APG - POLITICAL PARTICIPATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWER
15th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Gave African American males the right to vote (1870)
19th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Gave women the right to vote (1920)
24th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Abolished the poll tax (1964)
26th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Required states to allow citizens to vote no later than the age
of 18. (1971)
527 Groups - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Private interest groups who influence elections by airing issue-
oriented advertisements during an election campaign; usually aimed at preventing a candidate from
winning.
Absentee Voting - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A process where voters can vote in advance because they will
be away from home on election day
Agenda Setting - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Role of the media or government when they make choices that
influence the government agenda for policies and programs; decide what programs and policies will be
enacted.
Caucus - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A closed meeting of a particular group; it refers to members of the
political party who meet to choose delegates to the national convention when their party chooses a
presidential candidate.
Electoral college - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Method by which we select the President of the United States;
each state has the same number of electors as they have members in the House and Senate, combined.
States determine how electors are chosen.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Independent regulatory commission which
oversees election laws and campaign finance rules for all political candidates to ensure candidates are
following the law and to help prevent corruption.
, General elections - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Elections held in November to choose candidates for state or
national office.
Midterm elections - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Elections that are held in the even "off year" between
presidential elections.
National committee - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The group chosen by Republicans/Democrats to oversee
the operations of the party and make important decisions in reaction to events for the period of time
between presidential election years.
National convention - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The group of delegates chosen in primaries/caucuses to
attend this meeting in the summer of Presidential election years to vote on the political party platform
and formally choose the candidates for president/vice president for the party.
Party identification - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Self-identification of an individual with a political party. "I
consider myself a [insert party name here]." In some states, voters have to declare party identification at
the time they register to vote. Alabama is not one of those states.
Party Platform - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The official statement of beliefs and policy intentions for the
political party.
Political Action Committees (PAC's) - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Organizations whose role is to raise money
for political action. They donate money to candidates and campaigns, under strict guidelines that are
enforced by the FEC. PAC's are often attached to corporations, unions and formal interest groups.
Political party - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅An organization whose primary purpose is to win elections and
thereby control government. Political parties also educate the public on policy issues, organize
government and serve as a bridge between members of the public and government.
Poll tax - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A tax required if you want to be registered to vote; poll taxes were a
common Jim Crow era mechanism to disenfranchise voters; they were outlaws by the 24th amendment,
which made them unconstitutional.
15th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Gave African American males the right to vote (1870)
19th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Gave women the right to vote (1920)
24th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Abolished the poll tax (1964)
26th Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Required states to allow citizens to vote no later than the age
of 18. (1971)
527 Groups - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Private interest groups who influence elections by airing issue-
oriented advertisements during an election campaign; usually aimed at preventing a candidate from
winning.
Absentee Voting - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A process where voters can vote in advance because they will
be away from home on election day
Agenda Setting - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Role of the media or government when they make choices that
influence the government agenda for policies and programs; decide what programs and policies will be
enacted.
Caucus - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A closed meeting of a particular group; it refers to members of the
political party who meet to choose delegates to the national convention when their party chooses a
presidential candidate.
Electoral college - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Method by which we select the President of the United States;
each state has the same number of electors as they have members in the House and Senate, combined.
States determine how electors are chosen.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Independent regulatory commission which
oversees election laws and campaign finance rules for all political candidates to ensure candidates are
following the law and to help prevent corruption.
, General elections - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Elections held in November to choose candidates for state or
national office.
Midterm elections - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Elections that are held in the even "off year" between
presidential elections.
National committee - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The group chosen by Republicans/Democrats to oversee
the operations of the party and make important decisions in reaction to events for the period of time
between presidential election years.
National convention - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The group of delegates chosen in primaries/caucuses to
attend this meeting in the summer of Presidential election years to vote on the political party platform
and formally choose the candidates for president/vice president for the party.
Party identification - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Self-identification of an individual with a political party. "I
consider myself a [insert party name here]." In some states, voters have to declare party identification at
the time they register to vote. Alabama is not one of those states.
Party Platform - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The official statement of beliefs and policy intentions for the
political party.
Political Action Committees (PAC's) - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Organizations whose role is to raise money
for political action. They donate money to candidates and campaigns, under strict guidelines that are
enforced by the FEC. PAC's are often attached to corporations, unions and formal interest groups.
Political party - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅An organization whose primary purpose is to win elections and
thereby control government. Political parties also educate the public on policy issues, organize
government and serve as a bridge between members of the public and government.
Poll tax - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A tax required if you want to be registered to vote; poll taxes were a
common Jim Crow era mechanism to disenfranchise voters; they were outlaws by the 24th amendment,
which made them unconstitutional.
