Question 1

Which of the following best describes soft money?

Accepted Answer

Soft money refers to contributions made to political parties for purposes not regulated by federal campaign finance laws, such as party-building activities.

Question 2

The _____ evaluates the claims of national party convention delegates to be the legitimate representatives of their states.

Accepted Answer

The Credentials Committee evaluates the claims of national party convention delegates to be the legitimate representatives of their states. The other options listed do not have this specific role in the party convention process.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true of a general election?

Accepted Answer

A general election is a regular, scheduled election held in even-numbered years to elect public officials, such as members of Congress and the President. Options A, B, C, and E do not accurately describe a general election.

Question 4

When the Citizens United decision was handed down, a flood of corporate cash was expected to enter the political system. The ruling did result in more corporate and union spending, but far less than anticipated because__________.

Accepted Answer

Many companies were cautious about spending on political campaigns as they did not want to risk alienating their customer base by taking controversial political stands.

Question 5

Electors are selected during each presidential election year by _____.

Accepted Answer

Electors are selected by each state's political parties. Each party selects a slate of electors who pledge to vote for their party's nominee if that nominee wins the state's popular vote.

Question 6

One way to skirt the rules described in the Federal Election Campaign Act was to contribute to candidates instead of political parties.

Accepted Answer

The Federal Election Campaign Act regulates contributions to both candidates and political parties, so contributing directly to candidates instead of political parties does not allow one to skirt the rules described in the Act.

Question 7

Unlike super political action committees, 527 committees:

Accepted Answer

527 committees were prohibited from directly supporting or opposing a specific candidate. They were allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on issue advocacy, voter mobilization and other activities to influence elections, as long as they did not coordinate their efforts with a candidate's campaign or engage in express advocacy (calling for the election or defeat of a specific candidate).

Question 8

When the Constitution was drafted, the framers intended that electors would use their own discretion in deciding who would make the best president.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution originally intended for electors to use their own judgment in deciding who to vote for as president. However, over time, the electoral college has become more of a formality where electors almost always vote for the candidate who won their state's popular vote.

Question 9

_____ are party conventions held at the local level that elect delegates to conventions at the county or congressional district level.

Accepted Answer

The term describing party conventions held at the local level that elect delegates to conventions at the county or congressional district level is caucuses. Therefore, the correct answer is E.

Question 10

_____ are representatives from each political party who are allowed to monitor voting places to make sure that the election is run fairly.

Accepted Answer

Poll watchers are representatives from each political party who are allowed to monitor voting places to make sure that the election is run fairly. Delegates are individuals chosen to represent a group of people at a political convention. Electors are individuals who are chosen to vote for the president and vice president in the Electoral College. Political consultants are individuals who provide advice and guidance to political campaigns. Pollsters are individuals who conduct public opinion surveys.

Question 11

Elena Coolidge has announced her bid for president. Prior to the announcement, in an attempt to secure her nomination for president, she had appeared on several news channels, visited schools and universities across the country, and built relationships with eminent political personalities. She also started an education fund to raise money for underprivileged children. Elena Coolidge's efforts to unofficially secure a nomination can be termed as _____.

Accepted Answer

The processes of appearing on news channels, building relationships with political personalities, and promoting a specific cause to raise funds can be considered part of the invisible primary, which is the period before the actual primary elections where candidates attempt to gain support and secure their party's nomination.

Question 12

A representative in Congress resigns from office because of ill health, leaving his seat in Congress vacant. In this case, to fill the vacancy, a(n)_____ must be held.

Accepted Answer

A special election must be held to fill the vacancy left by the resigning representative due to ill health. A special election is held outside of the regular election cycle to fill a vacant office.

Question 13

Which of the following is true of primary elections?

Accepted Answer

Primary elections are elections where voters choose which candidates will represent their political party in the general election. This means that voters select the candidates of their party, who will then run in the general election. Option B is incorrect, as candidates who win the general election do not contest in primary elections. Option C is incorrect, as candidates who contest in primary elections are not appointed by local party officials, but are chosen through a voting process. Option D is also incorrect, as voter turnout is generally lower in primary elections than in general elections. Option E is incorrect, as voters are generally only allowed to choose the candidates of one political party in a primary election.

Question 14

In self-nomination, the most common way to become a candidate for a local government post, a candidate _____.

Accepted Answer

In self-nomination, the candidate files a petition with the necessary signatures to be listed on the ballot for the election. They do not need to be nominated by a political party, write their name on the ballot on Election Day, be a popular local personality, or belong to a minority group.

Question 15

In most states, the _____ provides the list of registered voters and makes certain that only qualified voters cast ballots.

Accepted Answer

The election board is responsible for maintaining the list of registered voters and ensuring that only eligible voters participate in elections. Super PACs, 527 committees, and credentials committees are not directly involved in voter registration or election administration. The electorate refers to the body of eligible voters, not the entity responsible for managing elections.

Question 16

The electoral college ballots are sent to the U.S. Senate, which counts and certifies them before a joint session of Congress held early in January.

Accepted Answer

The electoral college ballots are sent to the President of the Senate, who is the Vice President of the United States, and they are counted and certified before a joint session of Congress in early January.

Question 17

In a closed primary, voters can vote for a party's candidates regardless of whether they belong to the party.

Accepted Answer

In a closed primary, voters must be registered members of the party in order to vote for that party's candidates.

Question 18

According to some lawyers, a 501(c)4 organization could make limited contributions directly to a candidate's campaign:

Accepted Answer

501(c)4 organizations can make limited contributions to a candidate's campaign without revealing the identities of their donors, as they are not required to disclose donor information publicly.

Question 19

At least half of the budget for a major political campaign is consumed by television advertising.

Accepted Answer

Television advertising is a cost-intensive aspect of political campaigns and can easily consume a significant portion of the campaign budget, often estimated to be around 50%.

Question 20

When e-mail fund-raising was newly introduced, one of the problems faced was that:

Accepted Answer

The problem faced with e-mail fund-raising was that many people were not yet online, which limited the potential reach of the fundraising efforts.

Quiz 9: Campaigns and Elections