Candidate characteristics
Chapter 39 of the CLEP American Government study guide on Effortless Math covers Candidate characteristics: the key terms, the core ideas, and worked examples showing how this topic is tested on the exam.
CLEP American Government, Chapter 39
Candidate characteristics
Candidate characteristics are the personal qualities voters use when judging people who seek office. Experience, competence, integrity, temperament, age, biography, communication skill, and perceived empathy can all shape a choice. These judgments may matter most when the candidates share similar positions, when voters know little about a lower-profile contest, or when an office places unusual weight on leadership during a crisis.
Voters do not observe character directly. Campaign speeches, debates, news coverage, endorsements, prior service, scandals, and personal encounters provide signals that people interpret through their own values and party loyalties. A polished performance can improve a competence rating, while an inconsistency can reduce trust. The evidence supports a claim about voter perception, not a guarantee of how the candidate will govern.
Keep candidate evaluation separate from two neighboring ideas. Party identification is a durable attachment that can guide many contests over time. Issue voting centers on policy agreement or priority. One ballot may reflect all three, so the question's decisive evidence controls the label. If the stem emphasizes honesty, experience, health, background, or leadership style, candidate characteristics are doing the explanatory work.
Video lesson: How Voters Decide: Crash Course Government and Politics #38
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