Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections

Question 1

Incumbent

Answer 1

Candidate currently in office seeking reelection

Question 2

Reelection rates for all elective offices are very high

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Name recognition

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Campaign contribution

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Resources of Office

Answer 5

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

Question 6

The Franking Privilege

Answer 6

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

Question 7

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

Answer 7

The tax-funded travel allowance

Question 8

Congressional incumbents’ taxpayer-funded staff performs

Answer 8

Constituency service and performing services for the official’s constituents

Question 9

Public Projects

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Pork Barrel Projects

Answer 10

Expensive and wasteful projects that benefit their district or state

Question 11

Selecting a theme

Answer 11

Finding the right theme or message for a campaign is essential

Question 12

A successful theme or message is

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Most themes or messages focus on

Answer 13

Candidates’ personal qualities do not issue position

Question 14

Professional campaigns are based on the assumption that a

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Negative campaigning

Answer 15

Defining the opponent in negative terms

Question 16

Negative ads can serve a purpose in

Answer 16

Exposing the record of an opponent

Question 17

Negative campaigning risks an opponent’s counterattack charges of

Answer 17

Mudslinging, dirty-tricks and sleaze

Question 18

Use of focus groups and employing

Answer 18

Private polling firms

Question 19

Incumbent versus Challenger Strategies

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Incumbents must boast of

Answer 20

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

Question 21

News management

Answer 21

Obtaining favorable, frequent news coverage is critical

Question 22

Candidates must provide

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Sound bites are concise and catchy phrases that

Answer 23

Attract media coverage

Question 24

Sound bites themes must be stated in

Answer 24

Catchy sound bites the viewers will remember

Question 25

Goals of campaigning: Activate a candidate's supporters to

Answer 25

Vote for the candidate

Question 26

Persuade undecided voters to

Answer 26

Support the candidate and activate them to vote for the candidate

Question 27

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

Answer 27

The costs of campaigns

Question 28

Congressional costs

Answer 28

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

Question 29

The typical winning campaign for a seat in the Senate costs

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Public money

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Presidential candidates can opt out of the

Answer 31

Taxpayer-funded system

Question 32

The taxpayer-funded system allows them to

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Small Donations

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Large Donations: The 2002 Campaign Finance Reform Law allows

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Fat Cats are expected to

Answer 35

Give the max and each family member can do this

Question 36

Organizational contributions (PACs) are limited to

Answer 36

$5000 per election

Question 37

PACs can give more by bundling (combining)

Answer 37

$2900 additional individual contributions from individual members

Question 38

Candidate Self-Financing

Answer 38

Candidates can give or loan money to their campaign

Question 39

A loan can be repaid to

Answer 39

The candidate later from outside contributions

Question 40

Campaign contributions are rarely made in the form of a

Answer 40

The direct trade-off for a favorable vote

Question 41

An arrangement could create

Answer 41

Charges of bribery

Question 42

Normally, contributors give a general understanding that

Answer 42

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

Question 43

At the presidential level, large contributors buy a meeting with

Answer 43

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

Question 44

Large contributors buy a meeting directly with their

Answer 44

Representative or Senator

Question 45

Since corporations and unions cannot contribute directly to

Answer 45

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

Question 46

PACs contribution are

Answer 46

The most reliable source of campaign contributions

Question 47

Many significant contributors do business with

Answer 47

Government agencies

Question 48

They expect their representative or senator to

Answer 48

Intervene on their behalf

Question 49

The Federal Election Commission is

Answer 49

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

Question 50

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

Answer 50

Cooperation or consultation with a candidate or their campaign

Question 51

To receive federal funds, candidates must agree to

Answer 51

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

Question 52

Federal funding pays for about

Answer 52

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

Question 53

The Decision to Run

Answer 53

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

Question 54

Primary voters tend to be more

Answer 54

Ideologically extreme than those who vote in the general election

Question 55

Candidates must

Answer 55

Maintain momentum in their campaigns

Question 56

Traditionally, New Hampshire is

Answer 56

The first state to have its primary election

Question 57

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

Answer 57

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

Question 58

Original Intent of the Founders: The Electoral College:

Answer 58

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

Question 59

Winning the popular vote of enough states, thereby winning

Answer 59

All of the electoral college votes from that state

Question 60

Swing states

Answer 60

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

Question 61

Swing states including

Answer 61

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

Question 62

Economic conditions can be

Answer 62

The best predictor of presidential election outcomes

Question 63

Favorable economic times benefit the

Answer 63

Incumbent, poor economic conditions benefit the challenger