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WorksheetsElections Unit 2018 - LIFT
Total questions: 87
Worksheet time: 51mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
An organized group of people who share similar political views and work to influence government.
a)
political party
b)
party platform
c)
public policy
d)
majority party
2.
The stand the government takes about how issues should be handled.
a)
public views
b)
public opinion
c)
public access
d)
public policy
3.
A person running for office.
a)
candidate
b)
delegate
c)
write-in candidate
d)
speaker
4.
During a debate, candidates discuss their views on various ________.
a)
issues
b)
opinion polls
c)
endorsements
d)
contributors
5.
Candidates seek __________ from large organizations, celebrities and other big name companies.
a)
endorsements
b)
opinion polls
c)
issues
d)
contributors
6.
The person who is chosen to run as a party's candidate in the national election.
a)
write-in candidate
b)
candidate
c)
delegate
d)
nominee
7.
A collection of all the efforts a candidate makes to win an election.
a)
party platform
b)
campaign
c)
public policy
d)
political vies
8.
A person's ideas about how government should run and how issues should be solved.
a)
platform
b)
public policy
c)
political views
d)
political candidate
9.
What is one of the main purposes of political parties?
a)
To cast electoral votes
b)
To set the age for voting
c)
To administer literacy tests
d)
To nominate candidates for office
10.
Political parties try to influence the government by -
a)
lobbying members of Congress
b)
donating money to the opposing party's elected officials
c)
getting their members elected
d)
proposing amendments to the Constitution
11.
Political parties inform supporters by
a)
using the media
b)
censoring the media
c)
discouraging communication
d)
discouraging the use of social media
12.
What is it called when a person's opinion is one sided?
a)
Propaganda
b)
Bias
c)
Incumbent
d)
Lobbying
13.
With which of the following statements would a liberal Democrat MOST likely agree?
a)
It is unnecessary for the government to provide help to those in need
b)
Businesses and communities should be able to make their own choices
c)
Strong government action is necessary to help people receive equal treatment
d)
Government's job is to protect the freedoms of individuals and states
14.
Which which of the following statements would a liberal Democrat MOST likely agree?
a)
Public schools run by the government should be shut down in favor of more private schools
b)
The government should pass laws that require businesses to pay workers a higher minimum wage
c)
The government should lower taxes on wealthy Americans so that they have more money to hire workers
d)
Farmers should be able to use whatever pesticides and fertilizers they want without the government interfering with polllution laws
15.
Candidates who run for office almost always identify with ___________________.
a)
average Americans
b)
the values of their region
c)
a major political party
d)
candidates who have already has success in politics
16.
Would favor build up of the military
a)
Democrats
b)
Republicans
17.
Would favor making regulations to protect the environment
a)
Democrat
b)
Republican
18.
Would favor higher taxes
a)
Demcrats
b)
Republicans
19.
Would favor gun control
a)
Democrats
b)
Republicans
20.
supported by the liberal voters
a)
Democrats
b)
Republicans
21.
The United States has a
a)
two-party system.
b)
multi-party system.
c)
one-party system.
22.
In order to win the presidency
a)
the candidate must earn 1/2 of the states nomination
b)
the candidate must win the popular vote
c)
the candidate must win 270 electoral college votes
d)
the candidate must be selected by the house or represenatives
23.
Which of the following is NOT a major party?
a)
Republicans
b)
Democrats
c)
Libertarian
24.
Selecting people to run for office represents which job of political parties?
a)
Nominating
b)
Watchdog
c)
Spoiler
d)
Informing the public
25.
Presidential debates are an important part of the political process. Which function best describes the purpose of these debates?
a)
Helping candidates learn what is important to the opposing party
b)
Recruiting and nominating candidates
c)
Monitoring the actions of officeholders
d)
Educating the electorate about campaign issues
26.
The president comes to Virginia to help a member of his political party campaign for Senate. The President is...
a)
nominating a candidate for public office
b)
educating the electorate about the campaign issues
c)
helping candidate win an election
d)
monitoring the actions of the opposing political party
27.
Where along the political spectrum do both political parties try to win votes in the general election?
a)
extreme right
b)
in the middle
c)
extreme left
28.
How a political party feels on certain issues is stated in their...
a)
radio addresses
b)
mailings
c)
pamphlets
d)
platforms
29.
One of the major influences of a third party is its ability to...
a)
introduce new ideas or press for a particular issue
b)
define itself in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center
c)
reflect both liberal and conservative views
d)
organize to win elections
30.
Which basic principle of government is represented by this statement. People are the source of all government power.
a)
rule of law
b)
representative government
c)
consent of the governed
d)
federalism
31.
How old do you have to be to vote?
a)
12
b)
16
c)
18
d)
21
32.
What is a ballot?
a)
a list of candidates
b)
voter registration
c)
a poll
d)
suffrage
33.
How many electoral votes does it take to win the presidential election?
a)
200
b)
260
c)
270
d)
290
34.
What symbol represents the democratic party?
a)
cheetah
b)
elephant
c)
mouse
d)
donkey
35.
What is the main purpose of the primary election?
a)
See who is old enough to vote
b)
pick the new president
c)
narrow down the field of candidates
d)
count how many voters are registered
36.
The electoral college has ________ members.
a)
538
b)
333
c)
460
d)
570
37.
What are the three main steps in the voting process?
a)
Graduate, get a job, buy a house
b)
call the polling place to tell them who you want to vote for
c)
send a letter to the president, call him/her, then vote
d)
register, research, vote
38.
Elections are held:
a)
the first Tuesday in November
b)
Whenever the mayor decides
c)
the Tuesday after the first Monday in November
d)
always on November 7
39.
How many representatives does each state have?
a)
1
b)
2
c)
based on population
d)
4
40.
How many senators does each state have?
a)
3
b)
based on population
c)
2
d)
1
41.
Who officially elects the president?
a)
The voters
b)
Congress
c)
The Electoral College
d)
The Senate
42.
How is congress divided?
a)
2 houses, the Senate and House of Representatives
b)
The president and the supreme court
c)
the president and senate
d)
the state assembly and the governor
43.
TV, newspapers, magazines, and internet are some examples of ...
a)
Print media
b)
Mass media
c)
Social media
d)
Media
44.
A representative for PETA writes a letter to Barbara Comstock asking her to vote in favor of an upcoming bill is an example of what?
a)
Demonstrating
b)
Petitioning
c)
Lobbying
d)
Campaigning
45.
"What most people think or believe about an issue" refers to what?
a)
Public opinion
b)
Public agenda
c)
Public policy
d)
Public shaming
46.
How can individuals participate in politics and influence public policy?
a)
Vote and/or campaign for candidiates
b)
Join an interest group
c)
Express opinions
d)
All of the choices
47.
What does a lobbyist do?
a)
Introduce bills in Congress
b)
Greet people in the lobby
c)
Try and convince congressmen to vote a certain way on bills
d)
Talk to the president about what is happening in Congress
48.
When a TV channel hosted a debate between Clinton and Trump, what role was the media fulfilling?
a)
Focus attention on select issues
b)
Offer forum for opposing viewpoints
c)
Hold government officials accountable
d)
Entertainment
49.
Special interest groups have more influence over candidates because ...
a)
they are full of great ideas
b)
they limit opportunities to run for office
c)
of rising campaign costs
d)
their shoe game is strong.
50.
The course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem is called ...
a)
public opinion
b)
public agenda
c)
public policy
d)
public awesome
51.
How do PACs (political action committees) help candidates?
a)
Donate large sums of money
b)
Give campaign advice
c)
Help win votes
d)
Help write speeches
52.
How can the media influence public opinion?
a)
Offer a forum for opposing viewpoints
b)
Hold government officials accountable
c)
Focus attention on select issues
d)
Regulate media use
53.
A list of issues that government officials feel are the most important is called what?
a)
Public policy
b)
Public opinion
c)
Public pools
d)
Public agenda
54.
When you are watching the news what strategies should you NOT use?
a)
Separate fact from opinion
b)
Detect bias
c)
Believe everything the newscaster says
d)
Identify propaganda
55.
Rising campaign costs have lead to many things. What is one?
a)
Limited opportunities to run for office
b)
Fewer voters in elections
c)
PACs have less influence
d)
everyone has an equal chance to run for office
56.
When the media let us know who was running for president last year what role were they fulfilling?
a)
Broadcast different points of view
b)
Identify the candidates
c)
Emphasize issues
d)
Create political cartoons
57.
People who share a point of view about an issue and unite to support that belief are called what?
a)
Political party
b)
Interest group
c)
PAC
d)
Mass media
58.
Which is an example of lobbying?
a)
The governor talks before the House of Delegates
b)
President Trump campaign rally
c)
A health group asks the president to pass a law for healthier school lunches
d)
The Washington Post talks about a politician accepting bribes for votes
59.
When your mom writes to the local paper about her opinion on the new leash law for Leesburg and it is published, what type of piece is she writing?
a)
Op-ed piece
b)
Editorial
c)
Article
d)
Political cartoon
60.
The group of people with the lowest voter turnout rate is
a)
college graduates.
b)
young people.
c)
women.
d)
senior citizens over 70.
61.
Which is one of the universal requirements for voting in the United States?
a)
literacy
b)
legal residency
c)
higher education
d)
political party membership
62.
Which person would NOT meet the universal requirements for voting?
a)
an 18-year-old legal resident who doesn't know the issues or candidates.
b)
a 21-year-old legal resident who does not belong to a political party
c)
a 21-year-old without a job who has lived in a state for three months
d)
a 17-year-old with a job who has lived in a state for one week.
63.
For which office are more votes regularly cast than for any other?
a)
governor
b)
President
c)
U.S. representative
d)
mayor or county commissioner
64.
The president and vice president are elected by a...
a)
Popular vote of Congress
b)
Majority vote in the Senate of the United States.
c)
Majority vote in the Electoral College.
d)
Presidential primary in the states.
65.
Why does Florida have more electors in the Electoral College process than Virginia?
a)
C. Florida has more lobbying influence among politicians.
b)
A. The national party determined that Florida is a more important state
c)
D. Florida has a lower population than Virginia.
d)
B. Florida has more Congressional Representation than Virginia.
66.
The winner-take-all system in the Electoral College leads to
a)
Candidates targeting densely populated states for campaigning
b)
An equal number of electors from each state.
c)
Electors from two or more parties in the same state.
d)
Targeting less populated states for campaigning.
67.
How does a state get their amount of electoral votes
a)
Multiply The number of senate and House of Representatives.
b)
Only Number of senate
c)
Add the number of Senates and Representatives per state
d)
Only Number of Representativs
68.
What is the most common reason for poor voter turnout?
a)
Lack of education
b)
Lack of interest
c)
Lack of transportation
d)
Illness
69.
One must listen to both political party platforms in order to:
a)
attend party meetings
b)
identify differences between the parties
c)
discuss politics regularly with one's neighbors
d)
influence the opinion of others
70.
John Doe has decided to register to vote for the upcoming election. Where can he go to register?
a)
the local church
b)
the community civic center
c)
the local DMV
d)
the local elementary school where he votes.
71.
A PAC can best be described as a:
a)
Political Action Congress
b)
Partisian Action Committee
c)
Political Alibi Commission
d)
Political Action Committee
72.
Campaign finance reform is:
a)
an effort to limit the amount of money that can be contributed to politicians
b)
an effort to increase the amount of money that can be contributed to politicians
c)
a movement to admit Puerto Rico as the 51st state
d)
a movement to give national committees all donations for popular politicians
73.
The media plays a very important role in the political process of elections. They help by:
a)
selecting candidates that will be popular with voters
b)
emphasizing selected issues
c)
broadcasting their preferred point of view
d)
publishing jokes or political cartoons
74.
When a TV station provides free commercials for only ONE particular candidate, the station is showing
a)
propaganda in hopes of influencing voters
b)
a biased perspective
c)
their personal relationship with the candidate
d)
this candidate's spot simply to fill air time
75.
Responsible voters in elections will do which of the following when it comes to making a decision with their vote:
a)
believe propaganda supporting their own opinions
b)
believe bias and opinionated advertising
c)
separate fact from opinion, and evaluate sources
d)
identify bias and support it
76.
In Virginia one must register at least 22 days before Election Day in order to:
a)
get your name on the ballot as a candidate
b)
perform your civic duty
c)
be able to vote in the election
d)
get your voter registration card
77.
The best predictors used to determine who will vote are:
a)
age and gender
b)
lack of interest and income
c)
age, education, and income
d)
length of residency in one place and age
78.
A __________ is an organized group of people who share common ideals and who work to elect members of their party to public office.
a)
political party
b)
Democratic
c)
Republican
d)
Election
79.
Who elects the candidates to run for each party?
a)
The president
b)
Congress
c)
A popular vote of the American people
d)
The political parties
80.
What term refers to a set of statements describing a party's views on major issues?
a)
Platform
b)
Foundation
c)
Base
d)
Manifesto
81.
By evaluating this media source, you know that you need to:
a)
separate fact from opinion
b)
identify it as propaganda
c)
evaluate the source
d)
find bias
82.
Which person is eligible to register to vote in the state of Virginia?
a)
Alyssa
b)
Ranjan
c)
Carla
d)
Rick
83.
All of the following are qualifications to register to vote in Virginia EXCEPT
a)
U.S. citizen
b)
18 years old by day of general election
c)
licensed driver
d)
a resident of Virginia and precinct
e)
register at least 22 days before the general election
84.
The winner-take-all system leads to the targeting of
a)
all states
b)
densely populated states
c)
the larger states
d)
Alaska, Hawaii, and Montana
85.
One problem associated with the Electoral College is
a)
a candidate may win the popular vote, lose the electoral vote, and not become President
b)
there are no problems with the Electoral College system
c)
states select their electors differently
d)
candidates never campaign in less populated states
86.
_________ votes of __________ total votes are needed to win the Electoral College.
a)
270/535
b)
275/535
c)
538/270
d)
270/538
87.
Which citizens are more likely to vote?
a)
older people
b)
people 18-22 years old
c)
all age groups vote at the same rate
d)
older people do not vote
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