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34 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Compare the roles political parties play in elections in Europe and the U.S.
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parties are weak in the U.S. and play a minor role, in Europe parties are strong
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Which elections are more competitive, congressional or presidential
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presidential
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What type of elections produce the largest voter turnout?
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presidential
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Define coattails? How much effect does it have in elections?
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the popularity of the president helps congressional candidates get elected, but it is becoming less important
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Define open primary?
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you decide when you enter the voting booth which party's primary you wish to participate in.
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Define blanket primary
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you can vote for candidates of either party.
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What is the difference between congressional and presidential campaigns in terms of government subsidies (funding)
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in congressional campaigns money comes from private sources only, presidential campaigns can get money from private and public sources.
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in order for presidential candidates to get federal matching funds they must?
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raise money from individual donors in 20 different states in donations of $250 or less
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Define soft money
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money that is obtained by political parties for party building purposes (voter registration)
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This law raised the limit of individual campaign contributions from $1000 to $2000 per candidate.
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BCRA or McCain-Feingold
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Define franking privilege? Why is this an advantage when campaigning?
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Free mail can be used to send campaign literature instead of using campaign money
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Why does a presidential candidate present themselves as more liberal or conservative in the primaries and more moderate in the general elections?
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In the primaries they are trying to get their political party nomination, in the general election they are trying to get the independent vote
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What is the greatest factor on the outcomes of congressional elections?
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incumbency
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Define U.S. v. Thornton
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overturned Term Limits
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How many electors does California have?
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55
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what is the total number of electoral votes available
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538
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What is the minimum number of electoral votes a state can have?
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3
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Define winner-take-all system
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The candidate with the most votes gets all of the Electoral votes in that state
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Where do electors meet to cast their votes for president?
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in their state legislatures
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How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?
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270
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What were 3 reasons that the Framers compromised when they decided to elect the president with an electoral college?
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1. compromise to keep the large states from dominating a popular election
2. poor communication 3. Desire to have the best people select the president |
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How is a tie broken in the electoral college?
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House of Reps elects the president.
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An elector that doesn't vote for who they are supposed to is called?
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a faithless elector
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The presidential election is really not a national election. Why?
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It is really 50 state elections because of the Electoral college
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Why do presidential candidates visit some states and not others?
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Money, resources and polling determine the best use of their time.
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What does the electoral college force candidates to do?
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Campaign across the country
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List 3 positive aspects of the presidential nominating system?
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1 Desire to have the best people select the president
2 is highly representative 3 weeds out weaker candidates |
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What are 3 negative aspects of the presidential nominating system?
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1. it's too long
2. it doesn't test candidates for qualities they need as President 3. Delegates at caucuses and conventions tend to be unrepresentative |
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What are the criticisms of the electoral college?
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1faithless electors: there is no federal law that requires electors to vote how they're supposed to.
2.Possibility of a minority president: Win electoral vote but lose the popular vote |
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What are some alternatives to the electoral college?
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1. Proportional system
2. Direct election by popular vote 3. |
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The Federal Election Campaign Acts of 1971 and 1974 tried to regulate campaign finance in three areas:
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disclosure, limitation, subsidies
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What effect did Buckley v. Valeo have on campaign finance law?
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1st amendment protects congressional campaign limits on spending- can spend as much of your own money as you want
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What is the limitation on PACs when contributing money to a campaign?
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Can only donate $5000 per candidate
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What are 3 effects of the FECA and the McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform laws?
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1. No subsidies for congressional campaigns has caused a further incumbancy advantage
2. Lack of limits on independent expenditures and previous lack of limits on soft money have given rise to issue advocacy ads. 3. Minor presidential candidates cannot receive subsidies before the election unless their party earned at least 5% of the popular vote in the previous election. This discourages third party candidates. |