Reference no: EM133496452

Question

1. Which president signed the Voting Rights Act?

a. Dwight Eisenhower

b. John Kennedy

c. Lyndon Johnson

d. Richard Nixon

2. The practice of voting for or against a candidate or party on the basis of past performance in office is called __________ voting.

a. resurgent

b. invasive

c. retrospective

d. prospective

3. Which type of voting contends that parties not in power are in a better position to offer incentives to voters than parties in power?

a. resurgent

b. prospective

c. retrospective

d. declaratory

4. After the 2012 election, President Obama declared he had a mandate, referring to what he perceived as overwhelming support from whom?

a. Congress

b. voters

c. Wall Street

d. the Pentagon

5. During the 2012 election cycle, presidential candidate Mitt Romney attempted to frame himself as the best choice for America's future, appealing to whom?

a. journalists

b. Congress

c. prospective voters

d. retrospective voters

6. Policy mandates result from elections, allowing voters to direct the course of __________.

a. campaign events

b. political debate

c. public policy

d. campaign funding

7. In the 2008 presidential election, many voters decided against Senator John McCain and the GOP because of Bush era policies. This is an example of __________.

a. retrospective voting

b. progressive voting

c. prospective voting

d. a mandate

8. If a traditionally conservative voter examines a candidate's past performance in office and decides to vote for a Democratic candidate rather than continuing to support the Republican candidate, what voting pattern does this exemplify?

a. retrospective

b. congressional

c. liberal

d. conservative

9. For elections to serve as policy mandates, __________.

a. voters must cast their ballots on personal appeal

b. the media endorses winning candidate

c. voters must endorse similar candidates in all three branches of government

d. elected officials have to be bound by their campaign promises

10. "Amateurs" who have won political office include __________.

a. Jack Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey

b. Barack Obama and George W. Bush

c. Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell

d. John Glenn and Steve Largent

11. Half of the people elected to the U.S. Congress are __________.

a. college professors

b. lawyers

c. economists

d. military veterans

12. Politics is increasingly characterized by __________.

a. professionalism

b. institutionalism

c. apprenticeship

d. legalism

13. Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher won the GOP nomination in Ohio's 9th congressional district with no previous political experience. Why was Wurzelbacher not considered a "pure" amateur?

a. He had sufficient campaign funds.

b. He had name recognition.

c. His personal income was high.

d. He owned his own business.

14. When voters support professional office holders, they are also supporting __________.

a. democracy

b. proficiency

c. careerism

d. expertise

15. One reason for the prevalence of lawyers in American politics is that __________.

a. lawyers generally have the financial resources required to run for office

b. passing a bar exam is good practice for passing laws in Congress

c. the skills required to be a lawyer are also used in a political career

d. all lawyers represent clients in high-pressure trial cases

16. When a candidate's experience includes 15-20 years in politics, from city council to state and federal legislative bodies, and the person has little or no private sector experience, this is an example of __________.

a. careerism

b. amateurism

c. celebrity

d. franking privilege

17. When voters are viewing or listening to candidates and attempting to decide which candidate to support, what political skill is required for candidates to project sincerity, compassion, confidence, and good humor to large audiences, in press conferences and interviews, on television, and to reporters?

a. communication

b. professionalism

c. experience

d. intelligence

18. People who have not worked in politics or public service professions who run for public office are known as __________.

a. citizens

b. amateurs

c. incumbents

d. careerists

19. Incumbents begin a campaign with greater ___________ than their challengers.

a. voter turnout

b. voter support

c. name recognition

d. mobilization

20. Incumbents are people who are __________.

a. challenging the person holding the office

b. entering politics for the first time

c. elected for the first time

d. seeking reelection

21. In a typical election year, what percentage of members of Congress is reelected?

a. 70 to 90 percent

b. 50 to 70 percent

c. 30 to 50 percent

d. 10 to 30 percent

22. In the 2012 election, President Obama was the incumbent, and Mitt Romney was the __________.

a. challenger

b. president-elect

c. debater

d. delegate

23. What is one reason why incumbent senators lose more often than incumbent House members?

a. Senate challengers receive more federal funds than Senate incumbents.

b. Senate challengers typically have greater name recognition than House challengers.

c. Senate races attract less media attention than House races, allowing challengers to fly "under the radar."

d. Historically, the Senate has had more problems with ethics violations than the House.

24. Elected officials can contact and mobilize voters much more easily because of what communication benefit, which allows for self-promotion?

a. franking privilege

b. challengers

c. voter targeting

d. congressional constituency

25. Using computerized mailing lists, selecting a campaign theme, developing a desirable candidate image, developing voter targeting lists, and continual polling of the voters are all components of __________.

a. political endorsement

b. campaign targets

c. electoral targets

d. campaign strategy