CHAPTER 9

Which of the following is a term to describe a situation in which a candidate doesn't receive any Electoral College votes for coming in second place?

Winner-take-all system

What is the minimum number of Electoral College votes a candidate needs to win in order to be elected President of the United States?

270

Which piece of legislation that took effect in 2004 raised campaign spending limits for individuals?

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

What is considered to be the most important recent change in the American election process?

Candidates don't campaign just to get elected anymore.

During a commercial break, you see a campaign advertisement in which a candidate's policies are lauded and the opposing candidate is disparaged. Which type of advertisement did you watch?

Contrast advertisement

Which best describes how parties nominate presidential candidates?

Delegates in a primary system are awarded either proportionally or to just one candidate.

Some scholars believe that stronger parties would not only strengthen democratic government, but also coordinate policies after the election. Which of the following choices acts as a barrier to this possibility?

Divided government

How did the Seventeenth Amendment change the criteria for elections for the Senate?

Elected by the people

What is an organized effort to persuade voters to choose one candidate over others competing for the same office called?

Election campaign

What is the technical term for the type of election in which the U.S. president is elected?

Federal

A state-level official is in favor of holding the state's delegate selection primaries as early in the calendar year as possible. The official thinks that this will cause the media and candidates to focus their efforts within the official's state. Which political practice is the state-level official suggesting?

Frontloading

Why was the nomination of Hubert Humphrey at the 1968 Democratic convention said to be rigged?

Humphrey had never run in a primary.

What is the most important objective of paid advertising during the election season?

Increasing the candidate's name recognition

When a current president runs for reelection in a second term, which of the following terms explains why there is usually no opposition from within the current president's party?

Incumbency

Who enjoys the greatest advantages in most elections, but particularly in congressional elections?

Incumbents

Which of the following choices best characterizes the strategy Bernie Sanders used in his campaign against Wall Street and wealth inequality during the presidential nomination in 2016?

Issue-oriented

What is a strong argument that supports presidential selection by electoral votes, rather than by popular vote?

It reduces the risk of a nation-wide recount.

Two important issues during the 2016 presidential campaign were national security and immigration. What was the third important issue during the 2016 presidential campaign?

Jobs

Which of the following are the primary goals the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is tasked with achieving? (Select all that apply.)

Maintaining the integrity of federal campaigns, Ensuring FECA compliance

A registered independent voter did not anticipate being able to vote in the primaries. However, the state party where the voter lives will determine whether or not the voter can participate in the primary election. In which type of primary is the voter going to cast their ballot?

Modified closed primary

How much of the electorate decides how to vote before the party conventions end in the summer?

More than half

What function does the Iowa caucus traditionally serve during a presidential election?

Narrows the field of candidates

A registered voter declares a party affiliation on the day of the election. In which type of primary is the voter going to cast their ballot?

Open primary

Which type of primary has the least restrictions on voters, but also weakens the power of parties?

Open primary

What is the primary purpose of the Federal Election Commission?

Oversee financing of national election campaigns

What is by far the most important long-term force affecting U.S. elections, particularly for those who make early voting decisions?

Party identification

What is a purpose of elections?

Promote the continuity of democracy, Legitimize the acts of elected officials, Confirm the worth and dignity of individual citizens as human beings, Ensure the responsiveness of democratic governments to the will of the people

During the last presidential election, a voter self-described as independent voted for officials from each of the political parties represented on the ballot. What term best describes this voting behavior?

Split-ticket voting

Which of the following is a committee that cannot provide direct funding to a campaign or candidate but may raise unlimited funds and engage in unlimited spending?

Super PACs

Which of the following best describes how Electoral College votes are allocated?

The number of votes a state has is based upon their Congressional representation.

Which entity conducted all phases of the election campaign prior to the 1950s?

The political parties

What would supporters of closed primaries say are the benefits?

They build party unity and loyalty.

Which of the following best describes a caucus?

They can be contentious because there is debate and discussion among participants.

Which of the following choices is a part of the polling package through which nightly interviews are conducted with constituents?

Tracking poll

Unlike Democratic presidential primaries, most Republican primaries prior to 2012 followed which principle?

Winner-take-all