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POSC 100 C: United States Government (All Lessons) > Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections > Flashcards

Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections Flashcards

1
Q

Incumbent

A

Candidate currently in office seeking reelection

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2
Q

Reelection rates for all elective offices are very high

A

1) More than 97% of all members in the House of Representatives who sought seeking reelection have been successful
2) More than 93% of Senators seeking reelection have been successful

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3
Q

Name recognition

A

Public awareness of a political candidate whether they are familiar with his or her name

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4
Q

Campaign contribution

A

Incumbents have a strong advantage in raising campaign funds because individuals and groups seeking access to those already in office are inspired to make a contribution

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5
Q

Resources of Office

A

Incumbents use their offices to keep their names and faces in front of the public

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6
Q

The Franking Privilege

A

Congressional incumbents send self-promotional newsletter to tens of thousands of registered voters at taxpayers’ expense

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7
Q

Travel back home to their districts virtually every weekend. Paid for by

A

The tax-funded travel allowance

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8
Q

Congressional incumbents’ taxpayer-funded staff performs

A

Constituency service and performing services for the official’s constituents

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9
Q

Public Projects

A

Congressional incumbents obtain federal funds for large-scale projects that benefit their district or state

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10
Q

Pork Barrel Projects

A

Expensive and wasteful projects that benefit their district or state

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11
Q

Selecting a theme

A

Finding the right theme or message for a campaign is essential

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12
Q

A successful theme or message is

A

One that characterizes the candidate or the electoral choice confronting the voters

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13
Q

Most themes or messages focus on

A

Candidates’ personal qualities do not issue position

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14
Q

Professional campaigns are based on the assumption that a

A

Candidate’s image is the most important factor affecting voter choice

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15
Q

Negative campaigning

A

Defining the opponent in negative terms

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16
Q

Negative ads can serve a purpose in

A

Exposing the record of an opponent

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17
Q

Negative campaigning risks an opponent’s counterattack charges of

A

Mudslinging, dirty-tricks and sleaze

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18
Q

Use of focus groups and employing

A

Private polling firms

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19
Q

Incumbent versus Challenger Strategies

A

Challengers must attack the record of incumbent, deplore current conditions, and stress the need for change

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20
Q

Incumbents must boast of

A

Their accomplishment during their term or blame the opposition for blocking them

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21
Q

News management

A

Obtaining favorable, frequent news coverage is critical

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22
Q

Candidates must provide

A

Good photo ops (staged opportunities for the media to photograph the candidate in a favorable’s settings to the media)

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23
Q

Sound bites are concise and catchy phrases that

A

Attract media coverage

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24
Q

Sound bites themes must be stated in

A

Catchy sound bites the viewers will remember

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25
Q

Goals of campaigning: Activate a candidate’s supporters to

A

Vote for the candidate

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26
Q

Persuade undecided voters to

A

Support the candidate and activate them to vote for the candidate

27
Q

The professionalization of campaigns and the high cost of TV advertising drives up

A

The costs of campaigns

28
Q

Congressional costs

A

A winning campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives typically costs $1.3 million

29
Q

The typical winning campaign for a seat in the Senate costs

A

$10.6 million (Larger states may cost $20 to $40 million or more)

30
Q

Public money

A

Presidential campaigns are partly funded with taxpayer money through the income tax check-off system

31
Q

Presidential candidates can opt out of the

A

Taxpayer-funded system

32
Q

The taxpayer-funded system allows them to

A

Spend as much money as they can raise, but they receive no public money

33
Q

Small Donations

A

Under $200 and make up less than 20% of congressional campaign funds

34
Q

Large Donations: The 2002 Campaign Finance Reform Law allows

A

Donors to give a maximum of $2900 per election for federal office

35
Q

Fat Cats are expected to

A

Give the max and each family member can do this

36
Q

Organizational contributions (PACs) are limited to

A

$5000 per election

37
Q

PACs can give more by bundling (combining)

A

$2900 additional individual contributions from individual members

38
Q

Candidate Self-Financing

A

Candidates can give or loan money to their campaign

39
Q

A loan can be repaid to

A

The candidate later from outside contributions

40
Q

Campaign contributions are rarely made in the form of a

A

The direct trade-off for a favorable vote

41
Q

An arrangement could create

A

Charges of bribery

42
Q

Normally, contributors give a general understanding that

A

A candidate will vote in a way that benefits the contributor when issues affecting the contributor arise

43
Q

At the presidential level, large contributors buy a meeting with

A

A high-level White House staff or cabinet official, if not the president directly

44
Q

Large contributors buy a meeting directly with their

A

Representative or Senator

45
Q

Since corporations and unions cannot contribute directly to

A

A campaign from their funds, they form PACs which can do so

46
Q

PACs contribution are

A

The most reliable source of campaign contributions

47
Q

Many significant contributors do business with

A

Government agencies

48
Q

They expect their representative or senator to

A

Intervene on their behalf

49
Q

The Federal Election Commission is

A

The agency charged with enforcing federal election laws and disbursing public presidential campaign funds

50
Q

Independent organizations can spend whatever they want to promote their political views, so long as they do so without

A

Cooperation or consultation with a candidate or their campaign

51
Q

To receive federal funds, candidates must agree to

A

FEC limits on their campaign spending in both primary and general elections

52
Q

Federal funding pays for about

A

One-third of the primary campaign costs and all of the general election costs

53
Q

The Decision to Run

A

A serious candidate must start planning more than two years before the election and be able to raise $25 million or more for the primary election

54
Q

Primary voters tend to be more

A

Ideologically extreme than those who vote in the general election

55
Q

Candidates must

A

Maintain momentum in their campaigns

56
Q

Traditionally, New Hampshire is

A

The first state to have its primary election

57
Q

It is more important strategically to the candidates than it is in

A

Delegate strength, supplying less than 1% of the delegates needed

58
Q

Original Intent of the Founders: The Electoral College:

A

The 538 presidential electors apportioned among the states according to their congressional representation who votes officially elect the president and vice president of the U.S

59
Q

Winning the popular vote of enough states, thereby winning

A

All of the electoral college votes from that state

60
Q

Swing states

A

Stated that are considered to be winnable by either a Democratic or Republican party’s presidential candidate must be focused on

61
Q

Swing states including

A

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida

62
Q

Economic conditions can be

A

The best predictor of presidential election outcomes

63
Q

Favorable economic times benefit the

A

Incumbent, poor economic conditions benefit the challenger

POSC 100 C: United States Government (All Lessons) (16 decks)

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