AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

O Red Flag Questions

Pages 267-272

CHAPTER 9: THE POLITICAL PROCESS

SECTION 4: The Electoral Process

ORGANIZING AND FINANCING CAMPAIGNS

·  Why do people run for office?

Political Campaigns

·  How might candidates running for office try to reach and attract voters to win?

Money and Campaigns

·  What are some sources of campaign funds?

·  hard money

·  soft money

CHOOSING CANDIDATES

·  What is the first step in the electoral process?

Self Announcement

·  What is the first step in becoming a candidate?

·  How might a self-nominee register to run for office?

·  Write-in candidate

·  Why do almost all write-in candidates loose?

Caucuses

·  caucus

·  How does the caucus work?

Conventions

·  What similarities are there between caucuses and conventions?

·  What differences exist?

·  What is the purpose of the local, state, and national conventions?

Primary Elections

·  direct primary

·  closed primary

·  open primary

·  Which of the following plays the greatest role in determining who a candidate for president will be: primaries, party leaders, or nominating conventions?

·  Why do candidates want to win early primaries?

VOTING AND VOTING BEHAVIOR

Voting Requirements

·  What qualifications must you meet in order to vote?

·  How is the government trying to make it easier to vote?

Voter Behavior

·  How do the following factors influence why people vote the way they do?

-  Party Identification

-  Issues

-  A candidate’s background

-  The voter’s background

MORE ABOUT ELECTIONS

·  What is special about Native Americans when it comes to elections?

General Elections

·  What is the difference between majority and plurality?

Special Elections

·  For what reasons might a special election be held?

Holding Elections

·  When do federal elections take place?

·  secret ballot

·  Why is electronic voting controversial?

·  absentee ballot

CAMPAIGNS AND THE PUBLIC GOOD

Elections and the Public Good

·  How do elections serve the public good?

Criticism of Campaigns

·  Why do some people criticize TV advertising in campaigns?

·  Why do candidates run negative ads?