09 Campaigns and Elections

01

Although Belinda voted for Barack Obama for president, she voted to reelect her member of Congress who is Republican. Belinda’s action was an example of which of the following?

Retrospective voting

Balancing the ticket

Split ticket voting

Straight ticket voting
02

In State X, only people who are registered to vote as members of the Democratic Party can participate in the Democratic primary; only registered Republicans can participate in the Republican primary. What kind of primary does State X have?

Closed primary

Open primary

Blanket primary

Runoff primary
03

How often are congressional seats reallocated among the states?

Every four years to coincide with a presidential election.

Every 10 years after the census is taken.

Every two years to coincide with congressional elections.

Every year.
04

“One person, one vote” deals with which of the following issues?

The problem of ensuring that votes are accurately counted.

Voting discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities.

Voting fraud in which individuals cast multiple ballots.

The requirement that legislative districts have equal or nearly equal population size.
05

The Voting Rights Act (VRA) was passed to protect which of the following?

The rights of the minority political party in a state.

The rights of racial, ethnic, and language minorities.

The rights all citizens.

All of the above
06

A state legislature draws an awkwardly shaped district designed to increase the chances that the political party that controls the legislature will capture the district in the next election. The legislature could be accused of which of the following?

Redistricting

Reapportionment

Retrospective voting

Gerrymandering
07

What is the most expensive item in the typical campaign budget?

Fundraising

Travel

Advertising, especially television

Consulting services
08

Contributions from Political Action Committees (PACs) play the most important role in which of the following types of elections?

U.S. House elections

Presidential elections

U.S. Senate elections

PACs are equally important in all three types of elections
09

What is “soft money”?

Money loaned to a candidate

Funds raised by political parties that are not subject to campaign finance regulations

Money a candidate loans to his or her own campaign

Money that a political party spends on behalf of its party’s candidates
10

Which of the following would be part of a campaign ground war?

Campaign workers deliver campaign literature door to door.

Campaign workers telephone citizens to remind them to vote.

Campaign workers operate a van pool to bring elderly and disabled voters to the polls on Election Day.

All of the above
11

In 2008, polls showed that the race between Obama and McCain would be extremely close in the state of North Carolina and both campaigns targeted the state. Which of the following terms would best describe North Carolina in 2008?

Battleground state

Red state

Blue state

Primary state
12

Why do most incumbent House members win reelection?

They represent districts that are safe for one political party or the other.

They can raise substantially more money than their opponents.

They are better known than most challengers.

All of the above
13

Who or what actually chooses the individuals selected as the Democratic and Republican Party nominees for president?

The National Party Conventions choose their party nominees by majority vote of the delegates in attendance.

Majority vote of the Electoral College.

The voters make the choice in a national primary.

Each party’s congressional delegation makes the choice.
14

In which of the following elections would a political scientist expect the lowest turnout as a percentage of the total electorate?

The general election

A presidential preference primary

A presidential caucus

Turnout would be equal among the three contests
15

Historically, which of the following contests takes place the earliest in the presidential nomination process?

New Hampshire Primary

Iowa Caucus

Florida Primary

South Carolina Primary
16

Which of the following states is usually very important in the nomination stage but relatively unimportant in the general election stage of the presidential election process?

New York

California

New Hampshire

Florida
17

In 2008, Florida had 25 U.S representatives. How many electoral votes did Florida have that year?

25

27

30

32
18

California has 55 electoral votes. Candidate A carries California with 60 percent of the vote. How many electoral votes will be awarded to Candidate A?

33 (60 percent of them)

It depends on which candidate carries each of California’s congressional districts.

55

Half of them
19

Marjorie is a hard core Republican voter. She always votes, and always votes for the Republican candidate. Marjorie is part of which of the following?

The Republican base

Independent voters

Swing voters

The Democratic base
20

“I voted for Obama because I am really unhappy with the direction of the country. After the last eight years, I just could not bring myself to vote for another Republican.” The above statement by a voter is an expression of which of the following?

Split ticket voting

Straight ticket voting

Coattail effect

Retrospective voting

09 Campaigns and Elections

Although Belinda voted for Barack Obama for president, she voted to reelect her member of Congress who is Republican. Belinda’s action was an example of which of the following?

In State X, only people who are registered to vote as members of the Democratic Party can participate in the Democratic primary; only registered Republicans can participate in the Republican primary. What kind of primary does State X have?

How often are congressional seats reallocated among the states?

“One person, one vote” deals with which of the following issues?

The Voting Rights Act (VRA) was passed to protect which of the following?

A state legislature draws an awkwardly shaped district designed to increase the chances that the political party that controls the legislature will capture the district in the next election. The legislature could be accused of which of the following?

What is the most expensive item in the typical campaign budget?

Contributions from Political Action Committees (PACs) play the most important role in which of the following types of elections?

What is “soft money”?

Which of the following would be part of a campaign ground war?

In 2008, polls showed that the race between Obama and McCain would be extremely close in the state of North Carolina and both campaigns targeted the state. Which of the following terms would best describe North Carolina in 2008?

Why do most incumbent House members win reelection?

Who or what actually chooses the individuals selected as the Democratic and Republican Party nominees for president?

In which of the following elections would a political scientist expect the lowest turnout as a percentage of the total electorate?

Historically, which of the following contests takes place the earliest in the presidential nomination process?

Which of the following states is usually very important in the nomination stage but relatively unimportant in the general election stage of the presidential election process?

In 2008, Florida had 25 U.S representatives. How many electoral votes did Florida have that year?

California has 55 electoral votes. Candidate A carries California with 60 percent of the vote. How many electoral votes will be awarded to Candidate A?

Marjorie is a hard core Republican voter. She always votes, and always votes for the Republican candidate. Marjorie is part of which of the following?

“I voted for Obama because I am really unhappy with the direction of the country. After the last eight years, I just could not bring myself to vote for another Republican.” The above statement by a voter is an expression of which of the following?