Elections and Voting

Question 1

How many visits were made to Iowa before the caucus in 2012?

Answer 1

771

Question 2

How did Chris Christie try to raise his profile during the invisible primary?

Answer 2

3 day trade visit to Britain

Question 3

Name Jeb Bushes affiliated Super PAC

Answer 3

Right to Rise

Question 4

How many states held primaries before the end of March?

Answer 4

34- evidence of front loading

Question 5

How many GOP primaries are winner takes all?

Answer 5

8

Question 6

What was the main effect of front loading in 2016?

Answer 6

Turnout fell from 62% in New Hampshire to 5.8% in Washington State

Question 7

What were the demographics in the 2012 Tennessee Primary?

Answer 7

1/2 college educated, 3/4 45 or older, 1/4 $100,000 per year.

Question 8

In 2016 how many states held caucuses?

Answer 8

15

Question 9

Who does better in caucuses?

Answer 9

Ideologically extreme- Ron Paul and Ted Cruz

Question 10

What happened in the 2012 Iowa caucus?

Answer 10

8 precinct not counted and 131 counted incorrectly.

Question 11

Where was the Democratic Convention?

Answer 11

Philadelphia

Question 12

Where was the Republican Convention?

Answer 12

Cleveland

Question 13

What was Clinton bounce following the convention?

Answer 13

7-9%

Question 14

What was Trump bounce following the convention?

Answer 14

4-6%

Question 15

How many Americans believe conventions to be important?

Answer 15

29%

Question 16

What does the 2016 DNC platform show?

Answer 16

influence of Berney Sanders at the convention and his role in the primaries.

Question 17

What was the total cost of the 2016 Presidential election?

Answer 17

$2.6 billion

Question 18

What is the first major piece of campaign finance legislation?

Answer 18

1974 Federal Election Campaign Act: limit individuals to $1000, corporate to $5000, establish FEC, ceilings on spending.

Question 19

What are the key supreme court rulings on campaign finance?

Answer 19

Buckley v Valeo (1976)- spending was 1st amendment right
Citizen United v FEC (2010)- corporations have 1st amendment rights. Super PAC
McCutcheon vc FEC (2014)- no caps can be imposed on contributions

Question 20

How did Jeb Bush get around the restrictions?

Answer 20

Declared in June that he was running meaning he could coordinate with Right to Rise and raise funds without limits- $100 million

Question 21

What was the largest Super PAC in 2016 and how much did they spend?

Answer 21

Priorities USA Action with $140 million

Question 22

How much money was spent outside official channels in the US election?

Answer 22

$15 million

Question 23

Who was the only candidate to match fund in the 2016 election?

Answer 23

Jill Stein

Question 24

How much of the vote must you be projected to receive to get on the debates?

Answer 24

15%- only Ross Perot third candidate to debate in 1992.

Question 25

How many people watched first debate?

Answer 25

84 million- highest ever.

Question 26

Why was the second debate viewing figures so low?

Answer 26

NBC played American Football rather than the debate.

Question 27

How many people believed Romney won the first debate in 2012? (CNN Poll)

Answer 27

67%

Question 28

What was Obama key soundbite against Romney in the 2012 debates?

Answer 28

Foreign policy of the 1980's, social policy of the 1950's and economic policy of the 1920's

Question 29

What are the debate rules of thumb?

Answer 29

- style more important than substance - verbal gaffes can be costly - good sound bites are helpful

Question 30

How much did Clinton spend on adverts by October?

Answer 30

$220 million

Question 31

How much did Trump spend on adverts by October?

Answer 31

$30 million.

Question 32

How did the independents vote?

Answer 32

39% Trump, up 9%

Question 33

How did African Americans vote?

Answer 33

88% Clinton

Question 34

How did Hispanic vote?

Answer 34

65% Democrat

Question 35

How did Catholic vote?

Answer 35

52% Trump

Question 36

How did low income groups (under $30,000) vote?

Answer 36

53% Trump BUT Trump was up 16%

Question 37

How did the rust belt vote?

Answer 37

"working class" vote 43% went to Trump

Question 38

How many Americans see America as being on the wrong track in 2016?

Answer 38

70%

Question 39

How are votes distorted between large and small states in the electoral college?

Answer 39

1 electoral college to 675,000 people: California | 1 electoral college to 185,000 people: Wyoming

Question 40

What is the relationship between votes and electoral college votes in 2012?

Answer 40

Obama 51% vote to 61.2% of electoral college votes.

Question 41

How many rogue electors were there in 2016?

Answer 41

11

Question 42

How many House members face no primary opposition?

Answer 42

70%

Question 43

What is the average support for incumbency?

Answer 43

96.4%

Question 44

What is the coat tails effect?

Answer 44

the effect of the top of the ticket on the down ticket candidates. Can be positive or negative.

Question 45

How many competitive House seats were there in the 2016 election?

Answer 45

56

Question 46

What are the benefits of holding office?

Answer 46

Congressional Staff Communications- $100,000 on franking Beaucratic Ombundsmanship Legislative Record

Question 47

What is gerrymandering?

Answer 47

The power of state legislatures to redraw the boundaries of the districts every 10 years, often done in a partisan way to benefit a party by putting groups of voters together.

Question 48

One example of a national tide?

Answer 48

2002 National Security Post 9/11 Tide

Question 49

How many McCain Democrats lost in 2010?

Answer 49

72%

Question 50

Who was defeated by the Tea Party in 2014 by surprise?

Answer 50

Eric Cantor

Question 51

How many states can use the proposition process?

Answer 51

24

Question 52

2016 examples of propositions:

Answer 52

Colorado amendment 70 to increase the minimum wage, California legalised marijuana

Question 53

How many states have defined marriage as being between a man and a women?

Answer 53

31 states

Question 54

In 2012 how much was spent on propositions?

Answer 54

$491 million