Question 1

Nonpartisan elections are likely to be found in municipalities and in school districts.

Accepted Answer

Nonpartisan elections are often used in local and municipal elections, as well as in school district elections. These types of elections do not require candidates to declare a political party affiliation and typically focus on issues and qualifications rather than party platforms.

Question 2

Presidential elections usually attract the highest proportion of eligible voters.

Accepted Answer

Presidential elections typically generate the highest voter turnout among all types of elections in the United States, as they attract the most attention and have the most at stake on a national level.

Question 3

A referendum is a procedure where a government body submits proposed laws, constitutional amendments, or bond issues to the voters for ratification.

Accepted Answer

This is the correct definition of a referendum.

Question 4

Only nineteen states provide for recall of state officials.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Only nineteen states in the United States allow for the recall of state officials through a petition process. The states that allow for recall are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Question 5

The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1920) forbids states from denying the right to vote on account of race.

Accepted Answer

The Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote, not addressing voting rights on account of race, which was covered by the Fifteenth Amendment.

Question 6

North Dakota is the only state that does not require voter registration.

Accepted Answer

North Dakota is the only state in the US that does not have a voter registration requirement. Any eligible voter can show up at their polling place on Election Day and simply provide proof of their residency and identity in order to vote.

Question 7

Statewide initiatives are legal in most states.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Statewide initiatives are legal in most states....

Question 8

The coattail effect is the tendency of state candidates to influence the election prospects of a presidential candidate.

Accepted Answer

The coattail effect refers to the phenomenon where a popular candidate for a higher office (like the presidency) boosts the electoral prospects of other candidates from the same party in lower-level offices, not the other way around.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

This is a correct definition of recall.

Question 10

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 Fifteenth Amendment did extend the right to vote to African Americans, but southern states still used discriminatory tactics such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation to prevent them from voting. It wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that these practices were outlawed and federal oversight was put in place to ensure equal access to the ballot box.

Question 11

Most states hold their general elections during November in even-numbered years.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most states hold their general elections during...

Question 12

Women gained universal suffrage in the United States with passage of the Twentieth Amendment in 1901.

Accepted Answer

Women gained universal suffrage in the United States with passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, not the Twentieth Amendment in 1901.

Question 13

Participation is believed to be necessary and good for democracy. However, there are positive and negative aspects associated with increased participation. Evaluate some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with increased citizen participation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Participation is believed to be necessary and...

Question 14

Open meeting laws make the meetings of government bodies open to the public and are present in all 50 states.

Accepted Answer

Open meeting laws, also known as "Sunshine laws," require government bodies to hold meetings that are open to the public and accessible. These laws are in place in all 50 states to promote transparency and accountability in government decision-making.

Question 15

Passage of the National Voter Registration Act in 1993 means that individuals can now 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," primarily allows individuals to register to vote when applying for or renewing their driver's licenses, as well as providing for voter registration by mail and at certain public offices, but it does not specifically enable voter registration at any U.S. Post Office.

Question 16

To ensure public access to the rulemaking process, states have adopted administrative procedure acts, which require public notice of the proposed rule and an opportunity for citizen comment.

Accepted Answer

Administrative procedure acts require public notice of proposed rules and an opportunity for citizen comment to ensure public access to the rulemaking process.

Question 17

In an open primary, only those registered with the political party are allowed to vote.

Accepted Answer

In an open primary, voters do not have to be registered with a particular political party in order to participate in that party's primary election. Any registered voter can vote in any primary election.

Question 18

The first step in the initiative process is the petition.

Accepted Answer

The petition is the first step in the initiative process as it is needed to gather signatures in support of the proposed initiative. Once enough signatures are gathered, the initiative can then be placed on the ballot for voters to decide.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Nonpartisan elections are designed to remove party affiliations from candidates in order to focus on their qualifications and positions on issues, rather than their political party. This is done to depoliticize the campaign and encourage voters to make informed decisions based on the individual candidate, rather than blindly voting along party lines.

Question 20

California approved a constitutional amendment in 2010 adopting the top-two primary system similar to the one used in Louisiana, where the top-two vote getters in the primary become the general election candidates regardless of party affiliation.

Accepted Answer

California did indeed approve a constitutional amendment in 2010 adopting the top-two primary system similar to the one used in Louisiana.

Quiz 4: Citizen Participation and Elections