Final Pols 102 SDSU Questions and Answers

Final Pols 102 SDSU Questions and Answers
WhatAisAtheAdifferenceAbetweenAaAprimaryAelectionAandAaAgeneralAelection?A-
ACORRECTAANSWERSA-

InAaAgeneralAelection,AtheAparties'ArespectiveAnomineesArunAagainstAeachAother,AandAvoter
sAdecideAwhoAshouldAholdAoffice,AsinceAtheApersonAwithAtheAmostAvotesAwins.AInAaAprimary
Aelection,AvotersAdecideAwhichAnomineesAtheApoliticalApartiesAshouldArunAinAtheAgeneralAel

ection.AButAwhichAvotersAdecideAvariesAgreatlyAfromAstateAtoAstate.
WhenAyouAvoteAinAaApresidentialAprimaryAelection,AwhatAareAyouAactuallyAvotingAfor?A-
ACORRECTAANSWERSA-

InAU.S.ApresidentialAprimaries,AvotersAdoAnotAvoteAdirectlyAforAtheAcandidateAwhomAtheyAw
ouldAlikeAtheirApartyAtoAnominate.AInstead,AtheApopularAvoteAdeterminesAwhichAcandidate's
AdelegatesAwillAattendAtheAparty'sAnominatingAconventionAandAvoteAforAthatAparty'sAnomine

e.
WhenAyouAvoteAinAaApresidentialAgeneralAelection,AwhatAareAyouAactuallyAvotingAfor?A-
ACORRECTAANSWERSA-ElectoralACollege

HowAdidAreformsAtoAtheApoliticalApartiesAdelegateAselectionAandAnominatingAprocessAthatAo
ccurredAafterA1968AchangeAtheAamountAofAinfluenceAthatAvotersAhadAonAtheAnominatingApr
ocess?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-
TheAreforms,AmanyAofAwhichAbothAtheADemocraticAPartyAandAtheARepublicanAPartyAadopt
ed,AsignificantlyAincreasedAtheAinfluenceAofApartyAvoters.
WhatAisAtheAdifferenceAbetweenAanAopen,AclosedAandAsemi-
closedAprimaryAsystemAatAtheApresidentialAlevel?AWhatAdoAweAhaveAinACaliforniaAandAhowA
doesAitAwork?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-
InAanAopenAprimaryAelection,AanyAregisteredAvoterAcanAvoteAinAanyAparty'sAprimary,AasAcan
AindependentAvotersAnotAregisteredAwithAaAparty.AInAaAclosedAprimaryAelection,AvotingAinAaA

party'sAprimaryAisAlimitedAtoAmembersAofAthatAparty.
PresidentialAprimaryA-Asemi-closedAprimary
CaliforniaAstatewideAprimaryA-
ATopATwoACandidateAOpenAPrimaryAsystemAforAstateAoffices.AAllAcandidatesAonAaAsingleAb

allotAforAprimary.ATopAtwoAadvanceAtoArun-
off.AThisAappliesAtoAUSASenators,AUSAReps,AStateASenators,AAssemblyAandAExecutive
WhatAisAaA"declineAtoAstate"Avoter?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-
AAvoterAwhoAdoesAnotAregisterAwithAaApartyAaffiliation
WhatAisA"front-loading"AandAwhyAisAitAaAproblem?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-
StatesAmovingAtheirAprimariesAearlierAandAearlierAwhichAendsAupAmakingAcandidateAseaso
nAveryAlong
When,Aspecifically,AareAallAgeneralAelectionsAheldAinAtheAUnitedAStates?A-
ACORRECTAANSWERSA-

MostAgeneralAelectionsAareAheldAonAtheAfirstATuesdayAafterAtheAfirstAMondayAinANovember.
WhatAareAtheAthreeAelementsAofAdirectAdemocracyAandAhowAdoAtheyAworkAinACalifornia?A-
ACORRECTAANSWERSA-

AAreferendumAisAanAelectionAinAwhichAvotersAinAaAstateAcanAvoteAforAorAagainstAaAmeasureA
proposedAbyAtheAstateAlegislature.

, AnAinitiativeAisAaAcitizen-
sponsoredAproposalAthatAcanAresultAinAnewAorAamendedAlegislationAorAaAstateAconstitution
alAamendment.
AArecallAelectionAallowsAvotersAtoAcutAshortAanAofficeholder'sAtermAofAoffice.
WhatAisAabsenteeAvotingAandAhowAdoesAitAworkAinACalifornia?AWhatAareAsomeAadvantages
AandAdisadvantages?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-

Traditionally,AabsenteeAvoting,AinAwhichAvotersAcastAtheirAballotsAinAadvanceAbyAmail,AwasA
allowedAonlyAwhenAdisability,Aillness,Aschool,Awork,AserviceAinAtheAarmedAforces,AorAtravelA
preventedAvotersAfromAcastingAaAballotAinAtheirAvotingAprecinct.
DiscussAhowAformalAandAinformalAeligibilityArequirementsAforAfederal-
levelAofficesAdiffer?AWhichAareAmoreAstringent?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-
(President:ANaturalAbornAcitizen,A35AyearsAold,AresidentAofAUSAforA14Ayears
ViceApresident:ANaturalAbornAcitizen,A35AyearsAold,AmustAnotAbeAresidentAofAsameAstateAas
Apresident

U.S.Asenator:AcitizenAofA9Ayears,A30AyearsAold,AresidentAofAstate
U.S.Arepresentative:AcitizenAofA7Ayears,A25AyearsAold,AresidentAofAstate)
VotersAexpectAcandidatesAforAtheAHouseAofARepresentatives,AtheAU.S.ASenate,AandAtheApr
esidencyAtoAhaveAhigherAqualificationsAthanAcandidatesAforAstateAandAlocalAoffices.
InAracesAforAtheAU.S.ASenateAandAtheApresidency,AtheApopularApressAexaminesAtheAminute
stAdetailsAofAcandidates'AprofessionalAandAeducationalAbackground.
HowAhaveApoliticalAcampaignsAchangedAsinceAtheA1990s?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-
CampaignsAtodayAareAdifferentAfromAtheAcampaignsAofAtheA1980sAorAevenAtheAearlyA1990s
.
TheAmainAreasonsAforAtheAchangesAareAtheAprofessionalizationAofAcampaignAstaffs,AtheAdr
amaticallyAexpandedAroleAofAtheAmediaAandAtheAInternet,AandAtheAchangingAnatureAofAcam
paignAfinance.
WhatAisAtheAroleAofA"loopholes"AinAunderstandingAattemptsAtoAlimitAtheAroleAofAmoneyAinAA
mericanAelectionsAthroughAcampaignAfinanceArestrictions?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-
RegulatingAFederalACampaignAContributionsA(Overview)
a.ARegulatoryALoopholes:ASoftAMoney,AIndependentAExpendituresAfromAsourcesAsuchAasA
527s,A501(c)4sA
b.ATheAGrowthAofAPACs
c.ATheAGrowthAofASuperAPACs
d.ADarkAMoneyAinAAmericanAelections
DiscussAtheAtwoAmajorAlegislativeAeffortsAthatAhaveAbeenAmadeAtoAimposeAlimitsAonAtheAa
mountAofAmoneyAinAAmericanAelections?AWhenAdidAtheyAoccur?AWereAtheseAeffortsAsucce
ssful?A-ACORRECTAANSWERSA-TheAFederalACorruptAPracticesAActAofA1925
TheAHatchAActAofA1939AbannedApartisanApoliticalAactivitiesAbyAallAfederalAgovernmentAemp
loyeesAexceptAtheApresident,AtheAviceApresident,AandASenate-
confirmedApoliticalAappointees.
InA1971,ACongressApassedAtheAFederalAElectionACampaignAActA(FECA).
FECAAplacedAconsiderableAlimitationsAonAbothAcampaignAexpendituresAandAcampaignAco
ntributions,AandAitAprovidedAorAaAvoluntaryAtax-returnAcheck-
offAforAqualifiedApresidentialAcandidates.