AP US Government : Election Laws
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP US Government
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Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Election Laws
Which of the following statements about the Electoral College is false?
The winner-take-all nature of the Electoral College forces candidates to focus on winning those states where polls indicate a close contest is taking place among voters.
The less populated states are overrepresented due to a Constitutional provision granting each state two electors (regardless of population).
The Electoral College vote usually, but not always, reflects the current popular majority vote.
If no candidate receives an Electoral College majority, the election is thrown to the Supreme Court for the final decision.
If no candidate receives an Electoral College majority, the election is thrown to the Supreme Court for the final decision.
If no candidate receives a majority of Electoral College votes, then the election decision is placed in the hands of the members of the House of Representatives. The House members are charged with choosing the next president from among the top three electoral vote winners, with each state delegation possessing one combined vote amongst all their respective members. This is a very rare occurrence– the last election to be decided by the House was in 1824, between Democratic-Republicans John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.
Example Question #12 : Election Laws
America has always had free and open elections in which everyone could vote.
False, universal suffrage was not passed in the US until the 1950s
False, for much of US history women and less than half of the free adult male population could vote
True, for most of US history universal suffrage has been in place
None of these
False, for much of US history women and less than half of the free adult male population could vote
The answer is “false.” Out of everyone in the entire US at the time immediately after the Revolution, only the males could vote. Out of the males, only free white males could vote. Out of free white males, only those who weren’t Catholic or Jewish, and who had property could vote. Thus, in the beginning, only about half of the free adult male population was eligible to vote.
Example Question #13 : Election Laws
______________ are expenditures on behalf of candidates.
Incumbent expenditures
Independent expenditures
Coordinated expenditures
None of these
Coordinated expenditures
Coordinated expenditures is the correct answer. Coordinated expenditures, much like the name might suggest, are expenditures on behalf of—in coordination with—a candidate and her campaign. A campaign ad, for example, is a coordinated expenditure—it’s generally a ‘true’ campaign ad if it ends with “I’m XXXXX and I approve this message” or any other sort of indication that the ad was specifically approved by the candidate.
Example Question #14 : Election Laws
_____________ are expenditures completely separate from the candidate’s campaign.
Incumbent expenditures
Independent expenditures
Coordinated expenditures
None of these
Independent expenditures
Independent expenditures is the correct answer. Similar in name, but different in substance, to coordinated expenditures, independent expenditures are expenditures that are completely separated from a campaign. Thus, a smear ad from a PAC, for example, is not a coordinated expenditure: it’s an independent expenditure. Do you see why?
Example Question #15 : Election Laws
The period of time from Election Day to the date new legislators are sworn into office is called the “lame duck” period. During the “lame duck” period, which of the following can occur?
Newly elected legislators can propose and vote on laws
The President issues Executive Orders which become law automatically without review by the state legislatures
The Supreme Court passes the laws
Retiring and defeated legislators may propose and vote on laws
No laws are passed
Retiring and defeated legislators may propose and vote on laws
The lame duck period does not mean that the government stops functioning until the newly elected officials are sworn into office. For the Congress, this means that the defeated or retiring Congressmen and Senators still have the opportunity to propose and vote on laws. The newly elected officials must be sworn into office before they can take any legislative action. The President may issue Executive Orders but they are not subject to the approval of state legislatures. The Supreme Court does not make laws rather they rule on the Constitutionality of the law.
Example Question #16 : Election Laws
Which constitutional amendment gave 18-year-olds the right to vote?
The 24th Amendment
The 26th amendment
The 25th amendment
The 23rd amendment
The 22nd amendment
The 26th amendment
During the 1960s and student activism in response to the Vietnam War, a movement arose that wanted the voting age lowered to 18 from 21. By 1971, both houses of congress ratified the 26th Amendment and it was subsequently ratified by the states.
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