Deck 7: Political Participation: Equal Opportunities and Unequal Voices

Question 1

In today's political climate, women are more likely than men to

A)run a political campaign.
B)vote.
C)contact political leaders.
D)contribute to political causes.
E)hold political office.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following instances BEST exemplifies the "free rider" problem?

A)unqualified candidates who are elected primarily because they share a ticket with a more prominent and popular candidate
B)incumbent political officials who exploit the privileges of their office to give themselves an advantage over their rivals
C)citizens who enjoy the benefits of a democratic system without actively participating in the democratic process
D)prominent citizens who use their political connections to lobby for legislation that benefits them personally
E)advocacy groups that pursue political goals through traditionally non-political means

Answer 2

C

Question 3

________ is an individual's belief that his or her activities will influence what the government will do or who will win an election.

A)Internal political efficacy
B)External political efficacy
C)Political information
D)Political engagement
E)Political interest

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Psychological predisposition toward or interest in politics defines

A)internal political efficacy.
B)external political efficacy.
C)political information.
D)political engagement.
E)political interest.

Question 5

Cross-cultural studies show that political engagement is impacted by

A)the time of year an election is held.
B)the overall level of income inequality.
C)a voter's astrological sign.
D)the number of candidates in the election.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 6

Which of the following acts is generally the LEAST effective means by which individual citizens can make their political views apparent to political officials?

A)voting
B)volunteering for an electoral campaign
C)contributing money to a candidate
D)participating in a political protest
E)writing a letter to an elected official

Question 7

What are the three conditions necessary for political participation?

A)resources to participate, interest in the political process, and membership in a party
B)interest in the political process, having been asked to participate, and membership in a party
C)membership in a party, resources to participate, and having been asked to participate
D)resources to participate, interest in the political process, and having been asked to participate
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 8

Which of the following political activities has the highest capacity for a citizen to convey political information?

A)voting
B)serving on a local board
C)contributing money to a political campaign
D)contributing money to a political cause
E)affiliating with a political organization

Question 9

According to the rational actor theory,

A)calculating the costs of political participation is important, but calculating the benefits is not.
B)calculating the benefits of political participation is important, but calculating the costs is not.
C)a rational actor will not engage in any type of political participation.
D)a rational actor would likely decide not to vote in a presidential race.
E)a rational actor will do everything possible to counteract free riders.

Question 10

Which of the following qualities is the best predictor of political participation?

A)religion
B)economic status
C)race
D)education
E)gender

Question 11

Across most types of political activity, participation rates by Hispanics

A)are higher than blacks, but lower than whites.
B)are higher than both blacks and whites.
C)are higher than whites, but lower than blacks.
D)are lower than both blacks and whites.
E)are essentially the same as both blacks and whites.

Question 12

Around what date did the major barriers to voting, such as property ownership, race and gender, finally fall, allowing nearly all adult citizens to vote without fear or legal restriction?

A)1789
B)1828
C)1860
D)1965
E)2008

Question 13

Which type of political participation is MOST likely to get the attention of a politician?

A)liking a post on the politician's Facebook page
B)voting for the politician
C)a letter to the editor about the politician
D)a letter written directly to the politician
E)a large campaign contribution to the politician

Question 14

________ is an attribute of political participants that is measured by one's concern for an election outcome and the positions of the candidates on the issues.

A)Internal political efficacy
B)External political efficacy
C)Political information
D)Political engagement
E)Political interest

Question 15

Which of the following political activities requires access to the most varying types of resources (i.e., time, money, skills)?

A)voting
B)campaign work
C)protesting
D)contributing to a political cause
E)affiliating with a political organization

Question 16

Which of the following is true regarding trends in political participation?

A)Women now vote at higher levels than men.
B)Men contribute significantly less money to political leaders than women.
C)Men contact political leaders less often than women.
D)Men contact political leaders less often than women, but women now vote at higher levels than men.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 17

________ is an individual's confidence in his or her ability to understand and participate in politics.

A)Internal political efficacy
B)External political efficacy
C)Political information
D)Political engagement
E)Political interest

Question 18

Considering that places of worship can enhance civic skills, which of the following might explain why Hispanics, who generally attend Catholic congregations, are less active in civic life than are African American Protestants of similar economic means?

A)Catholic institutions attract less direct donations and thus are less able to invest in political activities.
B)Catholic institutions offer less chance for their members to occupy leadership positions.
C)Catholic doctrine is less amenable to participation in secular political initiatives than are Protestant organizations.
D)Catholic groups of worship tend to be smaller, offering members less chances to socialize and learn civic skills or a sense of duty.
E)Protestant religious institutions are typically more connected to the community and more involved in local political issues.

Question 19

Which of the following instances BEST exemplifies the concept of BUYcotting?

A)withholding federal income taxes to protest an unpopular war
B)demonstrating outside a local restaurant that hires illegal aliens paid "under the table"
C)refusing to purchase items from a company that benefits from sweatshop labor
D)forgoing commodities such as bananas and coffee that cannot be produced locally
E)walking several blocks out of one's way, past several other eateries, to dine at a café that serves only eggs from free-range hens

Question 20

Which of the following statements about race and political participation is MOST accurate?

A)There is no significant correlation between race and political participation.
B)Education has no discernible impact on narrowing the gaps among members of different racial groups.
C)White and Hispanic citizens both generally participate at higher levels than black citizens.
D)Black and white citizens both generally participate at higher levels than Hispanic citizens.
E)Hispanic and black citizens generally participate at the same level, which is notably less than white citizens.

Question 21

What are the four dimensions or elements of political engagement?

A)political efficacy, political mobilization, political information, and strength of party identification
B)direct mobilization, political mobilization, political interest, and political information
C)political interest, political efficacy, political information, and strength of party identification
D)political mobilization, political interest, political efficacy, and political information
E)direct mobilization, political mobilization, political interest, and political efficacy

Question 22

At which of the following ages is a person MOST likely to vote?

A)18
B)25
C)30
D)35
E)48

Question 23

Which of the following is MOST likely to vote?

A)Asian female
B)black female
C)white male
D)black male
E)Asian male

Question 24

Of the following, which is the second-most-common type of political engagement?

A)contacting a public official
B)volunteering
C)signing a petition
D)voting
E)boycotting

Question 25

The political knowledge an individual possesses concerning political issues, political figures, and the workings of the political system is known as

A)internal political efficacy.
B)external political efficacy.
C)political information.
D)political engagement.
E)political interest.

Question 26

What is the MOST common reason given for not getting involved in politics?

A)belief that individuals cannot make a difference
B)boringness of politics
C)distastefulness of politics
D)not enough time
E)belief that politics has no direct impact on an individual's life

Question 27

The process by which citizens are contacted personally to take part in political activities is known as

A)getting out the vote.
B)direct mobilization.
C)energizing the base.
D)canvassing.
E)political solicitation.

Question 28

________ is the process by which political leaders use networks of friends and acquaintances to activate political participation.

A)Bundling
B)The "old boys" network
C)Indirect mobilization
D)Support group activation
E)Direct mobilization

Question 29

________ is the process whereby citizens are alerted to participatory opportunities and encouraged to become involved.

A)List server notification
B)A call-to-arms
C)Direct mobilization
D)Voter rallying
E)Political mobilization

Question 30

It would likely be easiest for people to vote on which one of the following days?

A)a national voting holiday
B)Monday
C)Tuesday
D)Wednesday
E)Thursday

Question 31

A person in which of the following education categories is MOST likely to vote?

A)a person with an 8^th-grade education
B)a person with a high school diploma
C)a person with an associate's degree
D)a person with a bachelor's degree
E)a person with an advanced degree

Question 32

Examples of direct mobilization include all of the following EXCEPT

A)displaying yard signs.
B)door-to-door canvassing.
C)direct mail solicitation.
D)circulation of petitions.
E)letter-writing campaigns.

Question 33

Many scholars believe that declining voter turnout can be attributed to the loss of

A)media contact with the public.
B)confidence in the electoral college.
C)personal contact in voter mobilization.
D)both media contact with the public and personal contact in voter mobilization.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 34

Which of the following is LEAST likely to vote?

A)Asian male
B)black male
C)Hispanic female
D)Asian female
E)black female

Question 35

In which of the following presidential elections was voter turnout HIGHEST?

A)1988
B)1996
C)2000
D)2008
E)2012

Question 36

Which region of the United States typically has the highest rate of voter turnout?

A)Northeast
B)West
C)South
D)Midwest
E)All regions have about the same rate of voter turnout.

Question 37

Voter turnout in America peaked during the heyday of political parties at the turn of the twentieth century.During this period, turnout was as high as ______ percent.

A)55
B)77
C)59
D)60
E)80

Question 38

The degree of loyalty that an individual feels toward a particular political party is

A)known as party politics.
B)directly inverse to the individual's education level.
C)known as external political imprinting.
D)known as strength of party identification.
E)known as political efficacy.

Question 39

The traditional role of the political parties in mobilizing voters has been MOST adversely impacted by

A)the rise of the mass media.
B)special interest groups.
C)social movements.
D)third parties.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 40

A person in which of the following education categories is LEAST likely to vote?

A)a person with an 8^th-grade education
B)a person with a high school diploma
C)a person with an associate's degree
D)a person with a bachelor's degree
E)a person with an advanced degree

Question 41

Which group is far less likely to write letters, take part in community activities, contact political leaders, protest, or contribute time or money to a political campaign?

A)blue collar non-union workers
B)college students
C)military veterans
D)those on government assistance
E)unskilled minimum wage workers

Question 42

The Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United and SpeechNow.org v FEC rulings

A)greatly expanded the ability of money to influence elections.
B)put strict caps on individual campaign contributions.
C)put strict caps on corporate campaign contributions.
D)require public funding of all federal elections.
E)outlawed political action committees.

Question 43

A voter who gauges a candidate based on her or his past performance is engaging in

A)retrospective voting.
B)prospective voting.
C)fatigued voting.
D)party identification voting.
E)irrational voting.

Question 44

Frequent elections can result in

A)higher voter turnout.
B)more highly trained poll workers.
C)lower use of "franking privileges" by congressional representatives.
D)lower voter turnout.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 45

In the United States, which of the following forms of unconventional political participation increased the MOST in the last quarter of the twentieth century?

A)occupation
B)strike
C)petition
D)boycott
E)demonstration

Question 46

What did Larry Bartels find in a study of Senate roll call votes?

A)Senators are much more responsive to the opinions of affluent constituents.
B)Senators seem to be most responsive to the opinions of middle-class constituents.
C)Senators on the whole display a remarkable lack of interest in public opinion as a driver of their voting policy choices.
D)Senators' voting patterns most strongly correlate with the choices of the president in office.
E)Senators make voting choices primarily based on the opinions of the economic or ethnic class that is most populous in their state.

Question 47

The practice of making a political or social statement with one's buying power is known as

A)checkbook democracy.
B)consumer activism.
C)direct mobilization.
D)indirect mobilization.
E)political engagement.

Question 48

In addition to education, another path to gain the skills needed to become politically active is

A)through activities in a labor union.
B)participation in leadership roles in one's church.
C)family wealth.
D)All of these are correct: activities in a labor union, participation in church leadership roles, and family wealth.
E)None of these is correct.

Question 49

Which of the following Western European countries has had a lower average turnout in national elections than the United States since 1945?

A)Ireland
B)Iceland
C)Spain
D)All of these countries have had lower average turnouts than the United States.
E)None of these countries has had lower average turnouts than the United States.

Question 50

A contributing factor in lower voter turnout in the United States may be the number of opportunities to vote, a phenomenon known as

A)voter apathy.
B)over-voter syndrome.
C)ballot burnout.
D)voter fatigue.
E)poll pallor.

Question 51

A person with this characteristic is more likely to vote Democrat than Republican:

A)attends church regularly.
B)lower income level.
C)white male.
D)married female.
E)high income level.

Question 52

In the United States, which of the following forms of unconventional political participation increased the LEAST in the last quarter of the twentieth century?

A)occupation
B)strike
C)petition
D)boycott
E)demonstration

Question 53

In the 2012 presidential election, independent voters

A)gave more support to Mitt Romney than to Barack Obama.
B)gave more support to Barack Obama than to Mitt Romney.
C)gave about equal support to Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
D)supported third-party candidates, primarily Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party.
E)mostly chose not to participate in the election.

Question 54

Candidates' views on the issues are MOST important in determining voting choice for this type of voter:

A)strongly committed Republican.
B)moderately committed Republican.
C)independent.
D)strongly committed Democrat.
E)moderately committed Democrat.

Question 55

The vastly higher voting rates for citizens of Australia, Belgium, and Greece versus the United States can be attributed in large part to what factor?

A)better education
B)long traditions of democratic governance
C)compulsory voting laws
D)an older and thus more duty-bound citizenship
E)the lack of voter registration requirements

Question 56

In 2008, the Obama campaign demonstrated that large amounts of money could be raised through

A)public financing.
B)campaign fundraising events.
C)the use of the Internet.
D)campaign mailings.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 57

Which issue was MOST important to voters in 2012?

A)education
B)federal deficit
C)economy
D)immigration
E)terrorism and national security

Question 58

Since the early 1990s

A)the Republicans have had the overall edge in party identification.
B)the Democrats have had the overall edge in party identification.
C)party identification has been essentially equal for the two parties.
D)the edge in party identification has seesawed back and forth between the two main parties on an annual basis.
E)party identification measurements have been unreliable.

Question 59

Voter fraud in the United States is

A)on par with the amount of voter fraud in other developed nations.
B)believed by most to be negligible.
C)rampant among the states where "machine politics" is still strong.
D)not a concern where voter ID laws have been strengthened in recent years.
E)only a problem concerning provisional ballots.

Question 60

Which of the following is a key difference between Britain's Labour Party and the Democratic Party of the United States?

A)The Labour Party has no chief organized opposition, while the Democratic Party must compete directly with the Republican Party.
B)The Labour Party derives its success principally from mandatory voting, while the Democratic Party must appeal directly to voters in order to encourage active support.
C)The Labour party is identified with the working class, while the Democratic Party seeks to appeal to the vast middle of the economic and ideological spectrum.
D)The Labour Party is a minor party that must form a coalition with a larger British party, while the Democratic Party is one of the dominant parties of a two-party system.
E)Both the Democratic and Labour parties try to target working-class voters specifically, but the Labour Party takes much more extreme ideological stands.

Question 61

What strategies have been taken to reduce voter turnout? Which segments of the population are the primary targets of these strategies? Are these strategies democratic?

Question 62

Free riders receive the benefits of a politically active and vibrant society, yet they do not contribute.Do you believe free riders are a problem? If so, in what ways? What social strategies might be employed to encourage active participation and discourage free riders?

Question 63

What are the various factors that influence how a voter will vote?

Question 64

There are forms of political participation other than voting.What are they? How do they differ from voting? Which activity do you believe has the greatest impact for the individual's time, effort, or money? Should there be limits on an individual's contributions to these other forms of political participation, and why?

Question 65

Voting is a hallmark of a democratic society, yet not everyone votes.Which groups are most likely to vote? Which groups are least likely? Some industrial democracies have mandatory voting laws.Is this a good idea? How might one reconcile mandatory voting and a free society? Would mandatory voting work in the United States?

Question 66

Rational actor theory states that actions taken by the individual will be in his or her self-interest, yet voting has the lowest direct benefit of all political activities.What are some of the reasons that individuals vote? Why do some individuals find voting so satisfying? Do you find it satisfying yourself?

Question 67

Education is the most important factor in predicting a person's tendency toward being politically active.What other paths are there to political involvement? Are they equally available to both the working class and the affluent? How might society encourage those groups that are less politically inclined to commit to greater activity?