Political Parties
What is a political platform?
A party's ideas for what they want to accomplish while in office
What is bias?
Being for or against something in an unfair way
How much can an individual donate to a candidate?
Up to $2700
What are the three requirements to vote in Virginia
You must be 18 or older
You must be a citizen of Virginia
You must be registered to vote
What is a "winner-take-all system"?
When you win a state, you take all the electoral college votes
What is the main difference between the main parties and third parties
Third parties rarely win elections because they typically focus on one specific issue.
What is propaganda?
Misleading information used to promote a political idea.
What's the main difference between PACs and Super PACs?
PACs can only donate up to $5000 whereas Super PACs can donate an unlimited amount of money
What are the three ways you can register to vote?
In person
By mail
Online
Who picks the president?
Electoral College
What are the two main roles of third parties?
To have their platforms picked up by a major party
To spoil elections by taking votes from a major party
What's the difference between an op-ed and an editorial
Op-eds offer the opinion of the writer whereas editorials offer the opinion of the paper.
True or false:
Campaign finance reform has led to legislation that limits individual contributions to campaigns
True
What amendment gave women the right to vote?
19th
How many votes do you need to win the electoral college?
270
What is the political spectrum?
Bonus: Where on the political spectrum do both parties target to win elections
A range of possibilities regarding where you stand based on your political beliefs
Bonus: The center
What are the four roles of media in elections?
Identify candidates
Emphasize issues
Write articles to increase engagement
Broadcast different points of view
Give one reason why the rise in campaign finance costs matter in elections
More money= More access to run
Encourages the use of special interest groups such as PACs or Super PACs
What are two reasons people typically don't vote?
They don't care
They aren't registered
Their vote doesn't matter
They don't have time
Because of the electoral college, do candidates spend more time in states with:
High populations
Low populations
A lot of land
A little land
What are the four main functions of political parties?
Recruit and nominate candidates
Educate the people on campaign issues
Help candidates win elections
Monitor the actions of officeholders
What are the four main strategies for analyzing a political campaign?
Separate facts from opinions
Detect Bias
Evaluate Sources
Identify Propaganda
What was the result of Citizens United vs. FEC?
What are three factors that influence the likelihood someone votes?
Education
Age
Income
How do you determine how many electoral college votes a state gets?
Congressional representation
# in the house + # in the senate