Government Ch 3

Question 0

Closed primary

Answer 0

Only registered members of the political party can vote in that party’s primary election
Benefits - candidates represent ideology better; limits voter choice in elections

Question 1

Caucus

Answer 1

Closed meetings of party members throughout th state to discuss and select delegates to national convention

Question 2

Open primary

Answer 2

All registered voters can vote in primary election, regardless of party affiliation (sometimes must choose one primary or the other)
Benefits - more democratic
Downfall - vote raiding (members of one party might vote for other party to nominate the worst candidate)

Question 3

Delegates

Answer 3

Individuals sent by voters to a convention to official nominate a party candidate for office

Question 4

Electorate

Answer 4

The potential voting population (the people eligible to vote under current law)

Question 5

General Election

Answer 5

Election in which all voters choose who will fill an elected public office

Question 6

Hard money

Answer 6

campaign contributions regulated and limited by the federal government that are given directly to a candidate

Question 7

Lobbyist

Answer 7

Person trying to influence the governments decisions

Question 8

Party platform

Answer 8

a political party’s written statement of its official principles, plans and stances on major issues facing the country

Question 9

Plurality

Answer 9

Candidate polls more votes than any other candidate

Question 10

Political Action Committee

Answer 10

Organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates to campaign for or against candidates

Question 11

Preclearance

Answer 11

states who have behaved badly before shall be subject to preclearance of all new voting laws by the Federal Government (History of literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clause, or who had less than 50% of their black population registered at the time

Question 12

Primary election

Answer 12

elections in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election

Question 13

Run off Election

Answer 13

some states will hold elections between the top two vote getters if nobody wins a majority of the vote

Question 14

Soft money

Answer 14

unlimited and unregulated campaign contributions given to federal candidates and national parties for “party building” activities (bumper stickers, etc

Question 15

Super PACs

Answer 15

PACs that may raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in order to advocate for or against a political candidate without working directly with candidates

Question 16

Suffrage

Answer 16

The right to vote

Question 17

Name 6 Amendments that expanded suffrage

Answer 17

15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, 26th

Question 18

15th Amendment

Answer 18

This amendment was passed to grant voting freedom to people of all races in the U.S. It was meant to get rid of the denial by the national or state government of African American voting rights.

Question 19

17th Amendment

Answer 19

This amendment gave the people the power to vote for their Senators, instead of the State Legislature.

Question 20

19th Amendment

Answer 20

This amendment provided the right to vote for all U.S. citizens regardless of sex. It was important because it allowed women to vote.

Question 21

23rd Amendment

Answer 21

After this amendment was passed, citizens of the District of Columbia were given the power to vote in Presidential elections for the first time.

Question 22

24th Amendment

Answer 22

This amendment says that states can’t tax voters. This prevented Southern States from preventing poor African Americans from voting.

Question 23

26th Amendment

Answer 23

This amendment lowered the required age to vote down to 18. Allows anyone that is 18 or older to vote without interference from the government.

Question 24

What happens in Election of 1912

Answer 24

It was a rare four Way contest. The last election where former president ran for office without being nominated as a Republican or Democrat

Question 25

Spoiler role of progressive party?

Answer 25

Minor party candidate is very popular & has similar idea as Republican, but minor party steals votes from Republican and Democrat candidate wins election

Question 26

Innovator role of progressive party

Answer 26

Minor party has a popular idea and gets votes, then major party adopts ideas and minor party fades away

Question 27

Voting Rights Act of 1965? Provisions? Impacts? Success?

Answer 27

• No voting qualification shall be imposed to deny the right of any citizen to vote based on race or color
• The court appointed federal examiners to enforce the guarantees of the 15th amendment.
• No literacy test or grandfather clause
• Federal Examiners shall oversee voter registration, voting, and vote counting in these states with preclearance
• Poll taxes are illegal

Question 28

What happens at national conventions?

Answer 28

National Convention - held by major parties every four years to choose presidential candidate

• Delegates from each state meet to cast vote for presidential candidate
• Votes are cast until a candidate is selected

Question 29

Name the three types of minor parties

Answer 29

Ideological, Single Issue, Splinter

Question 30

Ideological Minor Party

Answer 30

Based on a particular set of beliefs, and apply beliefs to every political issue

Question 31

Single Issue Minor Party

Answer 31

Focus on a single Issue; rarely take stance on more than a few related issues

Question 32

Splinter Minor Party

Answer 32

Have usually split from one of two major parties; split off to follow a popular candidate to focus on specific issue

Question 33

2 role of minor parties

Answer 33

Spoiler role and innovator role
Spoiler - cause an upset in election
Innovator - cause a major party to take on a certain idea

Question 34

5 Roles of major parties

Answer 34

Nominating candidates - members of party fight to gain support for upcoming election; party votes person to represent them in general election
Informing and Activating supporters - parties provide info on their stances and campaign
Bonding Agent - Party works to protect good name
Governing- congress & executive organized by party
Watchdog - party out-of-power critiques party in-power

Question 35

Legal Voting Restrictions

Answer 35

Citizenship, residence, registration, must be 18
Those is mental institutions can’t vote, those who are mentally incompetent can’t vote, those who are convicted of felonies are not allowed to vote, & sometimes can’t vote if dishonorably discharged from military

Question 36

Illegal voting restrictions

Answer 36

Literacy test, poll tax, grandfather clause, voter intimidation

Question 37

Explain The Electoral College

Answer 37

of reps + senators (2) = States electoral votes
winner of popular vote receives certain # of electors
A tie is decided by House of Reps - each state receives one vote and must have majority to win (vote until there’s a winner)

Question 38

What’s an interest group?

Answer 38

Group of people that share the same interests, beliefs or goals; come together to influence government

Question 39

Types of interest groups

Answer 39

Public, economic, professional, ideological, single-Issue

Question 40

3 ways interest groups influence government

Answer 40

1. Informing - provide info to government members
2. Endorse candidates - supports them if they have the same beliefs; encourages group members to vote for that candidate
3. Donating money - contribute money to candidates campaign to influence them

Question 41

Positives and negatives of interest groups

Answer 41

Positives - allows people to have a voice and make changes; strength in numbers
Negatives - cause separation among citizens; can eventually end up with more power than they should have

Question 42

Campaign finance as free speech?

Answer 42

Money is a way to express opinions, so limiting spending limits freedom of speech

Question 43

Dangers of money in campaigns?

Answer 43

Benefits wealthy individuals and corporations, and they have too much say in elections.
Deep pockets equal lots of commercials, etc.

Question 44

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

Answer 44

Banned national parties and office holders from raising or spending soft money
Set limits on all campaign donations
Limits adjust for inflation

Question 45

Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee of 2010?

Answer 45

Ruled that spending is protected under first Amendments, and ruled that government can’t prohibit spending by corporations and labor unions to support or denounce individual candidates

These groups can’t work or contact candidates or campaigns