Define the following terms:
Presidential primary
Caucus
Political consultant
Superdelegates
Australian ballot
Rational ignorance effect
Tracking polls
Hatch Act
Political action committee
Runoff primary
Office-block ballot
Soft money
Independent expenditures
Issue advocacy
Electors
Party-column ballot
Answer these questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are some criticisms of the American electoral process?
What is the general trend for finding candidates for elected office?
What are the two groups of people who choose to run for office? Describe the first.
What advantages do members of one of the major political parties have when seeking a
nomination?
5. What is the difference between a convention and a caucus?
6. What was the typical candidate like before the twentieth century?
7. How have opportunities for women in political office changed?
8. Why is it easier for lawyers to run for office?
9. How did the “candidate-centered campaign” emerge?
10. Why are campaigns less likely to depend on party identification?
11. What does a political consultant do for a candidate?
12. How do a highly visible candidate and one who is relatively unknown differ in their
campaign strategies?
13. What types of polls are used during the political campaign?
14. Why are focus groups used?
15. Describe early attempts to regulate campaign financing.
16. What were the provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act (1971)?
17. What further reforms were added to this act in 1974?
18. Describe the Buckley v. Valeo Supreme Court decision.
19. How have PACs impacted political campaigns?
20. What do interest groups hope to gain through PAC donations?
21. What are the limits to PAC donations?
22. How did PACS find ways to circumvent election laws?
23. How has the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 impacted national elections?
24. What are the two steps in the presidential election process?
25. Contrast the open primary, closed primary, and blanket primary
26. What does it mean to “front-load” the primaries?
27. Describe what happens at the national convention.
28. Why aren’t conventions highly televised any more?
29. Why did the Founding Fathers set up the Electoral College?
30. How is the number of electors for each state determined?
31. What happens if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes?
32. Give three criticisms of the Electoral College system.
33. What are the pros and cons to low voter turnout?
34. Who is more likely to vote?
35. Describe how the media have influenced voter turnout.
36. Describe the expansion of voting rights since the beginning of our country.