Chapter 09. Participation, Campaigns, and Elections

Complete the following statement. 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.

1. Democrats 2. Republicans 3. won 4. runoff

Put these groups in the order in which they gained the right to vote from earliest to most recent.

1. White men with property 2. Black men 3. Women 4. People aged 18-20

Match each feature to the committee it describes: 527 committees (Super PACs), 501(c)(4) committees, or both.

Both: - Cannot coordinate with a campaign or candidate - Can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money 527 committee/Super PAC: - Are required to disclose donors 501(c)(4): - Cannot spend more than half its revenue for political purposes

Which of the following statements regarding digital participation are correct?

Correct Answers: - Digital participation has made political participation easier. - Young voters are more likely to use social media for political participation. - Political participation digitally is likely to increase offline participation. Incorrect Answer: - Digital participation is less common than most forms of traditional participation.

Which of these statements about elections are true?

Correct Answers: - Elections are administered by state and local governments. - Turnout in midterm elections is lower than in presidential elections. Incorrect Answers: - Primary elections have the same rules across the states because the parties implement their own primaries. - State election laws have attempted to make voting much easier and more convenient.

Which of these factors contribute to the gender gap in elections?

Correct Answers: - Female voters are generally increasing in their support of Democratic candidates. - White male voters are generally increasing in their support of Republican candidates. Incorrect Answers: - A majority of White female voters (53 percent) supported Donald Trump in 2016. - Women register to vote at a lower rate and have lower turnout in elections. - Female voters nearly always support female candidates, and male voters nearly always support male candidates over female candidates.

Why might digital media be more effective than television ads?

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

Which of the following statements about political action committees (PACs) are accurate?

Correct Answers: - PACs are private groups that raise and distribute funds for use in election campaigns. - PACs are allowed to make larger contributions than an individual can make to a campaign. Incorrect Answers: - PACs are mostly unregulated and do not have contribution limits. - PACs are mostly set up by labor groups and neighborhood associations.

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

Correct Answers: - There was a sizable gender gap among voters. - Ideological moderates and independents supported Joe Biden over Donald Trump. Incorrect Answers: - 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 Democratic Party.

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

When is party identification most likely to influence a person's vote choice?

Correct Answers: - when that person is voting on state legislative candidates - when that person is unfamiliar with the issues - when that person knows little about the candidates Incorrect Answer: - when that person is voting on presidential candidates

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

Fewer restrictions of campaign donations (In a series of rulings stretching over 40 years, the Supreme Court has chipped away at campaign finance laws under the argument that donations represent speech.)

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

Mass media campaign: - money-intensive - statewide campaign Grassroots campaign: - organizationally driven - local campaign

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

Midterm elections: two years Congressional elections: two years Presidential elections: four years

Complete the following statement. The winner of the electoral college vote __________ matches the winner of the popular vote.

Often (Although the winner of the popular vote usually matches the winner of the electoral vote, the popular vote winner lost the electoral vote four times since 1824.)

Complete the following statement. 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.

Primary Delegates Party Platform

Winners of __________ elections go on to face each other in the __________ election.

Primary General

Identify the forms of political participation as traditional or digital.

Traditional political participation: - participating in a protest - voting in an election - attending a campaign event Digital political participation: - viewing TV campaign ads - writing a blog post

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

Citizens United v. FEC (2010): - government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions - gave rise to SuperPACs Buckley v. Valeo (1974): - introduced idea that campaign contributions count as speech

To prevent having multiple candidates from the same party confusing voters in a general election, political parties take which of the following actions?

Correct Answer: - hold primary elections Incorrect Answers: - party leaders pick who they want to represent the party - send out emails and memos to party voters - use voter mobilization drives to inform voters