Chapter 10. Campaigns and Elections

How are campaigns different now compared to several decades ago?

-Almost all campaigns make use of public-opinion polls of likely voters. -Campaigns make use of big data to inform their campaign strategies. -Campaigns more often engage in micro-targeting.

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.

-Democrats -Republicans -won -runoff

Why might digital media be more effective than television ads?

-It may be more effective with viewers because internet users seek out information. -It is cheaper. -It offers more possibilities for free advertisement.

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the stability of party identification?

-Looking at the electorate as a whole, party identification is stable. -Individuals rarely change their party identification.

examples of micro-targeting

-Marceline is strongly pro-life, and she receives a phone call from a pro-life supporter of a local candidate. -Jake is a doctor, and he receives a campaign mailer about a candidate's position on medical malpractice reform.

majority-minority districts

-Most such districts occur because of the geographic concentration of minority populations. -The Supreme Court has generally opposed the creation of such districts. -They occur when more than 50 percent of the people living in the district come from a minority racial or ethnic background.

the role of partisanship in elections

-Party loyalties are fairly stable but can change over time. -Partisan loyalty has a large impact on voters' evaluations of candidates and their vote choice.

Redistricting

-Redistricting is conducted to account for population shifts within a state. -Redistricting can sometimes result in gerrymandering, in which districts are drawn in such a way to give one group (party, race, or ethnic group) an advantage over another.

2020 presidential election

-There was a sizable gender gap among voters. -Ideological moderates and independents supported Joe Biden over Donald Trump.

ballot initiative

-allows citizens to place proposed law directly on ballot

Since America's Founding, candidates for president have been nominated using a variety of methods. Put the following nomination methods in order from earliest in American history to the most recent.

-congressional "King Caucus" -delegates chosen by state party leaders -delegates chosen by primaries and caucuses

Order the political candidates on their likelihood of attracting campaign donations from interest groups from most likely to least likely.

-incumbent member of majotiry party -incumbent member of minority party -challenger candidate from majority party -challenger candidate from minority party

grassroots campaign

-organizationally driven -local campaign

referendum

-state legislature refers laws to voters for popular vote -required for changes to state constitutions -present in 50 states

mass media campaign

-statewide campaign -money-intensive

Drew is voting in a congressional election for the first time. He has decided to support Clyde, a former youth minister, over Cheryl who was recently implicated in a savings and loan scandal because he views Clyde as being more trustworthy. What factor that can influence voter decisions does is Drew considering?

candidate characteristics

presidential election

four years

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions

Maria is deciding whether to vote to re-elect a sitting president or to vote for the other party's challenger. She decides to engage in retrospective voting. As a retrospective voter, she might consider which of the following factors?

how the economy did during the president's previous term in office

Buckley v. Valeo (1974)

introduced idea that campaign contributions count as speech

Relative to campaigns in the nineteenth century, today's campaigns require ________ effort by campaign workers and _________ campaign money.

less more

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

McCutcheon et al. v. FEC (2014)

removed limits on how many PACs or candidates an individual can give to

congressional elections

two years

midterm elections

two years