Are You Smarter Than a Civics Teacher? How Do Americans Pick a President?

By Michelle Williams and Tamra Tomlinson
Maryland Newsline
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008

Maryland's primary election is just a few weeks away. Test your knowledge of how Americans elect their president.

1. Maryland and what other jurisdictions will hold their presidential primary elections on Feb. 12?

Hawaii and Washington
The District of Columbia and Virginia
Pennsylvania, Delaware, District of Columbia and Virginia
Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina

2. How long is this year’s presidential primary season?

Jan. 1 through Feb. 14
Jan. 2 through April 15
May 5 and July 4
Jan. 3 through June 28

3. What key role do party delegates play in the presidential elections?

They vote to nominate a presidential candidate at the national party conventions.
They serve as spokesmen for their presidential candidate’s campaign.
They are elected to help manage a presidential candidate’s campaign.
They regulate the campaign season.

4. In general, how are party delegates awarded to presidential candidates?

They are allotted in proportion to their state’s population.
They are allotted based on the number of primary and caucus votes the candidates receive from that state.
They are allotted based on which party won the election the previous season.
They are allotted based on wind direction.

5. The caucuses and primaries lead up to the Democratic and Republican national conventions. What happens at those conventions?

Potential candidates place their bids to run for president.
Parties nominate their delegates for the upcoming general election.
Party delegates nominate their candidates for the general election ballot for president and vice president and establish a party platform.
Parties celebrate the beginning of the campaign season.

Receive at least 270 of 538 electoral votes.
Win primaries in at least 35 states.
Be chosen by a panel of judges who are chosen by the U.S. Supreme Court
Win a majority of the popular vote in the general election.

7. How many times has a presidential candidate won a majority of the popular votes, but failed to win a majority of the electoral votes, losing the presidency?

1
3
7
11

8. What was Maryland’s voter turnout in the presidential general election of 2004?

42 percent of registered voters
85 percent of registered voters
78 percent of registered voters
61 percent of registered voters

9. In what year was the first presidential election held?

1789
1778
1974
1780

Copyright © 2008 University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism

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