Score for this quiz: 39 out of 40
Submitted Dec 7 at 12:12pm
This attempt took 21 minutes.
Question 1
1 / 1 pts
This former New York congressman was Bob Dole’s running-mate in 1996:
Paul Ryan
Jack Kemp
Dan Quayle
Steve Forbes
Lamar Alexander
Question 2
1 / 1 pts
This New Jersey Democrat gave Al Gore a tough challenge in the 2000 Democratic presidential
primaries, almost defeating the Vice President in the New Hampshire primary.
Joe Biden
Mario Cuomo
Dick Gephardt
John Kerry
Bill Bradley
Question 3
1 / 1 pts
NOT true about Al Gore in the 2000 election:
Wanting to appear as his “own man,” Gore tried to distance himself from President Clinton.
He narrowly won the popular vote on Election Day.
He trailed Bush most of the year until right after the Democratic National Convention in
August, when his convention “bounce” pulled him narrowly ahead of Bush in the polls.
He appeared on Oprah, The David Letterman Show, and Saturday Night Live in an attempt to
counter his stiff, wooden image.
He asked the United States Supreme Court to intervene in the Florida recount.
Question 4
1 / 1 pts
Which of the following is true about Bill Clinton in 1996?
He presided over a recovering economy.
Since the 1994 midterm elections, he had moved to the political center and right.
His approval ratings were relatively low, hovering just around 50%.
All of the above
A & B only
Question 5
1 / 1 pts
What were some problems facing Bob Dole’s presidential campaign in 1996?
A gender gap—i.e. Clinton led Dole with women by 21-30 points.
His age—he was 73, and would be the oldest person ever elected president.
He seemed unable to articulate why he wanted to be president, and delivered disjointed and
rambling speeches.
All of the above
B & C only
Question 6
1 / 1 pts
In 2016, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton incorrectly assumed that year would
be a "consensus election," but, as it turned out, it was a "base election," and she-- distrusted by
the Left and despised by the Right-- was unable to generate the necessary turnout and narrowly
lost.
True
False
Question 7
1 / 1 pts
NOT a problem with the Wesley Clark presidential campaign in 2004?
Although he opposed the Iraq War, he announced that he might have supported it if the
congressional resolution had been worded differently.
He sat out the Iowa caucus and allowed John Kerry to emerge as the tough Democrat and safe
alternative to Howard Dean.
He gave an angry, out-of-control concession speech after the Iowa caucus.
Some Democrats resented that he had voted for Republican Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.
Question 8
1 / 1 pts
NOT true about Bob Dole?
He was a Republican Senator from Kansas (1969-1996), who served as Republican leader in
the Senate from 1984 until his resignation from that body in 1996.
He was Gerald’s Ford running-mate in the 1976 presidential election.
He was critically wounded in Italy during World War II, spending thirty-nine months in the
hospital and having to relearn to eat and walk.
He was not a theorist or ideologue. His strength was in making legislative deals.
He was from a wealthy and elite family in Kansas. As a youth, then, he wanted for
nothing, and later had trouble identifying with ordinary Americans.
Question 9
1 / 1 pts
What has contributed to “hyperpartisanship” in the late 20 th
and early 21 st centuries?
Electoral stalemate
The rise of “the Freak Show.”
The rise of the "politics of the base"
All of the above
None of the above
Question 10
1 / 1 pts
This Democratic Senator from Connecticut was—as Al Gore’s running-mate in 2000-- the first
Jewish candidate for vice president in American history. In 2008, he was briefly considered by
Republican John McCain as a possible running-mate.
Joe Lieberman
John Edwards
Andrew Cuomo
Joe Biden
Bill Bradley
Question 11
1 / 1 pts
Which of the following is true about Bob Dole and the Republicans in 1996?
Dole struggled in solidifying his support within the GOP itself. In late summer, only about 77%
of Republicans favored him over Clinton.
Dole appeared old, boring, and dull, and Republicans were dispirited.
The party adopted a very conservative platform on social issues, while Dole tried to emphasize
economic issues.
All of the above
B & C only
Question 12
1 / 1 pts
Assisted by advisor Joe Trippi, this former Vermont Governor and a 2004 Democratic primary
candidate led the way in Internet campaigning for president.
Dick Gephardt
Joe Lieberman
Howard Dean
Wesley Clark
John Kerry
Question 13
1 / 1 pts
Why did Mitt Romney lose the 2012 presidential election?
President Obama barraged targeted states with negative personal campaign ads for months in
early 2012 without any response from the Romney camp.
Romney failed to either comfort or thrill the modern American electorate.
Romney’s Mormonism, which may have suppressed the evangelical vote in key states.
All of the above
A & B only
Question 14
1 / 1 pts
In 1994, this controversial and outspoken Representative from Georgia led Republicans to a
majority in the House—the first in over 40 years.
Dick Gephardt
Bob Dole
Newt Gingrich
Dennis Hassert
Tip O’Neil
Question 15
1 / 1 pts
Why did Hillary Clinton fail to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008?
No overriding idea propelled her candidacy forward.
Obama had adoring news coverage, an exciting campaign, and a creative campaign
organization.
Clinton failed to inspire and charm.
All of the above
B & C only
Question 16
1 / 1 pts
In 1996, Bill Clinton came across as an average American, someone who had battled personally
with every key family issue of the times—a broken home, an abusive parent, drugs, the morality
of Vietnam, infidelity, and questionable business dealings.
True
False
Question 17
1 / 1 pts
Which of the following best describes the arguments in Politics By Other Means (1990), by
Benjamin Ginsberg and Martin Shefter?
That electoral stalemate has transformed American politics, and that instead of seeking to
defeat their political opponents by out mobilizing them in the electoral arena, political
interests rely on such things as legislative investigations, media revelations, and judicial
proceedings.
It examines the role of the New Media in presidential elections.
It examines the rise of the “Freak Show” in American politics.
That the influence of money and special interest groups has enhanced what the authors call
“hyperpartisanship.”
None of the above.
Question 18
1 / 1 pts
In 2004, Democrats were more united around the negative theme of opposing President Bush
than supporting John Kerry.
True
False
IncorrectQuestion 19
0 / 1 pts
Which of the following is true about “the Freak Show”?
It is a term used by Mark Halperin and John Harris in their 2006 book The Way to Win: Taking
the White House in 2008.
It fueled more extreme and uncompromising positions, provoking the ruthless tearing down of
adversaries. Opponents were portrayed simply as wrong, but as morally flawed.
It coincided with the rise of the New Media, including the Internet, talk radio, and 24-hour
cable news, which thrive not on census but on division and conflict.
All of the above
A & C only
Question 20
1 / 1 pts
Which of the following is true about politics in the late 20 th and early 21 st centuries?
The rise of "hyperpartisanship"
Divided government and electoral stalemate
Our politics seems to reward ideology over pragmatism, and sharpens disagreements rather than
construct consensus-- i.e. a politics of the base.
All of the above
A & C only
Question 21
1 / 1 pts
After the 2006 midterm elections, this California Democrat became the first female Speaker of
the House (2007-2011).
Diane Feinstein
Barbara Boxer
Nancy Pelosi
Sarah Palin
Carly Fiorina
Question 22
1 / 1 pts
NOT true about George W. Bush:
He upset Democratic incumbent Ann Richards, and was elected governor of Texas in 1994.
Although he faced a weak gubernatorial system in Texas, he gained a reputation for his charm
and his willingness to work with state Democrats to solve problems.
He raised campaign funds at a record paced in the lead up to the 2000 presidential campaign.
His 2000 candidacy was nearly derailed by his poor performance in the 1998 elections. He
was reelected as governor of Texas, but only narrowly.
He was defeated by John McCain in the New Hampshire primary in 2000.
Question 23
1 / 1 pts
The Massachusetts Senator was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for President in 2004.
John Edwards
John Kerry
Howard Dean
Hillary Clinton
Joe Biden
Question 24
1 / 1 pts
Democrat Al Gore faced no primary challenge in 2000.
True
False
Question 25
1 / 1 pts
President Obama is the only modern president to be elected to a second term by winning a
smaller margin of the vote over his first election.
True
False
Question 26
15 / 15 pts
According to James Campbell, why did President Bush defeat Democratic challenger John Kerry
in the 2004 presidential election. Explain. Be sure too to identify the three campaign
fundamentals.
Your Answer:
The three fundamentals referred to by James Campbell are what he referred to as the cards dealt
to each candidate. Campbell explains that unlike an actual card game, the candidates know each
other’s cards. In Campbell’s view, the candidate who was dealt the strongest hand eventually
wins the game. Campbell succinctly describes these cards as: (1) “the public’s opinion about the
candidates at the outset of the campaign; (2) “the growth in the election year economy; (3) “and
incumbency (both personal and the number of terms that a party has occupied the White
House).” Campbell argues that President Bush was dealt the strongest hand in each of the
categories of interest “to varying degrees.” This is to say, he was highly regarded by the public at
the outset, the economy was strong, and he was the incumbent. According to Campbell, President
Bush’s approval rating in July and Labor Day had him just over the thresholds for the election.
According to Campbell, the reason for Bush’s appeal was due to party polarization, which he
describes as “an intensely felt affection for one political party (and its candidates and policy
positions) accompanied by an intensely felt dissatisfaction for the opposite party.” The Iraqi War
(War on Terror) helped Bush get a higher rate of public opinion according to Campbell. The
Republican nominating Convention also helped Bush, according to Campbell. This is because
Republicans were slightly better at uniting the party at the Convention while Kerry’s Convention,
which focused on his questionable Vietnam War record, did not help his image nor unite his
party. The economy was initially perceived as having benefited Bush, including election year,
despite polls favoring Kerry. In the end, the author concludes that the economic issue favored
Kerry, but Bush was able to put emphasis on the War on Terror, which was viewed at the time as
a critical subject. Clearly, the issue of incumbency, although not a solid indicator, favored Bush
as the current president. The author argues that Kerry won all three presidential debates, a
subjective assertion, and argues that Bush overcame these so-called losses in the debates by a
large voter turn-out, which normally favor Democrats, the author claims. Incidentally, these
arguments are subjective because they are based on polls, which are only as accurate as the
pollsters are honest and competent at their trade. According to the author, those items that
favored Kerry over Bush made the final election results closer, despite Bush having slightly been
favored in all three fundamentals.
Quiz Score: 39 out of 40
