American Gov't Chapter 10: Campaigns and Elections

The main difference between a 527 committee and 501(c)(4) committee is that

B. A 501(c)(4) is not legally required to disclose where it gets its money while a 527 is legally required to do so

In the 2016 general election, voters who said they felt the country and the economy were headed in the wrong direction were most likely to vote for

B. Donald Trump

A closed primary is a primary election in which

B. Only registered members of the party may vote

When a voter decides which candidate to vote for based on past performance, the voter is engaged in

B. Retrospective voting

Recall

A procedure to allow voters to remove state officials from office before their terms expire by circulating petitions to call a vote

Ballot initiative

A proposed law or policy change that is place on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote

General election

A regularly scheduled election involving most districts in the nation or state, in which voters select officeholders; In the U.S., general elections for national office and most state and local offices are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years (every four years for presidential elections)

Delegate

A representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency

Gerrymandering

A strategy of drawing legislative districts to favor a political party.

Political action committee (PAC)

A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns

Type of gerrymandering: Stacking

Merging two districts of the same party to force incumbents to run against each other

A runoff election is a...

"Second-round" election between the top two candidates from the first round.

The Constitution also says that Congress shall be "..."

"the judge of Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members."

Advantages of incumbents (those already in office): (2)

1) Already well known 2) Little difficulty attracting supporters and donors

Free media coverage can come from: (3)

1) Appearances on talk shows for interviews 2) Town hall meetings in which candidates talk with citizens 3) Use of digital and social media

A campaign is an effort to win the backing of: (3)

1) Donors 2) Activists 3) Voters

Three types of gerrymandering: (3)

1) Packing 2) Cracking 3) Stacking

Variations of ballots include: (3)

1) Paper ballots 2) Mechanical voting machines 3) Computerized systems

Districts are drawn every ___ years

10

There are 538 electors in all; the winning candidate needs a majority ______ votes to become president.

270

Runoff election

A "second-round" election in which voters choose between the top two candidates from the first round

Incumbent

A candidate running for re-election to a position that he or she already holds

Caucus

A meeting of voters to choose the party's candidate (used by one-third of the states).

Proportional representation

A multiple-member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote

Party platform

A party document, written at a national convention, that contains party philosophy, principles, and policy positions

Open primary

A primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election

Closed primary

A primary election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates but only of the party in which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to primary day

Majority system

A type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate must receive a majority of all the votes cast in the relevant district

Plurality system

A type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily a majority of the votes cast

Which of the following states flipped from Democratic to Republican in the 2016 election?

A. Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania

In a Majority System, the winner must receive an absolute majority of...

All votes cast (50 percent plus 1)

A candidate's race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and social background are...

Also weighed by voters on Election Day

Describe the major rules and procedures of elections in the United States

American elections are subject to many specific rules. The responsibility for administering elections rests mainly with states and counties, and most elections in the U.S. today use the Australian ballot and operate under a plurality, rather than a majority or proportional representation, system. Unlike members of the House of Reps, who are elected through a direct vote from districts that are redrawn every 10 years, presidents are elected indirectly by the electoral college

Campaign

An effort by political candidates and their supporters to win the backing of donors, political activists, and voters in their quest for political office

Majority-minority district

An electoral district, such as a congressional district, in which the majority of the constituents belong to racial or ethnic minorities

Town hall meeting

An informal public meeting in which candidates meet with ordinary citizens

How has the ballot changed over time?

Before 1890, ballots were provided by political parties. Each party printed its own ballot. Party ballots only listed the names of the party's own candidates. This encouraged "straight-ticket voting" (selecting candidates from the same party for all offices on the ballot).

If a state has 10 members in the U.S. House of Representatives, how many votes in the electoral college does that state have?

C. 12

An incumbent is a candidate who

C. Already holds the office he or she is running for

In nearly every election since 1980, the average amount of money spent by House incumbents to secure reelection has

C. Been greater than the average amount of money spent by challengers

The Consumer Confidence Index

C. Has been an inaccurate predictor of presidential outcomes

In Buckley v. Valeo, the Supreme Court ruled that

C. The right of individuals to spend their own money to campaign is constitutionally protected

In 2016, Trump and the Republicans received a majority of votes from

C. Whites and men

Town hall meetings allow...

Candidates to deliver messages without the presence of journalists or commentators

Nomination involves primary elections and ________

Caucuses

Midterm elections

Congressional elections that don't coincide with a presidential election; Also called off-year elections

When a voter casts a ballot for a party's presidential candidate and then "automatically" votes for the rest of that party's candidates, it is referred to as

D. Straight-ticket voting

In the 2016 presidential election, public funding

D. Was declined by both major-party candidates

Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code

Defines and provides tax-exempt status for nonprofit advocacy groups

Partisan attachments...

Don't change frequently and are an important influence on which candidates a voter chooses to support.

To win under the plurality system used in most American elections a candidate must receive

E. More votes than his or her opponents, regardless of the percentage

Primary elections

Elections held to select a party's candidate for the general election

Voters are not voting directly for candidates; instead, voters select electors who go to the ____________ ____________.

Electoral college

State and local governments are primarily responsible for running elections, which includes... (4)

Establishing and staffing polling places Processing mail-in ballots Verifying and determining voter eligibility Determining how and where people vote

Baker v. Carr (1962) ruling states that _________ ________ can intervene in the drawing of legislative districts

Federal courts

Legislative districts have _________________ ______________

Geographical boundaries

Analyze the strategies, issues, and outcomes of the 2016 elections

In 2016 voters elected Republican Donald Trump to the presidency even though the vast majority of pre-election polling showed Democrat Hillary Clinton in the lead. Republicans retained control of both the House of Reps and the Senate. Throughout the 2016 campaigns both parties argued that they had a better plan for addressing the many challenges facing the nation

Explain how campaigns are typically conducted

In order to successfully run for national or statewide office, candidates must create formal campaign organizations that employ a campaign manager, a media consultant, a pollster, a financial adviser, a press spokesperson, and a staff director. Campaigns must decide on a message and a strategy for communicating that message to the voters they want to target

Referendum

Law proposed by a legislature that is referred to the public for a vote of approval or rejection

By the start of the 1900s, party ballots had been replaced by ballots prepared by the government This development brought about the adoption of the Australian _____ ______ ballot.

Long form ballot

This system includes a provision for a runoff election

Majority System

_______ _________ is critical to a campaign

Media exposure

Describe how candidates raise the money they need to run

Modern political campaigns in the U.S. are enormously expensive, and candidates with most money often win. Supreme Court cases since the mid-1970s have removed many restrictions on campaign finance. Candidates finance their campaigns with money from individual donors, political action committees, political parties, and the candidates' own bank accounts. Election spending by Super PACs and non-profit groups must be independent of candidates' campaigns. The Federal Elections Campaign Act also provides for public funding of presidential campaigns

Mass media campaign

Money intensive: relies on TV, radio, newspaper, and digital/social media Very important for statewide and presidential candidates

The first stage in a presidential election is the ___________ phase

Nomination

527 committees

Nonprofit independent groups established specifically to receive and disburse funds to influence the nomination, election, or defeat of candidates

What encouraged "straight ticket voting"?

Party ballots only listed the names of the party's own candidates.

Straight-ticket voting

Selecting candidates from the same political party for all offices on the ballot

Voters may also consider the...

Past and future behavior of competing parties and candidates.

Grassroots Campaign

People intensive: requires volunteers to knock on doors, hand out leaflets, and organize rallies Very important for local and congressional candidates

Districts must adhere to the principle of "one _________, one ______."

Person; vote

What system is used in most elections in the United States?

Plurality system

Grassroots politics

Political campaigns that operate at the local level, often using face-to-face communication to generate interest and momentum by citizens

501(c)(4) committees

Politically active nonprofits

What is this an example of? "A party that wins 30 percent of the vote in the election earns about 30 percent of the seats in the legislature."

Proportional representation

___________ ________________ gives a voice to smaller parties in government.

Proportional representation

Type of gerrymandering: Packing

Ramming many voters of one party into a district to dilute their votes in other districts

A _________ election is held when a minimum threshold of voters sign a petition calling for one

Recall

A __________ election allows voters to remove state officials from office before their term expires.

Recall

Type of gerrymandering: Cracking

Tearing up dense pockets of party voters to dilute their votes in that district

Throughout the 2016 campaigns both parties argued...

That they had a better plan for addressing the many challenges facing the nation

Gerrymandering

The apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party

Referendum

The practice of referring a proposed law passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection

Electoral college

The presidential electors from each state who meet after the general election to cast ballots for president and vice president

Redistricting

The process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives; This happens every 10 years, to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges in existing districts

Gerrymandering

This term comes from the name of a nineteenth-century Massachusetts governor, Elbridge Gerry

Identify the major factors that influence voters' decisions

Three factors influence the decisions that voters make at the polls: partisan loyalty, issues and policy preferences, and candidate characteristics. Partisan attachments don't change frequently and are an important influence on which candidates a voter chooses to support. Voters may also consider the past and future behavior of competing parties and candidates. A candidate's race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and social background are also weighed by voters on Election Day

501(c)(4) committees

Under federal law, these nonprofits can spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns and not disclose their donors as long as their activities aren't coordinated with the candidate campaigns and political activities aren't their primary purpose

Prospective voting

Voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate or political party

Retrospective voting

Voting based on the past performance of a candidate or political party

Plurality system

the winner is the candidate who earns the most votes (but not necessarily a majority)