According to the text, campaign matter for

• A. Assigning credit and blame for the state of the nation
• B. Activating latent partisanship
• C. Judging qualities of candidates
• D. Assigning credit and blame, activating latent partisanship, and judging qualities of candidates are all true

Answer: (D)

Campaigns influence how voters understand politics in several interrelated ways. They shape attribution of outcomes by linking the state of the nation to the performance of incumbents or challengers, so people attribute credit or blame accordingly. Campaigns also wake up latent partisanship, using party labels, cues, and messaging to reinforce identity and mobilize supporters who might not have been actively engaged. In addition, campaigns provide information and frames about candidates—their records, proposals, and character—so voters form judgments about who would be more capable or trustworthy. Because campaigns affect attribution, partisan activation, and candidate evaluation, they matter for all of these aspects.