Campaigns and Elections
In the 2012 presidential campaign, roughly ______ in total was spent in support of each of the campaigns of the incumbent president and the challenger.
$1 billion
When outside spending on other national elections was added to that of the presidential election, the total spent was about
$7 billion
The proposal to allow underwater homeowners to refinance their distressed mortgages with government guarantees was called the
'Credit Suisse' Plan
The Republican Growth and Opportunity Project report has also been labeled as the
'autopsy report.'
Members of Democratic Party-affiliated groups have criticized Senators Cruz and Rubio as
'traitors to their own culture.'
Theoretically, it is possible to become president by winning only ______ of the most populous states.
11
In what year did the American housing market crash?
2008
In the 2016 elections, approximately ______ million Latinos and Latinas will be eligible voters.
27
The size of the House is currently fixed at ______ members.
435
In a majority election, when a candidate fails to win at least ______ of the vote, they must meet the second-place candidate in a runoff election.
50%
In an effort to effectively control the ballooning growth of campaign contributions, Congress passed the ______
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
In December 2014, Senator Elizabeth Warren highly criticized which of the nation's most powerful financial firms?
Citigroup
If no nominee wins a majority of electoral votes, then the presidential election is decided by the
Congress
The Hispanic candidates for the Republican nomination in 2016 shared which of the following Hispanic heritages?
Cuban American
Which of the following candidates was targeted by Latinas and Latinos in the Democratic Party as having 'hateful anti-Latino, anti-immigrant language'?
Donald Trump
The process for electing the president that involves the voting population choosing a slate of electors who are pledged to vote for the nominee in the presidential election is called the
Electoral College
In the 1970s, following the Watergate scandal, Congress passed the
Federal Election Campaign Act
The bureaucratic entity that is charged with overseeing and implementing national campaign finance laws is the
Federal Election Commission
Select the correct chronological order of lobbying legislation from the choices below.
Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act -> U.S. v. Hariss -> Ethics in Government Act -> Lobbying Disclosure Act -> Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
James Madison addressed the problem of factions in
Federalist 10
In the 2010 case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that independent, uncoordinated political speech by corporations during political campaigns is protected by the ______ Amendment.
First
Efforts to mobilize voters or potential voters are given the acronym
GOTV
The greatest force behind changing demographics in the United States is in the ______ population.
Hispanic American
Which of the following is considered the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States?
Hispanic-Americans
Which of the following best describes the current voting habits of Latino and Latina voters?
In spite of their growing potential electoral power, they are not voting in rates comparable to white and African-American voters
By 2008, which of the following facts was becoming clear?
Large numbers of Americans were wary of using taxpayer dollars to fund a bailout.
The focus of this chapter is on the ability of presidential and congressional candidates in the election of 2016 to capture the votes of
Latinos and Latinas
Political scientist Robert Dahl, in confronting the question of how a democratic system worked amid an inequality of resources, focused his attention on the theory of _____.
Pluralism
The reason it is hard to win a presidency with only a small number of states is because
Texas and California (the two largest states) tend to vote in opposite directions.
Which of the following describes the paradox of factions?
They may potentially be dangerous, but the Constitution virtually guarantees their formation
In the end, which of the following was Congress's policy decision?
They passed a full bailout bill
The growth of Latina and Latino voters is expected to be concentrated within the ______ United States.
Western and Southwestern
In evaluating the membership of groups, most of the evidence points to
a continued overrepresentation by the elite, powerful, and wealthy.
What policy decision did banks want the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department to make?
a large national bailout
Compared to other democracies in the world, Americans get to exercise their right to vote with
a much higher frequency
In the years following the financial crisis, the AARP argued for
a strengthening of Social Security
In December 2015, the Democratic Party presidential forerunner was likening herself to a Hispanic ______, which is translated as 'grandmother.'
abuela
According to the theory of pluralism, the Occupy Wall Street movement
acted as a counterweight to the financial firms
When agencies tasked with regulating businesses, industries, or other interest groups are populated by individuals with close ties to the very firms that they are supposed to regulate, it is described as
agency capture
Interest groups most often try to influence judicial decisions by way of
amicus curiae briefs
Nearly everything pertaining to candidates and campaigns for Congress is profoundly influenced by whether a candidate is
an incumbent.
The process of determining the number of representatives for each state is called ______.
apportionment
When a group manufactures or presents the facade of grassroots support that does not really exist on its own or at least would not have happened without the 'purchase' of support by the lobbying firm itself, political scientists refer to this as
astroturf lobbying
California's top-two primary system is also called a nonpartisan
blanket primary
In a parliamentary, system, the ______ has the choice of when to 'call' an election.
chief executive
The intentional breaking of a law for the purpose of calling attention to an injustice is best described as
civil diobedience
A phenomenon that occurs when a presidential candidate's increasing popularity results in increased support for congressional leaders of the same party is known as a ______.
coattail effect
Political action that occurs when individuals contribute energy, time, or money to a larger group goal is called
collective action
Benefits or desirable outcomes that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve or secure them are known as
collective goods
Once a nominee is selected, their problem becomes one of
communicating beyond a 'base' of voters
The theory of pluralism is one in which
competition among groups serves to keep any one of them in check
At the most basic level, the rules governing the division of voters into ______ are laid out in the Constitution.
constituencies
The framers of the Constitution did not want the election system to be too ______.
democratic
The grouping of individuals based on shared characteristics such as ancestry, race, ethnicity, and gender is known as
demographics.
Members of interest groups and social movements often resort to ______ to achieve their goals.
different tactics
Which interest groups account for the largest number and the largest amount of campaign donations in all categories of interest groups?
economic interest groups
A 2014 Pew Research Center survey concluded that the top five issues for Latino registered voters were, in order of perceived importance,
education, jobs and the economy, health care, immigration, and conflicts in the Middle East.
The theory of governmental influence that focuses on the advantages that certain interests have in the political process based on the unequal distribution of economic and political power is called ______ theory.
elitist
Madison's solution to the problem of factions was to
encourage competing factions
Long before officially campaigning, most candidates will form a(n) ______ committee in order to begin the fundraising process.
exploratory
As a safeguard against ______, the American federal system divides Americans' sovereignty between the nation and the states.
factions
The danger in interest groups and social movements is always one of ______.
factions that trample on the rights of others
Electors who change their mind in between the general election and the electoral college vote are known as
faithless electors
If, during the nomination process, a candidate survived by appealing primarily to the extremes of the party, then he/she may be seen as too
far right or far left for the average voter.
According to data presented by opensecrets.org, the ______ sector accounted for the single largest group of contributions when analyzed by sector.
financial
In the aftermath of the financial crisis and Wall Street bailout debate, many Americans were calling for
financial reform
Unlike in parliamentary systems, American elections are notable for the fact that they occur on
fixed and predictable schedule
Presidential elections are conducted every ______ years.
four
Those individuals who enjoy collective goods without contributing to them are called
free riders
Once selected by their parties, the nominees proceed to the
general election campaign
Many times, states are accused of intentionally changing congressional district lines in order to benefit a specific group. This is an example of ______.
gerrymandering
Voluntary associations share common traits in that they
get their rights to organize from the First Amendment
Organizations that act to secure the interests of local, state, or foreign governments in the political process are known as
governmental interest groups
James Madison realized that to eliminate factions, a republic must also
highly restrict the liberties of its citizens
In order for mortgage-backed securities to provide a return to their customers,
home prices had to go up
The roots of the financial crisis in the first decade of the 21st century were in the ______ market.
housing
Two challenges faced by Senators Cruz and Rubio as they reached out to Latina and Latino voters were their
identity as 'Hispanics' and the diversity of their viewpoints.
A perceived problem with Republican Hispanic candidates has been their viewpoint on the issue of
immigration
Since 2000, the lobbying influence over Congress has
increased
In Congress, 85 or even 90% of those in office are successfully reelected. This is best explained because they have ______.
incumbency avantage
Elections are the key way in which Americans keep their elected officials in line with the threat of voting ______ out of office and voting in ______.
incumbents / challengers
According to James Madison, which of the following posed the greatest danger?
inequality of wealth
When lobbyists contact members of Congress (or their staff) directly to advocate for their group's position, they are practicing
inside lobbying
Voluntary associations of people that come together with an agreed-upon set of political and policy objectives and who attempt to pull the levers of political power in the service of these defined goals are known as:
interest groups
Webs of influence among interest groups, policy makers, and policy advocates are known as
issue networks
The failure of Lehman Brothers illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of
joining a collective action
Alexis de Tocqueville was struck by American' passion for
joining groups
Mortgage-backed securities are described as the financial equivalent of
junk food
Elections confer ______ on the laws passed and the public policies enacted in the minds of Americans.
legitimacy
When the representative of a group interacts directly with government officials in order to advance that group's goals in the area of public policy, it could best be described as
lobbying
In the 1976 case of Buckley v. Valeo, the United States Supreme Court
maintained the constitutionality of restrictions on individual campaign contributions.
The effect of racial and ethnic gerrymandering is the creation of ______ districts.
majority-minority
Most recent efforts to regulate lobbying have focused on
making the process more transparent
In analyzing a set of legislative districts, experts sometimes find an uneven distribution of the population among them. This is best described as
malapportionment
Members of AARP receive a monthly magazine and a free gift when they join. This is an example of
material goods
Tangible benefits made available to members and contributors of a group are best described as
material rewards
First and foremost, money buys ______ in a candidate's campaign
media time
If there is one noun that captures the tension between representation by individual Americans and the outcomes of the political process in which they engage, it is
money
Campaigns and elections are both composed of many
moving parts
At the end of the 2012 election cycle, Republicans recognized they
must capture a larger percentage of Hispanic voters in the future.
According to the research of C. Wright Mills, the greatest challenge is found in the
nation's defense industry and its allies in government
The concluding phase of the nomination process takes place in
national convention
______ are tools by which the American political system chooses its representatives, presidents, senators, and members of Congress
national elections
Campaign ads that attack an opponent or opponents and try to raise doubts in voters' minds about them are known as
negative campaign advertising
Which of the following describes the stages of presidential election campaigns?
nomination and general election
C. Wright Mills noted that the exercise of power may be seen
not only in actions that are taken but in inaction or the prevention of actions.
Because California's 24th District will have no incumbent running for office, it is described as a(n)
open-seat election.
Once the official campaign process begins, declared candidates must compete with
others for their party's nomination.
Efforts that focus on reaching the constituents themselves rather than their representatives are described as
outside lobbying
Rather than voting directly for president, voters in a national election are selecting
partisan choices for the national stage.
Electors are chosen from
party leaders and loyal activists
In most states, a congressional candidate only needs a ______ of votes in the primaries or general election.
plurality
The set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public attend is known as the
policy agenda
Groups of at least 50 individuals who contribute higher dollar amounts than individuals within federal limits are known as
political action committees
Partisan gerrymandering is designed to give specific advantage to a(n) ______.
political party
David Truman, in his 1962 book The Governmental Process, noted that the federalists were, ironically, an important example of a
political pressure group.
A group composed of the top echelons of people in the business world in government and in the military is known as the ______.
power elite
In most states, presidential nominees are selected by
primaries
Public demonstration designed to call attention to the need for social action or change is best defined as
protest
Social movements like the civil rights movement and LGBT movement have most often used which of the following tactics?
protest and civil disobedience
Which of the following would be a god example of a collective good?
public transportation
When one receives the satisfaction of working with others to achieve a common goal or purpose, these inducements are referred to as ______.
purposive benefits
The process that occurs when states redraw their electoral district boundaries following an official census is known as ______.
redistricting
After a candidate's campaign becomes official, he/she must
register with the FEC
Reflecting on an incumbent's past performance in an election is called ______ voting.
retrospective
The movement of individuals between government and lobbying positions is known as the ______ phenomenon.
revolving door
Participation in the electoral system may serve to remind Americans of their ______.
rights and responsibilities
Goods that are made available only to those who join or contribute to a group are best described as
selective benefits
The AAA offers roadside assistance service only to its dues-paying members in good standing. This is an example of
selective benefits
Many people join professional associations with the hope of networking with or meeting influential people in their field. This would be an example of
social benefits
Hillary Clinton's strategy to reach out to Hispanic voters was highly criticized in
social media
Associations of individuals that come together to change things or to keep things from changing by calling attention to a set of perceived injustices or wrongs in order to get policy makers to act and/or to educate the people are best described as
social movements
Successful lobbyists must have
solid, useful policy knowledge as well as the ability to be heard by those in government.
In order to impact current and future elections, Latinas and Latinos must
speak with a coordinated voice
In the American political system, elected leaders are tasked with
speaking on behalf of the people
The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives are prescribed by the
state legislatures.
The size of the Senate depends only upon the number of ______.
states
While taxpayers and citizens were sending their message to Congress on the bailout proposal, the ______ was sending its own message of impending financial collapse.
stock market
In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United, ______ are allowed to spend unlimited amounts during a political campaign as long as the spending is not coordinated with that campaign.
super PACs
States in which no one political party tends to dominate national elections are described as
swing states
Because banks could not produce enough loans to supply the mortgage-backed securities market, they began to
take increasingly larger risks
In contrast to iron triangles, issue networks are often
temporary
Which of the following would be an example of a public interest group?
the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Which of the following, because of its efforts to right a perceived social wrong, would be considered an interest group that spawned a social movement?
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Which of the following would be the best example of an economic interest group?
the National Automotive Dealers Association
Which specific part of the First Amendment guarantees the right of a citizen to lobby?
the Redress of Grievances Clause
The basics of the structure of presidential elections are laid out in
the United States Constitution
Interest groups are often categorized and analyzed according to
the broader goals that they set out to achieve and on whose behalf they hope to succeed.
The coordinated (and mutually beneficial) activities of interest groups, Congress, and the bureaucracy to achieve shared policy goals, sometimes against the general interests of society or specific groups within it, best describes
the iron triangle
How political interest groups wield power and how much power they have depends on
the level of organization within the groups
While many of the rules governing the nomination process are set by federal and state laws, the details about how things actually work are hammered out by
the parties
A problem with mortgage-backed securities (MBS) was
the relationship between the borrower and the holder of the loan was totally disconnected.
Senators were originally chosen by
the state legislatures.
In a study published in 2011 entitled 'A Fistful of Dollars. Lobbying and Financial Crisis,' the authors reached the conclusion that the greatest risk taking was among
those most active in lobbying
In order to stagger the elections of senators, the Senate was divided into ______ 'classes.'
three
The House of Representatives guarantees each state a minimum of ______ vote(s).
three
In California's 24th District, Supervisor Carbajal was running under California's ______ system.
top-two primary
In the Republican race of 2016, there were ______ Hispanic candidates running, while in the Democratic race, there were ______.
two / none
An example of a 'free rider' would be a person who
uses a public park but pays no local taxes
Groups and communities that join with each other in pursuit of collective interests and common goals are known as
voluntary associations
The first and perhaps foremost role of interest groups in the electoral process is
voter education
Having a sizeable ______, especially early in a campaign, may discourage potential challengers from entering a political race.
war chest
Interest groups vary on the basis of their ______.
wealth, political clout, and access to governmental officials
Economist Mancur Olson developed an influential theory on the logic of interest group participation in his study of
why people choose not to participate
The elections of both Bill Clinton in 1992 and George W. Bush in 2000 are examples of
winning the presidency without winning the popular vote.
