Question 1

Thresholds tend to be used in

Accepted Answer

Thresholds are commonly used in proportional representation elections to determine the minimum percentage of votes a party must receive to gain representation in a legislative body. This mechanism helps to balance the representation of smaller parties with the need to maintain governability.

Question 2

Political parties in the United States tend to be

Accepted Answer

Political parties in the United States are decentralized, with significant autonomy and variation at the state and local levels compared to a centralized structure.

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.

Accepted Answer

The Growth and Opportunity Project report actually suggested that the Republican Party should have a shorter primary season and fewer debates to avoid a prolonged and divisive nomination process, aiming to unify the party sooner and prepare better for the general election.

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

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes proportional representation elections, where the percentage of votes a party wins directly translates into the percentage of seats they receive in the legislature.

Question 5

Nonassociational groups

Accepted Answer

Nonassociational groups have a more defined organizational identity compared to anomic groups, which are spontaneous and lack structure. However, they do not have a higher organizational identity than associational groups, which are formally organized.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

The Electoral College is not an example of a Single Member Plurality (SMP) voting system; instead, it is a unique system used in the United States to elect the president, where electors from each state, based on state-wide or district voting, cast votes for the president.

Question 7

Consociational party systems

Accepted Answer

Consociational party systems are characterized by the presence of multiple political parties that represent a wide range of views on fundamental political issues, facilitating a power-sharing arrangement among different social groups.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

The Growth and Opportunity Project report, also known as the autopsy report of the 2012 election by the Republican Party, highlighted demographic changes, including the projection that by 2050, whites will constitute a minority of voters in U.S. elections, reflecting the country's evolving racial and ethnic composition.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

In European parliamentary democracies, political parties often have a more centralized organization, with decisions and policies being formulated at the national level, whereas in the United States, political parties tend to be more decentralized, with significant autonomy for state and local party organizations.

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)

Accepted Answer

Group P is described as having an official structure, members, and leaders, which are characteristics of an associational group. Associational groups are formally organized with clear objectives and membership criteria, distinguishing them from other types of groups that might be more loosely organized or based on less formal affiliations.

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the 2008 presidential election, both McCain...

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

Accepted Answer

Retrospective voting is a theory of voting in which an individual evaluates candidates based on their past performance or the past performance of their party. This approach involves looking back at what has been accomplished or not accomplished and making a decision based on satisfaction with or disapproval of past actions.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Barack Obama won both the electoral college and the popular vote in the 2012 United States presidential election.

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?

Accepted Answer

Interest group pluralism is characterized by the existence of multiple interest groups outside of government that operate independently and compete with each other to influence government policies, which matches the description of Country X.

Question 15

Democratic corporatism

Accepted Answer

Democratic corporatism involves the collaboration between the state and major interest groups, where peak associations representing labor and business negotiate and coordinate policy.

Question 16

Voter turnout tends to be higher in countries

Accepted Answer

Countries using proportional representation often see higher voter turnout because this system tends to create a closer match between the percentage of votes a party receives and the percentage of seats it gets in the legislature, encouraging more voters to participate as they feel their vote has a direct impact on the election outcome.

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.

Accepted Answer

Many people who identify as Independents lean towards one of the major political parties (Democrats or Republicans) in their voting behavior and political preferences, rather than being completely neutral.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Voter turnout in the United States is generally lower compared to many other democratic societies, especially those in Western Europe and some other parts of the world where voting rates are often higher.

Question 19

In the United States, to win the electoral college vote

Accepted Answer

To win the electoral college vote and thus the presidency in the United States, a candidate must win a majority of the electoral college votes, not just a plurality. Winning the majority of popular votes does not guarantee winning the electoral college, as the system is based on state-by-state victories that contribute electoral votes to a candidate's total.

Question 20

Compulsory voting

Accepted Answer

Compulsory voting, where citizens are required by law to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day, tends to increase voter turnout by making participation mandatory.

Quiz 9: Comparative Politics II