USG Quiz 13.4 Presidential Nominations

Both parties have the same number of delegates to their conventions.

• True

• False

The winner-take-all primary is not common today.

• True

• False

The caucus-convention is the oldest method for picking delegates to the national convention.

• True

• False

Most party conventions today involve a big floor fight to select their candidates for President and Vice President.

• True

• False

The keynote address is often the most controversial part of a convention.

• True

• False

Most of the rules governing the national conventions of the two major political parties are set by

• a. State law

• b. the Constitution

• c. federal law

• d. the parties themselves.

Both of the major parties apportion delegates to each State based on

• a. its population and the outcome of its most recent primary election

• b. its electoral votes and its record in recent elections

• c. its population and its record in recent presidential elections

• d. the number of its citizens who are registered members of the party and its rate of voter turnout in recent elections.

In a State’s presidential primary, voters

• a. always select the delegates for their candidate

• b. may either choose delegates or express a preference for a candidate

• c. can only express a preference for a candidate

• d. meet in a caucus to select candidates.

The goal of proportional representation has been to

• a. make the convention system more economical

• b. make the convention system more efficient in nominating a winning ticket

• c. promote greater grass roots involvement in the convention process

• d. unify the party ideologically so that the platform can be more specific.

Which of the following is NOT a proposal for reforming the primary system?

• a. Hold a single national primary in all States on the same day

• b. Hold regional primaries at two or three week intervals

• c. Replace primaries with caucuses

• d. Let voters’ expressed preferences for candidate be binding on delegates.