Question 1

According to public choice theorists, the behavior of people employed in the public sector is likely to differ from the behavior of people employed in the private sector because

Accepted Answer

Public choice theory suggests that individuals in both the public and private sectors are motivated by self-interest and seek to maximize their net benefit. However, the institutional settings of these sectors lead to different behavior. In the private sector, businesses that do not efficiently allocate resources will fail, whereas in the public sector, inefficient government agencies may continue to exist due to lack of market competition. Therefore, individuals in the public sector may exhibit behavior that is not necessarily aligned with maximizing efficiency or effectiveness. Choices A and B are incorrect because public choice theory does not suggest that people in the public sector have a more or less civic-minded personality than those in the private sector.

Question 2

Public choice theory predicts candidates will

Accepted Answer

Public choice theory suggests that candidates will adjust their positions to appeal to a broader range of voters, especially if they are trailing in the polls. This often involves moving toward the center or adopting positions more like their opponent's to capture undecided or swing voters, rather than sticking strictly to original, potentially more polarized stances.

Question 3

Congressman A promises to vote for a bill that Congressmen B and C are sponsoring, and in return both B and C promise to vote for a future bill that A is sponsoring. This practice is called

Accepted Answer

This practice is commonly known as logrolling, where legislators exchange support for each other's bills to gain more votes for their own bills. It is a common practice in Congress and has been criticized for prioritizing personal gain over the good of the country.

Question 4

According to public choice theorists, people behave differently in the market sector than in the public sector because

Accepted Answer

Public choice theory emphasizes that institutional arrangements, such as the rules and incentives that govern behavior in the market and public sectors, are the key determinants of how individuals behave. The incentives for behavior are different in the two sectors due to the differences in institutional arrangements. Therefore, institutional arrangements are the most important factor that determines how people behave differently in the two sectors. Choices A-D are incorrect because they either attribute differences in behavior to factors other than institutional arrangements or make incorrect claims about the relationship between the number of people and the level of influence they have in the two sectors.

Question 5

According to public choice theory, low voter turnouts are the result of voters

Accepted Answer

Public choice theory posits that individuals make rational decisions based on their self-interest. Therefore, voters are assumed to calculate the costs and benefits of voting before deciding whether or not to participate in an election. If the expected benefits, such as the chance of influencing the outcome, outweigh the costs, such as the effort of voting, voters are more likely to turnout. This suggests that low voter turnout is a result of voters calculating that the costs of voting outweigh the benefits, rather than being apathetic, uninformed, lazy, or disliking the candidates.

Question 6

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views, to win votes in a two-person race

Accepted Answer

If candidates believe that people vote for those who match their own views, they will likely move toward the middle of the political spectrum. Moving too far to the right or left risks alienating moderate voters who may hold more centrist beliefs. Additionally, moving to the middle allows candidates to capture a larger portion of the electorate, as those who hold more extreme views may still vote for a candidate who comes slightly closer to their views than the other candidate. Therefore, both candidates will likely move toward the middle of the political spectrum to maximize their chances of winning votes.

Question 7

The process whereby votes are exchanged to gain support for legislation is referred to as

Accepted Answer

The process of exchanging votes to gain support for legislation is called logrolling. This is a common practice in the legislative process where members agree to vote for each other's bills or amendments to advance their own goals. Often this involves trading support for two bills, with one passing in exchange for support on the other. This process can lead to the passage of legislation that might not have been passed otherwise, but can also lead to the prioritization of individual interests over the public good.

Question 8

A state of rational ignorance

Accepted Answer

A state of rational ignorance occurs when the costs of becoming informed on a particular issue outweigh the potential benefits. This is a rational decision, as time and resources are limited and it may not be feasible to acquire all available information. Therefore, D is the correct answer.

Question 9

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views, then

Accepted Answer

This assumption suggests that candidates will adjust their positions to align more closely with the majority of voters' views to gain more votes. If a candidate is trailing in the polls, becoming more like their opponent who is leading (and presumably aligning more closely with voter preferences) is a strategic move to attract more support.

Question 10

The simple majority decision rule may generate results that are

Accepted Answer

The answer of The simple majority decision rule may generate...

Question 11

Special interest groups are subsets of __________ that hold (usually) intense preferences for or against a particular government service, activity, or policy.

Accepted Answer

Special interest groups are subsets of the general population that are focused on specific issues or policies. They are not limited to bureaucrats, elected officials, or candidates for political office.

Question 12

"In two hours the polls will close. I know I should probably vote, but it is raining, and besides, there is a basketball game on TV tonight, so I'll just stay in." This person is exhibiting

Accepted Answer

The person is weighing the costs (going out in the rain and missing a basketball game) against the benefits (voting) and deciding that the costs outweigh the benefits, which is a form of decision making based on cost-benefit considerations.

Question 13

Special interest groups are usually

Accepted Answer

Special interest groups are focused on a specific area or issue, and therefore are usually well informed on that particular issue. They may not have knowledge or interest in other political or economic issues.

Question 14

It has often been remarked that Democratic candidates are more liberal in the Democratic primaries and Republican candidates are more conservative in the Republican primaries than either is in the general election. The explanation for this is most probably that

Accepted Answer

Primaries tend to have a smaller and more ideologically extreme voter base compared to the general election. Therefore, candidates tend to appeal to the more ideologically extreme voters in the primaries, which may result in positions further from the center than in the general election. The median voter preference in the primary election may be further to the left (in the case of Democratic primaries) or to the right (in the case of Republican primaries) than in the general election, hence candidates need to cater to that group.

Question 15

Public choice is concerned with decision making by

Accepted Answer

Public choice is concerned with decision making by government. It examines how government officials and politicians make decisions and how these decisions impact society as a whole. Public choice theory applies economic analysis to public decision making and considers how different incentives, institutions, and rules can affect government behavior.

Question 16

Low voter turnouts that appear to be a result of voter apathy may instead be a result of

Accepted Answer

Low voter turnouts can often be attributed to voters making a cost-benefit calculation and deciding that the effort to vote is not worth the perceived benefit. This could include factors such as inconvenience, lack of interest in the candidates or issues, or a belief that their vote will not make a difference. Government intervention and special interest group activity can certainly affect voter turnout, but they are not the only factors at play.

Question 17

Special interest groups

Accepted Answer

Special interest groups often have the resources and influence to lobby for policies that benefit their specific interests, even if those policies are not beneficial to the general public. This can lead to policies that favor a small group of individuals or businesses at the expense of the larger population.

Question 18

The state of choosing not to acquire information because the costs of acquiring the information are greater than the benefits is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Rational ignorance refers to the choice made by individuals to avoid acquiring information because the costs of acquiring the information are greater than the benefits. This can happen in situations where the information is not likely to have a significant impact on the decision being made, or where there is a lack of incentive to acquire the information.

Question 19

Logrolling refers to

Accepted Answer

Logrolling refers to trading votes to gain support for legislation. It involves exchanging support for one piece of legislation for support for another piece of legislation. This can happen between members of the same party or across party lines. The goal is to get enough votes to pass both pieces of legislation.

Question 20

Rational ignorance refers to voter-citizens choosing to be uninformed about politics and government on an individual basis because

Accepted Answer

Rational ignorance occurs when an individual chooses not to become informed about politics or government because they believe the benefit of becoming informed is less than the cost. In other words, they weigh the effort it takes to become informed against the potential benefit it may have on their life and decide it is not worth their time or energy. This is different from apathy, ignorance, or laziness, which are not necessarily rational decisions.

Quiz 31: Public Choice and Special Interest Group Politics