How did the McGovern–Fraser Commission make the delegate selection process of the Democratic Party more representative and open to input from the public?

1. by requiring delegate selection procedures to be open to all party members
2. by increasing the number of delegates chosen
3. by weakening the power of registered party members to choose convention delegates
4. by encouraging the use of presidential caucuses rather than primaries

One impact of the Internet on political campaigns is that __________.

1. Most people are using the Internet as their only source of campaign information
2. Most people are receiving direct mail from candidates
3. more people are making small political donations
4. more people are becoming highly and accurately informed about the candidates

A serious presidential candidate must invest in __________.

1. newspaper ads aimed at the 55-65 age group
2. staff to handle high-tech and computer technologies
3. television ads aimed at the 18–29 age group
4. an international relations specialist to solicit campaign contributions from foreign nations and multinational corporations

Thomas Patterson’s observation that “today’s presidential campaign is essentially a mass media campaign” suggests that __________.

1. voters have very little understanding of the campaign apart from what they see and hear in the media
2. the media exercise little influence over a vast number of citizens’ votes
3. campaigns are for the masses and are mediated by political elites
4. the media control electoral outcomes

Prior to being banned in 2002 by the McCain-Feingold Act, unlimited monetary contributions that were earmarked for party-building expenses at the grassroots level or for generic party advertising were known as __________.

1. hard money
2. soft money
3. matching funds
4. support funds

What is the phenomenon that people’s beliefs often guide what they pay attention to and how they interpret events?

1. scorekeeping
2. agenda setting
3. selective perception
4. frontloading

Which of the following is a cost of voting?

1. political efficacy
2. civic duty
3. becoming informed
4. paying money to vote

Which of the following helps to explain why voter turnout is lower in the United States than in other democracies?

1. The United States hold fewer elections
2. The United States elects fewer officeholders.
3. The United States hold elections midweek.
4. The United States has a multiple partisan election system.

Which of the following would be the most likely to increase voter turnout in the United States?

1. holding more elections
2. making registration automatic for all citizens rather than compelling them to register
3. electing more officeholders
4. minimizing the differences between the parties

Which of the following statements indicates a high level of political efficacy?

A  “I should vote to honor those who sacrificed their lives to make America free.”

1. “Voting in the United States is so easy that there is no excuse for not voting.”
2. “People like me can influence what the government does.”
3. “Democracy is only democratic if citizens participate in the process.”

Why are people with higher-than-average education more likely to vote?

1. Education depresses political efficacy, which then encourages turnout.
2. Education increases intolerance, which then encourages turnout.
3. Education helps voters recognize differences between the candidates.
4. Education enables voters to calculate the probability that their vote will decide the election.

Which group is more likely to vote?

1. low income people
2. young age group
3. ethnic minorities
4. a college degree holders

Why do winning candidates claim a mandate even though political scientists generally discredit the mandate theory of elections?

1. Politicians think that political scientists do not understand how things actually work.
2. Voters do not necessarily prefer all of the winning candidate’s issue positions.
3. Winning candidates want to justify their policy proposals by claiming that the public supports them.
4. Winning candidates are not well versed in the political science literature.

A floating voter is someone who __________.

1. is elated at the outcome of an election
2. votes based on the candidates and not party loyalty
3. registers to vote on Election Day
4. votes in presidential elections but not in midterm elections

Which of the following is consistent with the mandate theory of elections?

1. the idea that voter turnout is higher when citizens are required to vote and are fined if they fail to do so
2. the belief that a functional democracy mandates electoral participation by a large number of voters
3. Mitt Romney’s claim that Obama won the 2012 presidential election because he had given gifts to various constituency groups
4. Barack Obama’s claim that his victory in 2012 meant that the public wanted to raise taxes on the wealthy

How does party identification simplify the voting process?

1. It enables voters to select from a wider array of candidates.
2. It provides a cue as to which candidate a voter is more likely to prefer.
3. It eliminates the need to produce a photo ID in order to vote.
4. It reduces the policy differences between the candidates.

Why do presidential candidates tend to focus their efforts on battleground states?

1. Battleground states have the most Electoral College votes.
2. Battleground states have more electors than they would deserve if electors were allocated by population.
3. Candidates focus on battleground states in order to increase their media exposure.
4. The winner-take-all system makes battleground states more relevant to a campaign.

How many U.S. states employ a winner-take-all presidential election system in which all their electors are awarded to the presidential candidate who wins the most votes statewide?

1. five
2. 26
3. 48
4. all 50

The Founders created the Electoral College because they wanted the president to be selected by __________.

1. Congress
2. ordinary Americans
3. elites
4. the Supreme Court

If no candidate receives an Electoral College majority, the election is decided in the __________.

1. Senate
2. House of Representatives
3. Elections and Campaigns Committee
4. Supreme Court

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