Plsc Final - Multiple Choice

Front 1

Recruiting candidates is
a. easier for Democrats.
b. easier for higher offices with more prestige.
c. harder for the office of sheriff.
d. harder for the office of county commissioner.
e. easier for local offices than national offices.

Back 1

e

Front 2

The people who wanted to be the Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential campaign first needed to raise enough funds to
a. win the title of highest-funded candidate.
b. put up billboards in urban areas.
c. run for local office.
d. tour the nation to see if they had enough local supporters.
e. air attack ads on television.

Back 2

d

Front 3

As detailed in the Constitution, the formal requirements for the office of president include that he or she must be
a. a citizen for at least seven years.
b. a citizen for at least nine years.
c. at least twenty-five years old.
d. at least thirty years old.
e. at least thirty-five years old.

Back 3

d

Front 4

As detailed in the Constitution, the formal requirements for the office of senator include that he or she must be
a. a citizen for at least seven years.
b. a natural-born citizen.
c. a resident of the state from which elected.
d. a resident of a different state from the president.
e. at least twenty-five years old.

Back 4

c

Front 5

The qualifications for state legislators are
a. set by the state constitutions.
b. set by the U.S. Constitution.
c. usually higher for those in the lower chamber of the legislature.
d. usually much more stringent than the legal qualifications for serving as governor.
e. usually just an age requirement.

Back 5

a

Front 6

Holders of political office in the United States are predominantly
a. representative of the general public.
b. evenly divided between men and women.
c. white and male.
d. males from diverse racial and religious backgrounds.
e. Roman Catholics.

Back 6

c

Front 7

As a result of ______, the number of African American public officials has increased throughout the United States.
a. improved educational opportunities
b. public-awareness campaigns
c. the Tenth Amendment
d. major civil rights legislation in the 1960s
e. decreasing interest in holding political office among whites

Back 7

d

Front 8

With regard to candidates for office, all of the following are true EXCEPT
a. until recently, women were considered to be appropriate candidates only for lower-level offices.
b. today, only 35 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified woman for president.
c. most candidates are white and male.
d. the number of women running for office is increasing.
e. candidates are likely to be professionals.

Back 8

a

Front 9

______ may be more likely to campaign for and hold political office because they have more flexible schedules, and political involvement can make a valuable contribution to their careers.
a. Lawyers
b. Doctors
c. Educators
d. Blue-collar workers
e. CEOs

Back 9

a

Front 10

State and national candidates are typically nominated through a
a. general election.
b. primary election.
c. judicial appointment.
d. runoff election.
e. party leader appointment.

Back 10

b

Front 11

Before the advent of ______, a strong party organization at the local, state, or national level could furnish most of the services candidates needed.
a. Democratic dominance
b. widespread political scandal
c. political apathy
d. television campaigning
e. print media campaigning

Back 11

d

Front 12

One of the reasons that campaigns no longer depend on political parties is
a. the recent changes in election laws that have stripped parties of their power over elections.
b. the resentment candidates feel about the control that parties demand regarding the kinds of campaigns the candidates will run.
c. that fewer people identify with them.
d. the fact that so many candidates are choosing to run as independents, rejecting the labels of both Democrat and Republican.
e. the control of interest groups over campaign regulations.

Back 12

c

Front 13

In 1954, fewer than 20 percent of adults identified themselves as ______, whereas today that share is about 40 percent.
a. Republicans
b. Democrats
c. Libertarians
d. Socialists
e. independents

Back 13

e

Front 14

Today, in national elections, most campaign tasks are handled by
a. former successful politicians.
b. professionals who donate their time for free.
c. amateur politicians.
d. paid professionals.
e. volunteers.

Back 14

d

Front 15

The job of a political consultant may include all of the following EXCEPT
a. choosing the candidate’s official portrait.
b. choosing campaign colors.
c. overseeing campaign advertising.
d. nominating a candidate for office.
e. devising a campaign strategy.

Back 15

d

Front 16

If a candidate is a highly visible incumbent seeking reelection,
a. name recognition may be a serious problem.
b. they should leave the major parties and run as an independent.
c. there may be little need for campaigning except to remind the voters of the officeholder’s good deeds.
d. the strategy will be to keep as low a profile as possible.
e. the incumbent must devote almost every moment to campaigning to avoid seeming overly confident and arrogant.

Back 16

c

Front 17

Tracking polls are
a. taken on a nearly daily basis as the election approaches.
b. used by the government to determine if candidates receive illegal contributions.
c. only relevant early in the campaign.
d. usually not reliable sources of information.
e. taken only by the regular pollsters (such as Roper, Harris, and Gallup).

Back 17

a

Front 18

A ______ is when professional consultants organize a discussion about candidates or certain political issues among small groups of ordinary citizens.
a. tracking poll
b. focus group
c. telephone survey
d. national mood
e. group census

Back 18

b

Front 19

In 2008, total campaign spending for ______ reached $2.4 billion.
a. the presidential candidates alone
b. the presidential and congressional candidates
c. all national and state candidates for office combined
d. all national, state, and local candidates for office combined
e. the candidates for governor of California

Back 19

a

Front 20

The series of acts passed by Congress in an attempt to limit and regulate the size and sources of contributions and expenditures in political campaigns are known as the
a. full disclosure acts.
b. freedom of information acts.
c. federal election commission acts.
d. political activities acts.
e. corrupt practices acts.

Back 20

e

Front 21

The Hatch Act of 1939 is best known for
a. facilitating the growth of political action committees.
b. placing no limit on overall campaign spending.
c. restricting the political activities of civil servants.
d. being the first law designed to regulate campaign financing.
e. its many loopholes and general ineffectiveness.

Back 21

c

Front 22

The ______ limited the amount that candidates could spend on their own campaigns, a limit later ruled unconstitutional.
a. Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court case of 2010
b. Buckley v. Valeo Supreme Court case of 1976
c. Hatch Act of 1939
d. Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
e. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

Back 22

d

Front 23

23. Reforms to the Federal Election Campaign Act in 1974 did NOT
a. limit campaign contributions.
b. provide public funding for presidential elections.
c. provide public funding for congressional elections.
d. require disclosure of contributions and spending.
e. create the Federal Election Commission.

Back 23

c

Front 24

Candidates who accept federal financing for presidential general elections
a. cannot raise funds privately.
b. can raise an equal amount of funds privately as provided by the government.
c. are generally looked down on by voters.
d. have a greater chance of winning the election.
e. must pay higher income taxes.

Back 24

a

Front 25

In Buckley v. Valeo, the Supreme Court
a. ruled that issue advocacy advertising was unconstitutional.
b. ruled that the use of focus groups in political campaigns was unconstitutional.
c. dissolved the Federal Election Commission.
d. ruled that the amount candidates could spend on their own campaigns should be limited.
e. ruled that it was unconstitutional to restrict in any way the amount congressional candidates could spend on their own behalf.

Back 25

e

Front 26

A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special interest group to raise campaign donations is a
a. focus group.
b. political action committee.
c. volunteer clearinghouse.
d. special interest committee.
e. political party organization.

Back 26

b

Front 27

The number of political action committees (PACs)
a. has remained stable since the 1970s.
b. grew after 1976 but declined in the 1990s.
c. grew significantly after 1976 but has leveled off since the 1990s.
d. grew significantly between 1900 and 1950 but leveled off in the 1960s.
e. has grown exponentially since 1976 to more than 20,000 today.

Back 27

c

Front 28

Soft money refers to
a. campaign contributions made by overseas donors.
b. matching grants made by the federal government to campaigns that raised over $1 million.
c. small campaign donations of $100 or less made by individuals.
d. campaign contributions to political parties that escaped limits of federal or state election law.
e. money obtained from illegal sources such as prostitution.

Back 28

d

Front 29

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 banned
a. soft money contributions to national parties.
b. campaign ads by special interest groups.
c. independent expenditures by special interests.
d. the practice of lobbying.
e. interference in presidential elections by the Federal Election Commission.

Back 29

a

Front 30

Independent expenditures by special interests are
a. coordinated by law with a candidate’s campaign.
b. unregulated political expenditures by PACs, organizations, and individuals that are not coordinated with candidate campaigns or political parties.
c. only allowed by labor and agricultural interests, not business interests.
d. less important in the 2004 elections than in previous election years.
e. no longer visible during modern political campaigns.

Back 30

b

Front 31

The organizations that came to be known as “527s”
a. have been ineffective in impacting campaigns.
b. were named after the number of members legally required to one.
c. run issue ads to energize voters.
d. must pay taxes to the government to help with public funding of elections.
e. are no longer active today.

Back 31

c

Front 32

Advertising paid for by interest groups that support or oppose a candidate (or a candidate’s position on an issue) without mentioning voting or elections is called
a. a PAC advertisement.
b. a soft-money contribution.
c. issue advocacy advertising.
d. a hard-money expenditure.
e. payola profiteering and pilfering.

Back 32

c

Front 33

Primary elections were first mandated
a. by President Andrew Jackson.
b. to eliminate the practice of “beauty contests.”
c. to strengthen the influence of party bosses.
d. in 1968 in Chicago.
e. in 1903 in Wisconsin.

Back 33

e

Front 34

A meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policies is called
a. an open primary.
b. a caucus.
c. a winner-take-all primary.
d. a local election.
e. a blanket primary.

Back 34

b

Front 35

Superdelegates are
a. party leaders or elected officials who are given the right to vote at the party’s national convention.
b. the five delegates who raise the most money for the party.
c. no longer permitted at national conventions.
d. elected at the state level.
e. appointed by the president.

Back 35

a

Front 36

Most candidates in state and local elections are chosen by
a. “beauty contests.”
b. caucuses.
c. superdelegates.
d. direct primaries.
e. indirect primaries.

Back 36

d

Front 37

In 2008, all Democratic Party presidential primaries and caucuses allocated delegates
a. in a 70/30 split between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
b. on a winner-take-all basis.
c. on a proportional basis.
d. according to the results of “beauty contests.”
e. according to the results of a poll among superdelegates.

Back 37

c

Front 38

When only declared party members can vote in a primary election, it is called
a. a closed primary.
b. an open primary.
c. a run-off primary.
d. a blanket primary.
e. a caucus.

Back 38

a

Front 39

When voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation, it is called
a. a closed primary.
b. an open primary.
c. a run-off primary.
d. a blanket primary.
e. a caucus.

Back 39

b

Front 40

When the top two candidates in a primary compete in another primary for a majority of votes, it is called
a. a closed primary.
b. an open primary.
c. a run-off primary.
d. a blanket primary.
e. a caucus.

Back 40

c

Front 41

The process in which more and more states move their primaries into the first months of the year is known as
a. impact-minimization.
b. holding a “top-two” primary.
c. holding blanket primaries.
d. front-running.
e. front-loading.

Back 41

e

Front 42

At the national convention, each political party uses a ______ to determine which delegates may participate.
a. grassroots coalition
b. caucus committee
c. credentials committee
d. secret ballot
e. “beauty contest”

Back 42

c

Front 43

The selection of electors is governed by
a. the Bill of Rights.
b. the Freedom of Information Act.
c. the National Electoral College Selection Act.
d. local laws.
e. state laws.

Back 43

e

Front 44

The number of members each state will have in the Electoral College
a. cannot exceed fifty members.
b. cannot be changed without a constitutional amendment.
c. changes every four years.
d. equals that state’s number of senators plus its number of representatives.
e. is the same so as to ensure that each state plays an equal role in selecting the president of the United States.

Back 44

d

Front 45

A secret ballot prepared, distributed, and tabulated by government officials at public expense is known as the
a. Australian ballot.
b. American ballot.
c. Geneva ballot.
d. open ballot.
e. democratic ballot.

Back 45

a

Front 46

The two major parties prefer a(n) ______ ballot because it encourages straight-ticket voting.
a. absentee
b. oral
c. open
d. party-column
e. office-block ballot

Back 46

d

Front 47

Some observers argue that an excessive concern with voting fraud makes it harder for
a. Republicans to get voted into office.
b. tracking polls to accurately predict election results.
c. people to take election results seriously.
d. women to vote.
e. minorities and poor people to vote.

Back 47

e

Front 48

The number of eligible voters who cast ballots on Election Day is referred to as the
a. political education rate.
b. voter turnout.
c. political participation rate.
d. voter dissatisfaction rate.
e. voter impact.

Back 48

b

Front 49

Regarding voter requirements, each state
a. has different qualifications for voting and registration.
b. must have identical voter registration qualifications.
c. can impose residency requirements of any length in order for voters to register.
d. requires voters to register by mail.
e. allows voters to register up to the day of the election.

Back 49

a

Front 50

Felons and ex-felons, and new immigrants who are not yet citizens, are included in the
a. voting-age population.
b. vote-eligible population.
c. local election turnout numbers.
d. state election turnout numbers.
e. demographics usually targeted by minor parties.

Back 50

b