50. The project “Americans Elect,” launched in 2012, would best be
described as __________.
a. an successful efort to increase voter turnout
b. a failed experiment in online politics
c. an example of the power of money in elections
d. a well-intentioned, but unsuccessful efort to defeat
incumbent politicians
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.4: Describe the stages in U.S.
presidential elections and the diferences in elections at each
stage.
Page Reference: 246
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
51. Which of the following could have a serious impact on whether a
close presidential election could actually be decided on Election
Day?
a. absentee voting
b. the number of candidates on a ballot
c. eforts to ensure that all counties in a state use the same
voting technology
d. voter registration laws
Topic: Counting Votes
Learning Objective: LO 8.2: Identify problems associated with
administering elections and evaluate proposed solutions to
those problems.
Page Reference: 232
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
52. Which of the following would be a likely disadvantage of
regional primaries in the nomination of presidential candidates?
a. They would retain the current emphasis on money and media.
b. They would create an even more complicated nominating
process.
258
c. They would put small states at a signiicant disadvantage in
the nominating process.
d. They would likely lead to lower voter turnout in the primaries.
Topic: Running for Congress
Learning Objective: LO 8.6: Assess concerns regarding
presidential elections and reforms that have been proposed.
Page Reference: 258 – 259
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
53. A “permanent Congress” is a result of __________.
a. advantages held by incumbents
b. coattail efects
c. high levels of competition in House elections
d. the Supreme Court’s ruling in Pelosi v. Constituents
Topic: Running for Congress
Learning Objective: LO 8.3: Explain how congressional
elections work and why they are generally not competitive.
Page Reference: 237
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
54. The Pew Global Attitudes survey asked people how they feel
about women and men serving as political leaders. Which of the
following was a major inding of this research?
a. People in Britain believe that men and women make equally
good leaders and favor women over men.
b. People in the United States do not believe that men and
women make equally good leaders.
c. People in Nigeria believe that men make better leaders than
women do.
d. People in Japan believe that women make better leaders than
men do.
Topic: Running for Congress
259
Learning Objective: LO 8.3: Explain how congressional
elections work and why they are generally not competitive.
Page Reference: 239
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
55. To win their parties’ nominations, presidential candidates
__________.
a. must win the Iowa caucus
b. must raise more money than any of their opponents
c. typically have to appeal to the more ideologically intense
individuals in their parties
d. try to adopt policy platforms most appealing to moderate,
independent voters
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.4: Describe the stages in U.S.
presidential elections and the diferences in elections at each
stage.
Page Reference: 242 – 243
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
56. If no candidate gets a majority of the Electoral College vote for
vice president, __________.
a. the candidate with the most Electoral College votes wins
b. the House votes between the top three candidates, with each
state casting one vote
c. the House votes between the top three candidates, with each
representative casting one vote
d. the Senate chooses between the top two candidates, with
each senator casting one vote
Topic: Elections: The Rules of the Game
Learning Objective: LO 8.1: Assess the implications of election
rules in the United States.
Page Reference: 231
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
260
57. Supreme Court decisions in 2010 and 2014 __________ the efects
of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act in reducing the
inluence of money in campaigns.
a. slightly limited
b. reversed
c. dramatically broadened
d. legitimated
Topic: Money in U.S. Elections
Learning Objective: LO 8.5: Evaluate the inluence of money
in American elections and the main approaches to campaign
inance reform.
Page Reference: 253 – 254
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
58. Which of the following is a requirement for third-party
candidates to participate in presidential debates?
a. They must oicially register as presidential candidates with
the Commission on Presidential Debates.
b. They must meet a minimum fund-raising threshold.
c. They must be on the ballot in enough states to be able to win
the election.
d. They must have an average of 5 percent or higher in ive
major election polls.
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.4: Describe the stages in U.S.
presidential elections and the diferences in elections at each
stage.
Page Reference: 247
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
59. Which of the following was a success of the Federal Election
Campaign Act?
a. For 20 years, presidential candidates accepted limitations on
fund-raising and campaign spending to receive federal matching
funds.
261
b. Since the law was passed, virtually all campaign fund-raising
and spending has been fully disclosed.
c. Since the law was passed, minor parties have had greater
success in getting candidates elected.
d. For 20 years, challengers in congressional elections have had
greater success in getting elected, thanks to limitations on
campaign fund-raising and spending.
Topic: Money in U.S. Elections
Learning Objective: LO 8.5: Evaluate the inluence of money
in American elections and the main approaches to campaign
inance reform.
Page Reference: 250
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
60. Critics of the proposal to switch to direct election of the
president contend that it would lead to ___________.
a. an election system in which recounts are the norm
b. an unfair advantage to the Democratic Party
c. an increase in political extremism
d. an unstable political system
Topic: Improving Elections
Learning Objective: LO 8.6: Assess concerns regarding
presidential elections and reforms that have been proposed.
Page Reference: 259
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
True–False Questions
61. All states limit the terms of state legislators.
Topic: Elections: The Rules of the Game
262
Learning Objective: LO 8.1: Assess the implications of election
rules in the United States.
Page Reference: 229
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
62. The technology used in voting varies greatly from state to state
and in diferent parts of the same state.
Topic: Counting Votes
Learning Objective: LO 8.2: Identify problems associated with
administering elections and evaluate proposed solutions to
those problems.
Page Reference: 232
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
63. In most midterm elections between 1934 and 2008, the party
controlling the White House lost seats in the House.
Topic: Running for Congress
Learning Objective: LO 8.3: Explain how congressional
elections work and why they are generally not competitive.
Page Reference: 235
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
64. Candidates generally formally announce their plans to run for
the presidency in March or April of the election year.
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.4: Describe the stages in U.S.
presidential elections and the diferences in elections at each
stage.
Page Reference: 240
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
65. Overall spending in House races surpasses overall spending in
Senate races.
263
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.3: Explain how congressional
elections work and why they are generally not competitive.
Page Reference: 238
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
66. In 1996, the Clinton-Gore campaign chose to raise soft money
by ofering nights in the Lincoln Bedroom to donors.
Topic: Money in U. S. Elections
Learning Objective: LO 8.5: Evaluate the inluence of money
in American elections and the main approaches to campaign
inance reform.
Page Reference: 251
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
67. Voters in primaries and caucuses tend to be less ideological
than voters generally.
Topic: Improving Elections
Learning Objective: LO 8.6: Assess concerns regarding
presidential elections and reforms that have been proposed.
Page Reference: 258
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
68. All House members are up for election at the same time every
two years.
Topic: Elections: The Rules of the Game
Learning Objective: LO 8.1: Assess the implications of election
rules in the United States.
Page Reference: 228
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
264
69. In most states, you do not have to be registered to vote.
Topic: Counting Votes
Learning Objective: LO 8.2: Identify problems associated with
administering elections and evaluate proposed solutions to
those problems.
Page Reference: 233
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
70. Most incumbent members of Congress are reelected.
Topic: Running for Congress
Learning Objective: LO 8.3: Explain how congressional
elections work and why they are generally not competitive.
Page Reference: 235
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
71. Primaries are the oldest method of choosing delegates.
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.4: Describe the stages in U.S.
presidential elections and the diferences in elections at each
stage.
Page Reference: 240
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
72. The rising costs of elections mean that incumbents spend more
time raising funds and less time actually doing their jobs.
Topic: Money in U.S. Elections
Learning Objective: LO 8.5: Evaluate the inluence of money
in American elections and the main approaches to campaign
inance reform.
Page Reference: 254
265
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
73. If you belonged to an independent or minor party, you might
favor a change to proportional representation.
Topic: Elections: The Rules of the Game
Learning Objective: LO 8.1: Assess the implications of election
rules in the United States.
Page Reference: 229 – 230
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
74. As a candidate for election in today’s campaigns, you could
expect to take of the time between the convention and Labor
Day to rest up for the rest of the campaign.
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.4: Describe the stages in U.S.
presidential elections and the diferences in elections at each
stage.
Page Reference: 246
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
75. If election reformers have their way, candidates in the future
can expect to have to disclose more information about who
donates to campaigns and how much has been contributed.
Topic: Improving Elections
Learning Objective: LO 8.6: Assess concerns regarding
presidential elections and reforms that have been proposed.
Page Reference: 257
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
266
Fill–in–the–Blank Questions
76. The __________ is the inclination to focus on national issues,
rather than local issues, in an election campaign.
Topic: Running for Congress
Learning Objective: LO 8.3: Explain how congressional
elections work and why they are generally not competitive.
Page Reference: 236
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
77. Until the election in the year __________, most voters assumed
they could cast a vote and have it counted correctly.
Topic: Counting Votes
Learning Objective: LO 8.2: Identify problems associated with
administering elections and evaluate proposed solutions to
those problems.
Page Reference: 232
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
78. A __________ is a person chosen by local partisans to represent
them in selecting nominees, party leaders, and party positions.
Topic: Running for President
Learning Objective: LO 8.4: Describe the stages in U.S.
presidential elections and the diferences in elections at each
stage.
Page Reference: 240
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
79. In the __________ system of allocating delegates, the candidate
with the most votes gets all of the state’s delegates.