The Hatch Act of 1939 is best known for
restricting the political activities of civil servants
The number of eligible voters who cast ballots on Election Day is referred to as the
voter turnout.
Which of the following statements about "527" groups is true?
They run issue ads to energize voters.
In 2012, total campaign spending for ______ reached $2.6 billion
the presidential candidates alone
Why do campaigns no longer depend on political parties?
Fewer people identify with them
The Australian ballot is best described as a
secret ballot prepared, distributed, and tabulated by government officials at public expense.
Regarding voter requirements, each state
has different qualifications for voting and registration.
The process in which more and more states move their primaries into the first months of the year is known as
front-loading
Felons and ex-felons, and new immigrants who are not yet citizens, are included in the
voting-age population
Which of the following best describes a focus group
When professional consultants organize a discussion about candidates or certain political issues among small groups of ordinary citizens
The job of a political consultant may include all of the following EXCEPT
nominating a candidate for office
Which of the following statements about the Buckley v. Valeo case is true?
The Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to restrict in any way the amount congressional candidates could spend on their own behalf.
Candidates in state and local elections are mostly chosen by
direct primaries
As a result of ______, the number of African American public officials has increased throughout the United States.
major civil rights legislation in the 1960s
The selection of electors is governed by
state laws
Some observers argue that an excessive concern with voting fraud makes it harder for
minorities and poor people to vote
The two major parties prefer a(n) ______ ballot because it encourages straight-ticket voting
party-column
Tracking polls are
taken on a nearly daily basis as the election approaches
In 2012, most Republican Party presidential primaries and caucuses allocated delegates
on a proportional basis
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
issue advocacy advertising
Which Supreme Court ruling limited the amount that candidates could spend on their own campaigns, but was later found unconstitutional?
The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971
Today, in national elections, most campaign tasks are handled by
paid professionals
Which of the following statements about political officeholders is true?
Officeholders are mostly white and male
The people who wanted to be the Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential campaign first needed to raise enough funds to
tour the nation to see if they had enough local supporters.
When the top two candidates in a primary compete in another primary for a majority of votes, it is called
a run-off primary
Independent expenditures by special interests are
unregulated political expenditures by PACs, organizations, and individuals that are not coordinated with candidate campaigns or political parties
What does each poltical party use to determine which delegates may participate in the national convention?
A credentials committee
Which of the following statements about recruiting candidates is true?
Recruiting candidates is easier for higher offices with more prestige
When or why were primary elections were first mandated?
Primary elections started in 1904 in Wisconsin.
Constitutionally, the President must be
at least thirty-five years old.
Superdelegates are
party leaders or elected officials who are given the right to vote at the party's national convention
State and national candidates are typically nominated through a
primary election.
The number of political action committees (PACs)
grew significantly after 1976 but has leveled off since the 1990s.
A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special interest group to raise campaign donations is a
political action committee
When only declared party members can vote in a primary election, it is called
a closed primary.
Which of the following statements best describe why lawyers are more likely to campaign for and hold political office?
They have more flexible schedules, and political involvement can make a valuable contribution to their careers.
Under the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC,
corporations and unions are allowed to spend whatever they wish on issue ads.
As detailed in the Constitution, the formal requirements for the office of senator include that he or she must be
a resident of the state from which elected
If a candidate is a highly visible incumbent seeking reelection
there may be little need for campaigning except to remind the voters of the officeholder's good deeds.
With regard to candidates for office, all of the following are true EXCEPT
today, only 35 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified woman for president.
A meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policies is called
a caucus
Soft money" in political campaigns is best described as
campaign contributions to political parties that escaped limits of federal or state election law
The number of members each state will have in the Electoral College
equals that state's number of senators plus its number of representatives
Which of the following best describes an open primary?
Voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation.
In 1954, fewer than 20 percent of adults identified themselves as ______, whereas today that share is about 40 percent
Independents
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 banned
soft money contributions to national parties
Before the advent of ______, a strong party organization at the local, state, or national level could furnish most of the services candidates needed.
television campaigning
The qualifications for state legislators are
set by the state constitutions
Reforms to the Federal Election Campaign Act in 1974 did NOT
provide public funding for congressional elections