Kate Kelly’s Journal News Election Day Quiz
Kate Kelly of Larchmont, author of “Election Day: An American Holiday, An American History” (Facts on File) and political blogger for The Huffington Post, wrote this quiz for The Journal News and LoHud. Com.
If you take the quiz and get fewer than three questions wrong, consider yourself an election-history expert.
Fewer than three right?
Maybe you should buy the book.
To learn more, visit Kate Kelly’s Web sites:
www. Electiondayhistory. Org
and www. Americacomesalive. Com.
- 1.
Bill Clinton was sometimes referred to as the “MTV president." This was because:
- A.
One of his campaign messages was that people should spend "more time voting."
- B.
He appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and played his saxophone, the first time a candidate opened himself to this type of media exposure.
- C.
His relationship with Monica Lewinsky showed that he got along well with younger voters
Correct Answer
B. He appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and played his saxophone, the first time a candidate opened himself to this type of media exposure.Explanation
He appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and played his saxophone, the first time a candidate opened himself to this type of media exposure.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Which presidential candidate sent his alleged mistress and their child to live in New Rochelle?
- A.
John Kennedy
- B.
Grover Cleveland
- C.
Ulysses Grant
Correct Answer
B. Grover ClevelandExplanation
Grover Cleveland, who became president in 1884. (Thank you, New Rochelle historian Barbara Davis!) When his advisers approached him because they had heard that news of the scandal had leaked, Cleveland told them: “Above all, tell the truth.”Rate this question:
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- 3.
John McCain is the oldest candidate to ever run for a presidential first term. How old was Ronald Reagan when he ran for his first term?
- A.
68
- B.
69
- C.
71
Correct Answer
B. 69Explanation
Ronald Reagan, who was younger than McCain when he ran the first time (age 69) and older when he ran for his second term (age 73 in 1984).Rate this question:
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- 4.
2008 is the first time we have had such a large percentage of people voting before Election Day, with one-third of all voters expected to vote early. One state now votes 100 percent by mail. Which state is it?
- A.
Montana
- B.
Arkansas
- C.
Oregon
Correct Answer
C. OregonExplanation
The first presidential election for which the mail-in method was used was in 2000.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Women were given the right to vote in 1920 by the 19th Amendment. Who were the presidential candidates in that election?
- A.
Warren G. Harding (Republican) and James Cox (Democrat)
- B.
Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) and Charles Hughes (Republican)
- C.
Calvin Coolidge (Republican) and John W. Davis (Democrat)
Correct Answer
A. Warren G. Harding (Republican) and James Cox (Democrat)Explanation
Franklin Roosevelt was Cox's running mate!Rate this question:
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- 6.
These days, we eagerly await the results of the latest polls. Polls have been conducted since the:
- A.
1940s
- B.
1920s
- C.
1890s
Correct Answer
B. 1920sExplanation
Very small and unscientific polls used to be conducted by asking all passengers on a steamboat for whom they were going to vote, but the first large-scale polling was actually conducted in 1920, when a weekly magazine, Literary Digest, mailed out millions of postcards. The sampling was primarily of the middle class, but that year it was quite accurate.Rate this question:
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- 7.
How many senators have been elected president?
- A.
12
- B.
18
- C.
15
Correct Answer
C. 15Explanation
Fifteen senators have served as president, but three of those (Andrew Johnson, Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson) first took on the role because of the death of the sitting president. Kennedy and Nixon are the most recent to have been actually elected.Rate this question:
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- 8.
It is often said that a governorship provides a smoother pathway to the presidency because there is no congressional voting record to haunt the candidate. How many governors have been elected president?
- A.
18
- B.
12
- C.
16
Correct Answer
C. 16Explanation
Sixteen state governors have subsequently become president: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe (both from Virginia); Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Teddy Roosevelt, Frankin Roosevelt (all from New York); James Polk, Andrew Johnson (both from Tennessee); Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley (both from Ohio); Woodrow Wilson (New Jersey); Calvin Coolidge (Massachusetts); Jimmy Carter (Georgia); Ronald Reagan (California); Bill Clinton (Arkansas); and George W. Bush (Texas). In addition, two Territorial governors later became president: Andrew Jackson (Florida) and William Henry Harrison (Indiana).Rate this question:
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- 9.
Only 10 times in modern history (since 1945) have both branches of Congress and the presidency been controlled by the same party. When was the last time the House, Senate and presidency were all held by Democrats?
- A.
In 1979, when Jimmy Carter was president
- B.
In 1993, the year Clinton started his presidency
- C.
In 1967, when Lyndon Johnson was president
Correct Answer
B. In 1993, the year Clinton started his presidencyExplanation
In 1993, the year Clinton started his presidency, the House, Senate, and presidency were all held by Democrats. This was one of the 10 times in modern history (since 1945) when both branches of Congress and the presidency were controlled by the same party.Rate this question:
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- 10.
In our history, how many times has the winner of the popular vote been displaced by another candidate?
- A.
Six times
- B.
Two times
- C.
Four times
Correct Answer
C. Four timesExplanation
Four times in our national history has the candidate who won the popular vote not taken office. In 1824, the House of Representatives had to settle the vote, and John Quincy Adams went into office over Andrew Jackson. In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote to Samuel Tilden. In 1888,Grover Cleveland lost the popular vote to Benjamin Harrison. And in 2000, George W. Bush became president despite Al Gore's winning the popular vote.Rate this question:
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- 11.
The Voting Rights Act outlawed discriminatory practices that often kept African-Americans from voting. It was passed in:
- A.
1920
- B.
1950
- C.
1965
Correct Answer
C. 1965Explanation
Lyndon Johnson pushed hard for passage of this act that prohibited states from imposing any "voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure ... to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”Rate this question:
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- 12.
True or False: Since each state has a specific number of electors, the number of electors who participate in the Electoral College changes only when additional states are added to the Union.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. TrueExplanation
The apportionment of electors may change after a census but the total number of electors remains the same: 538, based on 435 representatives plus 100 senators plus 3 DC electors (538). If a new state (for example, Puerto Rico) were to be added to the Union, the total would then go up. (The number of electors from each state is dependent on the number of Congressional representatives for each state. If a state experiences population losses or gains big enough to affect representation, then their apportioned number of electors changes as well.)Rate this question:
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