Deck 5: Campaigns and Elections

Question 1

A closed primary allows only those individuals who________ to participate.

A) are registered voters
B) possess a voter registration
C) are first-time voters
D) are a registered member of their political party

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The requirements for getting on the ballot are set by

A) the federal government.
B) the parties.
C) the county.
D) the state.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In Texas, special elections are used to

A) determine election dates.
B) ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution.
C) approve a vote of no confidence.
D) impeach a corrupt politician.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What is the most basic and fundamental duty citizens have in a democracy?

A) signing a petition
B) attending a rally
C) financial contributions
D) voting

Question 5

When deciding how to vote, people will use mental shortcuts. Political scientists call these shortcuts

A) rubrics.
B) mapping.
C) work-arounds.
D) cues.

Question 6

The poll tax was made illegal in federal elections with the passage of the

A) Voting Rights Act of 1965.
B) Nineteenth Amendment.
C) Twenty-Fourth Amendment.
D) Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Question 7

The poll tax was made illegal in federal elections in ________ but remained legal in state elections in Texas until ________.

A) 1966; 1964
B) 1902; 1966
C) 1902; 1964
D) 1964; 1966

Question 8

In Texas, primary elections are usually held in

A) March.
B) April.
C) May.
D) August.

Question 9

Prior to the 1970s, how often did voters have to register to vote?

A) every 5 years
B) yearly
C) only if they moved
D) every 10 years

Question 10

For an independent candidate to get on the ballot in Texas, which requirement he or she must meet?

A) He or she must obtain signatures on a petition from registered voters. The signatures must equal 30 percent of the total votes in the last governor's race.
B) He or she must get petition signatures from registered voters who did not participate in any political party primary election.
C) He or she must begin collecting signatures before the major party primaries are held.
D) He or she can only collect signatures from legal residents of Texas who are over the age of 21.

Question 11

The poll tax disenfranchised

A) farmers.
B) poor people.
C) only Republicans.
D) only Democrats.

Question 12

What type of primary allows a voter to choose on Election Day which party they will vote for?

A) closed primary
B) semi-closed primary
C) open primary
D) crossover voting primary

Question 13

Women were given the right to vote in the United States with the passage of the

A) Voting Rights Act of 1965.
B) Fifteenth Amendment.
C) Nineteenth Amendment.
D) U.S. Supreme Court decision Newberry v. United States.

Question 14

Major state officials are elected in nonpresidential years because

A) it is possible that independent and minor party candidates will also appear on general election ballots.
B) it prevents popular presidential candidates from influencing the outcome of Texas races.
C) it allows popular Republican presidential candidates to draw more than the usual number of Republican votes.
D) it increases voter turnout.

Question 15

The general election is held the first

A) Monday in November of even-numbered years.
B) Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.
C) Tuesday following the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years.
D) Monday in November of odd-numbered years.

Question 16

Which statement concerning women's suffrage is correct?

A) Women were given the right to vote in the original Constitution of 1876.
B) The Texas Constitution was amended in 1899 to permit women to vote.
C) Women were permitted to vote in all elections in Texas with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
D) Women were given full suffrage rights in Texas in 1932.

Question 17

Texas was the first state in the South to

A) impose a poll tax.
B) ratify the women's suffrage amendment.
C) elect a black governor.
D) elect a Latino governor.

Question 18

By allowing voters to make decisions on changes to the state constitution, Texas lets voters

A) remove individuals from office for abuse of power.
B) authorize cities and municipalities to borrow money.
C) decide which components of the federal law will be integrated into state law.
D) alter public policy within the state.

Question 19

A ________ was a state-imposed tax on voters as a prerequisite for voting.

A) registration tax
B) voter tax
C) registration fee
D) poll tax

Question 20

What is the main purpose of a primary election?

A) to select a party's candidate for the general election
B) to select a party's delegates for the state convention
C) to select precinct chairs throughout the state
D) to select a party's delegates for the precinct convention

Question 21

Which offshoot of the Democratic Party preselected candidates for the Democratic primary and prohibited African Americans from participating?

A) the La Raza Unida
B) the Ku Klux Klan
C) the Jaybird Party
D) the Shivercrats

Question 22

Approximately what percentage of the state's voting-age population is registered to vote?

A) 25 percent
B) 55 percent
C) 90 percent
D) 70 percent

Question 23

Which of the following tends to lower voter turnout?

A) most elections are for low-visibility offices
B) early voting
C) detailed voter guides
D) local elections occurring at the same time as presidential elections

Question 24

In Grovey v. Townsend (1935), the U.S. Supreme Court found that the political parties could limit membership to white citizens only because

A) the separate but equal interpretation of the Constitution applied since there were multiple parties in the state.
B) the equal protection clause of the Constitution only applied to state action and not action by private groups.
C) the establishment clause of the Constitution prevented the federal government from getting involved in the regulation of political parties at the state level.
D) the elastic clause of the Constitution allows parties to limit their membership in any manner they see fit.

Question 25

The two most important factors that determine whether someone votes are

A) age and income level.
B) income level and education.
C) education and ethnicity.
D) ethnicity and age.

Question 26

The process of ________ involves recalculating how many congressional districts each state will receive based on the state's population.

A) redistricting
B) reapportionment
C) preclearance
D) census taking

Question 27

What is the significance of the Supreme Court case Smith v. Allwright?

A) The court declared the use of literacy tests a violation of the equal protection clause.
B) The case compelled Texas to integrate Hispanic students into "whites only" public schools.
C) It announced that in primary elections states could not restrict voters on account of race.
D) It restricted the use of closed primaries.

Question 28

The Motor Voter Act of 1993

A) allows states to offer voters "drive-through" voting booths.
B) allows citizens to register to vote while applying for a driver's license.
C) restricts one's right to vote because of unpaid traffic tickets.
D) was declared unconstitutional by the Texas Supreme Court.

Question 29

Texas ranks ________ in the nation in voter participation.

A) 50th
B) 1st
C) 35th
D) 20th

Question 30

Which party usually has the higher levels of turnout in Texas?

A) Republican
B) Democratic
C) Tea Party
D) Libertarian

Question 31

The most important federal law involved in the expansion of voting rights and protections in Texas was the

A) Civil Rights Act of 1964.
B) passage of the Fifteenth Amendment.
C) One-Person, One-Vote Act of 1972.
D) Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Question 32

In which of the following elections is voter turnout the highest?

A) presidential elections
B) gubernatorial general elections
C) off-year congressional elections
D) runoff elections

Question 33

Early voting in Texas has been shown to produce ________ in voter turnout.

A) a modest increase
B) a significant increase
C) a modest drop
D) a drastic drop

Question 34

In 2011, the Texas legislature passed a voter identification law that requires a photo identification in order to vote. Which form of photo identification is acceptable?

A) photo ID card issued by colleges and universities
B) Department of Public Safety-issued concealed handgun license
C) a hunting and fishing photo ID
D) an occupational photo ID

Question 35

Which individuals are legally disqualified from voting?

A) individuals who have been legally declared mentally incompetent
B) convicted felons who have received a pardon
C) individuals who have been incarcerated in the past
D) individuals who have lost their voter registration card

Question 36

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) focuses on

A) monitoring changes in electoral law that may suppress the votes of minorities.
B) providing legal support for Latino candidates for public office.
C) getting out the vote of minority voters across Texas.
D) providing information and voters guides to help voters make informed decisions.

Question 37

In what case did the Supreme Court rule that a key section of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional, thereby affecting new districts being approved by the U.S. Department of Justice?

A) Shelby County v. Holder
B) Shelby County v. Obama
C) Smith v. Allwright
D) Texas v. Holder

Question 38

In order to vote in Texas, you must meet which of the following requirements?

A) be a resident of Texas, a U.S. citizen, and at least 18 years of age
B) be a resident of Texas, a U.S. citizen, and at least 21 years of age
C) be a resident of Texas, a legal permanent resident of the U.S, and at least 18 years of age
D) own property in Texas, be a U.S. citizen, and be at least 18 years of age

Question 39

The Voting Rights Act has been renewed several times since 1965, and new provisions have been added since then. For example,

A) bilingual ballots are now required in certain areas where more than 5 percent of voters speak another language.
B) a current form of photo identification is now required to vote.
C) proof of residency is now required to vote.
D) proof of American citizenship is now required to vote.

Question 40

Which of the following allowed the federal government to oversee the operation of elections at the state level until a Supreme Court ruling in 2013?

A) the Voting Rights Act
B) Article 10 of the U.S. Constitution
C) the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas
D) the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court case Nixon v. Condon

Question 41

In Texas, special elections are used to fill vacancies in office and to give approval to borrow money.

Question 42

Primary elections in Texas are generally held in March.

Question 43

Which of the following is the largest expense for most campaigns?

A) transportation
B) media ads
C) staff salaries
D) legal filings

Question 44

One possible solution to reforming redistricting in Texas is to

A) allow the lieutenant governor to break ties in the legislature.
B) do away with redistricting altogether.
C) take the process away from the legislature.
D) take the process away from the precinct captains.

Question 45

Candidates for state office and lobbyists have to file quarterly reports detailing their spending and donations with which agency?

A) Texas Financial Regulation Commission
B) Texas Reporting Commission
C) Texas Ethics Commission
D) Texas Elections Commission

Question 46

General elections in Texas are always held on the third Tuesday of November.

Question 47

Political campaigns tend to spend the most money on which of the following?

A) travel
B) security
C) fundraising
D) media advertising

Question 48

The _______________ requirement was included in the Voting Rights Act to ensure that states that had previously restricted the political participation of minorities could not use redistricting for partisan gain and against the interest of minority groups.

A) redistricting
B) reapportionment
C) preclearance
D) external validation

Question 49

________ was the first Republican to hold the office of Texas governor since the end of Reconstruction.

A) Ann Richards
B) George W. Bush
C) Rick Perry
D) William R. Clements

Question 50

Only the federal government can set the requirements for getting on the ballot.

Question 51

Primaries are the final elections to be held in the election cycle.

Question 52

One of the advantages incumbents have when running for reelection is

A) automatic funding from the state.
B) automatic ballot access.
C) name recognition and visibility.
D) that they do not have to compete in primary elections.

Question 53

How much can an individual donate to a campaign for a state-level, nonjudicial office, such as for governor?

A) $1500
B) $5000
C) $2500
D) There is no limit.

Question 54

Some blame the relatively low voter turnout for Texas elections on the frequency of elections and the large number of candidates.

Question 55

The Texas Constitution and election laws call the Texas system a closed primary because one must declare one's party affiliation before voting, but in practice it is an open primary.

Question 56

Dates for special elections are specified by the Texas Secretary of State, who oversees and administers all elections in Texas.

Question 57

The next census will be conducted in 2020, with a reapportionment completed soon after based on its results. Assuming the Texas population will increase from its 2010 total, as a result of this reapportionment, Texas will most likely

A) gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
B) see no change in its allocation of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
C) lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
D) gain seats in the U.S. Senate.

Question 58

Which portion of the Texas government is responsible for redistricting in Texas?

A) the governor
B) the legislature
C) the courts
D) county courts at law

Question 59

It is relatively easy for an independent candidate to get on the Texas ballot.

Question 60

Who plays the largest role in running political campaigns in Texas?

A) the national party
B) the state party
C) the individual candidates
D) social media

Question 61

When do general elections occur in Texas, and which offices are up for election? Why are they held in November? What do you think about moving other state and municipal elections to the general election in November in the future?

Question 62

In 2011, the Texas legislature passed a voter identification law that requires a government-issued photo identification in order to vote.

Question 63

Republicans won every statewide election in Texas between 1994 and 2018.

Question 64

To register to vote in Texas, a person must have been a resident of Texas for at least 90 days.

Question 65

Poll taxes, such as those used in Texas, disenfranchised poor voters.

Question 66

Texas instituted early voting in order to expand participation.

Question 67

Photo ID cards issued by colleges and universities in Texas are acceptable forms of identification to cast a vote in any Texas election.

Question 68

List and discuss the reasons why campaigns in Texas are so expensive.

Question 69

Reapportionment involves the determination of how district lines will be drawn in each state for the state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Question 70

One reason for low levels of voter turnout in Texas is the low level of educational attainment in the state.

Question 71

Texans tend to vote at higher rates than the national average.

Question 72

Define in detail the following terms and what the relationship is to elections and voting in Texas: primary election, runoff primary, open primary, closed primary, general election, and early voting.

Question 73

One proposal to reform redistricting in Texas is to remove the Texas legislature from the process.

Question 74

Discuss and explain at least four reasons why Texas voter turnout is so low. What can be done to increase voter participation?

Question 75

Explain why it is difficult to be elected as an independent candidate in Texas.

Question 76

The Motor Voter law requires a voter to have a driver's license.

Question 77

Anglo Texan voter turnout levels are higher than Latino turnout levels.

Question 78

The Republican Party was the dominant force in Texas politics throughout most of the 1900s.