Chapter 31 Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following best explains why email lists are considered a campaign's most valuable digital asset?

a) Email lists are free to build and maintain b) Email subscribers can be directly contacted without platform intermediaries c) Email has higher engagement rates than all social media platforms d) Email lists are legally required to be disclosed to the FEC

2. In A/B testing for email subject lines, what is the standard protocol for determining the winner?

a) Send both versions to the full list simultaneously and measure results over 24 hours b) Send each version to a test segment, measure performance over 2–4 hours, then deploy the winner to the holdout c) Have the digital director choose based on past experience before sending d) Run the test for a full week to ensure statistical significance

3. Which statement best describes the distinction between peer-to-peer (P2P) texting and broadcast SMS in campaign contexts?

a) P2P texting is more expensive per message than broadcast SMS b) Broadcast SMS can reach more recipients per campaign staffer c) P2P texting doesn't require prior express consent because it involves human initiation d) Broadcast SMS is used for voter contact while P2P is used for fundraising

4. The "authenticity paradox" in digital campaigning refers to:

a) The gap between a campaign's stated values and its actual behavior b) The tendency of professionally managed digital content to feel less genuine than unpolished organic content c) The impossibility of verifying whether online supporters are real voters d) The contradiction between targeting algorithms and diverse representation

5. Which of the following is best classified as a "vanity metric" for campaign digital programs?

a) Cost-per-acquisition for new donors b) Email revenue per subscriber c) Social media follower count d) Volunteer activation rate

6. What distinguishes programmatic advertising from direct social media advertising?

a) Programmatic advertising only reaches mobile devices while social media advertising reaches desktop users b) Programmatic advertising buys inventory across networks of websites through automated bidding, while social media advertising runs within a specific platform c) Programmatic advertising doesn't allow geographic targeting while social media advertising does d) Programmatic advertising is only available to candidates who have reached the general election

7. Why do campaigns use X/Twitter differently than Facebook or Instagram?

a) X's younger user base makes it better for youth voter outreach b) X allows longer-form video content that other platforms don't c) X's user base is disproportionately journalists and political insiders, making it primarily useful for press relations rather than direct voter outreach d) X advertising is significantly cheaper than Facebook advertising

8. What does a high "email deliverability rate" mean, and why does it matter?

a) The percentage of sent emails that are opened; it determines overall campaign revenue b) The percentage of sent emails that reach the inbox rather than spam; it determines whether subscribers actually receive campaign communications c) The speed at which emails are delivered after being sent; it determines competitive advantage in rapid response d) The percentage of emails that are forwarded to friends; it measures organic list growth

Short Answer

9. Explain why campaigns should track "engagement quality" rather than just engagement volume when monitoring social media performance. Give one example of what high-volume, low-quality engagement might look like.

10. What is the difference between "organic" and "paid" social media, and why does the distinction matter for campaign strategy? How has the balance between these two shifted over the past decade?

11. Describe the rapid response digital infrastructure a Senate campaign should have in place before the general election begins. What would happen if this infrastructure were not built in advance?

Applied Scenario

12. You are the digital director for a candidate running for governor. Three weeks before Election Day, your social media monitoring shows that a video clip is circulating of your candidate, taken out of context, that makes her appear to support a policy position she actually opposes. The clip is spreading quickly on X and Facebook. Your social monitoring dashboard shows:

• 4,700 shares in the past 2 hours
• Sentiment on your candidate's name: 41% positive (down from 62% two days ago)
• The clip appears to have originated from the opponent's tracker account
• Three local journalists have already tweeted about it

Describe your rapid response plan. Address: (a) the immediate steps in the first 60 minutes, (b) the digital channels you would use and what content you would push on each, (c) how you would try to shift the conversation, and (d) what metrics you would monitor to assess whether your response was working.