Deck 9: Campaigns and Voting Behavior

Question 1

Because there is barely any time between the end of one campaign and the beginning of the next,some people have called the American electoral process __________.

A) "the endless commercial"
B) "the permanent campaign"
C) "the road to nowhere"
D) "quadruple overtime"

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The 2012 election was the first time that __________ voted at a higher rather than non-Hispanic whites.

A) young citizens
B) single citizens
C) Hispanics
D) African Americans

Answer 2

D

Question 3

One impact of the Internet on political campaigns is that __________.

A) fewer people are using the Internet as a source of campaign information
B) fewer people are receiving direct mail from candidates
C) more people are making political donations
D) more people are becoming highly informed about the candidates

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A campaign might use __________ to solicit campaign contributions from those who have supported candidates with similar views in the past.

A) soft money
B) caucuses
C) direct mail
D) frontloading

Question 5

The Democratic and Republican candidates for president are formally nominated by the __________.

A) national party committees
B) presidential primaries and caucuses
C) Electoral College
D) national party conventions

Question 6

If no candidate receives an Electoral College majority,the election is decided in the __________.

A) Senate
B) House of Representatives
C) Elections and Campaigns Committee
D) Supreme Court

Question 7

According to exit poll data,which of the following group's members were least likely to vote for Barack Obama in 2012?

A) Jews
B) Hispanics
C) younger voters
D) whites

Question 8

One of the biggest challenges facing Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign was overcoming __________.

A) the faltering economy
B) the unpopularity of the war in Afghanistan
C) restrictions on corporate spending in elections
D) the decline in support from African Americans

Question 9

Which of the following is true about states with caucuses?

A) Voters attend open meetings where they express their presidential preferences.
B) The state legislature selects the state's delegates to the national conventions.
C) Party officials select delegates according to their own preferences.
D) Candidates appoint supporters to serve as delegates who are then chosen by the voters to serve as electors during the general election.

Question 10

What do voters find to be the three most important dimensions of a candidate's image?

A) vim, vigor, and vitality
B) efficacy, civic duty, and trust
C) integrity, reliability, and competence
D) honesty, loyalty, and policy positions

Question 11

Which of the following is a cost of voting?

A) political efficacy
B) civic duty
C) becoming informed
D) gender

Question 12

Prior to being banned in 2002 by the McCain-Feingold Act,unlimited monetary contributions that were earmarked for party-building expenses at the grassroots level or for generic party advertising were known as __________.

A) hard money
B) soft money
C) matching funds
D) support funds

Question 13

In 2012,the amount an individual could legally contribute to a candidate's campaign was __________.

A) $100
B) $1,000
C) $2,500
D) $25,000

Question 14

Researchers studying campaigns stress that campaigns can have what three effects on voters?

A) selection, application, and alteration
B) reinforcement, alteration, and adaptation
C) activation, fortification, and collection
D) reinforcement, activation, and conversion

Question 15

In 2012,voter turnout was highest for members of which of the following groups?

A) women
B) those 24 years old or younger
C) non-Hispanic whites
D) those with an advanced degree (beyond a college degree)

Question 16

What is the most common reason given for not voting by U.S.citizens who are registered to vote?

A) The candidates are too similar.
B) One vote doesn't carry much weight.
C) It's hard to take time off of work or school.
D) None of the candidates is appealing.

Question 17

What 2012 candidate lost momentum when he could not remember the names of the three federal cabinet departments he would eliminate?

A) Mitt Romney
B) Rick Perry
C) Rick Santorum
D) Jon Huntsman

Question 18

In which of the following countries is voter turnout lowest?

A) Australia
B) Belgium
C) United States
D) Denmark

Question 19

How did the McGovern-Fraser Commission make the delegate selection process of the Democratic Party more representative and open to input from the public?

A) by requiring delegate selection procedures to be open to all party members
B) by increasing the number of delegates chosen
C) by weakening the power of registered party members to choose convention delegates
D) by encouraging the use of presidential caucuses rather than primaries

Question 20

To run an effective campaign,a candidate needs __________.

A) several campaign managers
B) a skilled embezzler
C) a travel agent
D) volunteers

Question 21

Because states are the key battlegrounds of presidential campaigns,candidates often find themselves __________.

A) avoiding battleground states in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety
B) unable to connect with voters on a national basis
C) visiting every state in the union multiple times
D) tailoring their appeals to the particular interests of a state

Question 22

One of the downsides to the American system of presidential campaigns and elections is that __________.

A) almost anyone can come out of nowhere to win a nomination, making the process entirely unpredictable
B) a person who might be an excellent president could be discouraged from running because the process is so onerous
C) the candidate who wins the popular vote is not always the candidate who received the most votes
D) winning candidates are legally required to keep their campaign promises or face a fine levied by the Federal Elections Commission according to the veracity of the violation

Question 23

Which of the following was one of the requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act?

A) All campaign funds must be spent within the state where the candidate is running for election (or in any state for presidential candidates).
B) Candidates for Congress must contribute at least 10 percent of their net worth to the campaign.
C) Congressional campaigns cannot accept contributions of more than $100 from individual citizens.
D) All candidates for federal office must disclose who contributed money to their campaigns.

Question 24

How many U.S.states employ a winner-take-all presidential election system in which all their electors are awarded to the presidential candidate who wins the most votes statewide?

A) five
B) 26
C) 48
D) all 50

Question 25

Of the following,who would be most likely to vote?

A) someone who thinks that both candidates are moderate
B) someone who thinks that both candidates are very conservative
C) someone with a high sense of political efficacy
D) someone who sees few differences between the candidates

Question 26

A serious presidential candidate must invest in __________.

A) direct mail lists from previous campaigns
B) staff to handle high-tech and computer technologies
C) television ads aimed at the 18-29 age group
D) an international relations specialist to solicit campaign contributions from foreign nations and multinational corporations

Question 27

Which states tend to have higher voter turnout?

A) Southern states
B) states with Election Day voter registration
C) large states
D) states with a lot of young voters

Question 28

If you were running a campaign for a relatively unknown presidential candidate,you would want to allow plenty of time for your candidate to __________.

A) travel extensively in Iowa before the caucuses
B) visit major cities in California during the election campaign
C) meet the people in small towns in Texas
D) go door-to-door greeting voters

Question 29

Which of the following groups is overrepresented among voters?

A) government workers
B) people who are single
C) younger citizens
D) men

Question 30

Which of the following helps to explain why voter turnout is lower in the United States than in other democracies?

A) The United States hold fewer elections.
B) The United States elects fewer officeholders.
C) The United States hold elections midweek.
D) The United States has a partisan election system.

Question 31

Donations to __________ do not have to be disclosed unless a donor gives money specifically for a political ad.

A) 527 groups
B) 501(c) groups
C) political action committees (PACs)
D) candidates' campaigns

Question 32

A floating voter is someone who __________.

A) is elated at the outcome of an election
B) votes based on the candidates and not party loyalty
C) registers to vote on Election Day
D) votes in presidential elections but not in midterm elections

Question 33

The Electoral College introduces a bias into the campaign and electoral process because __________.

A) all states get the same number of electoral votes
B) each state has as many electoral votes as it has representatives
C) less populated states are overrepresented
D) more populous states are overrepresented

Question 34

Which of the following has made it easier for contemporary voters to choose the best person for the office,regardless of party?

A) advances in information technology
B) increased polarization in Congress
C) the media's tendency to focus on policy issues
D) candidate ID laws

Question 35

Which states should a presidential campaign focus on in the general election?

A) states with a higher percentage of registered voters
B) states with strong economies
C) large states
D) battleground states

Question 36

What is the phenomenon that people's beliefs often guide what they pay attention to and how they interpret events?

A) scorekeeping
B) agenda setting
C) selective perception
D) frontloading

Question 37

Research suggests that political campaigns are most likely to successfully convert voters when they __________.

A) use "wedge" issues on which the other party is divided
B) make appeals based on party affiliation
C) make unrealistic promises
D) buy radio and Internet advertisements

Question 38

The Founders created the Electoral College because they wanted the president to be selected by __________.

A) white, male, property-owning voters
B) ordinary Americans
C) elites
D) the states

Question 39

Which of the following best describes how Mitt Romney presented himself in the 2012 presidential election?

A) an experienced member of Congress who knows how to get things done
B) a bold visionary who knows a lot about foreign policy and even more about domestic policy
C) a "maverick" who is not afraid to cross party lines when necessary
D) a successful business professional who can apply his skills to fixing the economy and creating jobs

Question 40

Which of the following makes it harder to vote?

A) vote-by-mail laws
B) the Motor Voter Act
C) Election Day voter registration laws
D) voter ID laws

Question 41

Which of the following is consistent with the mandate theory of elections?

A) the idea that voter turnout is higher when citizens are required to vote and are fined if they fail to do so
B) the belief that a functional democracy mandates electoral participation by a large number of voters
C) Mitt Romney's claim that Obama won the 2012 presidential election because he had given gifts to various constituency groups
D) Barack Obama's claim that his victory in 2012 means that the public wants to raise taxes on the wealthy

Question 42

__________ was an unintended result of changes to the Federal Election Campaign Act that allowed parties to raise and spend money on voter registration and other campaign materials without limits on spending or the size of contributions that they could accept.

A) Party discretionary funding
B) Party expenditure exemption
C) Soft money
D) Walking-around money

Question 43

Thomas Patterson's observation that "today's presidential campaign is essentially a mass media campaign" suggests that __________.

A) voters have very little understanding of the campaign apart from what they see and hear in the media
B) the media exercise considerable influence over a vast number of citizens' votes
C) campaigns are for the masses and are mediated by political elites
D) the media control electoral outcomes

Question 44

Which of the following statements indicates a high level of political efficacy?

A) "I should vote to honor those who sacrificed their lives to make America free."
B) "Voting in the United States is so easy that there is no excuse for not voting."
C) "One vote can make a difference; I want my vote to be the difference maker."
D) "Democracy is only democratic if citizens participate in the process."

Question 45

Which of the following best describes Barack Obama's campaign message in the 2012 election?

A) "I'm the reason the economy is doing so well."
B) "I did as well as could have been expected under the circumstances."
C) "I deserve another chance to clean up my mistakes."
D) "I'm a champion for the working class."

Question 46

Of the following people,who is most likely to participate in a presidential caucus?

A) someone who works two jobs
B) a single mom
C) someone who is an independent
D) a party activist

Question 47

If the president were selected by popular vote instead of by the Electoral College,which of the following cities would a presidential campaign be least likely to visit?

A) Miami, Florida
B) Green Bay, Wisconsin
C) New York, New York
D) Chicago, Illinois

Question 48

Why are people with higher-than-average education more likely to vote?

A) Education depresses political efficacy, which then encourages turnout.
B) Education increases intolerance, which then encourages turnout.
C) Education helps voters recognize differences between the candidates.
D) Education enables voters to calculate the probability that their vote will decide the election.

Question 49

How would switching to direct election of the president affect Texas?

A) Texas would receive more attention from candidates trying to win votes in major population centers like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
B) Texas would receive less attention from candidates because it would no longer be a battleground state.
C) Texas would receive very little attention from candidates because it is currently a safe state.
D) Texas would become a safe state for the other party.

Question 50

How does party identification simplify the voting process?

A) It enables voters to select from a wider array of candidates.
B) It provides a cue as to which candidate a voter is more likely to prefer.
C) It eliminates the need to produce a photo ID in order to vote.
D) It reduces the policy differences between the candidates.

Question 51

Why do winning candidates claim a mandate even though political scientists generally discredit the mandate theory of elections?

A) Politicians think that political scientists do not understand how things actually work.
B) Voters do not necessarily prefer all of the winning candidate's issue positions.
C) Winning candidates want to justify their policy proposals by claiming that the public supports them.
D) Winning candidates are not well versed in the political science literature.

Question 52

The decision to establish the McGovern-Fraser Commission was a particularly significant result of the disastrous 1968 Democratic Party convention.

Question 53

An examination of the number of campaign visits by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination contests suggests that __________.

A) geographically larger states receive the most attention from the candidates during the nomination campaign
B) states with more electoral votes receive more attention from the candidates during the nomination campaign
C) states with early caucuses and primaries receive a disproportionate amount of attention from candidates during the nomination campaign
D) Obama won the election because he visited more states than did Clinton

Question 54

Why do presidential candidates tend to focus their efforts on battleground states?

A) Battleground states have the most Electoral College votes.
B) Battleground states have more electors than they would deserve if electors were allocated by population.
C) Candidates focus on battleground states in order to increase their media exposure.
D) The winner-take-all system makes battleground states more relevant to a campaign.

Question 55

Why is it sometimes difficult for citizens to engage in policy voting?

A) Competing candidates usually have the same positions on issues.
B) Candidates are often intentionally vague about their issue stances.
C) The media tend to overwhelm voters with policy information.
D) Election officials prevent using policy-based voter guides in the voting booth.

Question 56

Most people pay relatively little attention to campaigns.

Question 57

A majority of eligible Americans vote in most congressional elections.

Question 58

Which of the following would be the most likely to increase voter turnout in the United States?

A) holding more elections
B) putting the government in charge of registering voters
C) electing more officeholders
D) minimizing the differences between the parties

Question 59

Reporters need news,and a good pollster can help them make their deadlines by writing stories that the campaign would like to see reported.

Question 60

Which of the following most clearly contributed to Barack Obama's victory in the 2012 presidential election?

A) Voters thought Obama's policies were more likely to favor the middle class.
B) Voters thought Obama's policies would be more likely to result in the self-deportation of illegal immigrants.
C) Voters agreed with Obama that the federal government is doing too much.
D) Voters agreed with Obama that tax rates should be kept at their current level.

Question 61

The __________ law allows citizens to register to vote when they apply for or renew their driver's license.

Question 62

The biggest budget item in a presidential or Senate campaign is __________.

Question 63

A(n)__________ is a party's official endorsement of a candidate for office.

Question 64

In Buckley v.Valeo,the Supreme Court upheld restrictions on the amount of money an individual could contribute to his or her own campaign.

Question 65

Voter turnout increased significantly after Congress enacted the Motor Voter law.

Question 66

The more congressional incumbents spend,the worse they do.

Question 67

__________ are people who are awarded automatic slots as delegates to a national party convention based on the office they currently hold.

Question 68

During the __________,candidates woo elected officials,top fundraisers,and skilled political aides.

Question 69

One cost-cutting measure a candidate might come to regret is acting as his or her own campaign manager.

Question 70

Scholars believe that more Americans would vote if Election Day were a holiday.

Question 71

Candidates run many more political ads that concentrate on their personal image than on their policy positions.

Question 72

If there is no majority winner in the Electoral College,then the president is selected by the __________.

Question 73

__________ is the belief that citizens should vote in order to support the long-term viability and legitimacy of American democracy.

Question 74

A poor economy is likely to help the electoral chances of the incumbent.

Question 75

Primaries emerged through reform efforts that sought to take nominations out of the hands of party bosses.

Question 76

The Electoral College overrepresents those who live in small states.

Question 77

During the general election phase of presidential elections,voters in battleground states are most likely to experience a visit by one of the candidates.

Question 78

Elected officials are less likely to pay attention to issues that are important to younger Americans because younger Americans are less likely to vote.

Question 79

The ability to predict how someone will vote based on that person's party identification has improved since the 1950s.

Question 80

Independent expenditure-only groups are known as __________ because they may accept donations of any size and can endorse candidates.