Deck 7: Voting and Elections

Question 1

What recommendations would you make to increase voter turnout in the United States?

Answer 1

To increase voter turnout in the United States, I would suggest these options: move to all-mail voting, hold elections on weekends, automatically register voters, and pass federal law that further reduces impediments to voter registration.

Question 2

Which of the following citizens is most likely to run for office?

A) Maria Trejo, a 28-year-old part-time sonogram technician and mother of two
B) Jeffrey Lyons, a 40-year-old lawyer and father of one
C) Linda Tepsett, a 40-year-old full-time orthopedic surgeon
D) Mark Forman, a 70-year-old retired steelworker

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What characterizes those most likely to vote in the next election?

A) over forty-five years old
B) income under $30,000
C) high school education or less
D) residency in the South

Answer 3

A

Question 4

If you wanted to prove the United States is suffering from low voter turnout, a calculation based on which population would yield the lowest voter turnout rate?

A) registered voters
B) voting-eligible population
C) voting-age population
D) voters who voted in the last election

Question 5

What challenges do college students face with regard to voter registration?

Question 6

Why have fewer moderates won primaries than they used to?

Question 7

Why does age affect whether a citizen will vote?

Question 8

Susan is currently working two part-time jobs and is frustrated about the poor economy. On Election Day, she votes for every challenger on the ballot, because she feels the president and Congress are not doing enough to help her. What type of vote did she cast?

A) retrospective
B) prospective
C) pocketbook
D) straight ticket

Question 9

A state might hold a primary instead of a caucus because a primary is ________.

A) inexpensive and simple
B) transparent and engages local voters
C) faster and has higher turnout
D) highly active and promotes dialog during voting

Question 10

Why do parties prefer closed primaries to open primaries?

Question 11

Which of the following is a reason to make voter registration more difficult?

A) increase voter turnout
B) decrease election fraud
C) decrease the cost of elections
D) make the registration process faster

Question 12

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

A) The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.
B) The state ended voter registration.
C) The state sends every resident a voter registration ballot.
D) The state allows online voter registration.

Question 13

Which of the following makes it easy for a citizen to register to vote?

A) grandfather clause
B) lengthy residency requirement
C) National Voter Registration Act
D) competency requirement

Question 14

If you were going to predict whether your classmates would vote in the next election, what questions would you ask them?

Question 15

What problems will candidates experience with frontloading?

Question 16

Why do Belgium, Turkey, and Australia have higher voter turnout rates than the United States?

A) compulsory voting laws
B) more elections
C) fewer registration laws
D) more polling locations

Question 17

How do political parties influence the state's primary system?

Question 18

What effect did the National Voter Registration Act have on voter registration?

Question 19

In which type of election are you most likely to see coattail effects?

A) presidential
B) midterm
C) special
D) caucuses

Question 20

Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?

A) at their precinct, on Election Day
B) at their state capitol, on Election Day
C) in their state capitol, in December
D) in Washington D.C., in December

Question 21

Why do some argue that direct democracy is simply a way for the wealthy and businesses to get their own policies passed?

Question 22

Critical Thinking Questions


-How does social media affect elections and campaigns? Is this a positive trend? Why or why not?

Question 23

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.

A) voters propose something but the governor approves it
B) voters propose and approve something but the legislature also approves it
C) government proposes something and the voters approve it
D) government proposes something and the legislature approves it

Question 24

Which factor is most likely to lead to the incumbency advantage for a candidate?

A) candidate's socioeconomic status
B) gerrymandering of the candidate's district
C) media's support of the candidate
D) candidate's political party

Question 25

Critical Thinking Questions


-What factors determine whether people turn out to vote in U.S. elections?

Question 26

Critical Thinking Questions


-What can be done to increase voter turnout in the United States?

Question 27

Critical Thinking Questions


-Should states continue to allow ballot initiatives and other forms of direct democracy? Why or why not?

Question 28

Which of the following is not a step in the initiative process?

A) approval of initiative petition by state or local government
B) collection of signatures
C) state-wide vote during a ballot election
D) signature or veto by state governor

Question 29

What problems would a voter face when trying to pass an initiative or recall?

Question 30

Do physical characteristics matter when voters assess candidates? If so, how?

Question 31

In what ways is voting your party identification an informed choice? In what ways is it lazy?

Question 32

Critical Thinking Questions


-In what ways do primary elections contribute to the rise of partisanship in U.S. politics?