Question 1

Voter turnout tends to be higher in local elections than in national elections because people are more interested in issues that seem closer to them.

Accepted Answer

Voter turnout is generally higher in national elections than in local elections, as national elections often receive more media coverage and are perceived as having a greater impact on the country's direction.

Question 2

Passage of the National Voter Registration Act in 1993 allowed for individuals to register to vote at any U.S.Post Office.

Accepted Answer

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the "Motor Voter Act," allows individuals to register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated agencies, but not specifically at U.S. Post Offices.

Question 3

Nonpartisan elections remove the party identification from candidates in an effort to "depoliticize" the campaign.

Accepted Answer

Nonpartisan elections aim to reduce the influence of political parties and their agendas on the election process by not highlighting party identification on the ballot.

Question 4

When a presidential candidate campaigns for a party member in a local race in an effort to help that person win the election, it is called the "coattail effect."

Accepted Answer

The answer of When a presidential candidate campaigns for a...

Question 5

Most elections for judicial offices use nonpartisan elections.

Accepted Answer

Most elections for judicial offices use nonpartisan elections, meaning that candidates do not run as members of political parties and party affiliation is not listed on the ballot.

Question 6

The most common type of voting equipment currently used by states is punch card devices.

Accepted Answer

The most common type of voting equipment currently used by states is optical scan devices, followed by DRE (Direct Recording Electronic) machines. Punch card devices are no longer widely used.

Question 7

Women gained universal suffrage in the United States with passage of the Twentieth Amendment in 1920.

Accepted Answer

Women gained universal suffrage in the United States with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, not the Twentieth Amendment.

Question 8

Presidential elections attract the highest proportion of eligible voters.

Accepted Answer

Presidential elections typically have the highest voter turnout compared to other types of elections, such as midterm or local elections, due to the high stakes and national attention they receive.

Question 9

Iowa is the only state that does not require voter registration.

Accepted Answer

Iowa requires voter registration, like all other U.S. states, to participate in elections.

Question 10

Statewide initiatives are legal in forty-nine states.

Accepted Answer

Statewide initiatives are legal in twenty-four states, not forty-nine.

Question 11

One of the most influential modern initiatives was California's Proposition 13, which legalized marijuana for medical use but was ultimately struck down by the U.S.Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

Proposition 13 was a 1978 California ballot measure that limited property tax rates, not related to marijuana legalization. Proposition 215, passed in 1996, legalized medical marijuana in California.

Question 12

The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution (1870)extended the right to vote to African Americans, but Congress had to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to get defiant southern states to allow blacks to vote.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true. The Fifteenth Amendment granted African American men the right to vote in 1870, but it was not effectively enforced in many southern states until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Question 13

The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution prohibits states from denying the right to vote on "account of race."

Accepted Answer

The Nineteenth Amendment actually prohibits states from denying the right to vote on "account of sex." The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits states from denying the right to vote on "account of race."

Question 14

Recall is a procedure that allows citizens to vote an elected official out of office before his or her term has expired.

Accepted Answer

Recall is a procedure that allows citizens to vote an elected official out of office before his or her term has expired.

Question 15

In an instant runoff, voters use preference ranking to select candidates at a single election.

Accepted Answer

In an instant runoff, voters rank candidates in order of preference and the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates until one candidate receives a majority of votes. This process is repeated until a winner is determined.

Question 16

Over time, the role of political parties in general elections has diminished, as general-election campaigns have become more candidate-centered and geared to the candidate's organization.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Candidates and their personal campaigns have become more important in general elections and the role of political parties has decreased over time.

Question 17

In a closed primary, only those voters registered with the political party are allowed to vote.

Accepted Answer

In a closed primary, only voters registered with the political party can vote. This means that voters registered as independents or with a different political party cannot participate in the primary election.

Question 18

Statewide initiatives are more common in western states.

Accepted Answer

Western states tend to have a more direct democracy approach, which often includes initiatives and referendums. This is seen in states like California, Oregon, and Washington. However, this does not mean initiatives are not used in other states.

Question 19

Every state that allows for regular absentee voting by mail stipulates that citizens must have an excuse in order to do so.

Accepted Answer

There are some states that allow for no-excuse absentee voting, where citizens do not need to provide a reason for requesting a mail-in ballot.

Question 20

T F Referendum is a procedure wherein a government body submits proposed laws, constitutional amendments, or bond issues to the voters for ratification.

Accepted Answer

This is an accurate definition of a referendum.

Quiz 4: Citizen Participation and Elections

Voter turnout tends to be higher in local elections than in national elections because people are more interested in issues that seem closer to them.

Passage of the National Voter Registration Act in 1993 allowed for individuals to register to vote at any U.S.Post Office.

Nonpartisan elections remove the party identification from candidates in an effort to "depoliticize" the campaign.

When a presidential candidate campaigns for a party member in a local race in an effort to help that person win the election, it is called the "coattail effect."

Most elections for judicial offices use nonpartisan elections.

The most common type of voting equipment currently used by states is punch card devices.

Women gained universal suffrage in the United States with passage of the Twentieth Amendment in 1920.

Presidential elections attract the highest proportion of eligible voters.

Iowa is the only state that does not require voter registration.

Statewide initiatives are legal in forty-nine states.

One of the most influential modern initiatives was California's Proposition 13, which legalized marijuana for medical use but was ultimately struck down by the U.S.Supreme Court.

The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution (1870)extended the right to vote to African Americans, but Congress had to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to get defiant southern states to allow blacks to vote.

The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution prohibits states from denying the right to vote on "account of race."

Recall is a procedure that allows citizens to vote an elected official out of office before his or her term has expired.

In an instant runoff, voters use preference ranking to select candidates at a single election.

Over time, the role of political parties in general elections has diminished, as general-election campaigns have become more candidate-centered and geared to the candidate's organization.

In a closed primary, only those voters registered with the political party are allowed to vote.

Statewide initiatives are more common in western states.

Every state that allows for regular absentee voting by mail stipulates that citizens must have an excuse in order to do so.

T F Referendum is a procedure wherein a government body submits proposed laws, constitutional amendments, or bond issues to the voters for ratification.