Gov ch 10 campaign and elections
How many times in American history has the presidential candidate who won the most popular votes not been selected by the electoral college?
3
National elections are held in the United States on the first Tuesday of November ________ year(s).
every other
If George W. Bush won the plurality of votes in Texas during the 2000 election, and Texas had thirty representatives in the House of Representatives, how many electoral votes from Texas did Bush win?
32
In 1911, Congress fixed the size of the House of Representatives at ______ members.
435
in 1911, Congress decided that the House had become large enough and voted to fix its size at
435
A majority electoral system, which is used on a limited basis in the United States, requires that acandidate must win __________ to win an election.
50 percent plus one of all votes cast
A majority system, which is used on a limited basis in the United States, requires that a candidate must win ______ to win an election
50 percent plus one of all votes cast
Approximately how much money does it take for a candidate to have a reasonable chance of winning a seat in the House of Representatives?
500,000
"Dark money" comes from
501(c)(4)s.
What is the first step in running for president?
forming an exploratory committee
When candidates for office sponsor hearings, undertake inspection tours of disaster areas, or meet with foreign dignitaries, the form of publicity they receive is called
free media
When states vie for influence by holding their nominating processes earlier, it is called
frontloading
"Campaigning" has largely become synonymous with
fundraising
The practice of ________ means that district boundaries have been purposefully drawn to unfairly advantage one group or party.
gerrymandering
The practice of __________ means that district boundaries have been purposefully drawn to unfairly advantage one group or party.
gerrymandering
the first goal of an individual planning to run for office is to
get mentioned as a possible candidate.
in the general election, the government pays all the costs of each candidate up to a limit set by law. in 2004 that limit was set at about ____ million dollars.
74
The result produced when voters cast a ballot for the president and then automatically vote for the remainder of the party's candidates is called?
Coattail effect
Primary elections were introduced by the _______ in order to weaken the power of party leaders.
Progressives
A major factor in John Kennedy's 1960 presidential victory over Richard Nixon was
hat Kennedy had a much stronger performance than Nixon during televised debates.
Split-ticket voting
increases partisan divisions in government.
Which of the following statements about campaign spending in Senate elections is true?
incumbents generally spend more money than challengers in Senate campaigns.
In America, candidates win party nominations primarily through
individual effort
The right of candidates to spend their own money on running for office
is protected absolutely by the First Amendment, according to the Supreme Court.
what is the value of presidential coattails to congressional candidates of the same party?
it is becoming much less significant today.
Which of the following political officers are subject to recall elections?
The governor of the state of California
_______ is the most common electoral system used in general elections in the United States.
The plurality system
__________ is the most common electoral system used in general elections in the United States.
The plurality system
Which statement best reflects the relationship between popular presidential candidates and congressional candidates of the same party?
There has been a sharp decline in the benefit of presidential coattails for congressional candidates.
At a party convention, when an entire state delegation votes for a single candidate supported by the majority of its delegates, it is called the
Unit Rule
Which of the following statements is true?
Voting equipment varies form county to county throughout the united states
Which of the following is a valence issue rather than a position issue?
Wasted tax dollars
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
When voters are satisfied with their economic prospects, they tend to vote for the party in power.
When the Supreme Court announced the principle of "one person, one vote," what did it mean?
Within a state, electoral districts must have roughly equal populations.
when the Supreme Court announced the principle of "one person, one vote" what did it mean?
Within a state, electoral districts must have roughly equal populations.
Research suggests political ads which ________ wield the greatest influence over voters with thegreatest interest in politics.
appeal to emotion
the boundaries of legislative districts in the United States are to be redrawn every __________ years.
ten -census
Which party has reserved slots at the national convention for elected superdelegates?
the Democrats
if presidential campaigns were decided simply by party identification
the Democrats would always win
Which of the following has increased the ability of candidates to raise small contributions from tens of thousands of donors?
the Internet
Which of the following statements about primary elections is MOST accurate ?
the United States is one of the few nations in the world to hold primary elections.
Which of the following political officers are not subject to recall elections?
the president b. senators c. federal judges d. None of the above is subject to a recall election.
Smaller and weaker parties are most likely to have electoral success under which system of elections?
the proportional representation system
in recent presidential elections the independent vote has usually favored
the republicans
to a political canditate, the drawback of television visuals and debates is
the risk of slipups
"King Caucus" refers to
the use of each party's congressional caucus to nominate presidential candidates during the early nineteenth century.
Early presidential primaries and caucuses are more important because
they can help a candidate secure media attention and financial support.
A ______ is a media format in which candidates meet with ordinary citizens, without the input of journalists or commentators.
town hall meeting
which of the following were not major contributors to George w. bush's 2000 presidential campaign?
trial lawyers
In 2004, President Bush generally received the votes of all of the following except
union members
Under current federal campaign finance rules , a national political party committee
may make unlimited " independent expenditures" advocating support for its own presidential candidate as long as these expenditures are not coordinated with the candidate own campaign.
In contemporary politics, local election campaigns tend to be ________, while statewide elections tend to be ________.
organizationally driven and labor intensive; media-driven and capital intensive
Three types of factors, _______, influence the decisions of voters at the polls.
partisan loyalty, issues, and the characteristics of candidates
Sport advertisements are useful because they
permit a candidate's message to be delivered to a target audience before people can tune out
Generally speaking, a recall effort begins with a
petition campaign
If the winner of an election is whoever receives the most votes, regardless of the percentage of votes received, the candidates are running under a _______ system.
plurality
If the winner of an election is whoever receives the most votes, regardless of the percentage of votesreceived, the candidates are running under a __________
plurality
Before the 1890s, who was responsible for printing election ballots?
political parties
The themes, issues, and messages that candidates present during a campaign are generally based on
polls and focus groups.
a _______ issue is one in which the rival candidates have opposing views on a question that also divides the voters.
position
the elections that produce the largest voter turnout are the ___________
presidential elections
a major difference between presidential campaigns and congressional campaigns is that _____________
presidential races are generally more competitive.
All of the following statements about presidential and congressional races are true except
presidents can distance themselves from the "mess" in Washington.
In order for a political party to select a candidate to run in the general election, it holds a
primary election
Campaign consultants do all of the following except
print ballots for the election
funding of congressional elections comes from
private sources only
For their primaries, most but not all state parties use what type of election?
proportional representation
Most European nations employ what system of elections?
proportional representation
Political scientist call voters' choices that focus on future behavior ______, while those based on past performances are called ______.
prospective voting; retrospective voting
Which of the following is the best example of direct democracy in practice in the United States?
referendum
which of the following is the best example of direct democracy in practice in the United States?
referendum
Ronald Reagan's 1980 victory over Jimmy Carter particularly suggests the importance of
retrospective voting in presidential elections
________ states currently require all voters to show some form of ID before voting at the polls.
36
which of the following was a consequence of the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002?
Impressive levels of spending by so-called 527 organizations
What is a referendum?
It is the practice of voting directly for proposed laws.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, election campaigns tended to be
Labor intensive
During midterm elections, voters are voting for
Members of Congress
Which of the following primary battles is the best example of an ideological clash, rather than a personality clash?
Mike Huckabee and John McCain in 2008
Which of the following statements concerning research on political advertising and television news programs is correct?
Paid commercials often contain information seen, remembered and evaluated by the public.
Private groups that raise and distribute funds for election campaigns are called
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Which of the following statements about party building is true?
Republicans have paid much more attention to party building than Democrats since the Eisenhower presidency.
If a citizen votes for a candidate because he or she approves of the candidate's past record, it is called
Retrospective voting
If one were to argue debates can have considerable impact on the opinions of potential voters, they would most likely point to the case of
Ross Perot in 1992
In what case did the Supreme Court say that purposefully drawing districts where the majority of voters were members of a single minority group, in order to ensure minority representation, was not constitutional?
Shaw v. Reno
In what case did the Supreme Court say that purposefully drawing districts where the majority of voters were members of a single minority group, in order to ensure minority representation, was unlawful?
Shaw v. Reno
_____ are sums of money spent to influence an election, but the donating organization is not allowed to coordinate with a candidate's official campaign.
Soft Money donations
Which of the following is a difference between Democratic and Republican primaries?
The Democratic Party requires that state presidential primaries allocate delegates on the basis of proportional representation while the Republican Party does not.
Which of the following statements about campaign spending in House elections is true?
The amount of money spent by incumbents has increased since 1980 and has grown at a much faster rate than the amount spent by challengers.
Partisan loyalty is likely to be highest in the election of
a state legislature.
The result that is produced when voters cast a ballot for the president and then automatically vote for the remainder of that party's candidates is called the
coattail effect
In the 2000 election, George W. Bush chose as a theme
compassionate conservatism.
A major difference between presidential and congressional campaigns is that
congressional incumbents can more easily duck responsibility.
The ________ is the last example of indirect voting in national elections.
electoral college
What is a common way for interest groups, corporations, and political parties to aid a candidate while avoiding campaign finance laws?
engaging in issue advocacy
many scholars argue that the foremost factor in determining how people vote is
party identification
Unlike funding for presidential campaigns, the money for congressional campaigns comes from
private sources only
The states did little about malapportionment and gerrymandering until ordered to do so by
the Supreme Court
At a party convention, when an entire state delegation votes for the single candidate supported by the majority of its delegates, it is called the
unit rule
a _______ issue is one in which a candidate fully supports the public's view on a matter about which nearly everybody is in agreement
valence
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
in the 1992 election, Bill Clinton chose as a theme
we need change
If you voted for a Republican for president and a Democrat for senator, you engaged in
split-ticket voting.
Federal law restricts the amount that any single individual can give a candidate to _________ in each election.
$2,000
Federal law restricts the amount that a PAC can give a candidate to _________ in each
$5,000
What year marked the first time a major political party held a convention?
1832
which of the following periods had the greatest increase in voter turnout for presidential elections?
1932-1940
The principle of "one person, one vote" was established by the Supreme Court in the
1960s
the bipartisan campaign finance reform act of 2002 raise the individual limit on contributions to _____ per candidate per elections.
2,000
Which, according to the text, is probably least likely to be elected president?
A current member of the Senate.
Which of the following do modern political campaigns not depend on?
A large army of volunteers from the party
What is the main difference between elections in a democracy and elections under an authoritarian regime?
Democratic regimes allow for viable opposition, while the leaders do not permit themselves to lose under an authoritarian government.
Party activists who are elected to vote at a party's national convention are called
Delegates
Which of the following statements concerning the public funding of presidential campaigns is incorrect?
Federal law requires the presidential candidates from the major parties to use public funding during the general election.
When a voter casts a "clothespin" vote, he or she picks the
least objectionable candidate.
In order to win the party nomination, candidates need to appear particularly
liberal if Democrats, conservative if Republicans.
Former House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill famously said "All politics is ______."
local
a 501
may not spend more than half its revenue for political purposes.
When does public opinion polling take place during a campaign?
throughout the entire campaign
Which of the following politicians was recalled from office?
California Governor Gray Davis (2003)
Karl Rove was the _______ for George W. Bush
Chief political strategist
While traditional party conventions were ______, contemporary party conventions are _______.`
Deliberative assemblies to determine nominations; simple ratifications of nominations that have already been determined
By using donor lists or magazine subscription lists, candidates are able to engage in
Direct-mail solicitations
Which of the following is not covered by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act?
Individual contributions to 501c(4) and 527 committees
What unusual act did the Texas legislature perform in 2002?
It redistricted without waiting for a new census.
Which statement about the so-called "sophomore surge" is correct?
It usually means an 8 to 10 percent increase in votes.
During the earliest years of the United States, who nominated the candidates for president?
Nominations were controlled by each party's congressional caucus.
Recall elections are an electoral device first used by the
Populists
When an American voter supports only one parties candidates he or she is said to be voted a____ ticket
Straight
super PACs were made possible by the
Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
According to the text, which of the following is a critical problem to solve in deciding who gets represented in the House?
a. Allocating seats in the House among the states b. Determining the shape of districts. c. Determining the size of districts. d. Establishing the total size of the House. e. All of the above.
What is the function of an election in a democracy?
a. It promotes accountability among the leaders. b. It helps to politically protect different groups in society. c. It serves to legitimize the government. d. all of the above
Campaign consultants do all of the following except
a. conduct opinion polls. b. organize direct mailings. c. develop the issues on which the candidate will focus. d. All of the above are tasks of the campaign consultant.
When legislatures draw district lines made up largely of underrepresented minority groups, the practice is called
benign gerrymandering.
The majority of PACs represent
business and professional groups
The effort by political candidates and their staff to win backing and support by voters in the quest for political office is known as a(n)
campaign
Both 527s and 501(c)(4)s
can spend unlimited amounts on political advocacy as long as their efforts are not coordinated with those of any candidate's campaign.
In a(n) ________ primary, voters must declare themselves registered members of a party in advance.
closed
When a voter must be registered with a party prior to voting in that party's election, it is called a(n)
closed primary
in the 1980 represidnetial election, many voters voted for ronald reagan over jimmy carter as a vote against carter, not out of loyalty to Reagan. Such a vote is referred to as a
clothespin vote
Among the major changes in elections in campaigns are all of the following except
debates are more important.
Plurality and majority systems tend to
decrease the number of political parties.
During midterm elections, voters are electing
members of Congress.
When a congressional election is held that does not coincide with a presidential election, it is called a
midterm election.
The tern soft money refers to
money donated to a party to sponsor party building and voter registration.
Voters at the Iowa Democratic caucuses, compared with other Democrats from Iowa, tend to be
more liberal.(For instance, the candidates are more extreme during the primary elections, but then they become more moderate during the general elections because the primary voters are generally activists, and the normal voter generally lies closer to the center)
The primary responsibility for conducting public elections rests with
state and local governments.
the primary responsibility for conducting public elections rests with
state and local governments.
When American Voters support only one party's candidates, they are said to be voting a
straight ticket
when American voters support only one party's candidates, they are said to be voting a
straight ticket
Which event helped lead to a change in the way that the electoral college chose the president and vice president?
the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1803
If a registered democratic voter was apposed to abortion and rejected the Democratic Party pro choice platform, abortion would be a _____ issue for the voter
wedge
Ronald Reagan made a dozen speeches a day to audiences all over the country while
working for General Electric
