Deck 9: Comparative Politics II

Question 1

Thresholds tend to be used in

A) single-member plural elections.
B) proportional representation elections.
C) cumulative voting elections.
D) nonassociational elections.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Political parties in the United States tend to be

A) decentralized.
B) highly centralized.
C) parties that strictly enforce-among their members who are elected officials-compliance with party platforms.
D) nonmembership groups.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

If Republicans want to win the presidency in 2016, the Republican Party should, according to the Growth and Opportunity Project report, have a longer primary season so that stronger candidates have a better chance of emerging and building name recognition.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In an election in democratic country Q, Party A wins 45% of the votes and Party B wins 35% of the votes.Party A is awarded 45% of the seats in the national legislature and Party B is awarded 35% of the seats in the national legislature.This describes

A) single-member plural elections.
B) proportional representation elections.
C) state autonomy elections.
D) conflictual elections.

Question 5

Nonassociational groups

A) exhibit a higher level of organizational identity than do anomic groups.
B) exhibit a higher level of organizational identity than do associational groups.
C) Both A and B are correct.
D) None of the above is correct.

Question 6

The electoral college is an example of an SMP voting system.

Question 7

Consociational party systems

A) tend to have only one electable political party.
B) are conflictual party systems.
C) tend to have parties that represent diverse and widely ranging views on fundamental political issues.
D) exist in nondemocratic societies, but not in democratic ones.

Question 8

If the Growth and Opportunity Project report is correct, by 2050, whites will constitute a minority of voters in U.S elections.

Question 9

Political parties in European parliamentary democracies tend to exhibit higher levels of organizational centralization than do political parties in the United States.

Question 10

In democratic country Y, group P exists.Group P is highly organized; that is, Group P has an official structure, official members, and official leaders.Group P is a(n)

A) associational group.
B) nonassociational group.
C) consensual group.
D) consociational group

Question 11

In the 2008 presidential election, both McCain and Obama tried to distance themselves from any association with the policies of Bush, for McCain, as well as Obama, sensed "fatigue" with the Bush presidency.

Question 12

A voter who makes his/her decision on whom to support in an election by looking to the past and then rewarding or penalizing a candidate accordingly is known as a

A) prospective voter.
B) sociological cleavage voter.
C) retrospective voter.
D) cumulative voter.

Question 13

In 2012, while Obama won a majority of the electoral college vote, he failed to win a majority of the popular vote.

Question 14

Country X is a democracy in which the following interest group pattern occurs: Interest groups exist outside of government, operate independently of government, and compete among themselves to exert influence on government.Country X exhibits which type of interest group pattern?

A) Interest group pluralism
B) Democratic corporatism
C) Single member plurality
D) Cumulative voting

Question 15

Democratic corporatism

A) is known also as state corporatism.
B) exists in societies in which conditions of state autonomy prevail.
C) consists of interest group patterns in which peak interest group associations emerge.
D) is defined as an interest group pattern in which business groups tend to outnumber labor groups.

Question 16

Voter turnout tends to be higher in countries

A) having very frequent elections.
B) using proportional representation.
C) Both A and B are correct.
D) None of the above is correct.

Question 17

In the United States, most people who consider themselves Independents actually prefer one political party (Democrats or Republicans) over another; that is, few Independents are completely neutral as regards political parties.

Question 18

Voter turnout tends to be higher in the United States than in any other democratic society.

Question 19

In the United States, to win the electoral college vote

A) it is necessary to win a plurality of electoral college votes.
B) it is necessary to win a majority of electoral college votes.
C) it is necessary to win a majority of popular votes.
D) Both B and C are correct.

Question 20

Compulsory voting

A) is used in some nondemocratic systems, but is not used at all in democratic systems.
B) tends to increase voter turnout.
C) is defined as the set of voting procedures used in single transferable vote elections.
D) is defined as prospective voting.

Question 21

How can interest groups try to shape public policy in the United States? Identify and explain four interest group strategies.

Question 22

With respect to the Obama-Romney campaign/election, identify at least one component of each campaign that you think was done well and one that you think was mistaken.Explain the logic of your choices.

Question 23

Do you think we should abolish the electoral college? Why or why not? In your essay be certain to explain the key features of the electoral college.Moreover, identify at least one election in which the electoral college outcome was problematic in comparison with the popular vote, and explain what you think would be gained or lost were the institution abolished.