GOVP3 : Government And US Politics! Trivia Questions Quiz

The correct answer is "Congress, congress." The revolving door refers to the practice of former members of Congress and senior members of the executive branch joining lobbying firms after leaving Capitol Hill. They leverage the contacts and connections they established while serving in office to influence policy and decision-making. This practice raises concerns about the potential for conflicts of interest and the influence of special interest groups on the legislative process.

Front loading refers to the practice of scheduling important events, such as primaries, earlier in the election season. This is done to increase the influence of a state's vote in the general election. Super Tuesday is a specific example of front-loading, where a large number of states hold their primaries or caucuses on the same day. By holding primaries earlier, states hope to have a greater impact on the overall outcome of the election.

Hard money refers to funds that are specifically raised and spent for electioneering purposes. It is a term commonly used in political campaigns to describe money that is directly contributed to a candidate or a political party. This money is subject to strict regulations and limitations, such as contribution limits and disclosure requirements. Therefore, the statement that hard money is 'money used for electioneering purposes' is true.

The BCRA, also known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, became law in 2002. This legislation was enacted with the aim of regulating the financing of political campaigns in the United States. It introduced several changes to campaign finance laws, including restrictions on soft money contributions and issue advocacy advertisements. By becoming law in 2002, the BCRA sought to promote transparency and accountability in the political process.

California thus has 55 ECVs, Texas has 34, and Wyoming has 3. Washington D.C. has 3 electors too, after the 23rd Amendment's passage.

Clientelism refers to a situation where government departments and agencies prioritize the interests of the individuals or groups they are supposed to regulate, rather than considering the overall public interest. This means that they may provide preferential treatment, resources, or benefits to these clients, while neglecting the needs and welfare of the general public. Therefore, the statement is true as it accurately describes the concept of clientelism.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010) is the correct answer because this Supreme Court decision overturned provisions of the BCRA (2002), also known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. The BCRA had placed restrictions on the ability of corporations and unions to spend money on political advertisements. However, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. FEC that these restrictions violated the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns.

The invisible primary is the period of time between an individual announcing their candidacy and the first primary election, which is used for raising money (a war chest) and gaining media attention. Events within the invisible primary include the Iowa Ames Straw Poll (for Republicans), the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner (also in Iowa, and for Democrats) and candidate debates (there will be more than 20 for Republican presidential candidates for 2012).

A split ticket refers to a situation where a voter chooses candidates from different political parties on their ballot. This means that the voter does not stick to a single party but instead selects candidates based on their individual merits or policies. Therefore, the statement that a split ticket is a ballot on which a voter has voted for candidates from different parties is correct.

An iron triangle refers to a close relationship between government agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees that work together to create policies benefiting all parties involved. In the context of the given statement, the defense sector can be seen as a prime example of an iron triangle, where defense contractors, the Department of Defense, and congressional committees collaborate to shape defense policies and allocate resources. This collaboration often leads to a self-reinforcing cycle where the interests of all three parties are protected and advanced.

An iron triangle refers to a close and mutually beneficial relationship between government agencies, interest groups, and legislative committees that work together to promote and protect each other's interests. While agriculture can involve government policies and interest groups, it does not fit the definition of an iron triangle as it does not typically involve a tight and exclusive relationship between these three entities. Therefore, the statement that agriculture is not an example of an iron triangle is false.

Nebraska and Maine are the two states that do not have winner-takes-all systems for their Electoral College votes (ECVs). In these states, the ECVs are allocated based on the popular vote within each congressional district. The candidate who wins the popular vote in each district receives one ECV, and the candidate who wins the statewide popular vote receives two additional ECVs. This system allows for a more proportional distribution of ECVs, giving a chance for multiple candidates to receive electoral votes in these states.

PACs, or Political Action Committees, are the correct answer. PACs are formed to support or oppose political candidates or issues, and they can donate up to $2,500 directly to a candidate's campaign. They are subject to regulations and restrictions under the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1974. 527s and SuperPACs are also political organizations, but they have different rules and regulations regarding campaign finance and spending.

The statement is false because the Electoral College does not meet five days after the national presidential election on Capitol Hill. In fact, the Electoral College typically meets in December, specifically on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of the month. During this meeting, the electors cast their votes for the President and Vice President of the United States.

A superdelegate is an individual present at the National Nominating Convention (NNC) of their party, usually because of their status as an elected official or party leader. While superdelegates are generally associated with Democrats, the Republican Party also has some, consisting mostly of a few officials from each state party, and only making up around 5% of the total.

The correct answer is "Wright". Elitism is a theory that suggests that a small group of individuals hold power, often without much influence from the democratic process. This concept is exemplified by C. Wright Mills' book "The Power Elite".

Common Cause is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for campaign finance reform and government accountability. They believe that bundling, which is the practice of collecting large sums of money from multiple donors and giving it to a candidate or political party, undermines the transparency and fairness of the political process. Common Cause wants to see an end to bundling in order to reduce the influence of big money in politics and promote a more democratic system.

Primaries are elections in which voters choose candidates for an election. This means that individuals who are eligible to vote have the opportunity to select the candidates they believe will best represent their interests in the general election. Primaries can be both open and closed, meaning that they can either allow all registered voters to participate or only those affiliated with a specific political party. The chosen candidates from the primaries then go on to compete in the general election.

It was 45 ECVs. Interestingly, although Wallace campaigned on a platform of segregation, he later apologized for his racism and appointed record numbers of African Americans to official positions.

Pluralism is a theory which posits the existence of a diverse range of groups competing for power, resulting in all groups eventually having some impact on the political process.

The answer suggests that factors contributing to 'democratic overload' include frequent congressional elections, federalism leading to more levels of government to elect, and direct democracy resulting in numerous proposals for citizens to vote on. These factors can overwhelm citizens and potentially lead to voter fatigue or apathy. Additionally, the large population of the US may also contribute to democratic overload as it increases the complexity and scale of the democratic processes.

527s are political organizations that are allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on issue advocacy campaigns. They are independent of candidates and are not allowed to coordinate with them. Therefore, they spend money on issue campaigns and operate separately from candidates.

FECA (1974) implemented several measures to regulate campaign financing. It limited individual contributions to a candidate, aiming to prevent excessive influence by wealthy individuals. It also banned foreign donations to ensure that only domestic interests could contribute to campaigns. The act provided federal matching funds under certain circumstances to encourage small-dollar donations and reduce the reliance on large contributions. Additionally, FECA established the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as an independent regulatory agency responsible for enforcing campaign finance laws. However, it did not ban issue ads, which are advertisements that focus on specific policy issues rather than explicitly endorsing or opposing a candidate.

Swing states are states which have no obvious allegiance to either candidate, which form the key battlegrounds of a presidential election.

Soft money refers to funds that are not used for direct electioneering purposes, such as supporting a specific candidate or campaign. Instead, it is used for party building activities, such as organizing events, voter registration drives, and other efforts to strengthen the party's infrastructure. Soft money can also be used for "get out the vote drives," which aim to mobilize voters and encourage them to participate in elections. Additionally, soft money can be used to fund National Nominating Conventions, where political parties officially select their presidential candidates.