AS THE POLITICAL SEASON heats up, there is a need for journalists who can master the complexities of a political campaign. This simple quiz will help you determine whether you have the skills necessary for this critical profession.
1. Statistics. The fact that more money will be spent on campaigns this election cycle than ever before means . . .
a. very little since inflation and population growth explain most if not all of the increase.
b. very little since the United States is a large and wealthy nation whose population spends more on pizzas and toothpaste than it does on politics.
c. the very nature of our democracy is imperiled, with special interests dominating and distorting the process to such an extent that the average person does not have a chance anymore.
2. Analysis. The upcoming primaries are likely to be among the most hard-fought and divisive ever because . . .
a. it gives journalists a feeling of self-worth to ascribe importance to the events you cover.
b. this thesis is impossible to disprove. Besides, all the other reporters, analysts, and even the candidates and their organizations wholeheartedly agree.
c. it puts into perspective political contests previously thought to have been hard-fought and divisive, such as those that dealt with slavery, war, Prohibition, and civil rights.
3. Interpretation. Which sentence does not fit?
a. Although anti-poverty programs often fail to lift people out of poverty and potentially promote harmful behavior, a candidate who wants to trim these programs is heartless and greedy.
b. Although the best funded school districts frequently produce the worst results, a candidate who wants to look at alternatives to public school monopolies is heartless and greedy.
c. Although agricultural subsidies overwhelmingly go to large agribusinesses, a candidate who wants to reduce these programs hates family farmers.
d. One test of leadership is the ability to withstand pressure from groups that seek more from the government.
4. Advanced Statistics. If a candidate performs worse among women voters than among men it means . . .
a. different demographic groups have different preferences for everything from movies to cars, so it is predictable that they should have different preferences for presidential candidates, too.
b. candidates’ appeal always varies by gender, race, religion, ethnicity, income, and age. This is neither surprising, nor necessarily significant.
c. a candidate’s lag among women voters may mean that his opponent is lagging among men voters. This is equally newsworthy and deserving of discussion.
d. the candidate is hostile to women, and unless he starts to pay more attention to “women’s issues,” he could lose the election.
5. Advanced Analysis. An underdog takes a seemingly bold stand on an issue. You should . . .
a. ignore the competitive dynamic between front-runners and laggards causing front-runners to protect their lead and be cautious, while the underdog tries unconventional approaches to make news.
b. ignore the fact that the “underdog” is as much an establishment fixture as the front-runner and has never vigorously pursued the issue he now pretends to care about so passionately.
c. criticize the front-runner for taking a cautious approach to an issue. Praise a dark horse for offering novel policy initiatives.
6. Bonus Question. It is 30 minutes before your deadline. The candidate you are covering just outlined a detailed trade policy initiative in a major speech. You should . . .
a. mock the candidate’s inability to pronounce the name of the secretary general of the World Trade Organization.
b. ignore the speech and file a humorous item on how his campaign ineptly sent a direct mail fund-raising solicitation to his opponent — since the “Ted Kennedy-mistakenly-got-hit-up-for-a-donation-by-the-Republicans” story is always good for a cheap laugh.
c. discuss the substance of his remarks. Familiarize yourself with offer curves, demand elasticities, import and export figures, and provisions of major trade bills to complete your article.
ANSWERS: All are correct! You will make an excellent political journalist. Anything you write is plausible: Hey, it “might” happen. And in any event, the campaign, your colleagues, your readers, and your editors will have moved on to another issue by the end of the day.
