Bonuses And Federalism Quiz Questions
- 1.The “federalism bonus” in the Electoral College arises because
- A.
Every state receives an elector for each member it has in the House of Representatives.
- B.
Every state receives two electors to represent its members in the U.S. Senate.
- C.
Every state receives the same number of electors.
- D.
Every state receives a proportional share of the electors based on the size of its population.
- 2.Under the federalism bonus, each elector from a small state, such as Wyoming, represents _____ state residents than does each elector from a large state, such as California.
- A.
Fewer
- B.
The same number
- C.
More
- D.
Depends on the results of the Electoral College lottery.
- 3.When writing the U.S. Constitution, the “Connecticut Compromise” or the “Great Compromise” created a bicameral legislature where representation in the U.S. Senate would be _________ and representation in the U.S. House would be ______________.
- A.
Based on states’ population sizes; equal across all states.
- B.
Equal across all states; based on states’ population sizes
- C.
Based on states’ population sizes; based on states’ population sizes
- D.
Equal across all states; equal across all states
- 4.In the 2000 presidential election, which candidate benefited from the federalism bonus?
- A.
Al Gore, the Democratic Party candidate
- B.
George Bush, the Republican Party candidate
- C.
Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate
- D.
Both Gore and Bush, but not Nader
- 5.In what percent of U.S. presidential elections held under the current two-party system has the federalism bonus NOT played a role in the outcome of the election?
- A.
10.1 percent
- B.
27 percent
- C.
52.5 percent
- D.
91.9 percent
- 6.How would the “direct election plan” affect the structure of the Electoral College?
- A.
It would eliminate the Electoral College.
- B.
It would distribute all electors across the states on the basis of state population sizes.
- C.
It would give every state the same number of electors.
- D.
It would require that each state’s electors be bound to support the winner of the popular vote in the state.
- 7.How would the “proportional plan” affect the structure of the Electoral College?
- A.
It would eliminate the Electoral College.
- B.
It would distribute each state’s electors across the candidates based on the proportion of the vote they received in the state.
- C.
It would distribute each state’s electors across the candidates based on the proportion of the vote they received in the nationwide vote.
- D.
It would give all the electors from all 50 states to the candidate who won the highest proportion of the vote nationwide.
- 8.After the 2000 presidential election
- A.
There were numerous calls to reform the Electoral College.
- B.
There were no serious proposals to reform the Electoral College.
- C.
The Electoral College was eliminated from future presidential elections.
- D.
The Electoral College was retained for future elections, though the federalism bonus was eliminated
- 9.Under the “district plan” it would be possible for one candidate to win some of a state’s electors while another candidate could win the rest of that state’s electors.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 10.Which of the reform plans could only be put in place through the passage of a constitutional amendment?
- A.
The direct election plan
- B.
The proportional plan
- C.
The district plan
- D.
All of these plans could only be put in place through a constitutional amendment
- 11.In presidential nomination politics a “Super Tuesday” is
- A.
The starting date of the national convention.
- B.
A Tuesday on which multiple states hold their presidential primaries or caucuses.
- C.
The Tuesday on which a presidential candidate has secured the number of delegates needed to win the nomination.
- D.
The date of the first presidential primary.
- 12.In the early 20th century, delegates at the national conventions represented _________. Today, they represent ___________.
- A.
Presidential candidates; states.
- B.
National interest groups; states.
- C.
States; presidential candidates.
- D.
States; national interest groups
- 13.The McGovern-Fraser Commission established new rules for the selection of convention delegates in the 1970s. This commission was established by
- A.
The Democratic Party.
- B.
The Republican Party.
- C.
Congress
- D.
A coalition of state legislatures.
- 14.The two national parties, in order to encourage states to hold their primaries or caucuses in late spring have offered incentives. Which of the following is one of those incentives?
- A.
An increase in the number of the state’s delegates
- B.
A reduction in the number of the state’s delegates.
- C.
A guarantee that the state will be one of the first primaries in the following presidential election year.
- D.
A guarantee that at least two candidates will remain in the race until that state has held its presidential primary.
- 15.What typically happens to a state that violates party rules on its date for holding presidential primaries?
- A.
The state receives an increase in the number of its delegates.
- B.
The state has a reduction in the number of its delegates.
- C.
The state’s presidential primary is cancelled by the national party.
- D.
A state receives no convention delegates in the next presidential election year.
- 16.The Democratic Party uses proportional representation for the distribution of delegates based on the primary vote in a state. Take a state with 10 delegates. If candidate A wins 40 percent of the vote, candidate B wins 30 percent of the vote, candidate C wins 20 percent of the vote and candidate D wins 10 percent of the vote, how many delegates will candidate A win?
- A.
1 delegate
- B.
4 delegates
- C.
10 delegates
- D.
No delegates
- 17.Some Republican primaries used winner-take-all rules. Take a state with 10 delegates. If candidate A wins 40 percent of the vote, candidate B wins 30 percent of the vote, candidate C wins 20 percent of the vote and candidate D wins 10 percent of the vote, how many delegates will candidate A win?
- A.
1 delegate
- B.
4 delegates
- C.
10 delegates
- D.
No delegates
- 18.The process by which more and more states try to move their presidential primaries or caucuses to the beginning of the nomination calendar is known as
- A.
Front-loading
- B.
Momentum
- C.
Retrograde motion
- D.
Stacking
- 19.Why might a state choose to hold a late primary, such as scheduling it for late May?
- A.
T will be assured of having the last voice on the presidential nomination and thus have greater influence over the outcome of the nomination at the national convention.
- B.
Its primary or caucus will receive more coverage in the national press.
- C.
It can schedule its primaries for state offices on the same day as the presidential primary, and thus save the state and local governments millions of dollars.
- D.
It will be assured of having one of the earliest primaries in the subsequent presidential election year.
- 20.Which of the following groups DOES NOT currently play a role in the scheduling of presidential primaries and caucuses?
- A.
Congress
- B.
The two national parties
- C.
State legislatures
- D.
The parties in the states
- 21.Who was William Marbury?
- A.
Jefferson’s Secretary of State
- B.
Adams’ Secretary of State
- C.
A judicial appointee
- D.
A Supreme Court justice
- 22.What role did James Madison play in this case?
- A.
Jefferson’s Secretary of State
- B.
Adams' Secretary of State
- C.
A judicial appointee
- D.
A Supreme Court justice
- 23.The political underpinnings of Marbury v. Madison was a dispute between
- A.
Congress and the president.
- B.
The federal government and the state of Maryland.
- C.
The Federalist Party and the Republican Party.
- D.
Maryland and Virginia.
- 24.The sole connection that John Marshall had to this case was as the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 25.The 20th Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1933) set the start of the newly elected Congress as January 3rd. Prior to this change, the start of the new Congress occurred in which month?
- A.
February
- B.
March
- C.
April
- D.
May
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