Campaigns, Money and the Media · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Money, messages and votes

Civics & Economics · Government · ages 14-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A resident gives a small amount to support a shared policy. Another gives a large amount hoping to meet the candidate. Which description fits?

    • A small donor seeks access; a large donor supports a shared policy
    • A small individual donor supports a shared policy; a large individual donor hopes to meet the candidate
    • Both residents give large amounts to seek meetings, not to support a shared policy

  2. A campaign raises more money and buys more advertising. Which conclusion is supported?

    • It has more money for outreach, but that alone does not show greater voter support
    • It has more voter support, because advertising spending measures voter support
    • It has changed which issues voters value, because campaign funding determines their political priorities

  3. A reporter checks a candidate's claim against public records. A campaign posts an ad asking for votes. Which description fits?

    • The report seeks campaign support; the ad independently checks the claim
    • Both messages independently check the claim because both discuss the election
    • The report checks evidence; the ad seeks support for the campaign

  4. A campaign sends bus-service ads to commuters and rent-policy ads to renters. What makes this targeting?

    • It selects commuters for bus-service messages and renters for rent-policy messages
    • It makes conflicting promises whenever the topics differ
    • It uses paid advertising rather than relying on news reports

  5. A large donor contributes to a campaign, then asks the elected candidate to support a preferred policy. No promised exchange is shown. What can you conclude?

    • The request proves a promised exchange of money for a decision
    • The absence of evidence proves that the donor and candidate never made any agreement
    • The donor seeks a favorable decision; no agreement is established by this evidence

  6. In the lesson, which arguments do supporters and critics make about caps on direct campaign donations?

    • Supporters: caps restrict expression. Critics: caps reduce donor influence.
    • Supporters: caps reduce donor influence. Critics: caps restrict expression.
    • Supporters: caps protect fair competition. Critics: caps reduce donor influence.

  7. Horse-race election coverage focuses mainly on detailed policy plans.

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. A hypothetical country caps direct campaign donations but permits outside groups to buy independent ads without campaign coordination. Donors fund those groups instead. What follows?

    • Independent ads count as direct donations whenever they support a candidate
    • The direct-donation cap also limits outside groups' independent advertising
    • Donors use a permitted spending route outside the direct-donation cap
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Answer key

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Money, messages and votes W1-mt_uBWxmdMU2d-s1

  1. A small individual donor supports a shared policy; a large individual donor hopes to meet the candidate · The residents are small and large individual donors. The small donor hopes to support a policy; the large donor hopes for access to the candidate.
  2. It has more money for outreach, but that alone does not show greater voter support · The campaign has funds for advertising. That shows resources for outreach, but does not establish how voters respond.
  3. The report checks evidence; the ad seeks support for the campaign · Checking a claim against records is reporting based on evidence. The campaign's request for votes seeks support.
  4. It selects commuters for bus-service messages and renters for rent-policy messages · Targeting selects an audience for a message. Buying ads is not itself targeting, and different topics need not contain conflicting promises.
  5. The donor seeks a favorable decision; no agreement is established by this evidence · The request shows what the donor wants. The supplied evidence establishes neither that an exchange was agreed nor that no agreement existed.
  6. Supporters: caps reduce donor influence. Critics: caps restrict expression. · The lesson attributes reduced donor influence to supporters and restricted political expression to critics. This matches stated positions, not everyone's political preferences.
  7. False · Horse-race coverage focuses on who leads or trails. Detailed examination of proposals is policy coverage.
  8. Donors use a permitted spending route outside the direct-donation cap · The stated rules distinguish direct donations from permitted independent advertising. Supporting a candidate through an ad does not make it a direct donation.
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