Question 1

How do levels of citizen participation and political efficacy in local elections compare to those in national elections? What are some of the reasons for the discrepancy?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do levels of citizen participation and...

Question 2

One problem with multimember districts utilized in the past that caused the U.S. Supreme Court to step in is

Accepted Answer

Many multimember districts overrepresented rural areas, leading to unequal representation and prompting the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene to ensure fairer and more equal representation across districts.

Question 3

According to a recent study, state economic and social policies

Accepted Answer

The study suggests that state economic and social policies are influenced more by the opinions of wealthy and middle class people than those of the less affluent.

Question 4

Which demographic groups are most likely to participate in local political activities? What effect does this have on policymaking?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which demographic groups are most likely to...

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT an example of how state legislatures could increase participation?

Accepted Answer

Partisan gerrymandering is a practice where district boundaries are drawn to favor a particular political party, which can lead to decreased competition and voter disenfranchisement, thus potentially reducing participation.

Question 6

If two or more candidates are elected to represent a single district, the term is

Accepted Answer

When two or more candidates are elected to represent a single district, it is called multimember districts. This is in contrast to single-member districts, where only one candidate is elected to represent a district. Plurality districts refer to the winner-takes-all system where the candidate with the most votes wins the election. Cumulative districts are a type of multimember district where voters are allowed to cast multiple votes (equal to the number of seats available) for their preferred candidates. Highly competitive districts refer to districts where the election outcome is not easily predictable and where the candidates are closely matched in terms of support.

Question 7

As of 2012, roughly what percentage of state legislators are women?

Accepted Answer

As of 2012, approximately 25 percent of state legislators in the United States were women.

Question 8

Discuss the terms and effects of voting rights legislation, including the 1965 Voting Rights Act. What barriers have been overcome and what barriers remain? Provide examples from your own state.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the terms and effects of voting...

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT true regarding "clean money"?

Accepted Answer

The statement "Nearly all states began enacting clean money policies at the start of 2000" is false. While some states did begin enacting these laws around that time, not all states have implemented clean money regulations.

Question 10

One influential theory predicts that in single-member districts

Accepted Answer

In single-member districts (where only one representative is elected), candidates are forced to appeal to a broad range of voters in order to win the election. Therefore, it is predicted that candidates will take moderate positions that are closer to the political center in order to appeal to the largest number of voters. This is known as the "median voter theorem."

Question 11

How has the selection process for district representatives changed over the years? Be sure to provide specific examples.

Accepted Answer

The answer of How has the selection process for district...

Question 12

The number of representatives for a specific geographic area is referred to as

Accepted Answer

The number of representatives for a specific geographic area is referred to as district magnitude.

Question 13

Why are minorities more likely to be better represented in some legislatives districts than others? What effect does this have on their influence in legislature? Provide examples from your own state.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why are minorities more likely to be...

Question 14

Legislative districts where district lines are drawn so that people from a specific minority group comprise a majority of voters in the district are called

Accepted Answer

Districts where a minority group makes up a majority of voters are called "majority-minority districts." This is designed to increase the representation of minorities in government by consolidating their voting power in a single district. It is also sometimes referred to as "minority-majority districts." The other choices do not accurately reflect this concept.

Question 15

In 2011, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that part of ____________ public campaign finance law was unconstitutional because it forced privately funded candidates to restrain their spending or risk triggering additional public funds for their opponent.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Arizona's public campaign finance law was unconstitutional because it provided additional public funds to candidates who faced high-spending opponents, thus potentially limiting the spending of privately funded candidates.

Quiz 3: Participation, Elections, and Representation