AP U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
CHAPTER 9 STUDY GUIDE
1. List the four elements campaign strategies must successfully manipulate in order to win a
nomination.
2. Describe the role of delegates before and after the 1960s.
3. What reforms did the McGovern-Fraser Commission bring to the Democratic Party?
4. Explain how superdelegates represent an elitist theory of democracy.
5. Describe how the Democratic and Republican Parties award delegates to candidates in
the primaries.
6. List five criticisms of the primary and caucus systems.
7. What are the main functions of the modern political party convention?
8. What are the two factors that determine media coverage of a campaign?
9. How has the internet changed campaigning?
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List ten things candidates must do to effectively organize their campaigns.
What were the six main features of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974?
What were the three main provisions of the McCain-Feingold Act (2002)?
Present an argument that political action committees are essential to a successful
campaign.
Why don’t candidates take the federal campaign taxpayer dollars?
What’s the difference between 527 and 501(c) groups?
Describe the impact of the Citizens United v REC ruling.
What three factors tend to weaken campaigns’ impacts on voters?
18. Read “America in Perspective” pg 310. Identify the 4 reasons the voter turnout rate is
low. Consider reason #3: Write an agree/disagree response.
19. Identify arguments for and against voter ID laws.
20. Identify traits of a person who is likely to vote versus one who is unlikely to vote.
21. Describe the three elements of voter decisions.
22. Identify Obama’s coalition of voters and policies that helped earn him a second term.
23. Describe the electoral college process.
24. How might campaigns affect the scope of government?
KEY TERMS
Identify and describe the following:
nomination
campaign strategy
national party convention
McGovern-Fraser Commission
superdelegates
caucus
presidential primaries
frontloading
national primary
regional primaries
party platform
direct mail
Federal Election Campaign Act
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
soft money
527 groups
political action committees (PACs)
mandate theory of elections
policy voting