Chapter 6: Campaigns and Elections

Which of the following statements regarding public or televised debates in a campaign is true?

Candidates can be damaged by verbal slips and missteps

Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote.

Closed Primary

Campaigning heavily in the early primaries (usually if the candidate is relatively unknown)

Front-Loaded Campaign

Which statement is accurate concerning incumbent candidates?

House incumbents tend to win re-election at higher rates than Senate incumbents

Which statement about money and elections is true?

If willing to waive potential matching money, a candidate can donate unlimited amounts to his or her own campaign

Which statement regarding the Electoral College is true?

In order to win the presidency, a candidate must win a majority of electoral votes

Which is the first official contest for presidential candidates seeking their party's nomination?

Iowa Caucuses

The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act...

Limits soft money donations and requires candidates' explicit approval of all TV ads

Which type of primary election allows voters to declare their party affiliation on election day?

Open

Holding incumbents, usually the president's party, responsible for their records on issues, such as the economy or foreign policy.

Retrospective Voting

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Soft Money

Which statement regarding front-loading is true?

Some states schedule presidential primaries early to gain influence and revenues

What is the most expensive element of a political campaign?

Television advertising

A style of political campaigning where the politician makes a series of brief appearances or speeches at a number of small towns over a short period of time

Whistle-Stop Train Tours