Question 1

Voter turnout in the U.S. is ______ that in most other Western industrialized democracies:&#10;A) higher than&#10;B) lower than&#10;C) the same as&#10;D) much harder to calculate than

Accepted Answer

Voter turnout in the U.S. is consistently lower than most other Western industrialized democracies, ranking 26th out of 32 countries in a 2017 Pew Research Center analysis.

Question 2

American political parties can try to increase their electoral success by all but which of the following?&#10;A) Passing laws to outlaw the opposing party.&#10;B) Making sure their likely supporters have the right to vote.&#10;C) Trying to change the opening and closing times of polling places to make it easier for their supporters to get to the polls.&#10;D) Working to get their supporters out to vote on Election Day.

Accepted Answer

It is illegal and unconstitutional for political parties to pass laws to outlaw the opposing party. All other options listed are legal and commonly used strategies for increasing electoral success.

Question 3

Before the secret ballot was introduced into American elections, voting was done by:&#10;A) the long ballot&#10;B) Greek-style town meetings of all citizens&#10;C) initiatives and referenda&#10;D) the &#34;oral vote&#34;

Accepted Answer

Before the secret ballot was introduced, voting was done through the "oral vote," where voters publicly declared their candidate choices.

Question 4

Voter registration prior to Election Day:&#10;A) reduced voter turnout by adding to the effort needed to cast a ballot&#10;B) is required in all democracies&#10;C) is a means of committing voter fraud by party bosses&#10;D) was recently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court

Accepted Answer

Voter registration prior to Election Day has been found to reduce voter turnout because it adds an extra step for voters to take before they can cast their ballots. This can be especially burdensome for those who have limited mobility or lack access to transportation.

Question 5

Which of these is an example of the southern states after the Civil War trying to disenfranchise black Americans?&#10;A) Cutting back on early voting.&#10;B) Requiring proof of citizenship to vote.&#10;C) The white primary.&#10;D) Doing away with primaries altogether.

Accepted Answer

The white primary was a practice used in southern states after the Civil War to exclude black Americans from participating in primary elections. This was accomplished by making it a requirement to be a white, registered voter in order to participate in the primary, effectively shutting out black voters who were not allowed to register at the time. Cutting back on early voting (A), requiring proof of citizenship to vote (B), or doing away with primaries altogether (D) are not examples of the southern states specifically targeting black Americans to disenfranchise them.

Question 6

The percentage of voting-age black Americans who are registered to vote in the southern states:&#10;A) has greatly decreased since the 1960s&#10;B) has greatly increased since the 1960s&#10;C) is the same as it was in the 1960s&#10;D) is zero, as black Americans are still not allowed to vote in most southern states

Accepted Answer

The percentage of voting-age black Americans who are registered to vote in the southern states has greatly increased since the 1960s due to the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement and voting rights legislation such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Question 7

The Supreme Court ordered ______ in the 1960s to stop state legislatures from over-representing rural areas and under-representing urban areas.&#10;A) gerrymandering&#10;B) minority-majority districts&#10;C) legislative redistricting&#10;D) voter ID requirements

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court ordered legislative redistricting in the 1960s to stop state legislatures from over-representing rural areas and under-representing urban areas. This decision was made in cases such as Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims, which established the principle of "one person, one vote" and required districts to be drawn based on population rather than geography or other factors. Gerrymandering refers to the deliberate manipulation of district boundaries for political gain, while minority-majority districts are created to increase the representation of minority groups in Congress. Voter ID requirements are a separate issue related to ensuring the integrity of elections.

Question 8

The term for legislative districts fashioned by packing as many black voters into a district as possible in order to permit a black candidate to be elected is:&#10;A) legislative redistricting&#10;B) gerrymandering&#10;C) reapportionment&#10;D) majority-minority districts

Accepted Answer

Majority-minority districts are designed to create a district where the majority of the population consists of a racial or ethnic minority group, such as black voters. This is done in order to increase the likelihood of electing a candidate from that group. It is often criticized as a form of gerrymandering because it concentrates a particular group in one district, potentially diluting their representation in surrounding districts.

Question 9

A major rationale for establishing majority-minority districts is that:&#10;A) they benefit the Democratic Party, which ends up with more seats in the legislature&#10;B) they are more likely to result in election of a minority representative, which increases minority representation in the legislature&#10;C) they are a way to eliminate gerrymandering from the redistricting process&#10;D) they give majorities the opportunity to rule

Accepted Answer

Majority-minority districts are designed to increase the likelihood of electing a minority representative, which in turn increases minority representation in the legislature. This helps give voice and representation to historically marginalized communities.

Question 10

Which of these is true about voter identification requirements?&#10;A) They put more of a burden on affluent whites than on minority voters.&#10;B) They have been passed more often by Republican-dominated states.&#10;C) They were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.&#10;D) They are hardly ever enforced.

Accepted Answer

Voter identification requirements have been passed more often by Republican-dominated states. This is supported by research and data analysis conducted by multiple organizations.

Question 11

Rates of turnout in American elections:&#10;A) were lower in the late 1800s than they are today&#10;B) have remained at about 90 percent throughout American history&#10;C) were higher in the late 1800s than they are today&#10;D) are higher in midterm elections than in presidential elections

Accepted Answer

The answer of Rates of turnout in American elections:&#10;A) were...

Question 12

______ required the states to let citizens register to vote at driver's license bureaus.&#10;A) Early voting and no-excuse absentee voting laws&#10;B) Election Day Registration&#10;C) Motor-Voter law&#10;D) Proof of Citizenship Requirements

Accepted Answer

The answer of ______ required the states to let citizens...

Question 13

How many states currently allow some form of early voting in person or by no-excuse absentee voting?&#10;A) None.&#10;B) About one-third.&#10;C) About two-thirds.&#10;D) All 50 states.

Accepted Answer

The answer of How many states currently allow some form...

Question 14

Younger Americans turn out to vote:&#10;A) at the same level as other age groups&#10;B) at a much higher rate than older people&#10;C) more frequently in off-year congressional elections than in presidential races&#10;D) at a much lower rate than Americans over the age of 65

Accepted Answer

The answer of Younger Americans turn out to vote:&#10;A) at...

Question 15

Error-prone voting machines are more likely to be found where?&#10;A) In poorer and minority-dominated counties.&#10;B) In wealthier counties.&#10;C) In white-dominant counties.&#10;D) In the rural states of the Northeast and Midwest.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Error-prone voting machines are more likely to...

Question 16

The biggest social group difference between voters and nonvoters is:&#10;A) their race&#10;B) their income level&#10;C) their level of education&#10;D) the region they live in

Accepted Answer

The answer of The biggest social group difference between voters...

Question 17

A political party's most effective means of mobilization is:&#10;A) phone banks&#10;B) person-to-person contact&#10;C) websites&#10;D) direct mail

Accepted Answer

The answer of A political party's most effective means of...

Question 18

Define each of the following and briefly explain why it is relevant to the study of political parties.&#10;-The long ballot.

Accepted Answer