Political Parties, Elections, Media                                       Name ________________________

 

Political Parties

 

  1. What is a third party?

 

 

  1. State one useful function of a third party.

 

 

  1. Why do successful third parties usually revolve around a popular personality like Teddy Roosevelt?

 

 

  1. Political parties recruit and nominate candidates.  What does ‘nominate’ mean?

 

 

  1. Parties educate the electorate about issues (in a biased way).  What is the ‘electorate’?

 

 

  1. How do parties help candidates win elections?

 

 

  1. How do parties monitor the actions of officeholders?

 

 

  1. Why do the major parties attempt to appeal to the political center and include both liberal and conservative views?

 

 

  1. Where are differences between parties stated?

 

Media

 

  1. When evaluating a media source, it is important to separate fact from opinion.  If you are reading an editorial in a newspaper, will it be mostly fact or opinion?

 

  1. Which of the following is more likely to include biased information, a news report on CNN, or an advertisement paid for by the Republican party?

 

 

  1. State an example of propaganda in the media (intentionally trying to mislead people).

 

 

  1. Why are the costs of running a campaign so expensive?

 

 

  1. List 4 results of rising campaign costs.

 

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  1. What are campaign finance reform laws?

 

Voter Registration/Voter Turnout

 

  1. List three qualifications to register to vote in Virginia.

 

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  1. List three ways to register to vote in Virginia.

 

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  1. Why is voter participation greater in Presidential elections than in other elections?

 

 

  1. List three factors that help predict which citizens will vote.

 

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Electoral College

 

  1. How is the number of electoral votes for each state determined?

 

 

  1. Why does the requirement for a majority vote in the Electoral College lead to a two-party system?

 

 

  1. What is the difference between the popular vote and the electoral vote?

 

Interest Groups

 

  1. What is a lobbyist?

 

 

  1. List three ways an individual can influence public policy.

 

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  1. What is a special interest group?

 

 

  1. List three ways interest groups can influence public policy.

 

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