Elections

All of the following are reasons incumbents in the House of Representatives enjoy an electoral advantage over challengers EXCEPT that incumbents Responses A get substantial financial support from their party's national committee B are better known to voters than are challengers C find it much easier to raise campaign funds than do challengers D can use staff members to do constituent service E often serve on committees that enable them to help the constituency

A

Which of the following is a type of primary election that requires registration as a party affiliate to vote? Responses A Blanket B Closed C General D Open E Plebiscite

B

A primary election in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket is called Responses A an open primary B a blanket primary C a closed primary D a runoff primary E a presidential preference primary

C

Critics of the winner-take-all aspect of the electoral college are most likely to make which of the following arguments? Responses A The winner-take-all system of the electoral college undermines the rights of states. B A state's presidential election results rarely mirror a state's congressional election results. C The winner-take-all system of the electoral college drives presidential candidates to focus on winning states that are considered to be part of their core supporters. D The winner-take-all system of the electoral college encourages presidential candidates to focus their time and effort disproportionately on battleground states with larger populations.

D

Which of the following is a result of the electoral college system? Responses A The winner of the presidency often lacks a majority of the popular vote. B Candidates focus on one-party states in which they can win most of the electoral votes. C The House of Representatives frequently chooses the President from the top three candidates. D Candidates focus on the states with the largest populations. E Campaign spending increases because candidates emphasize television advertising.

D

Compared to the general population, delegates to presidential nomination conventions are Responses A less interested in politics B less educated C financially worse off D more likely to register as independent E more ideological

E

In the last thirty years, the single most important variable in determining the outcome of an election for a member of the House of Representatives has been, Responses A incumbency B personal wealth C previous political offices held in the district D membership in the political party of the President E positions on key social issues

A

Which of the following is true of the electoral college system? Responses A It encourages the emergence of third parties. B It encourages candidates to concentrate their campaigns in competitive, populous states. C It ensures that the votes of all citizens count equally in selecting the President. D It requires that a candidate win a minimum of 26 states to obtain a majority in the college. E It tends to make a presidential elections appear closer than they really are.

B

A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48 percent of that state's popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40 percent of the vote, and an independent candidate receives 12 percent of the vote. If the state is similar to most other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated? Responses A The Democratic candidate will receive 5 electoral votes, the Republican will receive 4, and the independent will receive 2. B The Democratic candidate will receive 6 electoral votes and the Republican will receive 5. C The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 electoral votes. D The votes will not be allocated until there has been a runoff election between the Democratic and Republican candidates. E The House of Representatives will determine the allocation of the electoral votes.

C

Which of the following statements about incumbent senators running for reelection is correct? Responses A The senators with the best chances of reelection are those who have served the longest. B The amount of money spent by a challenger has little bearing on an incumbent's reelection chances. C Incumbent senators are less likely to be reelected than are incumbent members of the House of Representatives. D An incumbent senator is equally likely to be reelected or defeated. E The most important factor influencing the reelection chances of senators is whether they belong to the President's party.

C

Which of the following took place after presidential candidates Truman in 1948, Nixon in 1968, and Clinton in 1992 won only pluralities of the popular vote? Responses A The election was formally decided in the House of Representatives. B The election was formally decided in the Senate. C The winning candidate took office after receiving less than 50% of the popular votes cast. D The electoral college votes cast by independents were critical in determining the winner. E The results of the popular vote necessitated a runoff.

C

Which of the following would result from the direct election of presidential candidates? Responses A A national primary would be established. B Party nominating conventions would be abolished. C Each vote would count equally in determining which candidate won the election. D The electoral college would become more influential in the electoral process. E Third-party candidates would have less chance of winning the election.

C

Number of Residents per Electoral Vote Source: United States Census Bureau, 2010 Given the information in the graph, in which of the following states would an individual's vote likely have more influence? Responses A Wyoming B West Virginia C Alabama D California

A

The advantages of incumbency in congressional elections include which of the following? Incumbents receive more campaign contributions than do challengers. Incumbents are able to provide important services for individual voters. The government provides campaign funds for incumbents. The President usually endorses incumbents for reelection. Most American voters believe Congress does a good job. Responses A I and II only B III and IV only C I, IV, and V only D II, III, and V only E III, IV, and V only

A

The primary election system of selecting presidential candidates has had which of the following effects? Responses A It has increased the importance of state party organizations. B It has loosened the hold of party leaders over the nomination process. C It has reduced the role of citizens in the candidate selection process. D It has lowered the cost of running for office. E It has led to a decline in the importance of party voter-registration drives.

B

Typically, presidential candidates implement their campaign strategies by Responses A applying their resources evenly among the states, because they must win popular votes in a majority of the states to be elected B focusing on larger, competitive states, because they might tip the balance of the electoral college C focusing on small states, because these states have proportionally more electoral votes than more populous states have D ignoring the electoral college, because the popular vote determines the outcome of the election E ignoring the electoral college, because more states are moving away from the winner-take-all system

B

When none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the electoral college, the winner is chosen by the Responses A Federal Elections Commision B Supreme Court C House of Representatives only D Senate only E majority of the House and Senate combined

C

The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates results in which of the following? A weakening of party control over nominations A reduction in the costs of election campaigns An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections Responses A I and III only B II and IV only C III and IV only D I, II, and III only E I, II, III, and IV

A

All of the following contribute to the success of incumbent members of Congress in election campaigns EXCEPT: Responses A Incumbents usually raise more campaign funds than do their challengers. B Incumbents tend to understand national issues better than do their challengers. C Incumbents are usually better known to voters than are their challengers. D Incumbents can use staff to perform services for constituents. E Incumbents often sit on committees that permit them to serve district interests.

B

Number of Residents per Electoral Vote Source: United States Census Bureau, 2010 The data in the graph best illustrate which of the following common criticisms of the electoral college? Responses A Small states have fewer electoral votes than large states and therefore have no impact on presidential elections. B Individuals in small-population states have a greater impact on the electoral college than individuals in large-population states. C Candidates from states with a large number of electoral votes have a major advantage in the electoral college. D Smaller states have more electoral votes than larger states, which distorts the popular vote.

B

When party members meet to nominate a candidate for office, they participate in which of the following? Responses A General election B Caucus C Blanket primary D Open primary E Closed primary

B

Which of the following best explains why the winner of a presidential election usually claims to have a mandate from voters? Responses A The president's party often wins a majority of seats in Congress by riding the president's coattails. B The allocation of electoral votes in the winner-take-all system exaggerates the margin of victory. C Presidents are allowed to implement their legislative agendas without interference during their first term. D The new president is allowed to replace a significant number of justices on the Supreme Court. E The incoming president automatically gains control of Congress.

B

Which of the following factors contributes most to the data in the line graph? Responses A Challengers have easier access to television, magazines, and newspapers. B Incumbents have an advantage over challengers because of name recognition. C Incumbents are often at a disadvantage because they are too busy working on legislation to campaign. D Challengers are often given larger donations from interest groups and can outspend incumbents.

B

Which of the following has the most influence on the outcome of a congressional election? Responses A Local performance of a candidate's party in the presidential race B A candidate's incumbency status C The amount of a candidate's campaign spending relative to that of his or her opponent D The level of support from local party leaders E The level of voter turnout

B

COMPETITION IN CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS, 1958 - 1986 The data displayed in the table above best support which of the following statements? Responses A The reelection rate is higher in the Senate than in the House. B The average vote won by Senate members surpasses that won by House members. C House seats are safer from election turnover than are Senate seats. D House members serve more terms than do Senators. E More members of the Senate win reelection by 60% or more of the vote than do members of the House.

C

Which of the following arguments best supports a claim that the Electoral College does not fully support democratic principles? Responses A The winner-take-all system encourages candidates to campaign in every state, which limits the attention each state will receive from the candidates. B Electors are chosen by the voters in each state, which gives parties undue influence over candidates' success. C At times, a candidate who receives the most popular votes may not win the presidential election. D The Electoral College lacks transparency because electors frequently switch their vote during the national convention.

C

Which of the following best describes the difference between an open and closed primary? Responses A Voters must pay a poll tax to vote in a closed primary, but not in an open primary. B Voters are allowed to split their ticket in a closed primary but not in an open primary. C Only voters who register as members of a political party may vote in that party's closed primary, while independents and others may be eligible to vote in open primaries. D Open primaries require a run-off system, while closed primaries do not. E Candidates must seek the approval of the party organization to run in a closed primary, but anyone may be a candidate in an open primary.

C

Which of the following statements can be supported by the data in the line graph? Responses A Democratic members of Congress are reelected at a higher rate than Republican members of Congress. B The overall rate at which members of Congress are reelected is less than 30 percent. C Senators are more likely to be reelected than members of the House of Representatives. D Members of the House of Representatives are more likely to be reelected than defeated.

D