Unit 3 - Chapter 9.1-9.4

Question 1

nomination

Answer 1

a party’s official endorsement of a candidate for office

Question 2

campaign strategy

Answer 2

the master game plan a candidate lays out to raise money, garner media attention, and win supporters in a campaign for political office

Question 3

the main goal of the presidential nomination game is to ___.

Answer 3

win the support of a majority of delegates at your convention to get nomination (question I missed on the quiz)

Question 4

national party convention

Answer 4

the supreme power within each of the parties, which functions to formally select presidential and vice presidential candidates and to write the party platform

Question 5

McGovern-Fraser Commission

Answer 5

formed in 1968 in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation, started delegate state primaries people can vote in for Democrats (Republicans quickly followed)

Question 6

superdelegates

Answer 6

Democratic party only, people who are awarded automatic slots as delegates based on the office they currently hold, used to be able to overturn people’s candidate but hold much less power now

Question 7

invisible primary

Answer 7

the wooing of support from major elected officials, top fundraisers, and skilled political aides, often behind the scenes

Question 8

caucus

Answer 8

for both parties, voters show up at a fixed time and attend an open meeting lasting 1-2 hours to express their presidential preference (less ppl show bc of time commitment, so are more left/right leaning)

Question 9

presidential primaries

Answer 9

state’s voters go to express their preference for a party’s nominee for president, states’ delegates vote at electoral college based on this

Question 10

frontloading

Answer 10

recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention (like New Hampshire)

Question 11

complaints against US style of campaigning (5 things)

Answer 11

too much attention goes to early primaries, cost way too much money, primary participation isn’t representative, hard to take time off to campaign, media plays too big a role

Question 12

party platform

Answer 12

the party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next four years at the party’s national convention (also event where pres. nominee is announced)

Question 13

direct mail

Answer 13

information and requests for money addressed specifically to huge lists of people who have supported candidates with similar views in the past

Question 14

the main budget for a campaign is used for __.

Answer 14

advertising/commercials

Question 15

campaign contributions

Answer 15

donations made directly to a candidate or party that must be reported to the Federal Election Commission

Question 16

independent expenditures

Answer 16

expenses on behalf of a political message that are made by groups that are uncoordinated with any candidate’s campaign (but not really)

Question 17

Federal Election Campaign Act

Answer 17

made campaign finance an open book for public scrutiny, candidates must disclose who gave them money, ho much, and how funds are being spent (also limits how much people can donate/election)

Question 18

political action committees (PACs)

Answer 18

groups that can channel contributions to candidates

Question 19

Federal Election Commission

Answer 19

established by the FEC act, bipartisan committee that administers and enforces campaign finance laws

Question 20

soft money

Answer 20

money raised for party-building expenses for generic party advertising, used as loophole to donate for candidates for a time

Question 21

McCutheon v. FEC

Answer 21

overturned restriction on how much individuals can donate to a campaign, allows joint fundraising committees where candidates can split amount raised

Question 22

Buckley v. Valeo

Answer 22

Supreme Court struck down limits to how much someone can donate to their own campaign

Question 23

527 groups

Answer 23

way to make unlimited contributions to campaign, independent political groups that aren’t subject to contribution restrictions bc they don’t directly promote election of one candidate (usually imply)

NOW OBSOLETE

Question 24

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Answer 24

landmark case that ruled individuals, unions, and corporations can donated unlimited amounts to groups that don’t coordinate their message with any candidate’s campaign

Question 25

501(c) groups

Answer 25

groups that are exempted from reporting their campaign contributions and can receive unlimited contributions (not in FEC’s jurisdiction)

Question 26

super PACS

Answer 26

now more common than PACs, have unlimited donation caps, can support a specific candidate but must report to FEC and can’t coordinate w/candidate

Question 27

selective perception

Answer 27

the phenomenon that people’s beliefs often guide what they pay the most attention to and how they interpret events

Question 28

campaigns have three effects on voters:

Answer 28

reinforce voter’s preferences, activate voters (get them to volunteer or donate), or convert people to change their minds about a candidate (least common)

Question 29

the more money a candidate spends on their campaign ___.

Answer 29

the less likely they are to win beyond a certain threshold

Question 30

4 steps to becoming president

Answer 30

surface/build base, get nominated, be the official nomination at party convention, win

Question 31

3 types of primary

Answer 31

open (don’t have to declare ahead of time which party a citizen votes for), closed (have to say ahead of time which party), blanket (split ticket primary, includes both parties)

Question 32

free media

Answer 32

media consultants devise things candidate can do that’s newsworthy but good press, coverage comes from media

Question 33

hard money

Answer 33

limits/regulated spending in campaigns (limited voter/company donations)

Question 34

bipartisan campaign reform act (Aka McCain-Feingold Act)

Answer 34

Banned soft money, updates Hard Money limits based on inflation every 2 years, limits Issue Ads (can run ad for candidate 60 days out from general election if you aren’t the candidate itself)

Question 35

inoculation ads

Answer 35

Ads quickly made to refute points in attack ads

Question 36

incumbency advantage

Answer 36

People running for reelection (more likely to win campaign)