Deck 10: Elections

Question 1

Personal registration was one of several reforms of political practices initiated at the turn of the twentieth century by:

A)libertarians
B)progressives
C)urban democrats
D)agrarian socialists
E)Democratic Republicans

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In 1971,the Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered the voting age in American elections to:

A)16
B)18
C)20
D)21
E)25

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The most recent relaxation of qualifications for voting in the United States allowed ________ to vote.

A)women
B)African Americans
C)noncitizen permanent residents
D)18-year-olds
E)Hispanics

Answer 3

D

Question 4

How does voter turnout in the United States compare to that in other Western democracies?

A)quite low
B)about average
C)just above average
D)well above average
E)the highest of any nation

Question 5

The United States is one of the most prominent participatory democracies in the world.Which of the following is NOT a way we can participate in electoral politics?

A)blogging about your opinion on a candidate
B)joining an interest group or political organization
C)giving money to a political candidate running for office
D)speaking with others about politics at a bowling alley
E)threatening to fire your employees if they don't vote for your preferred candidate

Question 6

The critical years during which voter turnout declined across the United States were between:

A)1840 and 1864
B)1890 and 1910
C)1930 and 1950
D)1980 and 2004
E)1800 and 1820

Question 7

Both Minnesota and Wisconsin allow individuals to register to vote on the same day as the election.This opportunity to register on the day of the election is also known as:

A)Same Day Registration
B)All-in-One Registration Day
C)Ballot-Day Registration
D)Registration Day
E)Democracy Day

Question 8

Relative to the nineteenth century,voter turnout today (as measured by the turnout ratio)is:

A)higher by more than 5 percent
B)higher but not by more than 5 percent
C)about the same
D)lower,but by less than 5 percent
E)lower by more than 5 percent

Question 9

The choice of a ballot format is usually made by the:

A)state
B)county
C)city
D)U.S.Congress
E)Federal Elections Commission

Question 10

At the beginning of the Republic,voting rights in most states were restricted to which of the following?

A)white female citizens over the age of 21
B)white male citizens over the age of 21
C)white male and female citizens over the age of 21
D)white female citizens over the age of 18
E)white male citizens over the age of 18

Question 11

To many progressive reformers,corruption was a code word referring to the type of politics practiced in:

A)the South in which Jim Crow laws prevented African Americans from voting
B)smoke-filled rooms of Congress where party bosses decided election outcomes
C)the West where Native Americans were allowed to run their own tribal governments
D)large cities where political parties had organized immigrant and ethnic populations
E)communities just south of the U.S.-Mexico border who tried to influence U.S.elections

Question 12

At the turn of the twentieth century,voter registration requirements were imposed in the United States in order to accomplish which of the following?

A)to increase voter participation
B)to discourage fraud and corruption
C)to enhance political responsiveness
D)to encourage immigrant and ethnic voters
E)to discourage the formation of third parties

Question 13

The critical years during which voter turnout dramatically declined across the United States coincided with two changes in the institutions of elections.One of these changes involved:

A)the introduction of the two-party system
B)the Great Depression
C)the rise of negative campaigning on television
D)radio broadcasts at national party conventions
E)the creation of formal registration systems and lists

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of someone who is eligible to vote in the United States?

A)an immigrant who is applying for citizenship
B)a 16-year-old high school student
C)a prison inmate
D)an 18-year-old high school student
E)an ex-felon

Question 15

Many states imposed which of the following to keep immigrants,blacks,and other groups out of the electorate?

A)closed primaries
B)literacy tests
C)"smoke-filled backrooms"
D)campaign finance regulations
E)machine-style politics

Question 16

The real problem with quantitative presentations of voter participation lies in:

A)calculating the fall-off rate
B)processing absentee ballots
C)defining the baseline population
D)counting the number of individuals who present themselves at polling stations
E)sorting out provisional ballots

Question 17

Which of the following best explains why the turnout ratio,using "voting-age population" as the baseline,understates the true turnout rate?

A)The voting-age population increases the size of the baseline because the voting-age population includes adults over 21.
B)The voting-age population increases the size of the baseline because the voting-age population includes individuals who are ineligible to vote,such as noncitizens and felons.
C)The voting-age population decreases the size of the baseline because it excludes noncitizens and felons.
D)The voting-age population decreases the size of the baseline because it includes only eligible voters.
E)The voting-age population decreases the size of the baseline because it includes only adults who have previously voted.

Question 18

To increase voter turnout,some countries,such as Australia and Germany:

A)have compulsory voting
B)offer tax incentives to voters
C)conduct elections annually
D)allow all teenagers to vote
E)require employers to pay employees for their time while they vote

Question 19

Which of the following explains why Minnesota and Wisconsin tend to experience higher voter turnout rates?

A)Residents of Minnesota and Wisconsin participate more often because they are more interested in politics.
B)Both states make it easier to participate by eliminating registration requirements.
C)Both states ease participation restrictions by giving voters the opportunity to register and vote on the same day.
D)Residents of Minnesota and Wisconsin participate more often because they are simply asked to vote more often by grassroots organizations.
E)Both states ease participation restrictions because they allow residents to register at least six months prior to becoming 18.

Question 20

In examining elections,the number of people who vote in a given election divided by the number of people who are allowed to vote is called the ________ rate.

A)fall-off
B)turnout
C)fall-over
D)turnover
E)roll-off

Question 21

The presidential electors from each state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for president and vice president are collectively called the:

A)Electoral Senate
B)Electoral College
C)House of Representatives
D)Continental Congress
E)Court of Electors

Question 22

In presidential elections,every state is allocated votes in the Electoral College equal to the number of:

A)representatives in the House
B)senators
C)representatives in the House and Senate combined
D)states in the Union
E)years since the state was granted statehood

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a consequence of switching to the Australian ballot from the partisan ballot?

A)The new ballot form allowed voters to vote for one party's candidate for one office but a different party's candidate for another office.
B)The new ballot form made it difficult to tell which party the voter supported.
C)The Australian ballot helped to facilitate the rise of the personal vote.
D)The Australian ballot led to split-ticket voting .
E)The new ballot form led to high turnover among elected officials.

Question 24

A type of electoral process in which a candidate must receive more than 50 percent of all votes cast in the relevant district to win a seat in a legislative body is:

A)a majority system
B)a plurality system
C)a minority system
D)proportional representation
E)a Borda count system

Question 25

In the 2012 presidential election,a voter decided to vote for Barack Obama-a Democrat running for president-and Ted Cruz-a Republican running for the U.S.Senate.This voter is also known as a:

A)most likely voter
B)sincere voter
C)sophisticated voter
D)split-ticket voter
E)straight-ticket voter

Question 26

A multiple-member district system that allows each political party to participate in governance according to its percentage of the vote is a(n)________ system.

A)majority
B)plurality
C)minority
D)proportional representation
E)Arrow's

Question 27

One example of efforts to ease voter registration restrictions is the law Congress passed in 1993 called the:

A)Motor Voter bill
B)"Pallet Ballot" law
C)Election Inspection Act
D)"Sunrise in Franchise" resolution
E)Early Voting Act

Question 28

Before the introduction of the Australian ballot to the American system,each ballot was:

A)secret
B)identical
C)exclusive to one party
D)administered by the states
E)marked with an identifiable number

Question 29

Which term best describes the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one political party?

A)el bridging
B)gerrymandering
C)line drawing
D)party mongering
E)partisan warfare

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a reason that the secret ballot has enjoyed widespread use in the United States since the late nineteenth century?

A)The secret ballot helps prevent vote buying.
B)The secret ballot helps prevent voter intimidation.
C)The secret ballot improves voter turnout.
D)The secret ballot reduces political corruption.
E)The secret ballot minimizes voter fraud.

Question 31

The U.S.House of Representatives is an example of a legislative body with representatives selected from:

A)single-member districts
B)multimember districts
C)state legislatures
D)one-representative districts
E)unirepresentational districts

Question 32

Ticket splitting has led to more:

A)ballot fraud
B)plurality voting
C)divided government
D)strengthened political parties
E)voter turnout

Question 33

The framers of the U.S.Constitution had originally intended which of the following offices to be subject to direct popular election?

A)senators
B)presidents
C)Supreme Court justices
D)congressional representatives
E)bureaucrats

Question 34

An electorate that is allowed to elect only one representative from each district is called a(n):

A)one-man show
B)one-person,one-vote district
C)single-member district
D)equilateral district
E)unirepresentational district

Question 35

The type of electoral system in which victory goes to the individual who gets more votes than any other candidate is called a:

A)caucus
B)plurality system
C)majority system
D)proportional representation system
E)Borda count system

Question 36

In 1965,the Mississippi state legislature redrew House district lines so that blacks living along the Mississippi River Delta would no longer constitute a majority across any single district.This strategy to dilute the strength of racial minorities is also known as:

A)bridging
B)reapportioning
C)cracking
D)party mongering
E)partisan warfare

Question 37

States that allow same-day voter registration have:

A)higher turnout than states that do not
B)lower turnout than states that do not
C)lower levels of election fraud than states that do not
D)fewer poll workers than states that do not
E)larger populations than states that do not

Question 38

The electoral format that presents the names of all candidates for any given office on the same ballot,allowing voters to select any candidate of their choice for each office,is called the ________ ballot

A)American
B)populist
C)Australian
D)ticket-splitting
E)partisan

Question 39

Three candidates are running for political office under a plurality-rule system.Candidate A receives 45 percent of the vote,Candidate B receives 40 percent of the vote,and Candidate C receives 15 percent of the vote.What happens next?

A)Candidate A wins the election.
B)Candidate A must run in a second "confirmation" election to ensure that the electorate has chosen the most qualified candidate.
C)Candidates A and B compete in a run-off election since both candidates are the top two vote getters.
D)Candidates A and B are in a statistical tie and must compete in a run-off election.
E)No candidate wins.All three candidates must run again in a second election since they failed to win over 50 percent of the votes.

Question 40

The referendum,initiative,and recall all entail shifts in:

A)partisan alignment
B)agenda-setting power
C)the racial composition of the electorate
D)the gender composition of the electorate
E)the boundaries of electoral districts

Question 41

Generally speaking,a recall campaign begins with a(n):

A)lawsuit
B)petition
C)executive order
D)meeting of the State Board of Elections
E)vote by the state legislature

Question 42

To gain the support of social and economic conservatives,Mitt Romney endorsed all of the following EXCEPT:

A)constitutional amendments to ban abortion
B)elimination of government-funded family-planning programs,with the exception of abstinence-only education
C)a program of detention for "dangerous" aliens
D)repeal of the Affordable Care Act
E)a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the United States

Question 43

The most sweeping change in campaign finance regulations came with passage of the ________ Act in 1971.

A)McCain-Feingold
B)Federal Election Campaign
C)Buckley
D)Progressive
E)Public Affairs

Question 44

The process that allows citizens to vote directly on proposed laws or other governmental actions is called:

A)the electorate
B)a referendum
C)a per curium election
D)an unmediated franchise
E)a recall

Question 45

The incumbent president loses the chance for a second term in office because voters are unsatisfied with the current state of the economy.In this case,the voters employed:

A)speculative voting
B)prospective voting
C)retrospective voting
D)contemporaneous voting
E)reckless voting

Question 46

The single strongest predictor of how a person will vote is that individual's:

A)party identification
B)political ideology
C)issue positions
D)economic well-being
E)level of income

Question 47

The device introduced by populists to allow voters to remove governors and other state officials from office prior to the expiration of their terms is called:

A)recall
B)conviction
C)referendum
D)impeachment
E)mediated lawmaking process

Question 48

Almost all states in the United States allow felons and ex-felons to vote in presidential elections.

Question 49

When California voters placed a measure on the ballot to remove an unpopular governor,Gray Davis,from office,they made use of the:

A)recall
B)initiative
C)franchise
D)referendum
E)mediated lawmaking process

Question 50

In the 2012 presidential election,the Democratic Party carried the following groups EXCEPT:

A)African-American voters
B)Latino Voters
C)female voters
D)Asian Americans
E)white voters

Question 51

Some countries legally require their citizens to vote.

Question 52

Which term do political scientists use to describe vote choices that focus on future behaviors?

A)expectancy theory
B)anticipatory decision making
C)advanced selection
D)retrospective voting
E)prospective voting

Question 53

The wide use of elections is thought to keep government policy close to the preferences and interests of its constituents.

Question 54

Australia and Germany require all citizens to vote.

Question 55

Making certain that a political party's roster of candidates includes members of as many important groups as possible is known as:

A)balancing the ticket
B)diversifying the slate
C)pandering to constituents
D)spreading guns and butter
E)providing opium to the masses

Question 56

Relative to other countries,campaigns in the United States are:

A)longer
B)about the same in length
C)slightly shorter
D)much shorter
E)more negative

Question 57

Which landmark Supreme Court case on campaign finance equated spending money with the right of free speech?

A)Buckley v.Valeo
B)McConnell v.FEC
C)McCain v.Feingold
D)Gibbons v.Ogden
E)Colorado Republican Party v.FEC

Question 58

The process that provides citizens a way forward in the face of legislative inaction is a(n):

A)recall
B)initiative
C)franchise
D)referendum
E)mediated lawmaking process

Question 59

Which of the following is a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns?

A)Amicus Curiae
B)philanthropists
C)political parties
D)fundraising commissions
E)political action committees (PACs)

Question 60

An individual's attachment to a particular political party is called:

A)party identification
B)party ideology
C)partisan aptitude
D)partisan proclivity
E)partisan score

Question 61

Elected officials in the United States today are generally selected from single-member districts.

Question 62

A referendum is an election held to remove a sitting official from office.

Question 63

American politicians have sought to influence the electoral outcome by redrawing district boundaries.

Question 64

In recent years,voter turnout in the United States has been high relative to that in other Western democracies.

Question 65

Most electoral contests in the United States are decided on the basis of plurality rules.

Question 66

Some states allow registration on site at the polls on Election Day.

Question 67

An electoral system in which the candidate who gets the most votes wins the election is called a majority rule system.

Question 68

Personal registration poses a significant burden for potential voters and decreases turnout.

Question 69

An initiative is an institution of direct democracy.

Question 70

The adoption of the secret ballot system enabled voters to engage in split-ticket voting.

Question 71

Although the process is the metaphorical equivalent of a political earthquake,the redistricting process is now a purely technical endeavor with little opportunity for partisan influence.

Question 72

The single strongest predictor of how a person will vote is that individual's attachment to a political party.

Question 73

One purpose of requiring registration was to reduce corruption.

Question 74

Most Americans identify more or less strongly with one or the other of the two major political parties.

Question 75

The United States has always used a secret ballot system.

Question 76

In the United States,the proportion of eligible voters actually going to the polls was considerably smaller in the nineteenth century than it is today.

Question 77

The presidential candidate who wins a plurality of the popular vote in the country wins the presidency.

Question 78

Even with various refinements by leading experts,the denominator of the turnout rate may still be too small for the United States,thereby making America look more participatory than other democracies.

Question 79

The electoral format that presents just the names of the candidates for just a single party is called the Australian ballot.

Question 80

Voter turnout declined sharply around the turn of the twentieth century because a two-party system replaced the multiparty system of the nineteenth century.