to donate to challengers over incumbents C) House incumbents tend to win re-election at higher rates than Senate incumbents D) Incumbent candidates only succeed during hard economic times E) Voters will not recognize an incumbent's name as quickly as a challenger's name

C

Which statement about money and elections is true? A) The U.S. election system matches all dollars raised by presidential candidates B) Corporations and labor unions can donate directly to federal campaigns as long as those donations are recorded and made public C) There is no correlation between the money a candidate spends and electoral success D) If willing to waive potential matching money, a candidate can donate unlimited amounts to his or her own campaign E) The Federal Elections Commission was declared an unconstitutional body in Buckley v. Valeo

D

Which statement regarding front-loading is true? A) States like Nebraska and Maine have scheduled their elections earlier than others B) Front-loading allows some states to cast electoral votes before others C) House elections are held earlier than Senate elections D) Some states schedule presidential primaries early to gain influence and revenues E) Front-loading occurs when election officials place a candidate at the top of the ballot

D

The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act A) Bans advertising for or against candidates B) Has decreased the amount spent in national elections C) Assures that citizens can donate whatever amount they want D) Was struck down by Buckley v. Valeo E) Limits soft money donations and requires candidates' explicit approval of all TV ads

E