Campaign Finance, Special Interest Groups, Media, & Polls

Which of the following are examples of campaign spending? (Choose all that apply)

• Radio and television time

• Campaign managers/staff, consultants and travel

• Newspaper and online advertising, websites, and polling

• Posters, bumper stickers, office rental space, mass mailings

Candidates relay on which of the following for campaign contributions? (Choose all that apply)

• Small contributors

• Wealthy individuals

• Candidate’s own money

• Political Action Committees (PACs)

Political Action Committees (PACs) are best defined as which of the following?

• Organizations that collect campaign contributions from members and then donates those funds to campaign for or against a candidate

• Committees of donors that collect campaign contributions to fund elections.

• Organizations that collect campaign contributions from the government to donate equally to political candidates.

• Organizations that collect campaign contributions from foreign donors and then donates those funds to campaign for or against a candidate

What group is the major source of campaign funds in the United States?

• Foreign donors

• The federal government

• Private donors

• The candidates themselves

Hard money refers to which of the following?

• The money raised and spent to elect Congressional and Presidential candidates

• Printed and coined money

• Money given by PACs

• Funds given to party organizations for ‘party-building activities’

Soft money refers to which of the following?

• Money that is donated to candidates electronically

• Money given by PACs

• Funds given to party organizations for ‘party-building activities’ such as the recruitment of candidates, voter

  registration drives, and other efforts utilized to build party membership

• The money raised and spent to elect Congressional and Presidential candidates

Which of the following characterizes Super PACs?

• Super PACs do not make any contributions to candidates or political parties

• Super PACs only make any contributions to candidates or political parties

• Super PACs collect money from other PACs to make contributions to candidates or political parties

• Super PACs only fund state level political candidates

Which of the following forms of mass communication are examples of the media? (Choose all that apply)

• Internet

• Television

• Newspapers

• Radio

Which of the following are the three (3) primary ways that the media shapes politics and political opinions?

• Influencing the political opinions of voters

• Determining the behavior of candidates

• Setting the public agenda

• Helping to change the voting behavior of highly partisan individuals

Attack ads are best described as which of the following?

• Ads that advertise a candidate's platform and qualifications

• Ads that concentrate on the positive characteristics of a political candidate

• Ads that concentrate on the negative characteristics of political opponents

• Ads that media organizations fund that concentrate on the negative characteristics of political opponents