Test Bank Chapter 14 Voting, Campaigns, And Elections

Test Bank

Chapter 14: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections

Multiple Choice

1. Elections perform all of the following functions EXCEPT ______.

a. selecting leaders

b. decreasing political efficacy

c. informing the public

d. containing conflict

e. citizen development

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. As a method of selecting leaders, democratic elections ensure that the ______.

a. winning candidate will have been chosen by a majority of the voting public

b. best potential candidates will be attracted to the process

c. voters will be able to judge the candidates well

d. leader chosen is the most popular candidate on the ballot

e. selection of leaders will be a smooth and uncontroversial process

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. The founders created the Electoral College through which senators and the executive would be indirectly chosen in order to ______.

a. serve as a check against the whims of the masses

b. prevent the House of Representatives from wielding too much power

c. ensure that the interests of all citizens are represented in the federal government

d. prevent localized factions from gaining control of the federal government

e. satisfy the demands of Federalists who wanted a strong central government

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Founders’ Intentions

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. Citizens’ feelings of effectiveness in political affairs is called ______.

a. political efficacy

b. good feelings

c. power

d. legitimacy

e. system stability

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. Research indicates that ______.

a. state elections have little influence on state public policy

b. the electoral process does a surprisingly good job of directing policy

c. politicians running for Congress usually have little interest in the presidential election

d. presidents have little influence on foreign policy

e. all of the these

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. Some of the overall decline in voter turnout at the end of the twentieth century was likely due to ______.

a. increasing citizen involvement in community groups

b. the weakened relationship between interest group leaders and political leaders

c. the willingness of citizens to tax themselves to provide important community services

d. societal changes

e. the number of interest groups in a community

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. The primary impact of state voter registration laws has been to ______.

a. make it more expensive to vote

b. decrease turnout

c. discourage voters from identifying themselves with a party

d. improve voter awareness of elections

e. prevent fraud

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Exercising the Right to Vote in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. What method has increased voter registration?

a. registration on the Internet

b. registration at one’s place of employment

c. registration by fingerprint

d. registration by phone

e. Motor Voter legislation

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Exercising the Right to Vote in America

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. Those who are LESS likely to vote tend to be ______.

a. poor rather than wealthy

b. older rather than younger

c. college graduates

d. whites

e. relatively wealthy

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Exercising the Right to Vote in America

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. A party’s effort to inform potential voters and persuade them to vote for that party is known as ______.

a. issue ownership

b. issue advocacy

c. prompting

d. oppo research

e. voter mobilization

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

11. The single biggest factor accounting for how people decide to vote is ______.

a. gender

b. candidate characteristics

c. party identification

d. the issues

e. ethnicity

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

12. Party identification is the single most important predictor of how people decide to vote because ______.

a. voters are too unsophisticated to vote in any other fashion

b. it leads people toward prospective issue voting

c. being a partisan means the voter does not need to register to vote

d. it indirectly colors the partisan’s perceptions of issues and candidates

e. it leads people toward retrospective issue voting

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

13. Which of the following statements is NOT true concerning the role of issues in citizens’ voting decisions?

a. People tend to tune out the “complicated” issues.

b. The media do not generally cover issues in depth.

c. Calculated policy decisions by voters are common.

d. Most voters rely on party labels to tell them what they need to know about candidates.

e. People are influenced by policy information.

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

14. ______ is the idealized voting behavior, but ______ more realistically reflects how policy considerations influence voters’ decisions.

a. Swing voting; prospective voting

b. Prospective voting; retrospective voting

c. Prospective voting; swing voting

d. Retrospective voting; prospective voting

e. Front-loading; retrospective voting

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

15. ______ voting occurs when people base their voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of their votes.

a. Factional

b. Partisan

c. Prospective

d. Retrospective

e. Wedge issue

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

16. ______ voting occurs when people use their judgment of the current political situation along with the past performance of the incumbents.

a. Retrospective

b. Passive

c. Partisan

d. Prospective

e. Sentimental

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

17. Politicians who are thinking about running for the presidency begin their runs by ______.

a. testing the waters unofficially

b. announcing their candidacy

c. acquiring the money to run

d. filing with the Federal Election Commission

e. positioning themselves as credible prospects with the media

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

18. According to the text, the images that voters have of candidates usually cause voters to ______.

a. struggle to perceive any meaningful differences among presidential candidates

b. make the presidential contest out to be something akin to a beauty or personality contest

c. form clear opinions about candidate qualities that are relevant to governing

d. typically ignore candidate qualities that are relevant to governing

e. choose the more articulate and handsome of presidential contestants

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

19. Major-party presidential nominations are now determined primarily by ______.

a. each party’s slate of electors from the Electoral College

b. Super Tuesday primaries

c. convention delegates selected in party primaries, caucuses, and state conventions

d. the party leaders at the parties’ national conventions

e. the public at large in open primaries

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

20. A party caucus is a meeting of ______.

a. local party members who choose delegates for the national convention

b. state politicians who send themselves to the national convention

c. voters to decide which parties make it onto the ballot

d. the national party committee to assign delegates to the national convention

e. none of the these

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

21. Front-loading is the process of ______.

a. scheduling presidential primaries earlier in the primary season

b. encouraging one’s supporters to vote early on the primary-election day

c. biasing the nomination process so that senators go to the front of the line

d. presidents declaring their candidacy early to scare off potential opponents

e. requiring all fund-raising to occur in the year prior to parties’ primaries and caucuses

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

22. ______ determine(s) how delegates are distributed by the primaries.

a. Party rules

b. Federal statutes

c. The Constitution

d. Municipal regulations

e. State statutes

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

23. Delegates to the national conventions are chosen ______.

a. in closed meetings of the party leaders

b. in primary elections and caucuses

c. by national surveys

d. by the party’s presidential candidate

e. by the party’s cabinet

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

24. Front-loading affects the selection of a nominee by ______.

a. making success in earlier primaries all the more important in gaining and keeping momentum

b. hurting incumbent presidents who cannot contest their party’s primaries as easily as challengers

c. making the performance of candidates at conventions all the more important

d. making money less important in early contests as long as the candidate gets in front of other borrowers for the later primaries

e. making the selection of senators as party nominees much more likely than the selection of governors

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

25. According to the textbook, what is considered “winning” in primary elections?

a. having an absolute majority of votes in every primary

b. beating expectations and gathering momentum, even if the candidate did not come in first in the primary or caucus

c. winning only the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary but no other primaries

d. winning all primaries except the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary because these contests have such little influence on the race

e. taking first place in every primary or caucus on a particular day

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

26. Two important tasks of national conventions are ______.

a. raising money and revising party’s rules

b. sending out a positive message about a candidate and raising money for the general-election campaign

c. the announcement of a vice presidential candidate approval of the party platform

d. having a good time and avoiding media attention

e. avoiding media attention and lining up interest group support

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

27. In the presidential nomination process, ______.

a. most states use caucuses to choose delegates to the national convention

b. front-loading favors the candidate who goes into the nomination process as the front-runner

c. the unpredictable scheduling of primaries favors the candidate without a set strategy for winning the nomination

d. the goal in the primaries is always to come in first because the media usually call anything else a defeat

e. the national party rules of both major parties require that the states allocate delegates on a proportional basis

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

28. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the choice of a vice presidential candidate?

a. Historically, the choice does not seem to have had significant electoral consequences.

b. Presidential candidates weigh the choice carefully.

c. The caliber of the decision about whom to choose as a vice presidential candidate can be viewed as an indication of the other appointments a presidential candidate might make.

d. The choice of the vice presidential nominee is up to the presidential nominee.

e. Traditionally, the vice presidential candidate is from the same region and wing of the party as the presidential candidate.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

29. The term convention bump refers to ______.

a. the danger of a front-runner stumbling badly after the convention

b. the staged hoopla surrounding a nominee’s acceptance speech

c. the opinion poll spike that most candidates enjoy immediately after the convention

d. persuading delegates assigned to other candidates to vote for the presumptive nominee

e. convincing the candidate’s primary-election rivals to support him at the convention

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

30. The Constitution dictates that each state has ______.

a. a minimum of two electors

b. fewer electors if the presidential or vice presidential candidates are not from their state

c. a choice of how many electors it will have

d. one elector for each senator and one elector for each representative

e. an equal number of electors

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

31. Faithless electors, as defined by the text, are electors who ______.

a. are regular voters who refuse to vote because they lack political efficacy

b. vote their conscience rather than for the candidate they were pledged to support

c. have a position of trust with the federal government in violation of the Constitution

d. neglect to vote for any presidential candidate

e. refuse to pledge support to a candidate before the election

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

32. All of the following statements concerning the Electoral College are true EXCEPT this:

a. The rules of the Electoral College give all the states importance in presidential elections.

b. Critics argue that the Electoral College is undemocratic.

c. Critics argue that a close election could be decided by a few faithless electors.

d. It distorts candidates’ campaign strategies.

e. All the proposed alternatives have problems or at least serious criticisms.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

33. According to the textbook the biggest part of the election battle for presidential candidates is to ______.

a. persuade their party members to show up at the polls

b. convert voters affiliated with the other party

c. convince undecided and swing voters to support them

d. destroy their opponent’s credibility

e. entice swing voters to vote for them

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

34. Swing voters are ______.

a. the 50 percent of the electorate who are in play during each election

b. those who have changed their political party in the past ten years

c. people who have not made up their minds at the start of the campaign

d. so unpredictable that candidates are better off ignoring them

e. such a miniscule part of the electorate that they can be ignored safely

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

35. Electors are typically ______.

a. disinterested citizens chosen for their neutrality

b. active party members

c. prone to vote their conscience

d. chosen based on where they live in a particular state

e. chosen at each party’s national convention

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

36. What is a key effect of Electoral College votes being counted on a winner-take-all basis in all but two states?

a. Candidates have to raise considerable amounts of money during the general election campaign.

b. The electoral vote margin exaggerates the popular vote margin, which then legitimizes the winner’s victory.

c. Despite being different votes, electoral- and popular-vote margins tend to mirror each other closely.

d. Electoral votes are won almost too easily by third-party candidates.

e. Candidates are forced to visit all or nearly all states in order to sew up the election.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

37. Because of the Electoral College, presidential candidates generally spend most of their time and resources in ______.

a. competitive states, especially large ones

b. states where there are competitive local races

c. coastal and border states because they are the so-called blue states

d. California, Texas, and New York because they are the biggest states

e. states where they have a comfortable lead in order to extend that lead

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

38. Oppo research refers to an investigation of the ______.

a. electorate’s mood prior to a campaign

b. mistakes of past campaigns

c. best possible media strategy

d. other candidate’s background, often to find negative information

e. opposing party’s campaign strategy

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

39. Modern campaigns are run by professional staff because ______.

a. the party campaign committee cannot provide the technical services needed

b. the party political committees cannot be trusted

c. the party organization is too busy trying to win state and local elections

d. presidential candidates believe a professional staff reflects better on their credentials

e. party political committees would drive away independent voters

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

40. The use of issues in campaign strategy is about ______.

a. setting the agenda

b. persuading the public of the value of your solutions to problems while ignoring your opponent

c. debating issue positions with your opponent

d. avoiding all talk of issues

e. taking both sides of controversial issues or being as vague as possible

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

41. Negative advertising ______.

a. is strictly an act of desperation and typically signifies that the candidate using these ads is far behind in the polls

b. lacks any informational content, so it attracts only the least well-informed voter

c. is used only by challengers because presidents do not want to be seen as lowering themselves to such tactics

d. registers more quickly and is remembered longer than information from positive advertisements

e. is accepted as fact by the public in campaigns for lower office but is rejected in presidential elections

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

42. When analyzing campaign advertisements, one should ask all of the following questions EXCEPT this:

a. Who created the message?

b. Are the accusations relevant to the campaign or office in question?

c. Is the accusation or attack timely?

d. Is the ad true?

e. Does the message convey a fair charge that can be answered?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

43. A valence issue is an issue ______.

a. on which most voters and candidates share the same position

b. that sharply divides the two candidates

c. on which the two candidates agree but on which the public is sharply divided

d. that never gets addressed and therefore hangs there like window dressing

e. that splits voters within one party

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

44. A ______ issue is one on which the parties differ in their perspectives and their proposed solutions.

a. position

b. valence

c. momentum

d. wedge

e. third-rail

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

45. Wedge issues are controversial matters ______.

a. that differentiate the two major candidates

b. that are generally ignored in campaigns because they are too explosive

c. that undecided voters use to choose their preferred candidate

d. on which most voters and candidates share the same position

e. that one party uses to split voters in the other party

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

46. Who may collect government matching funds during the general election?

a. qualified presidential candidates who choose to accept them

b. only the nominees of the two major parties

c. major-party candidates who have polling rates of support that exceed 10 percent

d. any natural-born American who has received the nomination of any American political party

e. any candidate who promises to visit at least forty states during the general-election campaign

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

47. To receive government matching funds in primary elections, candidates must ______.

a. meet requirements on numbers of petitions signed, funds raised, and public support in the polls

b. raise a specified amount of money from at least twenty states

c. put up at least 20 percent of their yearly income as collateral

d. submit petitions signed by five thousand people in twenty states

e. receive at least 20 percent in three separate polls over a month in Iowa

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

48. The Citizens United case reversed the McCain-Feingold Act. This Supreme Court case says that corporations can now ______.

a. contribute no money to interest groups

b. contribute no money to advertising for or against presidential candidates

c. engage in broadcast campaigns

d. spend no money on scientific research involving animal experimentation

e. spend money on advertising only if it is from a special political action committee (PAC) fund

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

49. In recent get-out-the-vote efforts, parties have ______.

a. placed all their efforts on television and radio commercials

b. put more effort and technology into grassroots mobilization efforts

c. failed to merge new technologies with older forms of voter mobilization

d. decreased their efforts because the public has not been responding

e. curtailed most of these efforts in order to bankroll their television advertising

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

50. Which of the following is a narrative predicated on the belief that voters want a president to do the things for which they campaigned?

a. issue ownership

b. momentum

c. electoral mandate

d. social connectedness

e. retrospective voting

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interpreting Elections

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

51. All of the following statements concerning the media in election campaigns are true EXCEPT this:

a. Debates usually have more impact on voter evaluation of candidates than any other event.

b. Campaigns attempt to maximize opportunities for free coverage.

c. Public reliance on campaign advertising has increased drastically with the rise of television.

d. Candidates do not like the fact that news organizations perpetuate horse-race journalism.

e. The Internet magnifies the importance of every error by a candidate, no matter how trivial.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

52. According to the authors of the textbook, the key advantages of the “political specialization view” of modern democracy include all of the following EXCEPT ______.

a. it is reasonably stable

b. it responds to changes of issues and candidates

c. the electorate as a whole cares

d. the electorate as a whole does not care so intensely that any significant portion of the citizenry will challenge the results of an election

e. it protects the interests of those who are least likely to be the activist or pluralist citizens

Learning Objective: 14.5: Recognize the importance of elections for citizens.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: The Citizens and Elections

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

53. The impact of citizens on national policy is ______.

a. indirect

b. direct

c. nonexistent

d. varied by region

e. varied by party

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

54. Which of the following is a key difference between voting in the United States and in countries such as Australia, Belgium, and Italy?

a. The latter nations have outlawed so-called Motor Voter laws.

b. Voting laws in the United States are less constrictive.

c. Voting is required by law in the latter countries.

d. Voter turnout is typically higher in the United States

e. The United States does not allow voting by mail.

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

55. Campaign contributions donated directly to candidates and, thus, limited by federal election laws are referred to as ______.

a. hard money

b. soft money

c. a slush fund

d. easy cash

e. Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) funds

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

56. A citizen’s relationship to their communities and families is known as ______.

a. issue ownership

b. social connectedness

c. electoral mandate

d. position issues

e. networking

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

57. Married women are typically ______ than single women.

a. more conservative

b. more liberal

c. less likely to vote

d. less likely to be politically active

e. more likely to vote at a young age

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

58. Since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s African Americans have tended to ______.

a. vote Republican

b. vote in larger numbers

c. vote Democratic

d. register to vote in smaller numbers

e. vote independent

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

59. Why do some critics claim that democratic elections do not typically produce the best leaders?

a. The best candidates often are not wealthy enough to run.

b. Partisanship drives away the best candidates.

c. Negative campaigning scares off qualified candidates.

d. Low voter turnout usually guarantees that incumbents will win.

e. The electoral process scares off the best candidates.

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

60. According to the authors, what is the psychological impact of failing to participate in the voting process?

a. It can negatively impact a person’s sense of social connectedness.

b. Nonvoting can produce higher levels of political estrangement.

c. It can deepen the psychological impact of valence issues.

d. Those who only vote sporadically are less inclined to engage in retrospective voting.

e. Nonvoters are more likely to grow frustrated with hyperpartisanship.

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

True/False

1. Swing voters account for approximately one-half of the American electorate.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. According to the text, social connectedness has been increasing over the past several decades.

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. Geography is the single most important predictor of how people decide to vote.

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Easy

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. Presidential electors are required by the Constitution to vote for the candidate for whom they are pledged.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. Barbour and Wright believe that smart candidates conduct oppo research on themselves.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. Most candidates avoid using “soft news” sources because they cannot reach voters that way.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. The first televised presidential debate occurred during the 1960 campaign.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. Advocates of the political specialization model believe that democracies are safer if multiple types of voters are present within them.

Learning Objective: 14.5: Recognize the importance of elections for citizens.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Citizens and Elections

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. Party identification has some important direct and indirect effects on voter choice.

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How American Decides

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. Generally speaking, wealthier individuals are more likely to vote than poorer ones.

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Exercising the Right to Vote in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

Short Answer

1. Why are Republicans more likely to support restrictions on voting?

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Exercising the Right to Vote in America

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. What are some examples of typical voting restrictions?

Learning Objective: 14.2: Summarize the influences on who votes and who doesn’t.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Exercising the Right to Vote in America

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. What is meant by the term “horse race” as it relates to election coverage?

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. What role does the invisible primary play in the election process?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. What typically occurs during an official announcement of candidacy for president?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. When the presidential candidate field is crowded through what means do candidates build a narrative?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. Once a general presidential election campaign is under way, what are the two primary goals of each side?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. What is the consequence of the provision requiring that every state receive at least three electoral votes?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. What were the consequences of then candidate Barack Obama’s decision to self-fund his campaign in 2008?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. In recent years what factors have combined to ensure that at least the major party candidates will participate in debates?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

Essay

1. What are the major functions of elections in a democratic society? List and discuss each fully.

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

2. What features distinguish voters from nonvoters? Why don’t some people vote, and what is being done to improve voter turnout?

Learning Objective: 14.1: Explain the function of elections, both as intended by the founders and in practice.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Voting in a Democratic Society

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

3. Why is party identification the single largest factor that determines how someone votes?

Learning Objective: 14.3: Describe factors that affect citizens’ decisions on whether and how to vote.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: How America Decides

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

4. How have primaries changed over time in their importance to presidential selection? How do they affect the presidential selection process now?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

5. Explain how the Electoral College works and why it is unlikely that this system will be changed.

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Medium

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

6. Discuss the different strategies used during presidential elections. What are the dynamics at the pre-primary, primary, and general-election stages? How does the primary-election strategy differ from the strategy of the general-election campaign?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

7. Explain how candidates and the media each interpret election results. How do winning candidates interpret the outcomes? Describe the media’s role in explaining the outcomes. Do either the media or candidates provide a realistic picture of what the election outcome meant? Why or why not?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

8. According to the authors, do elections matter? Why or why not?

Learning Objective: 14.5: Recognize the importance of elections for citizens.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: The Citizens and Elections

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

9. The authors of the textbook argue for a “political specialization view” of the role citizens play in modern democracy. Describe this model. Explain how it compares with other models of citizen participation. What is the major weakness of the model?

Learning Objective: 14.5: Recognize the importance of elections for citizens.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The Citizens and Elections

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.

10. What role does money play in the general election process?

Learning Objective: 14.4: Identify the organizational and strategic tactics employed in presidential campaigns.

REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Presidential Campaigns

Difficulty Level: Hard

TOP: SAGE Learning Outcomes for American Government: Describe the roles and relative importance of major entities and influences in American political life.