Deck 12: Elections and Voting

Question 1

The winners of elections often believe that they have a(n)__________,which is a command,indicated by an electorate's votes,for the newly elected officials to carry out a party platform or policy agenda.

A) dictate
B) consensus
C) initiative
D) mandate

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following reasons do voters most often give for not voting?

A) bad weather
B) forgot
C) not interested
D) too busy

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Democrats no longer use the winner-take-all primary because __________.

A) it cost too much to implement
B) it increased the influence of special interests
C) it was generally less representative
D) it made the nomination process too lengthy

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When a citizen votes for candidates from different parties in the same election,he or she is __________.

A) voting strategically
B) ticket-splitting
C) straight-ticket voting
D) party-line voting

Question 5

The __________ was enacted after the 2000 election to assist states with upgrading their voting equipment.

A) Help America Vote Act
B) Management of Elections Act
C) Prevent Recounts Act
D) Protect Democracy Act

Question 6

Voters who select a candidate based on the candidate's policy promises are making __________ judgments.

A) conventional
B) unconventional
C) prospective
D) retrospective

Question 7

According to political scientists,which of the following has historically been the most successful mobilizer of Americans to vote?

A) family and friends
B) television advertisements
C) political parties
D) voter registration drives

Question 8

The ability of an office holder to avoid challenges from quality challengers is known as the __________ effect.

A) minimax regret
B) log rolling
C) run-off effect
D) scare-off effect

Question 9

Which amendment to the U.S.Constitution lowered the voting age to eighteen?

A) Thirteenth
B) Fifteenth
C) Nineteenth
D) Twenty-Sixth

Question 10

The Electoral College system favors __________.

A) centrists
B) Democrats
C) small states
D) third parties

Question 11

Boycotting and picketing are examples of __________.

A) illegal political participation
B) civil disobedience
C) radical political participation
D) unconventional political participation

Question 12

How many electoral votes are needed to be elected president?

A) 210
B) 270
C) 335
D) 538

Question 13

What is front-loading?

A) the tendency to donate money to the first candidates who enter a presidential race
B) the tendency of major media outlets to call states early in presidential elections
C) the tendency of voters to use early or absentee voting
D) the tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination calendar

Question 14

Roughly what percentage of Americans rarely or never vote?

A) 5 percent
B) 12 percent
C) 35 percent
D) 50 percent

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the relationship between income and vote choice?

A) Those with low incomes vote for Democrats; those with high incomes vote for Republicans.
B) Those with low incomes vote for Republicans; those with high incomes vote for Democrats.
C) Those with the highest income and those with the lowest income tend to vote for Republicans.
D) Those with the highest income and those with the lowest income tend to vote for Democrats.

Question 16

A(n)__________ is the process by which citizens propose legislation or constitutional amendments through the petition process followed by a popular vote.

A) gerrymander
B) initiative
C) mandate
D) referendum

Question 17

A majority of the __________ selects the president of the United States.

A) popular vote
B) Electoral College
C) House of Representatives
D) Senate

Question 18

Which of the following religious groups maintains the most consistent voting pattern?

A) Protestants
B) Catholics
C) Jews
D) agnostics

Question 19

Women support the average Democrat __________.

A) about 15 percent less than do men
B) 5 to 7 percent less than do men
C) 5 to 7 percent more than do men
D) about 15 percent more than do men

Question 20

How do most citizens in Washington and Oregon vote?

A) by mail
B) by telephone
C) in person
D) through a website

Question 21

If you wanted to have the most informed voters during a party nomination,you would use which nomination system?

A) caucuses
B) primaries
C) proportional representation
D) winner-take-all

Question 22

Prospective judgment is typically based on __________.

A) a candidate's personal history
B) what the candidate has done in the past
C) the candidate's ethnic background
D) the candidate's policy promises

Question 23

What is one reason why incumbents have the advantage in elections?

A) Challengers have more time to campaign than do incumbents.
B) Each challenger has to petition for inclusion on the ballot, while the incumbent does not.
C) Mainstream media outlets are required by law to provide free airtime to incumbents.
D) Incumbents have staffers who provide services that help them win reelection.

Question 24

A registered Republican can crossover vote for a Democratic presidential candidate in a(n)__________ primary.

A) runoff
B) closed
C) crossover
D) open

Question 25

Which of the following contributes to the incumbency advantage?

A) term limits
B) scandals
C) greater visibility
D) presidential coattails

Question 26

If you wanted to improve voter turnout,which of the following would you suggest?

A) holding elections more frequently
B) using earlier registration deadlines
C) moving toward a system of national nominating caucuses
D) turning Election Day into a national holiday

Question 27

Which is a potential problem with online voting?

A) Internet access for lower-income Americans
B) bias in favor of young voters
C) bias in favor of corporations
D) inefficient vote counting

Question 28

Making campaign contributions is a form of __________.

A) conventional participation
B) demonstrative participation
C) retrospective participation
D) unconventional participation

Question 29

When is the initiative process the most useful?

A) when the public favors a policy that the legislature is unwilling to enact
B) when removing an elected official from office
C) when replacing a member of Congress who has resigned from office before his or her term expired
D) when trying to enact an unpopular law

Question 30

What is said of a successful presidential candidate who helps members of Congress get elected as well?

A) The president has a short mandate.
B) The president has long coattails.
C) The president has strong crossover appeal.
D) The president is front-loading.

Question 31

Which of the following do some consider to be a problem with the Electoral College?

A) Career politicians have a natural advantage over outsiders.
B) It favors Democrats over Republicans.
C) It is inconsistent with the intentions of the Framers.
D) The winner of a popular vote can still fail to be elected.

Question 32

If you were a campaign manager trying to target the largest population of likely voters,at which place would you suggest your candidate campaign?

A) at a local employment agency
B) at the local senior citizens association
C) in an American government class at the local college
D) at a nearby Latino cultural festival

Question 33

Runoff primaries __________.

A) are unconstitutional
B) select the party's nominee
C) favor third parties
D) politicize primaries

Question 34

If you are competing for your party's nomination for the U.S.House of Representatives,you must first participate in a(n)__________ election.

A) initiative
B) caucus
C) primary election
D) referendum election

Question 35

If a state legislator wanted to avoid political accountability for a controversial proposal,you might suggest holding a(n)__________.

A) initiative
B) plurality
C) referendum
D) recall

Question 36

Front-loading benefits __________.

A) challengers
B) front-runners
C) incumbents
D) third parties

Question 37

The caucus system of nominating candidates is oriented toward __________.

A) college students
B) low-income voters
C) parents of young children
D) political parties

Question 38

Modern American political liberals generally believe that __________.

A) the government should provide social programs
B) a lower tax rate stimulates the economy
C) charities are more effective than government programs
D) government is a necessary evil

Question 39

What Electoral College practice did the Twelfth Amendment replace?

A) Presidents were elected by popular vote.
B) Presidents were appointed by a vote of the state legislatures.
C) The president and vice president were elected by party delegates.
D) The president and vice president were elected from the same pool of candidates.

Question 40

How can the majority party in the state legislature use the redistricting process to help defeat an incumbent of the minority party?

A) It can put a cap on how much money is spent in campaigns.
B) It can craft districts that pit an incumbent against another incumbent.
C) It can impose term limits for unpopular candidates.
D) It necessitates a new and expensive media campaign every two years.

Question 41

Why would the congressional district plan be easier to implement?

A) It addresses the problem of the incumbency advantage.
B) It does not require a constitutional amendment.
C) It minimizes the influence of special interest money.
D) It reduces the number of states in play.

Question 42

If a state wanted to increase its influence in the presidential nomination,what could the state do?

A) use a winner-take-all system
B) front-load the primaries
C) restrict access to the ballot
D) switch to a caucus system

Question 43

How can redistricting threaten incumbent members of Congress?

A) It can alter district-based funds from special interest groups.
B) It can shift incumbents into a caucus district.
C) It can add voters from an area that is less supportive of an incumbent's party.
D) It increases the probability of a strong third-party challenger.

Question 44

The Twelfth Amendment lowered the voting age to eighteen.

Question 45

When is a citizen's party identification most likely to influence his or her vote?

A) in a presidential election
B) in a race between two incumbents
C) in a race without an incumbent
D) in a low visibility election

Question 46

Which presents the greatest threat to congressional incumbents of the president's party?

A) a presidential election year
B) a mid-term election after the president's second year in office
C) a mid-term election after the president's sixth year in office
D) a runoff election

Question 47

Which of the following potential Electoral College reforms is the least likely?

A) direct election of the Electoral College
B) the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
C) the congressional district plan
D) determining the president through popular vote

Question 48

The biggest reason cited by Americans for not voting is forgetfulness.

Question 49

How do elections aid democracy?

A) They advance special interest agendas.
B) They enhance the influence of the judiciary.
C) They confer legitimacy on government.
D) They limit popular sovereignty.

Question 50

Why are some people concerned about electronic voting?

A) Electronic voting could increase election costs to the states.
B) Electronic voting could increase election fraud.
C) Electronic voting could increase the amount of uniformed voters.
D) Electronic voting could increase the probability that the poor will vote.

Question 51

Ticket-splitting has declined in recent years.

Question 52

Which of the following is true about young citizens?

A) Young citizens are more likely to vote in mid-term elections than in presidential elections.
B) Young citizens are less likely to vote.
C) Young citizens are more likely to vote for Republican candidates than for Democratic candidates.
D) Young citizens are more likely to front-load.

Question 53

Critics of the initiative process argue that ballot measures are often the subject of undue influence by __________.

A) special interest groups
B) the will of the people
C) a few passionate citizens
D) political parties

Question 54

Which of the following is a criticism of early voting?

A) It allows for more special interest influence.
B) It decreases the importance of campaigns.
C) It increases the potential for voter fraud.
D) It leads to front-loading.

Question 55

Voting is a form of conventional participation.

Question 56

Using the caucus system to nominate candidates results in more informed voters.

Question 57

A party might be reluctant to use proportional representation primaries because they __________.

A) are more difficult to schedule
B) eliminate intraparty competition between candidates
C) can lengthen the nomination process
D) are more likely to lose the primary to the other party's candidate

Question 58

Millions of Americans participate in American politics in ways beyond voting.

Question 59

Why has there been a growing use of recall elections in recent years?

A) A new federal law mandates recall elections whenever there are accusations of wrongdoing.
B) Investigative journalism has made exposing political corruption easier.
C) New technology has made it easier to gather signatures and raise money.
D) Politicians are generally more corrupt than they were in the past.

Question 60

Why might being civically engaged make you more likely to vote?

A) Civic organizations have mandatory citizenship participation as a condition of membership.
B) Civic organizations provide opportunities to learn important skills that are relevant for politics.
C) Civic organizations are typically affiliated with one of the political parties.
D) Civic organizations require proof of voter registration as a condition of membership.

Question 61

In the United States,the constitutionally authorized mechanism that actually decides who will be president is typically the __________.

Question 62

The tendency of people already holding office to be reelected is due in part to the __________ advantage.

Question 63

A __________ primary is an election in which only a party's registered voters are eligible to participate.

Question 64

Women are more likely to vote for Democrats than for Republicans.

Question 65

Voter turnout in the United States is higher than in other Western democracies.

Question 66

__________ is voting for candidates of different parties in the same election.

Question 67

Congressional incumbents tend to have a low chance of reelection.

Question 68

A referendum is a mechanism available in some states for removing a politician from office.

Question 69

Generally speaking,conservatives favor less government regulation of the economy.

Question 70

In the 2014 mid-term elections,the Republican Party gained seats in the House of Representatives and won a majority of the seats in the Senate.

Question 71

Conventional participation relies heavily on unusual or extreme methods of influencing the political process.

Question 72

Jews are the most cohesive religious group when it comes to voting.

Question 73

One explanation for low voter turnout in the United States is that the burden of voter registration falls on the government and not on the individual citizen.

Question 74

The United States typically holds twice as many elections as other Western democracies.

Question 75

Caucuses tend to provide voters with more in-depth information about candidates than do primaries.

Question 76

A referendum is a mechanism allowing voters to enact public policy directly.

Question 77

The winner of an election may claim to have a __________ to carry out his or her policy agenda.

Question 78

Open primaries allow registered voters who are unaffiliated or members of other parties to participate in a party's nomination process.

Question 79

A winner-take-all primary is the most representative way of allocating delegates in the nomination process.

Question 80

Women gained the right to vote with the passage of the __________ Amendment in 1920.