Lesson 7 Quiz

Question 1

How can the number of electoral votes in a state be changed?

Answer 1

Based on census results, population shifts between states can lead to reapportionment of the electoral votes between states.

Question 2

The political elite of a party (governors, mayors, party chairs, and other officials) selected most of the delegates and thus had most input choosing the party’s presidential nominee, until what decade?

Answer 2

1960s

Question 3

What was the importance of the Twelfth Amendment, which was ratified in 1804?

Answer 3

It created a requirement that electors cast one ballot for president and one ballot for vice president.

Question 4

What effect have televised presidential debates had on election outcomes?

Answer 4

The impact of debates is unclear.

Question 5

In 2012, states that allocated their delegates proportionate to the voting outcome were permitted to hold contests as early as the first Tuesday in ___________.

Answer 5

March

Question 6

What is the primary benefit for a candidate who emerges as a frontrunner in a political party’s campaign for president?

Answer 6

Media coverage of the candidate tends to increase significantly.

Question 7

The phase of the presidential election process in which the political parties select candidates to run against other party candidates is called the ______________.

Answer 7

nomination phase

Question 8

A(n) __________ is a congressional seat from a district that includes a high percentage of voters from one of the major parties.

Answer 8

safe seat

Question 9

What is the minimum number of electoral votes possible for any one state?

Answer 9

3

Question 10

Which of the following is true of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

Answer 10

It indexed contribution limits for inflation every two years./
It placed limitations on money contributed to national parties./ It is popularly known as the McCain–Feingold Act./ It raised limits on contributions to a particular candidate for federal office.

Question 11

Political parties, though weaker today than in the past, have provided the framework for every presidential election since ____________.

Answer 11

1796

Question 12

The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), and its subsequent amendments, did all of the following _______________________________________________.

Answer 12

imposed legal limits on campaign contributions by individuals/ required that all federal candidates accurately disclose campaign contributions/ required that all federal candidates must document all campaign expenditures/ imposed an outright ban on certain campaign contributions by corporations, unions, national banks, and foreign nationals

Question 13

In 1824, Andrew Jackson won the popular vote for president but did not receive enough electoral votes to win outright. The vote was constitutionally thrown to the U.S. House of Representatives, which chose John Quincy Adams, the “number two” candidate. This outcome was a catalyst for Jackson to __________________________________.

Answer 13

split from his party to create the new Democratic Party, and then win the 1828 election

Question 14

Political parties play a critical role in our democratic process in all of the following ways, except​ ________________.

Answer 14

​removing party members from existing terms of office

Question 15

Which of the following is a function of political parties?

Answer 15

offering voters candidate and policy choices/ recruiting and promoting political candidates/ organizing the process of competitive elections/ offering proposals for making public policy

Question 16

An election that results in a clear shifting of voter preferences from one party to another, or that clearly solidifies a party’s unity, is referred to as a __________________.

Answer 16

realigning, or critical, election

Question 17

In which of the following ways do parties organize the legislative process?​

Answer 17

The majority party will have greater control over the institution, and therefore, more influence over public policy.

Question 18

Passed in 1964, which amendment outlawed poll taxes by making unconstitutional any law that made payment of a tax a voting eligibility requirement in federal elections?

Answer 18

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Question 19

Which of the following is an explanation for low voter turnout?

Answer 19

Voting in the United States is not compulsory.
c.
Tuesdays are work days.
d.
Voting in the United States usually requires advance registration.
e.
There are a large number of elections in America, making the opportunity to participate less of a novelty.

Question 20

Which term refers to a document, or official statement, that outlines the political party’s position on important policy issues?

Answer 20

party platform

Question 21

Ultimately, political parties have an interest in influencing public policy to be consistent with the views of the parties’ coalitions. Through what means do political parties attempt to achieve these goals?​

Answer 21

winning elections

Question 22

Voter turnout can be defined as _________________________.

Answer 22

the percentage of eligible voters that vote in an election

Question 23

Though never explicitly intended, which of the following has been a positive benefit of the competition for power between the two major parties?

Answer 23

Competition has proven to be a significant check against tyranny.

Question 24

The 1792 election was the first presidential race following the initial election of George Washington as first president, during which Washington ran unopposed for a second term. Which of the following is true concerning this election?

Answer 24

This was the last presidential election in which there was no political party competition.

Question 25

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of American political parties to parties from most other democratic countries?

Answer 25

Compared to other countries, American parties are often ideologically vague.
b.
Unlike some European counterparts, American parties cannot depend on unwavering support from their constituents.
c.
Parties in most democracies are strong and well organized, whereas American parties tend to be weaker organizationally.
d.
American parties gravitate toward more centrist positions on issues.