Question 1

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum 
-(Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum) Refer to the figure. If there are only two candidates, A and B, and a smoking ban is the only issue being debated in this election, which one of the voters is the median voter?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions: Figure:...

Question 2

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum 
-(Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum) Refer to the figure. If there are only two candidates, A and B, and a smoking ban is the only issue being debated in this election, based on the median voter theorem, which candidate will win the election?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions: Figure:...

Question 3

When a policy is specialized in its impact, difficult to understand, and affects a small part of the country, it is more likely that:

Accepted Answer

When a policy only affects a small part of the country, it is easier for special interests, such as corporations or lobbyists, to influence politicians and get their way. This is because the majority of voters may not be aware of the policy or its impact, and therefore will not voice their opinions or concerns to their representatives. Meanwhile, the special interests who stand to benefit from the policy will spend time and resources to ensure that they are influential in the decision-making process.

Question 4

The theory of the median voter may not work if:
I. voters do not vote.
II. voters do not vote for the policy closest to their own positions.
III. there are multiple dimensions over which the voting occurs.

Accepted Answer

All three conditions stated - voters not voting, not voting for the policy closest to their own positions, and multiple dimensions of voting - can cause the theory of the median voter to break down. If voters do not vote, then the preference of the median voter becomes insignificant. If voters do not vote their policy preferences, then the assumption that the median voter's policy preference will win does not hold. And if there are multiple dimensions of voting, then the concept of the median voter becomes more complex, as there may be multiple median voters in different dimensions, leading to less predictable outcomes.

Question 5

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Kidney Trade Ban Policy Spectrum 
-(Figure: Kidney Trade Ban Policy Spectrum) Refer to the figure. If there are only two candidates, A and B, and an open market for kidney trading is the only issue being debated in this election, which candidate will win the election?

Accepted Answer

According to the spectrum, A is more likely to support a complete ban on kidney trade while B is more likely to support regulated kidney trade. In an election where kidney trade is the only issue being debated, those who support a complete ban will likely vote for candidate A, giving them the majority of votes and the victory.

Question 6

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum 
-(Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum) Refer to the figure. If A, B, and C are all candidates in the election, and a smoking ban is the only issue being debated, based on the median voter theorem which candidate will win the election?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions: Figure:...

Question 7

The basic concept behind the median voter theorem is that:
I. the median voter is defined as the voter for which half of the other voters want a policy to the left and half of the voters want a policy to the right.
II. when voters vote, regardless of whether they vote closest to their preferences or not, the preference of the median voter is sure to win in a majority win election.
III. if voters vote closest to their preferences, then the preference of the median voter is sure to win in a majority win election.

Accepted Answer

The median voter theorem states that the median voter, who is defined as the voter for whom half of the other voters want a policy to the left and half of the voters want a policy to the right, will determine the outcome of a majority election if voters vote closest to their preferences. Therefore, statement I is true. Statement II is false because it assumes that voters do not vote closest to their preferences, which is not a requirement of the median voter theorem. Statement III is true and is the basis of the median voter theorem when voters vote closest to their preferences. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 8

The median voter theorem implies that politicians:

Accepted Answer

The median voter theorem suggests that politicians have the incentive to listen to the preferences of the median voter, the voter whose position lies in the middle of the distribution of voters' preferences. Therefore, politicians have the incentive to listen to voters on issues that they care about in order to attract the most number of votes.

Question 9

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Kidney Trade Ban Policy Spectrum 
-(Figure: Kidney Trade Ban Policy Spectrum) Refer to figure. If A, B, and C are all candidates in the election, and an open market for kidney trading is the only issue being debated, based on the median voter theorem, which candidate will win the election?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions: Figure:...

Question 10

According to the median voter theorem, when do political outcomes change?

Accepted Answer

The median voter theorem states that in a democracy, the political outcome will reflect the preferences of the median voter. Therefore, if the median voter changes their preferences, the political outcomes will also change.

Question 11

Which of the following explains why extreme candidates rarely win political elections?

Accepted Answer

The median voter theorem suggests that in a two-party system, candidates will try to appeal to the median voter, who is typically a moderate, and avoid extreme positions that may alienate them. This means that extreme candidates may struggle to attract enough support to win political elections.

Question 12

The theory of the median voter may not work if:
I. voters do not vote.
II. voters do not vote for the policy closest to their own positions.
III. there is only a single dimension over which the voting occurs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The theory of the median voter may...

Question 13

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Kidney Trade Ban Policy Spectrum 
-(Figure: Kidney Trade Ban Policy Spectrum) Refer to the figure. If there are only two candidates, A and B, and an open market for kidney trading is the only issue being debated in this election, which one of the voters is the median voter?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions: Figure:...

Question 14

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Median Voter 2 
-(Figure: Median Voter 2) If taxes are the only issue and the candidates' names are in gray, who votes for John Jackson?

Accepted Answer

According to the median voter model, the candidate who receives the most votes is the one whose position is closest to the median voter. In this case, the median voter is between Andrea and Jeri, which means John Jackson's position is closest to them. Therefore, Jeri, Ajay, and Andrea - the voters on the left side of the median voter - will vote for John Jackson.

Question 15

The median voter theorem holds that the:

Accepted Answer

The median voter theorem states that in a majority rule election, the policy that caters to the preferences of the median voter will win. This is because the median voter represents the majority of voters, and any policy that is too extreme in one direction or the other will not appeal to a majority of voters. Therefore, candidates and parties often seek to position themselves closer to the center of the political spectrum, where the median voter is likely to be located.

Question 16

Which of the following theories works to explain which voters will get their way in a democratic election?

Accepted Answer

The median voter theorem suggests that in a democratic election, the candidate who appeals to the median voter - the one whose preferences lie exactly in the middle of the voter spectrum - is likely to win. This is because any extreme candidate whose policies appeal only to a minority of voters would not be able to obtain the majority of votes needed to win.

Question 17

If voters care about two issues such as taxes and war, then politicians:

Accepted Answer

When voters care about two or more issues, politicians may never converge on a stable outcome as they try to balance the preferences of different groups of voters. For example, a politician who promises to cut taxes may also support a costly war, which may make it difficult to find a compromise solution that satisfies all voters. As a result, politicians may have to make trade-offs between these issues, which can lead to inconsistent policy outcomes over time.

Question 18

Figure: Median Voter 1  Suppose the figure above represents the preferences of five voters and two candidates regarding defense spending. According to the figure above, who is the median voter and which candidate will win the election?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Figure: Median Voter 1  Suppose the...

Question 19

Politicians have a greater interest in serving the voters' will when:

Accepted Answer

When a policy is highly visible, politicians are more likely to be held accountable for their actions and decisions. Thus, they may have a greater interest in serving the voters' will in order to maintain their popularity and chances of re-election. However, being well-informed and the absence of special interest groups may also contribute towards politicians serving the voters' will, but not to the same extent as high visibility. The media's involvement may also play a role, but it can vary depending on the type of coverage and context.

Question 20

The most important assumption of the median voter theorem is that:

Accepted Answer

The most important assumption of the median voter theorem is that voters vote for the policy closest to their ideal. This assumption is essential to the median voter theorem, which states that in a two-candidate election with a single-dimensional issue space, the candidate closest to the median voter will win the election.

Quiz 20: Political Economy and Public Choice

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum -(Figure: Smoking Ban Policy Spectrum) Refer to the figure. If there are only two candidates, A and B, and a smoking ban is the only issue being debated in this election, which one of the voters is the median voter?

When a policy is specialized in its impact, difficult to understand, and affects a small part of the country, it is more likely that:

The theory of the median voter may not work if: I. voters do not vote. II. voters do not vote for the policy closest to their own positions. III. there are multiple dimensions over which the voting occurs.

The median voter theorem implies that politicians:

According to the median voter theorem, when do political outcomes change?

Which of the following explains why extreme candidates rarely win political elections?

The theory of the median voter may not work if: I. voters do not vote. II. voters do not vote for the policy closest to their own positions. III. there is only a single dimension over which the voting occurs.

Use the following to answer questions: Figure: Median Voter 2 -(Figure: Median Voter 2) If taxes are the only issue and the candidates' names are in gray, who votes for John Jackson?

The median voter theorem holds that the:

Which of the following theories works to explain which voters will get their way in a democratic election?

If voters care about two issues such as taxes and war, then politicians:

Figure: Median Voter 1 Suppose the figure above represents the preferences of five voters and two candidates regarding defense spending. According to the figure above, who is the median voter and which candidate will win the election?

Politicians have a greater interest in serving the voters' will when:

The most important assumption of the median voter theorem is that: