A __________ issue is one in which rival candidates have opposing views on a question that also divides the voters.

• A. Valence
• B. Position
• C. Primary
• D. Secondary

Answer: (B)

Position issues are those on which candidates take opposite stances and the electorate is split on the best policy path. This creates real choice in an election because voters must pick between clearly different approaches to a problem. The core idea is that the public itself is divided on how to address the issue, which drives competition between rival candidates. By contrast, a valence issue involves broad agreement on the desired outcome and evaluators judge candidates on competence or reliability to deliver that outcome, not on fundamentally different policy prescriptions. The terms not describing policy content don’t capture how the issue actually divides voters and shapes the campaign.