Chapter 9: Nominations and Campaigns

Question 1

Nomination

Answer 1

Official endorsement of a candidate by a party.

Success requires money, medium, and momentum.

Question 2

Goal of nomination

Answer 2

Win a majority of delegates at national convention

Question 3

Delegate selection

Answer 3

State parties choose delegates from Jan. to June through caucuses or primaries

Question 4

McGovern/Fraser Commision

Answer 4

Democratic party convention changed delegate selection procedures to include minority voice
Democrats still gave a portion of its seats to superdelegates

Question 5

Superdelegates

Answer 5

(Some democratic peer review)

Similar to Republican’s Unpledged Delegates

Question 6

Frontloading

Answer 6

Primaries moves up the calendar for media attention

Question 7

Criticisms if Primaries/Caucuses

Answer 7

• too much attention pid to early ones
• participation is low
• some politicians can’t cover all states
• money too big of a role
• media too much power

Question 8

Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974

Answer 8

To tighten reporting requirements for contributions and limiting overall spending

• FEC set up to enforce/administer
• contributions limited, disclosure required

Question 9

McCain-Feingold Act if 2002

Answer 9

Soft money ends

Increased individual contributions to $2,000

Question 10

PACs

Answer 10

Created so groups of like-minded people could donate to campaigns
Interest groups form PACs - up to $5,000 donation

Question 11

Super PACs

Answer 11

Citizens United v FEC decision allows corporations/union to spend with no limits on elections
(No direct contributions)

Question 12

Congressional Incumbents

Answer 12

Get most money

Win more then challengers

Question 13

Election types

Answer 13

1) party nominations (primaries/caucuses)
2) Select Office Holders (general elections)
3) making or ratifying legislation

Question 14

Referendum

Answer 14

Voters speak on some bond, legislative act, amendment proposal

Question 15

Initiative

Answer 15

Gaining signatures for a law

Question 16

Political efficacy

Answer 16

Voting makes a difference

Question 17

Civic duty

Answer 17

Voting should occur in democracy

Question 18

Retrospective Voters

Answer 18

“Help me lately?”

Question 19

Pocketbook Voters

Answer 19

“Help me financially?”

Question 20

1993 Motor Voter Act

Answer 20

Register to vote when applying for a driver’s license

No visible increase of voter participation

Question 21

Class-based voting

Answer 21

Higher education, higher incomes, older, whites, married, union members, women all vote more

Question 22

Electoral College

Answer 22

Popular votes don’t directly elect president
(Protects from masses, allows elite to choose)
Electoral Votes = States Congressional seats (winner take all except Maine and Nevraska
Meet in December, mail voted to senate
If no majority, HoR decides, with each state having one vote

Question 23

Where is the first presidential caucus traditionally held?

Answer 23

Iowa

Question 24

Today, most delegates to each major party’s national convention are chosen by?

Answer 24

State presidential primaries

Question 25

The McGovern Fraser Commission?

Answer 25

Had a mandate to make the democratic party conventions more democratic.

Question 26

The initiative is put on the ballot as a result of?

Answer 26

A petition signed by a certain percentage of the voters in the previous election

Question 27

What is a requirement of the federal election campaign act?

Answer 27

All candidates for federal office must disclose who contributed money to their campaigns