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49 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
How often are elections?
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every two years
Representatives- every 2 years President- every 4 years Senators- every 6 years |
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Why do incumbent congresspersons enjoy an advantage in reelection campaigns?
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for rep.s, district is small and often one main party, but senators have more of a challenge; 90% rep.s reelected
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What are the two phases of the election cycle?
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1. nominations- parties choose thier candidates
2. general elections- voters decide who will hold office |
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What is a closed primary?
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voting is restricted to registered members of the party holding the primary
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What is an open primary?
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voters may vote only in one party's primary, but they may vote in whichever party primary they choose
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What are some disadvantages of an open primary?
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voters may sabotage thier opponents' primaries by crossing party lines to vote for the least likely candidate
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What is a blanket primary?
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they use the same procedure as general elections -voters may vote for whoever they want; only in WA and AL
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Plurality
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the candidate who receives the most votes in a primary election is declared the winner
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What is a runoff primary?
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if no candidate gets a plurality, then the two people with the most votes hold another election
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What goes on at state caucuses and conventions?
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local parties select delegates who then go on to vote for party presidential candidates
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How often are elections?
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every two years
Representatives- every 2 years President- every 4 years Senators- every 6 years |
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Why do incumbent congresspersons enjoy an advantage in reelection campaigns?
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for rep.s, district is small and often one main party, but senators have more of a challenge; 90% rep.s reelected
|
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What are the two phases of the election cycle?
|
1. nominations- parties choose thier candidates
2. general elections- voters decide who will hold office |
|
What is a closed primary?
|
voting is restricted to registered members of the party holding the primary
|
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What is an open primary?
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voters may vote only in one party's primary, but they may vote in whichever party primary they choose
|
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What are some disadvantages of an open primary?
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voters may sabotage thier opponents' primaries by crossing party lines to vote for the least likely candidate
|
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What is a blanket primary?
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they use the same procedure as general elections -voters may vote for whoever they want; only in WA and AL
|
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Plurality
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the candidate who receives the most votes in a primary election is declared the winner
|
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What is a runoff primary?
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if no candidate gets a plurality, then the two people with the most votes hold another election
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What goes on at state caucuses and conventions?
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local parties select delegates who then go on to vote for party presidential candidates
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When does presidential primary season start?
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January 1st of election year, with debates, speechs, media events. earliest primaries can help boost a candidate
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What is Super Tuesday?
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the day in early March when many Southern states hold thier primaries together
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What is front-loading?
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Front-loading is when larger states move forward thier primaries so as to have a bigger influence on who wins
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What are brokered conventions?
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a convention that chooses who the party nominee is since none has received a majority of the delegates' votes
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What is one of the main purposes of a national party convention
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unify the party since primaries can damage the party with candidates attacking each other
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What else goes on at national party conventions?
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they are televised to try to convince people to vote for the party; they're the site for negotiations and drama
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What impact can the national party conventions have on general election results?
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The impact is usually negative- fighting outside a 1968 Democratic convention made a bad impression
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What is a post-convention bump?
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the rise in public approval after national party conventions
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What is the electoral college?
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each state is given electors equal to # of Congresspeople that cast thier votes based on winner-take-all
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What is the winner-take-all system?
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the winner of the presidential election in a state wins all of that states' electoral votes
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When does presidential primary season start?
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January 1st of election year, with debates, speechs, media events. earliest primaries can help boost a candidate
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What is Super Tuesday?
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the day in early March when many Southern states hold thier primaries together
|
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What is front-loading?
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Front-loading is when larger states move forward thier primaries so as to have a bigger influence on who wins
|
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What are brokered conventions?
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a convention that chooses who the party nominee is since none has received a majority of the delegates' votes
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What is one of the main purposes of a national party convention
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unify the party since primaries can damage the party with candidates attacking each other
|
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What else goes on at national party conventions?
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they are televised to try to convince people to vote for the party; they're the site for negotiations and drama
|
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What impact can the national party conventions have on general election results?
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The impact is usually negative- fighting outside a 1968 Democratic convention made a bad impression
|
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What is a post-convention bump?
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the rise in public approval after national party conventions
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What is the electoral college?
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each state is given electors equal to # of Congresspeople that cast thier votes based on winner-take-all
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What is the winner-take-all system?
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the winner of the presidential election in a state wins all of that states' electoral votes
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Does the media place too much emphasis on irrelevant issues in presidential campaigns?
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The media focus on the candidates' stanidng in the polls, not about thier positions on issues.
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Why do incumbents win at such high rates?
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90% of incumbents are reelected because they have the $$$ and name recognition to do so
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Why is voter turnout so low in the United States?
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a lot of Americans seem to feel that the election is clear as to who is going to win, so they don't vote
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What is the impact of primary elections, and who votes in them?
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Primaries determine who can go on to be a candidate in the general election; often only registered members vote
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Why do political parties have such a difficult holding thier coalitions together?
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some coalitions believe extreme things that takes negotiations in the whole party to agree upon
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Why are soft money contributions considered a threat to the election process?
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Soft money contributions are a threat because it allows some candidates a huge advantage over others
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Why did the Supreme Court have a problem with the imposition of spending limits on PACs?
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the SC ruled that mandatory spending limits on campaigns violates the 1st Amendment rights to free expression
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Has the Federal Election Campaign Reform Act succeeded in fulfilling the intent of the legislation?
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campaign finance reform is a difficult issue because it would limit some incumbents' chance of reelection
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What accounts for the so-called gender gap?
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society seems to be uncomfortable with women in leadership positions
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