Name: ________________________ Class: ___________________ Date: __________
ID: A
Chapter 13 Test
Matching
IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS
Match each item with the correct statement below. You will not use all the terms.
a. electoral college
b. chief citizen
c. chief of state
d. chief executive
e. chief administrator
f. chief legislator
g. presidential primary
h. balance the ticket
i. winner-take-all
j. keynote address
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1. The President is the nation's ____, heading a large government organization.
2. Under the ____ system, a candidate who wins the preference vote in a primary automatically wins the support
of all the delegates chosen in the primary.
3. Presidential candidates often choose a running mate who can ____ by virtue of certain characteristics.
4. The ____ is the group of people chosen from each State and the District of Columbia to formally select the
President and Vice President.
5. As ____, the President holds broad power in domestic and foreign affairs.
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
MAIN IDEAS
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6. The electoral system broke down in the election of 1800 because of the
a. rise of political parties.
b. 12th Amendment.
c. use of the national convention as a nominating device.
d. appearance of a presidential primary.
7. According to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which of these officers follows the Vice President in
the line of presidential succession?
a. Speaker of the House
b. secretary of state
c. president pro tempore of the Senate
d. secretary of the treasury
8. The national convention is held to accomplish all of the following EXCEPT
a. unify the party behind its candidates.
b. pick its presidential candidate.
c. select the party's delegates.
d. adopt the party's platform.
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Name: ________________________
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ID: A
9. Which of the following statements is NOT an argument against the electoral college system?
a. A candidate who loses the popular vote may still be elected President.
b. An elector may vote for someone other than the voter-selected candidate.
c. A strong third-party effort might throw the election into the House.
d. The results depend upon how State congressional districts are drawn.
10. The order of succession to the presidency after the Vice President is determined by the
a. original Constitution.
b. force of tradition.
c. Presidential Succession Act.
d. 25th Amendment.
11. Which of the following is a way that presidential disability is determined?
a. The Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet inform Congress in writing.
b. The Senate states, in writing, that the President is incapacitated.
c. The President gives a speech explaining who will take over.
d. Congress asks the Vice President to evaluate the President's condition.
12. A formal duty assigned to the Vice President by the Constitution is to
a. call Cabinet meetings.
b. choose the secretary of state.
c. preside over the House.
d. preside over the Senate.
13. The first session of the national convention is generally devoted to
a. voting for candidates.
b. giving speeches.
c. drafting the platform.
d. reporting information.
14. The first and most widely publicized caucus today is held in the State of
a. California.
b. New Jersey.
c. New Hampshire.
d. Iowa.
15. All of the following are characteristics that usually determine who is nominated for President EXCEPT
a. incumbency.
b. controversial viewpoints.
c. married.
d. from a key larger State.
16. Which of the following statements is NOT an argument for direct popular election of the President?
a. The winner would always be the majority choice.
b. Direct popular election would be a simple, easily understood process.
c. The small States would gain an advantage in a direct election plan.
d. Each vote would count equally in the national result.
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Name: ________________________
ID: A
INTERPRETING MAPS
Use the map to answer the following questions.
____ 17. The number of electoral votes that Iowa has is
a. five.
b. seven.
c. nine.
d. twelve.
____ 18. The figure 11 for Washington indicates that the State has 11
a. senators.
b. representatives.
c. presidential electors.
d. districts.
____ 19. The roles a President must play are
a. largely symbolic.
b. all equal in importance.
c. spelled out in the Constitution.
d. none of the above.
____ 20. The nation “played with fate” for nearly 180 years because
a. eight Presidents died in office.
b. the Presidential Succession Act had not yet been passed.
c. no constitutional or congressional provision defined presidential disability.
d. the President could not fire the Vice President.
____ 21. The problem with the results of the election of 1796 was that
a. a Federalist captured the presidency.
b. a Democratic-Republican captured the vice presidency.
c. the President and Vice President were from opposing parties.
d. two presidential candidates tied for the office.
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Name: ________________________
ID: A
____ 22. All of the following contributed to today’s presidential selection system EXCEPT
a. the appearance of political parties.
b. the election of 1800.
c. the 12th Amendment.
d. the 25th Amendment.
____ 23. Little-known candidates are at a greater disadvantage than ever because
a. delegate selection is so complicated.
b. State primaries occur too close together to gain name recognition and raise money
between contests.
c. State laws require candidates to announce their candidacies so early.
d. Primary schedules are so spread out that a candidacy loses steam from State-to-State.
____ 24. Should the “winner-take-all” flaw of the electoral college become a recurring problem, it would likely cause
a. a drop in voter turnout.
b. a rise in voter turnout.
c. more elections to be decided in the House.
d. none of the above.
____ 25. The majority of the proposed reforms to the current electoral college system
a. also contain flaws.
b. incorporate some form of direct election.
c. eliminate the national convention.
d. none of the above.
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