Chapter 10

A ________ is an effort by political candidates and their staffs to win backing and support by voters in the quest for political office.

campaign

Which three types of factors influence the decisions of voters at the polls?

partisan loyalty, issues, and the characteristics of candidates

A referendum is the

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

In order for a political party to select a candidate to run in the general election, it holds a(n)

primary election

A major factor in John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential victory over Richard Nixon was

that Kennedy had a much stronger performance than Nixon during televised debates.

Who is an incumbent?

the current officeholder running for re-election

Private groups that raise and distribute funds for election campaigns are called

political action committees

In order to qualify for public funding in a presidential primary, a candidate must

run as a major party candidate and raise at least $5,000 in individual contributions of $250 or less in each of 20 states.

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

runoff election

The first caucus in the presidential primary campaign is held in ________, while the first primary election in the presidential primary campaign is held in ________.

Iowa, New Hampshire

Super PACs were made possible in part by the

Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

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

ballot initiative

Politicians attempt to "balance the ticket" with members of many important groups because

voters tend to prefer candidates who are closer to themselves in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, geography, and social background.