Deck 4: Voting and Elections

Question 1

When you "register" to vote, you are

A) registering your name for civil service.
B) signing up to run in an election.
C) signing up to vote in elections.
D) volunteering to campaign for a candidate.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A statute mandating that state governments provide voter registration opportunities to individuals applying for or renewing their driver's license is called a(n)

A) motor voter law.
B) voter registration law.
C) civil service law.
D) unconstitutional law.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

An election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for the party's candidates is called a(n)

A) semi-closed primary.
B) recall primary.
C) open primary.
D) closed primary.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

An election where, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two top vote getters run again is called a

A) runoff election.
B) recall election.
C) general election.
D) primary election.

Question 5

An election contest held, as needed, to fill vacancies created by death, resignation, or removal from office is called a

A) runoff election.
B) recall election.
C) general election.
D) special election.

Question 6

Early voting in Texas allows for

A) voters to receive their ballot in the mail and send it back.
B) voters to cast their ballot in person up to two weeks before election day.
C) voters to pay a fee to jump to the front of the line.
D) voters to start voting at age 16.

Question 7

In general, since 2012, early voting in Texas's largest counties has

A) increased.
B) decreased.
C) stayed roughly the same.
D) dramatically decreased.

Question 8

Someone goes to vote and selects only Democrats on the ballot. This person has just engaged in

A) split-ticket voting.
B) straight-ticket voting.
C) short-cut voting.
D) deliberate voting.

Question 9

Choosing candidates from different parties for different offices is called

A) split-ticket voting.
B) straight-ticket voting.
C) short-cut voting.
D) deliberate voting.

Question 10

Suppose no one candidate gets 50% + 1 of the votes in the election. How does the nominee get decided?

A) A coin flip between the top two candidates
B) A runoff election between the top two candidates
C) The candidate who has the highest vote percentage gets the nomination, even if the percentage is below 50%
D) The State Legislature decides

Question 11

In 2005, the Texas legislature approved county-level decisions to move from traditional, neighborhood precinct polls to _______. All voters in counties that allow it can vote in these centers in the general election, regardless of their address, so they can choose the most convenient location.

A) vote centers
B) neighborhood precincts
C) county precincts
D) open precincts

Question 12

When can convicted felons vote again?

A) While they are in prison
B) Twenty years after they are released from prison
C) While they are on parole
D) After completing sentence, probation, and parole

Question 13

Single-member districts often enhance the

A) cost of campaigns.
B) number of candidates.
C) number of third-party legislators.
D) diversity of legislative bodies.

Question 14

African American voters form a core component of the _______ Party.

A) Democratic
B) Republican
C) Libertarian
D) Texas Freedom

Question 15

An impromptu examination of an individual's ability to speak and pronounce specific legal passages or a short quiz pertaining to facts of state or U.S. government that was required before voting was called a(n)

A) literacy test.
B) IQ test.
C) Government 2306 exam.
D) U.S. Citizenship test.

Question 16

During the Jim Crow era, voters had to pay to vote. This was called a

A) poll fee.
B) state tax.
C) poll tax.
D) registration fee.

Question 17

Federal law prohibited discrimination in the general election, so Texas passed a law stipulating that only whites could participate in the primary election. This resulted in the

A) Jim Crow primary.
B) white primary.
C) secret primary.
D) Anglo-only primary.

Question 18

During the Jim Crow era, which is not a way the state and local governments attempted to keep Blacks from voting in the general election?

A) A requirement that all voters be white
B) A poll tax
C) A literacy test
D) Threats of violence

Question 19

Passed in 1965, the _______ was a landmark piece of federal legislation that outlawed racial discrimination in voting.

A) New Deal
B) Anti-Discrimination Act
C) Voting Rights Act
D) Fifteenth Amendment

Question 20

Historically, Hispanic voter turnout has been _______ compared to other racial groups.

A) declining
B) about the same
C) higher
D) lower

Question 21

Which of the following groups has the highest voter turnout rates in Texas?

A) Whites
B) African Americans
C) Hispanics
D) All groups vote at about the same rate.

Question 22

In the past two decades, _______ turnout has nearly doubled.

A) Anglo
B) Hispanic
C) Black
D) Native American

Question 23

When individuals are deprived of the right to vote, they are

A) undocumented.
B) enfranchised.
C) disenfranchised.
D) unregistered.

Question 24

The belief that your participation can influence the political system is referred to as

A) political efficacy.
B) partisan politics.
C) bipartisan behavior.
D) dreamer-mentality.

Question 25

Compared to other states, voter turnout in Texas is

A) lower.
B) higher.
C) about the same.
D) declining.

Question 26

The process by which individuals acquire political values and behaviors that have a strong influence on future voting behavior is referred to as

A) political socialization.
B) partisan affiliation.
C) political ideology.
D) public opinion.

Question 27

In recent years, voter fraud

A) accounts for about 20% of all votes in Texas.
B) has resulted in hundreds of convictions.
C) is most common in the Panhandle.
D) is extremely rare.

Question 28

A battery of survey questions asked of a representative sample of individuals is a(n)

A) informal poll.
B) public opinion poll.
C) literacy quiz.
D) personal identification survey.

Question 29

A candidate who is currently the officeholder is called

A) The incumbent
B) The Congressman
C) A politician
D) None of the above

Question 30

A campaign that highlights the negative of their opponent over the positive of their own candidate is referred to as

A) negative campaigning.
B) Texas campaigning.
C) incumbent campaigning.
D) personal campaigning.

Question 31

When Governor Greg Abbott runs for reelection in 2022, he will have the advantage of

A) not having much of a record for his opponent to criticize.
B) being relatively unknown to most voters.
C) name recognition.
D) being a political outsider.

Question 32

A campaign tactic that involves identifying potential subgroups of supporters for customizable messages is referred to as

A) microtargeting.
B) block-walking.
C) canvassing.
D) door-to-door campaigning.

Question 33

"Get out the vote" campaigns typically target

A) undecided voters.
B) likely opponents.
C) likely supporters.
D) those not registered to vote.

Question 34

Why might a PAC give money to both candidates in a given race?

A) To ensure access to the eventual winner
B) Because they can't decide who to support
C) To ensure they can control the behavior of the eventual winner
D) Because PACs often change their minds

Question 35

An organization that collects donations from donors and uses these funds to donate to candidates, parties, or other political causes is referred to as a(n)

A) interest group.
B) 527.
C) slush fund.
D) political action committee (PAC).

Question 36

Federal election funding is regulated by the

A) Federal Election Campaign Act.
B) Texas Bipartisan Election Commission.
C) Federation of the States and Elections.
D) Federal Campaigns and Elections Committee.

Question 37

A group that can spend an unlimited amount of money to advocate for causes but is not permitted to give money to candidates is called a(n)

A) PAC.
B) Super PAC.
C) advocacy coalition.
D) electoral machine.

Question 38

You receive a political ad that is based on your viewing and shopping habits. This is likely an example of

A) a "get out the vote" campaign.
B) microtargeting.
C) negative campaigning.
D) PAC activity.

Question 39

Generally speaking, the candidate who spends the most money

A) tends to be the Republican.
B) tends to be corrupt.
C) tends to lose.
D) tends to win.

Question 40

A city selects five members of its city council. Everyone in the city can vote on every member of council. This city uses a(n) _______ districting system.

A) expansive
B) plural
C) single-member district
D) at-large

Question 41

Generally speaking, younger voters prefer the _______ Party.

A) Libertarian
B) Democratic
C) Republican
D) Texan Independence

Question 42

What change did Texas make to voting in the 2020 election?

A) Moved Election Day to a Saturday
B) Removed the one-button option for straight-ticket voting
C) Expanded vote by mail
D) Barred face masks in polling places

Question 43

As political parties become more polarized ideologically, voters

A) are voting straight ticket less often.
B) are voting straight ticket more often.
C) are voting straight ticket only in midterm elections.
D) are voting straight ticket hardly ever.

Question 44

Incumbents are more likely to win a general election with greater voter turnout because their name identification is higher, and they are able to raise and spend more funds. This is known as the

A) home-seat advantage.
B) winner-take all advantage.
C) incumbent advantage.
D) primary advantage.

Question 45

Giving large donations to a candidate usually ensures

A) access to the candidate.
B) influence over the candidate.
C) a bidding war with other donors.
D) a strong possibility for corruption.

Question 46

A city is divided into four geographic areas that each elect one person to the city council. This city uses a(n) _______ approach to districting.

A) collective
B) single-member district
C) at-large
D) plural

Question 47

When do challengers have a better chance of winning?

A) In higher turnout elections
B) In low-turnout elections and runoff elections
C) When their opponents are well funded
D) None of the above

Question 48

What must one do in order to vote in the state of Texas?

Question 49

What is a motor voter law?

Question 50

What is an open primary?

Question 51

What is a closed primary?

Question 52

What is a runoff election?

Question 53

What is a special election?

Question 54

What is straight-ticket voting?

Question 55

What was a poll tax?

Question 56

Explain the system of primary elections that we have in Texas. Include in your answer the different types of primary elections that could potentially be used across the states, who gets to decide what is used, and the political effects the type of primary could produce.

Question 57

Discuss the concept of voting barriers. What measures have been in place in Texas in the past that discourage certain individuals of participating? Include in your answer any relevant constitutional provisions or laws pertaining to voting rights.

Question 58

Describe voting behavior in Texas. What demographics vote in higher percentages than others? What are the trends? Do you expect the trends to continue?

Question 59

Explain the basics of money in politics. What types of rules are in place?

Question 60

Texas has been a "red" state for a few decades now. Some pundits expect that Texas may turn "blue" in the future. Explain what is meant by "red" and "blue" and give your opinion on whether Texas may turn "blue" in the future.