Exam 13: Elections and Campaigns

What is the plurality rule? What is a single-member district? Which federal elections are typically subject to these electoral institutions? What are two important consequences of the combination of the plurality rule with single-member districts in American national politics?

A(n) ________ is an election held to vote directly on legislation or a constitutional amendment passed by a legislature.

Pravarti is concerned about a period of economic trouble. She observes that the current president has successfully enacted several policies designed to catalyze economic growth; yet, the country's economy has grown very slowly and may be headed for another recession. She decides to vote against the incumbent president's party in the next election. Pravarti's behavior is most consistent with which model of voting?

Americans Coming Together is a political organization that raises money to advocate publicly for and against specific candidates, parties, and policies in federal elections, though it has no formal association with any political party or candidate. Which term best describes Americans Coming Together?

In 2012, voters in Maine voted at the ballot box to allow same-sex couples to legally marry, as the result of a petition brought by interested citizens. The result of the vote was that the state began to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples following certification of the ballot results. What type of direct democracy best describes the events in Maine?

In comparison, U.S. elections are more ________ focused than other countries due to the nature of American electoral rules.

The use of which of the following technologies is considered to have been the most important turning point in American election campaigns?

The use of campaign ads like Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" and Ronald Reagan's "Morning in America" can best be described as ________ media.

Though both candidates in an election may prefer to run positive campaigns, each candidate has incentives to "go negative" regardless of the type of campaign run by his or her opponent. This set of considerations creates a/an ________ for candidates when deciding what type of campaign to operate.

Which of the following best describes the theoretical effect elections have on corruptibility of politicians?

Which federal agency is responsible for regulating campaign contributions to and spending by candidates for Congress and the presidency?

Do campaigns matter?

According to Article I, Section IV of the U.S. Constitution, "the Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives" may be directly regulated by ________.

Why do some researchers NOT believe that interest group involvement in direct democracy initiatives is a major problem?

Which model of voting predicts that a voter will cast a ballot for the candidate who proposes to move policy in the direction preferred by the voter?

A ________ is a specific type of formal organization, regulated by the Federal Election Commission, that raises money from donors to support the election campaigns of candidates for federal offices.

Presidential candidates ________ accept public money from the national government. The last major candidate to do so was ________.

Which model of voting predicts that a voter will cast a ballot for the candidate who is ideologically closest to him or her?

There are two candidates in an election: George and Lucille. George is a liberal, while Lucille is a conservative. The electorate is 40 percent liberal, 15 percent moderate, and 45 percent conservative. If both George and Lucille rely on median voter theorem to guide their campaign strategies, what type of campaign will each run?

Henry is a Republican candidate for State Senate in New York. He asks you what strategy will maximize his ability to raise money from supporters. Which election policy strategy do you recommend to him?