12: Campaigns, Elections and Voting Flashcards
Some states allow for a(n) ____________________ when none of the candidates secures a majority of votes in the initial primary.
runoff election
caucus election
referendum
initiative
runoff election
What is the term used for the process by which citizens propose legislation or state constitutional amendments and submit them to the electorate for popular vote?
amendment
mandate
initiative
recast
initiative
What is the purpose of primary elections?
They determine who will become the officeholder.
They allow every party member to agree on one candidate.
They allow each party to select a candidate to represent it in the general election.
They ensure that a party’s candidates have similar policy positions.
They allow each party to select a candidate to represent it in the general election.
When election winners claim they have overwhelming voter support for their policies and programs, they are claiming to have a(n) _______.
referendum
initiative
epiphany
mandate
mandate
What is a referendum?
when a ballot measure is pulled from the ballot
when state officials challenge the legitimacy of election results
when a state legislature submits proposed legislation to voters to approve through the election process
when citizens’ groups challenge the outcome of election results
when a state legislature submits proposed legislation to voters to approve through the election process
Which of the following assesses the needs of a campaign and seeks outside assistance to achieve specialized tasks?
press secretary
polls manager
campaign manager
finance chair
campaign manager
Which part of a campaign involves online communication, outreach, and fundraising, as well as candidates’ social media?
Digital team
Campaign manager
Press secretary
Finance chair
Digital team
To improve electability, a candidate might contract with an outside __________, who brings technologies, strategies, and services to the campaign.
press secretary
campaign consultant
financial advisor
campaign manager
campaign consultant
Why might traditional media coverage be frustrating to candidates?
Traditional media outlets are seldom interested in covering political campaigns.
Traditional media outlets are mostly interested in covering a campaign’s policy positions.
The candidate is generally unable to avoid coverage by traditional media outlets.
The candidate cannot control the content of the coverage.
The candidate cannot control the content of the coverage.
What is the main purpose of the Federal Election Commission?
to conduct research on election-related issues
to enforce the nation’s election laws
to encourage people to run for office
to overhaul federal campaign finance laws
to enforce the nation’s election laws
Why are 527 and 501(c) political committees usually established?
to increase the soft money spending limits
to increase transparency in the campaign process
to limit overall campaign spending
to pump private money into campaigns with little government oversight
to pump private money into campaigns with little government oversight
The current campaign contribution limits allow individuals to give no more than __________ to each candidate or candidate committee per election.
$2,700
$45,400
$250
$5,000
$2,700
Most candidates receive a majority of all funds directly from __________.
individuals
interest groups
political parties
political action committees
individuals
Which factor is the most powerful predictor of vote choice?
Income
Age
Level of education
Party identification
Party identification
The gender gap suggests that _________________________.
women are significantly more likely to support Democratic candidates compared to their male counterparts
women are significantly more likely to support Independent candidates compared to their male counterparts
men are significantly more likely to support Green candidates compared to their female counterparts
men are significantly more likely to support Democratic candidates compared to their female counterparts
women are significantly more likely to support Democratic candidates compared to their male counterparts
Members of which of the following groups tend to identify as Republican?
Protestants
Hispanics
Women
Jews
Protestants
Voters exercise retrospective judgment when they cast a ballot based on ______.
what the candidate has pledged to do
statistical probabilities of success
expectations of future outcomes
a candidate’s or party’s past performance in office
a candidate’s or party’s past performance in office
The proportion of voting-age public that actually casts a ballot is referred to as ________.
participation
mandating
logrolling
turnout
turnout
What is front-loading?
the tendency of states to schedule primaries for early dates in the nomination process
when a candidate surges ahead in the polls
the voting process in states that allow early voting
the tendency for presidential candidates to start campaigning earlier and earlier
the tendency of states to schedule primaries for early dates in the nomination process
Which of the following is a major reason for low levels of voter participation in the United States?
increased voter intimidation efforts by interest groups
the existence of strong political parties with close ties to the electorate
Barriers to voter registration
the paucity of elections
Barriers to voter registration
Which of the following would be most likely to increase voter turnout?
requiring photo identification to vote
early voting
elimination of absentee ballots for those without a valid excuse
further weakening of political parties
early voting
Which of the following is a result of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA)?
The party affiliation of all candidates must be indicated on the ballot.
Many citizens register to vote when they get their driver’s license or use other government services.
Many states have dropped the requirement that citizens must register in order to vote.
There is an increase in the use of newer technologies for casting and/or counting votes.
There is an increase in the use of newer technologies for casting and/or counting votes.
Which of the following statements about voter turnout is accurate?
Voter turnout is higher in caucuses than in primaries.
Voter turnout is higher in local elections than in national elections.
Voter turnout is higher in the South than in the Northeast.
Voter turnout is higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections.
Voter turnout is higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections.
Already holding an office.
incumbency
A voter’s evaluation of a candidate based on what he or she pledges to do about an issue if elected.
prospective judgment
An election that allows citizens to propose legislation or state constitutional amendments by submitting them to the electorate for popular vote.
initiative
Participation in the primary election of a party with which the voter is not affiliated.
crossover voting
Longest serving independent in the United States Congress. Ran against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary; senator from Vermont since 2007; first elected to the House of Representatives in 1991.
Bernie Sanders
A second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first primary.
runoff primary
The individual who travels with the candidate and coordinates the campaign.
campaign manager
Activism that attempts to influence the political process through commonly accepted forms of persuasion such as voting or letter writing.
conventional political participation
A federal law passed in 2002 that addresses issues of voting systems and voter access that were identified following the 2000 election. It established minimum election administration standards for states and units of local government with responsibility for the administration of federal elections and for other purposes related to the bill.
Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
Representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect a president.
Electoral College
Advertising that attempts to counteract an anticipated attack from the opposition before the attack is launched.
inoculation ad
A push at the end of a political campaign to encourage supporters to go to the polls.
get-out-the-vote (GOTV)
A voter’s evaluation of a candidate based on past performance on a particular issue.
retrospective judgment
The citizens eligible to vote.
electorate
Ad that compares the records and proposals of the candidates, with a bias toward the candidate sponsoring the ad.
contrast ad
The tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination calendar.
front-loading
An election in which voters can remove an incumbent from office prior to the next scheduled election.
recall
Activism that attempts to influence the political process through unusual or extreme measures, such as protests, boycotts, and picketing.
unconventional political participation
Officially recognized fundraising organizations that represent interest groups and are allowed by federal law to make contributions directly to candidates’ campaigns.
political action committee (PAC)
A command, indicated by an electorate’s votes, for the elected officials to carry out a party platform or policy agenda.
mandate
A private-sector professional who sells to a candidate the technologies, services, and strategies required to get that candidate elected.
campaign consultant
Advertising on behalf of a candidate that stresses the candidate’s qualifications, family, and issue positions, with no direct reference to the opponent.
positive ad
The reallocation of the number of seats in the House of Representatives after each decennial census.
reapportionment
Political action committees established to make independent expenditures.
super PAC
Advertising on behalf of a candidate that attacks the opponent’s character or platform.
negative ad
Donations from general tax revenues to the campaigns of qualifying presidential candidates.
public funds
The proportion of the voting-age public that casts a ballot.
turnout
The person who develops the overall media strategy for the candidate.
communications director
Principle drafter of the Declaration of Independence; second vice president of the United States; third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. Co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party created to oppose Federalists.
Thomas Jefferson
The 2014 Supreme Court ruling that declared Section 441 of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) unconstitutional. Section 441 imposed limits on any individual’s total political contributions (to federal candidates, parties, or political action committees) in a two-year period.
McCutcheon v. FEC
An independent regulatory agency founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States.
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
A primary election in which only a party’s registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot.
closed primary
The individual who coordinates the financial business of the campaign.
finance chair
Organizations created with the primary purpose of influencing electoral outcomes; the term is typically applied only to freestanding interest groups that do not explicitly advocate for the election of a candidate.
political committee
Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices.
general election
Election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election.
primary election
Member of the Electoral College.
elector
A primary election in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to participate.
open primary
A campaign consultant who conducts public opinion surveys.
pollster
The individual charged with interacting and communicating with journalists on a daily basis.
press secretary
Donations to presidential campaigns whereby every dollar raised from individuals in amounts less than $251 is matched by the federal treasury.
matching funds
When successful presidential candidates carry into office congressional candidates of the same party in the year of their election.
presidential coattails
Passed in 2002, this act amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with several provisions designed to end the use of nonfederal, or “soft money” (money raised outside the limits and prohibitions of federal campaign finance law) for activity affecting federal elections.
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
An election that takes place in the middle of a presidential term.
mid-term election
The process by which a campaign reaches individual voters, either by door-to-door solicitation or by telephone.
voter canvass
Passed in 1971, this is the primary law that regulates political campaign spending and fundraising. The law originally focused on increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns.
Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)
Interest groups whose primary purpose is not electoral politics.
501(c) group
An election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation or state constitutional amendments to the voters for approval.
referendum
Spending for campaign activity that is not coordinated with a candidate’s campaign.
Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, __________ have not played as central of a role in funding congressional campaigns as Super PACs.
corporations
political action committees
public funds
foreign citizens
political action committees
Which reforms may increase voter turnout?
requiring photo identification to vote
strengthened partisanship
requesting absentee ballots in person
requiring all states to use paper ballots
strengthened partisanship
Which of the following would be most likely to increase voter turnout in the United States?
stricter voter identification requirements
a larger number of independents
absentee voting rules
more elections
absentee voting rules
Which of the following dramatically increased voter turnout among African Americans?
the Voting Rights Act
the Federal Elections Campaign Act (FECA)
the increased use of literacy tests
the election of George W. Bush
the Voting Rights Act
Which of the following is a reason given by some scholars for why voters with more education are more likely to turnout?
The rise of partisan politics has made education a greater predictor of vote choice.
Candidates target their campaign messages to more educated voters.
People with more education tend to learn more about politics and have greater sense of political efficacy.
Voters with less education have easier access to ways to register to vote.
People with more education tend to learn more about politics and have greater sense of political efficacy.
Robo-calls are remarkably efficient because they can___.
be used to spread positive information about the opponent via positive ads
reach up to 2,500 telephones per minute at only pennies per call
raise unlimited funds from political action committees
eliminate any door-to-door vote canvassing
reach up to 2,500 telephones per minute at only pennies per call
In a(n) ___________ election, an incumbent is removed from office.
referendum
impeachment
initiative
recall
recall
Which of the following contributes to low voter turnout in the United States?
the reluctance to believe in democratic principles
the generally low levels of education
the existence of voter registration laws
laws that enfranchise convicted felons
the existence of voter registration laws
What is the gender gap?
the fact that women are more likely than men to vote
the fact that women are more likely to support female candidates and men are more likely to support male candidates
the fact that women are more likely to support Democratic candidates and men are more likely to support Republican candidates
the fact that female candidates need to raise more money to be competitive than do men
the fact that women are more likely to support Democratic candidates and men are more likely to support Republican candidates
Interest groups whose primary purpose is something other than electoral politics are called __________.
Super PACs
501(c) groups
527 committees
PACs
501(c) groups
When are members of Congress from the president’s party especially vulnerable to electoral defeat?
Primary elections
Recall elections
Presidential election years
Mid-term elections
Mid-term elections
In what ways does an open primary differ from a closed primary?
Any candidate can run in an open primary; candidates must be chosen by their party to run in a closed primary.
Any registered voter can vote in an open primary; only a voter registered with a party can vote for that party’s candidates in a closed primary.
An open primary occurs over multiple days, allowing more discussion and debate; a closed primary occurs over a single day.
Any American citizen can vote in an open primary; only registered voters can vote in a closed primary.
Any registered voter can vote in an open primary; only a voter registered with a party can vote for that party’s candidates in a closed primary.
Which of the following best explains why minorities tend to have lower voter turnout rates than do white voters?
Whites are more invested in public policy issues than are minorities.
Minorities have greater barriers to voting because they tend to have lower incomes and have less formal education.
Minorities do not affiliate with traditional parties.
Whites tend to intimidate minorities into not voting.
Minorities have greater barriers to voting because they tend to have lower incomes and have less formal education.
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution __________.
outlawed poll taxes
lowered the voting age to 18
gave women the right to vote
allowed residents of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential elections
lowered the voting age to 18
If a candidate is not strong in answering candid questions from reporters, he or she might decide to __________.
arrange for an appearance on a Sunday morning news program
hold a press conference
appear on a talk show
be interviewed for a local evening news program
appear on a talk show
