Exam 9: Campaigns and Voting Behavior

Explain how the Electoral College system works.Evaluate the system.Is it completely antiquated,or does it still serve a purpose?

Describe the major features of the Motor Voter Act of 1993.What effect has it had on voter registration? Voter turnout?

The most widely accepted theory of voting behavior among political scientists is the mandate theory of elections.

Every presidential candidate in history has taken advantage of federal matching funds.

According to Anthony Downs,if you are truly indifferent between the parties it is rational to abstain.

A particularly significant result of the disastrous 1968 Democratic Party convention was the McGovern-Fraser Commission.

North Dakota has no voter registration,and several states allow voters to register on Election Day itself.

The supreme power within each of the parties is the national party convention.

The official endorsement of a candidate by a political party is called a nomination.

The phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things that they already agree with is called selective perception.

Explain the idea of a national primary.Explain the idea of a regional primary.How would a national or regional primary address some of the criticisms of our current nomination system?

Congress makes the laws determining the way in which primaries are set up and the delegates are allocated.

Traditionally,the first state caucus is held in New Hampshire.

What is the significance of the Supreme Court's decision in Buckley v.Valeo (1976)? What have been the consequences of this ruling?

What are the primary criticisms of the nomination system? What are some suggestions to reform the system?

Does it really matter that voter participation in the U.S.is so low? Should we be concerned? Why?