Elections

In 1992, Ross Perot won 20% of the popular vote for President. How many electoral college votes did he receive? a.) None. b.) He won a handful in the south. c.) 113, or 20% of the total votes. d.) He won less than half. e.) He won more than half.

a.) None.

In March of 2020, Oklahoma held a closed primary to choose the Republican presidential candidate. This means that a.) Only Republicans voted for the Republican nominee. b.) Only Republicans "caucused" in various locations for the Republican nominee. c.) Everyone, regardless of party affiliation, voted on the Republican nominee. d.) Everyone, regardless of party affiliation, voted on all the candidates, and the top two will go on to the general election. e.) Everyone, regardless of party affiliation, "caucused" in various locations for the Republican nominee.

a.) Only Republicans voted for the Republican nominee.

Most studies show that the foremost factor in determining how most people vote is a.) Partisan (party) loyalty b.) Valence issues c.) Candidates character d.) Debates e.) TV ads

a.) Partisan (party) loyalty

Which of the following is the MOST important influence on the choice made by voters in presidential elections? a.) Partisan identification. b.) Party platform. c.) Vice presidential running mate. d.) Endorsement by other politicians. e.) Campaign ads.

a.) Partisan identification.

A voter is very concerned about the environment, and votes for the candidate she thinks has the best policies when it comes to decreasing pollution. This is a type of a.) Prospective voting. b.) Retrospective voting. c.) Partisan voting. d.) Split ticket voting. e.) Regressive voting.

a.) Prospective voting.

Which of the following statements regarding SuperPACs (independent expenditure PACs) is NOT TRUE? a.) SuperPACs are limited in the amount of money they can spend. b.) SuperPACs may not coordinate with candidates they support. c.) SuperPACs may receive "dark" money. d.) SuperPACs may spend money on personal items, like vacations and boats. e.) SuperPACs may receive donations from corporations and unions.

a.) SuperPACs are limited in the amount of money they can spend.

In general, who creates the rules and standards for primary elections? a.) The political parties. b.) Congress. c.) The President. d.) The candidates themselves. e.) The governors.

a.) The political parties.

A candidate for Congress wins a plurality of the vote, but less than 50%. What would be the result in MOST states? a.) They would win. b.) They would lose. c.) They would face a run off. d.) The election would be repeated. . e.) The state legislators would choose the winner.

a.) They would win.

Dark money refers to money in campaigns that a.) Was donated to campaigns but the donors are unknown. b.) Is tied to special liberal interest groups. c.) Has been illegally obtained. d.) Comes from "dark" drug cartels. e.) Was stained during money laundering.

a.) Was donated to campaigns but the donors are unknown.

Following the Citizen's United decision by the Supreme Court, the U.S. saw a.) an enormous increase in campaign spending. b.) a decrease in campaign spending. c.) an increase in illegal brides taken by politicians. d.) a decrease in corporate donations. e.) a decrease in "dark money".

a.) an enormous increase in campaign spending.

The change in the primary system for choosing party nominees has resulted in a.) party nominees with more extreme ideologies. b.) party nominees with more moderate ideologies. c.) more involvement of the party elites as they choose the nominees. d.) an increase in moderate voters participating in the nomination process. e.) a decrease in the amount of money spent in presidential campaigns.

a.) party nominees with more extreme ideologies.

One significant difference between Traditional PACs and Super PACs is that a.) Traditional PACs raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on a single candidate. b.) Super PACs may spend unlimited amounts of money, provided they do not coordinate with a candidate. c.) Super PACs are illegal following Citizen's United. d.) Super PACs must have permission from a candidate to run advertisement. e.) Traditional PACs have only existed since 2010.

b.) Super PACs may spend unlimited amounts of money, provided they do not coordinate with a candidate.

Which of the following no longer routinely happens at a Political Convention? a.) The party's platform is developed. b.) The party elite meet in "smoked filled" rooms to decide on the presidential nominee. c.) Important politicians get free air time. d.) The delegates to the convention officially cast their votes for the party nominee. e.) Party organization is established for running the party between conventions.

b.) The party elite meet in "smoked filled" rooms to decide on the presidential nominee.

Running for Congress is different than president in that a.) More people pay attention to Congressional races. b.) You are more likely to be reelected as a member of Congress. c.) Congressional races last longer than presidential. d.) Congressional races are more evenly divided than presidential. e.) All of these are differences.

b.) You are more likely to be reelected as a member of Congress.

What is a party platform? a.) A set of mandatory standards that candidates must adhere to if running on a party ticket. b.) A designated stage for addressing political pundits during the national convention. c.) A set of formal principals adopted by a political party at the national convention. d.) All of the above. e.) None of the above.

c.) A set of formal principals adopted by a political party at the national convention.

Retrospective voting means to vote a.) Based upon previous life experiences and candidates that align with those experiences. b.) Based upon older, traditional values. c.) Based upon the current state of the country, and to reward or punish the current president. d.) Based upon partisan loyalties. e.) To return the country to more conservative ideas.

c.) Based upon the current state of the country, and to reward or punish the current president.

In most states, how are Electoral College members awarded? a.) Members go to whomever the states' legislators choose. b.) Members are proportionately divided, based upon the amount of popular vote received. c.) Members are awarded entirely to whomever gets the most votes. d.) Members are awarded entirely to whomever gets the most votes, provided the candidate gets over 50% of the vote. e.) Members are awarded based upon a vote of the House of Representatives.

c.) Members are awarded entirely to whomever gets the most votes.

In a presidential election, most of the "swing" voters are those who a.) Have extreme political ideologies. b.) Vote frequently and consistently. c.) Are strongly partisan. d.) Pay close attention to the candidates' positions. e.) Pay relatively little attention to politics.

e.) Pay relatively little attention to politics.

A major difference between a presidential campaign and a congressional campaign is that a.) Fewer people vote in presidential elections. b.) Presidential candidates are less likely to be blamed for a bad economy. c.) Presidential campaigns are generally more competitive than congressional campaigns. d.) Congressional incumbents are less likely to be reelected. e.) People who only vote in presidential campaigns tend to have more extreme political ideologies.

c.) Presidential campaigns are generally more competitive than congressional campaigns.

A voter loses his job during a recession. Because of this he votes for the challenger, not the incumbent, for President. This is a type of a.) Split ticket voting. b.) Gerrymandering. c.) Retrospective voting. d.) Prospective voting. e.) Partisan voting.

c.) Retrospective voting.

What is the main difference between PACs and SuperPACs? a.) SuperPacs are unconstitutional. b.) Pacs may spend an unlimited amount of money. c.) SuperPacs may not coordinate with candidates. d.) There are no differences between the two. e.) SuperPACs cannot advertise for a candidate without his or her permission.

c.) SuperPacs may not coordinate with candidates.

What is a characteristic of people who tend to participate in primaries? a.) They tend to be younger. b.) The tend to be more conservative. c.) The tend to be more extreme, either very liberal or very conservative. d.) They tend to be more moderate. e.) They tend to be less informed about politics.

c.) The tend to be more extreme, either very liberal or very conservative.

How often are incumbents reelected to congress? a.) They are only reelected on the "coattails" of the president. b.) They are only reelected during midterms when the president is unpopular. c.) They are routinely reelected, with as many as 80-90% returned to office. d.) They are reelected, but only if they are Democrats. e.) They are reelected, but only if Republicans.

c.) They are routinely reelected, with as many as 80-90% returned to office.

Because of the electoral college system, presidential campaigns often focus their campaign on a.) rural counties. b.) the entire country. c.) a handful of key swing states. d.) the south. e.) smaller states, like Oklahoma

c.) a handful of key swing states.

Which of the following is NOT true about midterm elections? a.) Usually, whichever political party holds the presidency loses seats in Congress during a midterm. b.) Voters with more extreme political ideologies vote during midterms. c.) Midterms occur every 4 years, between the president's term. d.) All of the Senate is up for reelection during the midterm. e.) All of the House is up for reelection during a midterm.

d.) All of the Senate is up for reelection during the midterm.

Which of the following is NOT a good argument for keeping the electoral college? a.) It ensures that smaller states have a stronger say in choosing the President. b.) It protects against wide-scale voting problems. c.) It ensures that certain "swing states" receive more attention. d.) It enables the electoral college members, who have more knowledge and experience than average citizens, to make wise decisions about who should be president. e.) It prevents the rise of radical 3rd parties.

d.) It enables the electoral college members, who have more knowledge and experience than average citizens, to make wise decisions about who should be president.

Oklahoma's Constitution has been amendment many times through a.) Congressional mandates. b.) recalls. . c.) directives from the Governor. d.) initiatives. e.) the President.

d.) initiatives.

The various positions taken by a political party is known as their a.) Campaign promise. b.) Contract. c.) lies. d.) party platform. e.) coattail strategy.

d.) party platform.

Which of the following statements regarding midterm elections is true? a.) The entire House of Representatives is up for reelection. b.) One third of the Senate is up for reelection. c.) Midterms occur midway between the President's 4-year term, every 4 years. d.) More ideological extreme voters and those who are angry with the President participate in midterms. e.) All of these answers are true.

e.) All of these answers are true.

Which of the following statements regarding direct democracy is true? a.) Direct democracy ensures that minorities are protected. b.) Direct democracy requires relatively little information on the part of the voter. c.) Direct democracy occurs frequently at the national level. d.) The Founding Fathers were big supporters of direct democracy. e.) Direct democracy allows voters to bypass politicians and vote directly on laws.

e.) Direct democracy allows voters to bypass politicians and vote directly on laws.

Which of the following statements BEST describes how money in campaigns affects politicians? a.) Having more money ensures a candidate will win an election. b.) Politicians don't worry about donations and money in campaigns. . c.) Money equalizes the playing field, making it easier for average citizens to run for office. d.) Money ensures that politicians focus on issues that are supported by average citizens. e.) Money plays a significant role in how politicians behave and may limit who is able to run for office.

e.) Money plays a significant role in how politicians behave and may limit who is able to run for office.

Which of the following is NOT a reason that the United States spends more on elections as compared to other democracies? a.) Some other democratic countries limit how long campaigning can last. b.) Most other countries do not treat restrictions on spending as the same as restrictions on free speech. c.) Many other countries provide public funding or free media for candidates. d.) Many other democratic countries limit the total amount a candidate can spend on a campaign. e.) Most other countries have many more elections compared to the United States.

e.) Most other countries have many more elections compared to the United States.

Which of the following statements regarding the Electoral College is NOT TRUE? a.) Candidates do not need to win the popular vote to win the presidency. b.) The number of electoral college votes that each state has is based upon the number of Congressional members (House plus Senate) for that state. c.) All but two states award all of the electoral college votes to whomever got the most votes in the state. d.) It is very rare for an electoral college member to be "faithless" or vote against the wishes of the majority in their state. e.) The electoral college today functions exactly the same as when the Founding Fathers created it.

e.) The electoral college today functions exactly the same as when the Founding Fathers created it.

Which of the following statements regarding regulation of money in campaigns is true? a.) Money and speech are not the same thing, and therefore regulation of campaign finance has nothing to do with free speech. b.) Regulating money in campaigns is merely a time, place and manner restriction and therefore is Constitutional. c.) Limiting the amount donated by individuals to a candidate prevents the appearance of "quid pro quo" and is Constitutional, but the government cannot regulate the amount of spending. d.) Money and speech are the same thing, and therefore the government cannot place any restrictions on the amount donated or spent in campaigns. e.) None of the above are correct.

not a or e

In Buckley v. Valeo, the Supreme Court decided that a.) Money and speech were not the same thing, and therefore the government could regulate the amount of money that was spent by a candidate. b.) Regulating money in campaigns was merely a time, place and manner restriction and therefore was always Constitutional. c.) Limiting the amount donated by individuals to a candidate prevented the appearance of "quid pro quo", and therefore the government had a compelling interest in regulating it. d.) Money and speech are the same thing, and therefore the government could not regulate the amount spent by or contributed to a candidate. e.) None of the above are correct.

not a or e or b

In recent years, the most common outcome of a midterm election is a.) divided government. b.) an increase in Senators that are aligned with the President. c.) an increase in House members that are aligned with the President. d.) unified government. e.) none of these answers are correct.

not b

If you have $1 million dollars, and want to affect politics, what can you NOT do with that money? a.) Run for president and spend all the money on your campaign. b.) Donate all the money to your friend who is running for president. c.) Form an independent organization that tries to get your friend elected (without coordinating with them) and donate all the money to that organization. d.) All of these actions are prohibited under campaign finance regulations. e.) None of these actions are prohibited under campaign finance regulations.

not d or a

People who vote prospectively tend to a.) Be "swing" voters, switching party affiliation each election. b.) Pay more attention to politics and are better informed about the issues. c.) Vote primarily based upon the current condition of the country. d.) Vote exclusively on valence issues. e.) Both a & c.

not e