Deck 11: Political Participation: The Limits of Democracy

Question 1

In the 1936 presidential election, Literary Digest was the only poll to correctly pick the winner.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

What kind of vote takes place most often in America for deciding the winner of a single-member district?

A)Majority vote
B)Simple majority vote
C)Supermajority vote
D)Objective vote
E)Plurality vote

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Low-information rationality theory says that voters use little information and shortcuts to make decisions.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

What is the ideal number of respondents for an accurate poll of a large number of people?

A)250
B)500
C)1,000
D)1,500
E)2,000

Question 5

The most accurate public opinion polls utilize

A)multiple choice questions.
B)random sampling,
C)open ended questions.
D)stratified sampling.
E)random digit dialing.

Question 6

Although voter turnout is considered low in the United States, it is higher than that of most European countries.

Question 7

Over half of 2,500 American citizens who took a 33-question basic civics exam failed.

Question 8

To win a plurality election, a candidate must have at least 60% of the vote.

Question 9

The Internet has given power to the people and encourages more grassroots political action.

Question 10

In 2005, it is estimated that there were well over 34,000 lobbyists in Washington, D.C.

Question 11

In politics, money talks.

Question 12

Interest groups are formal or informal associations that recruit, nominate, and elect public officials.

Question 13

In Europe's parliamentary system, parties are generally more important than personalities, because winning a majority of seats in parliament is the key to controlling the government.

Question 14

Polls not only measure public opinion; they also

A)allow public opinion to change.
B)influence public opinion.
C)make public opinion less arbitrary.
D)create legal precedents.
E)educate the respondents.

Question 15

According to pluralists, the U. S. political system is centralized.

Question 16

Which of the following is a major criticism of the winner-take-all electoral system?

A)It emphasizes political parties at the expense of individual candidates.
B)It tends to magnify the legislative power of major parties while greatly diminishing the chances of minor parties.
C)It causes a pronounced tendency toward party decentralization.
D)It makes forming a national consensus more difficult.
E)It encourages the emergence of single-issue splinter parties.

Question 17

Direct referenda are often used on issues regarding the European Union.

Question 18

Soft money refers to contributions given to a political party rather than a specific candidate.

Question 19

Straw polls use stratified sampling techniques to assure accuracy.

Question 20

In a proportional representation system, the electorate is divided into multimember districts, with a formula awarding each district's seats in proportion to the vote the various parties receive in that district.

Question 21

As outsiders in the competitive "game" of politics, why are most people at a disadvantage?

A)They don't understand the game very well.
B)They don't get to make the rules.
C)They can't break the rule and get away with it.
D)All of the above are correct.
E)None of the above is correct.

Question 22

According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, what "fuels" the current campaign system?

A)Patriotism
B)Ego
C)Political Parties
D)Money
E)None of the above

Question 23

What term is used to define a form of illegal political participation that stresses nonviolence?

A)Political terrorism
B)Subversion
C)Sedition
D)Demonstrations
E)Civil disobedience

Question 24

Explain the role of referenda in the functioning of a democracy. How important are referenda in the United States when compared to other democracies? Should they play a bigger role?

Question 25

On whose behalf do lobbyists attempt to influence governmental policy?

A)Political parties
B)Individual citizens
C)Individual candidates
D)Special interests
E)None of the above

Question 26

What does the theory of "low-information rationality" refer to?

A)Way voters use shortcuts to make political judgments
B)Way that political pollsters extrapolate broad trends from small samplings
C)Foolishness and ignorance of many voters' choices
D)Tendency of political parties to only offer as much information as the media demands, and no more
E)High level of political apathy among Americans

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT one of the typically unexamined assumptions about democracy and participation?

A)Public opinion matters.
B)The more citizen participation, the healthier the democracy.
C)Citizens are usually apathetic.
D)Voters know and understand the choices they make.
E)None of the above

Question 28

Unlike associational and non-associational interest groups, how are institutional interest groups different?

A)They exist within the government.
B)They develop spontaneously when many individuals feel strongly about particular policies.
C)They have a distinctive name, national headquarters, and professional staff.
D)They seek to promote causes that benefit society as a whole.
E)They exist within the private sector.

Question 29

What is the most common alternative to a "winner-takes-all" system of elections?

A)Proportional representation
B)List system
C)Direct democracy
D)Hare Plan
E)Initiative

Question 30

Which of the following would be considered a public interest group?

A)Italian-American Foundation
B)American Association of Retired Persons
C)Disabled American Veterans
D)National Association of Manufacturers
E)Sierra Club

Question 31

Contrast the pluralist and elitist theories of democratic participation. Which more accurately reflects the situation in the United States? Explain.

Question 32

How many times have British voters had a national referendum?

A)Two
B)Four
C)Seven
D)Nine
E)None of the above

Question 33

Which theory says that the necessities involved in managing an organization inevitably become concentrated in the hands of a few bureaucrats, who then wield true power in the organization?

A)Political apathy
B)Low-information rationality
C)Elitist theory of democracy
D)Iron law of oligarchy
E)Political efficacy

Question 34

Which age group has been the most supportive of the Democratic Party in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 general elections?

A)Young adults aged 18-29
B)Middle-aged adults, 30-39
C)Older adults aged 40-49
D)Seniors in their golden years, aged 50-64
E)Retired seniors, aged 65 and older

Question 35

What term is used to describe the system of voting where the seats of the legislature are assigned to parties based on the percentage of the popular vote that each party receives?

A)Plurality
B)Proportionality
C)Mechanized
D)Subjective
E)Repetitional

Question 36

What term is used to describe elections in which citizens are allowed to vote directly on specific questions of public policy?

A)Recall
B)Primary
C)Legislative referendum
D)Run-off
E)Republic

Question 37

What does Alexis de Tocqueville argue is detrimental to a sense of social and civic duty and thus diminishes the life of the community?

A)Political efficacy
B)Popular referendum
C)Individualism
D)Coalition government
E)Low-information rationality

Question 38

Imagine that you are one of the founders of a new democracy, and are charged with designing an electoral system that is stable, efficient, and representative. What type of system would you choose? What factors influenced your choice?

Question 39

How does the amount of information available to voters impact their process of decision-making? Is it better to have higher participation of voters with low levels of information, or lower participation of voters with high levels of information? Why?

Question 40

How has the role of Political Action Committees (PACs) changed since the 1970s and why? How is the computer age helping to empower the individual?

Question 41

Compare the different types of public opinion polling. Does the use of polling improve or undermine political campaigns and elections?