Economics, Voting, and Campaign Finance

During a period of economic recession, the government implements a stimulus package that includes increased spending on infrastructure projects and tax cuts for individuals and businesses. This approach is consistent with which economic theory?

• Supply-side economics

• Laissez-faire economics

• Keynesian economics

• Monetarism

Amid concerns of deflation and sluggish economic growth, the Federal Reserve announces a series of interest rate cuts and increases its purchases of government securities to inject liquidity into the economy. This action is an example of which policy tool?

• Fiscal policy

• Laissez-faire economics

• Monetary policy

• Keynesian economics

In an effort to combat inflation, the government decides to decrease its overall spending and increase taxes. This measure is an example of which economic approach?

• Monetary policy

• Keynesian economics

• Fiscal policy

• Laissez-faire economics

To stimulate economic growth, the central bank opts to decrease interest rates. This action primarily aims to:

• Increase savings

• Reduce investment

• Encourage borrowing and investment

• Strengthen the currency

During an election cycle, a wealthy individual donates millions of dollars to a political organization that operates independently of any candidate's campaign and spends the funds on advertisements supporting specific candidates. This organization is most likely a:

• Super PACS

• PAC

• 501c3po

• 527 organization

A nonprofit advocacy group produces and airs television advertisements criticizing a candidate's stance on environmental issues without coordinating with any candidate's campaign. These expenditures are known as:

• PAC donations

• Independent expenditures

• Soft money

• Direct contributions

In a landmark Supreme Court case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Court ruled that corporations and unions could spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns, as long as the spending is independent of candidate campaigns. This decision was based on...

• The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

• The Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution

• The First Amendment's protection of free speech

• The Commerce Clause of the Constitution

In the aftermath of a recent economic downturn, a voter holds the incumbent political party responsible for the country's economic woes and decides to vote for the opposing party's candidate in the upcoming election. The voter's decision is based on their assessment of the incumbent's performance and the desire for change rather than the specific policies proposed by the opposing candidate. This voter's behavior reflects:

• Party-line voting

• Prospective voting

• Retrospective voting

• Rational choice voting

A voter considers the future implications of each candidate's proposed policies and evaluates which candidate is likely to bring about the best outcomes for the country if elected. The voter focuses on the candidates' campaign promises and vision for the future rather than past performance or current conditions. This voter's behavior exemplifies:

• Party-line voting

• Prospective voting

• Retrospective voting

• Rational choice voting

In an upcoming election, a voter carefully evaluates the policy positions and campaign promises of each candidate before deciding which one to support. The voter weighs the potential benefits and drawbacks of each candidate's platform and selects the one whose policies align most closely with their own preferences. This voter's behavior is consistent with:

• Party-line voting

• Prospective voting

• Retrospective voting

• Rational choice voting