Deck 22: Political Choices

Question 1

All of the following conditions must exist for the median-voter theorem to hold except that:

A) there is a single one-dimensional policy question.
B) candidates win by majority vote.
C) there are only two candidates.
D) the policy being voted on must be uncontroversial.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Suppose a vote was taken among 7 district representatives about how much of the city budget should be spent on tourism advertising.Two prefer it to be 10 percent,two prefer 15 percent,and three prefer 50 percent.According to the median voter theorem,the chosen amount to spend on tourism advertising is ______ of the budget.

A) 10 %
B) 15 %
C) 50 %
D) 30 %

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is not a criterion for an ideal voting system,according to economist Kenneth Arrow?

A) Unanimity
B) No dictator
C) Transitivity
D) Fairness

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The median-voter theorem can help explain one reason why politicians tend to change their position on a given issue over the course of an election from:

A) extreme to moderate.
B) moderate to extreme.
C) extreme to more extreme.
D) one extreme to the other.

Question 5

Which of the four criteria for an ideal voting system is demonstrated when everyone in a town prefers spending on improved public transportation systems instead of public parks,and transportation spending wins?

A) No dictator
B) Unanimity
C) Transitivity
D) Independence of irrelevant alternatives

Question 6

Suppose a vote was taken in a small town of 11 people to determine how much of the budget should go toward education spending.Five individuals want 10 percent,five individuals want 80 percent and one person wants 25 percent.According to the median-voter theorem,the chosen amount to spend on education will be ______ of the budget.

A) 10 %
B) 80 %
C) 45 %
D) 25%

Question 7

In thinking about the criteria for an ideal voting system,unanimity means if:

A) the median in the group prefers option X to option Y, then X beats Y.
B) the majority of the group prefers option X to option Y, then X beats Y.
C) everyone in the group prefers option X to option Y, then X beats Y.
D) no one in the group prefers option X to option Y, then it must still be possible for X to beat Y.

Question 8

Suppose everyone in a town prefers spending on improved public transportation systems instead of public parks,and prefers spending on public parks instead of building a public zoo.An ideal voting system would ensure that:

A) public transportation spending could beat zoo funding.
B) zoo funding could beat public transportation.
C) public parks could beat transportation spending.
D) zoo funding could beat public parks.

Question 9

The median-voter theorem suggests that:

A) politicians maximize their votes by taking the policy position preferred by the median voter, under certain conditions.
B) Politicians always receive more votes in general elections when they appeal to extremists in their party.
C) the middle voter is generally influenced by the side they have more information on concerning an issue.
D) voters tend to vote with a "mob-mentality," all voting the same.

Question 10

Once voting preferences become more complicated than those assumed by the median-voter theorem:

A) the way in which votes are cast becomes important.
B) the policies preferred by the average voter become more important.
C) the politicians stay more extreme in their views.
D) economists cannot analyze voting preferences successfully.

Question 11

According to the median-voter theorem,the chosen policy will be the one preferred by the:

A) median voter.
B) greatest average of voters, rather than the majority of voters.
C) the average voter, rather than the largest number of voters.
D) largest number of voters, rather than the average voter.

Question 12

Suppose everyone in a town prefers spending on improved public transportation systems instead of public parks,and prefers spending on public parks instead of building a public zoo.A voting system that would ensure that zoo funding would never beat spending on transportation would demonstrate which criteria for an ideal voting system?

A) No dictator
B) Transitivity
C) Independence of irrelevant alternatives
D) Unanimity

Question 13

An ideal voting system must not have:

A) a person who has the power to single-handedly enact his or her own preferences.
B) a person who can convince everyone to vote for his or her preferences, and not their own.
C) a one-dimensional issue being voted on.
D) transitivity of preferences

Question 14

Which economist defined the characteristics of an ideal voting system in his book Social Choice and Individual Values?

A) Gary Becker
B) Kenneth Arrow
C) Dean Karlan
D) Jonathan Morduch

Question 15

The theorem that suggests that politicians maximize their votes by taking the policy position preferred by the median voter,under certain conditions is called the:

A) average voter theorem.
B) mid-voter theorem.
C) median-voter theorem.
D) moderate vote theorem.

Question 16

In thinking about the criteria for an ideal voting system,needing no dictator means:

A) one person cannot have the power to enact his or her own preferences.
B) those in power must be forced to listen to the will of the people when enacting policy.
C) the presence of pure democracy is needed, so everyone gets a vote.
D) one person cannot have their preferences represented in what voters decide upon.

Question 17

The median-voter theorem would suggest the reason politicians go from extreme to moderate positions on an issue over the course of an election is because they are appealing to the:

A) average voter in their party in the primary, and the average of all voters in the general election.
B) majority of voters in their party in the primary, and the majority of all voters in the general election.
C) median voter in their party in the primary, and the median of all voters in the general election.
D) people in their party and opposing party.

Question 18

An ideal voting system will not function if a _________ is present,and has the power to enact his or her own preferences.

A) bully
B) representative
C) consul
D) dictator

Question 19

When considering voting options,if option X beats Y,and Y beats Z,then transitivity says that:

A) Z beats X.
B) Y beats X.
C) X beats Z.
D) Z beats Y.

Question 20

One of the conditions that must exist for the median-voter theorem to hold is:

A) there is a simple in-favor/not-in-favor position held by each candidate.
B) candidates win by majority vote.
C) there must be a run-off election in the event of a tie vote between two or more candidates.
D) voters may vote for a policy even if it not close to their own beliefs.

Question 21

Another name for plurality voting is:

A) instant runoff voting.
B) first-past-the-post voting.
C) pair-wise majority voting.
D) approval voting.

Question 22

Arguably the simplest voting system is:

A) instant runoff voting.
B) pair-wise majority voting.
C) first-past-the-post voting.
D) approval voting.

Question 23

Suppose everyone in a town votes that they prefer improved public transportation systems instead of public parks,then according to the criteria of ________________,that preference should not change even if a third option,like a public zoo,is included.

A) Transitivity
B) No dictator
C) Unanimity
D) Independence of irrelevant alternatives

Question 24

In considering the criteria for an ideal voting system,the idea of an irrelevant alternative refers to:

A) when an option is added to a vote and is unrelated to the issue being voted on.
B) different voting methods that could alternatively be used, but would not change the outcome.
C) when an option is added to a vote and has no realistic chance of winning.
D) different voting methods that could alternatively be used, and could change the outcome.

Question 25

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,assuming public parks and the zoo was the first pair to be voted on,which option would win overall?

A) Public transportation
B) Public zoo
C) Public parks
D) Both Public parks and zoo.

Question 26

To have an ideal voting system in place,if a group is voting on option X versus option Y,this decision should not depend on any information or preference about another unconnected option,Z.In other words,which of the following criteria must be present in the voting system?

A) Independence of irrelevant alternatives
B) Transitivity
C) No dictator
D) Unanimity

Question 27

Pair-wise majority voting entails:

A) voting on options that is done in pairs, and the majority vote wins.
B) one vote with many options, and the option with the most votes wins.
C) voters ranking all available options and the option most approved of wins.
D) None of these describes pair-wise majority voting.

Question 28

Commentators on the presidential election between Bush and Gore in 2000 believe that the presence of Nader,a third party candidate:

A) drew votes away from Gore and caused him to lose the election.
B) pushed more people to vote for Bush than otherwise would have, causing him to win the election.
C) drew votes away from Bush and caused him to lose the election.
D) drew votes away from Bush and caused him to win the election.

Question 29

Plurality voting ___________ the ideal voting-system criteria.

A) meets all
B) fails one of
C) fails two of
D) fails all of

Question 30

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,assuming public zoo and transportation was the first pair to be voted on,which voter will be happiest with the outcome?

A) Bob
B) Carlo
C) Abby
D) Abby and Bob will be equally happy.

Question 31

Suppose everyone in a town votes that they prefer improved public transportation systems instead of public parks.According to the criteria of independence of irrelevant alternatives that preference should ___________ even if a third option not likely to win,like a public zoo,is included in the vote.

A) stay the same
B) change to the median
C) change to the average
D) change to the majority

Question 32

The voting system for most elections in the United States is called:

A) pair-wise majority voting.
B) first-past-the-post voting.
C) approval voting.
D) instant runoff voting.

Question 33

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,which option would win overall?

A) Public transportation
B) Public zoo
C) Public parks
D) It is impossible to predict which option would win.

Question 34

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,assuming transportation and the zoo was the first pair to be voted on,which option would win overall?

A) Public transportation
B) Public parks
C) Public zoo
D) Public parks and zoo.

Question 35

Plurality voting fails which of the criteria for an ideal voting system?

A) Transitivity
B) No dictator
C) Unanimity
D) Independence of irrelevant alternatives

Question 36

One of the merits of plurality voting is:

A) its simplicity.
B) it has all four criteria for an ideal voting system.
C) it guarantees the best option will win.
D) it produces a result that most participants are happy with.

Question 37

First-past-the-post voting entails:

A) a series of votes with two options; the winner of the first vote is paired with another option until all options have been voted on in pairs and there is one winner.
B) voters ranking all available options and the option most approved of wins.
C) one vote with many options, and the option with the most votes wins.
D) one vote with many options, and the option that gets to 51% wins.

Question 38

The "independence of irrelevant alternatives" criterion is also known as the:

A) majority options problem.
B) third-party problem.
C) swing-vote problem.
D) misalignment problem.

Question 39

Pair-wise majority voting eliminates which problem?

A) Majority options problem
B) Swing-vote problem
C) Misalignment problem
D) Third party problem

Question 40

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,assuming public parks and transportation was the first pair to be voted on,which voter will be happiest with the outcome?

A) Abby
B) Carlo
C) Bob
D) Bob and Carlo will be equally happy.

Question 41

Pair-wise majority voting ______________ the criteria of an ideal voting system.

A) fails to meet one of
B) fails to meet two of
C) fails to meet all of
D) meets all of

Question 42

If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded,the voters' preferences are shown in the table,and the gym and library are voted on first,which project will win in the end?

A) Library
B) Computer lab
C) Gym
D) It is impossible to predict which project would win.

Question 43

If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,if Ernie sets the agenda which option would he see was voted on first?

A) Library and lab
B) Computer lab and gym
C) Gym and library
D) It doesn't matter which options are considered first.

Question 44

If a pair-wise majority vote was held,the voters' preferences are shown in the table,and Abby is setting the agenda for votes,which pair will she put up for vote first?

A) Public zoo and public parks
B) Public transportation and public zoo
C) Public parks and transportation
D) It will not matter, as it will not affect the outcome of the voting.

Question 45

If a pair-wise majority vote was held,the voters' preferences are shown in the table,and Bob is setting the agenda for votes,which pair will he put up for vote first?

A) Public zoo and public parks
B) Public transportation and public zoo
C) Public parks and transportation
D) It will not matter, as it will not affect the outcome of the voting.

Question 46

Pair-wise majority voting fails to meet which of the following criteria?

A) Transitivity
B) Independence of irrelevant alternatives and transitivity
C) No dictator and transitivity
D) No dictator and independence of irrelevant alternatives

Question 47

When voting systems fall short of the ideal by violating the principle of transitivity,the ____________ is sometimes crucial in shaping the final outcomes.

A) order in which voters get to cast their votes
B) order in which the votes get tallied
C) power to set the agenda
D) ability to say how much one option is preferred over others

Question 48

If a first-past-the-post vote was taken by the school board on which project gets funded and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,which project is most likely to win?

A) Computer lab
B) Library
C) Gym
D) It will result in a three-way tie.

Question 49

Research demonstrates that elections can be swayed by factors other than the rational policy considerations of well-informed voters,such as:

A) handshaking.
B) eating food at a county fair.
C) mudslinging.
D) All of these can sway a vote.

Question 50

If a pair-wise majority vote was held,the voters' preferences are shown in the table,and Carlo is setting the agenda for votes,which pair will he put up for vote first?

A) Public zoo and public parks
B) Public transportation and public zoo
C) Public parks and transportation
D) It will not matter, as it will not affect the outcome of the voting.

Question 51

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are in the given table,which option would win the first round of voting?

A) Public transportation
B) Public zoo
C) Public parks
D) It depends on which pair was considered first.

Question 52

If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded and the voters' preferences are in the given table,who will be happiest if the lab and library are voted on first?

A) Ernie
B) Fiona
C) David
D) All people would be equally happy.

Question 53

If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,which option would David like to see voted on first?

A) Library and computer lab
B) Computer lab and gym
C) Gym and library
D) It doesn't matter which options are considered first.

Question 54

The Condorcet paradox is a situation in which the preferences of each individual member of a group are ___________,and the collective preferences of the group are _________.

A) not transitive; not transitive
B) transitive; not transitive
C) transitive; transitive
D) not transitive; transitive

Question 55

Arrow's impossibility theorem tells us:

A) most voting systems meet the criteria for an ideal system, yet politicians cannot seem to change the way in which elections are held.
B) no voting system can aggregate the preferences of voters of three or more options while meeting all of the criteria for an ideal system.
C) political pressures will always corrupt a voting system, making none ideal.
D) no voting system can ever attain all four criteria for an ideal voting system.

Question 56

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,which of the following is true?

A) The preferences of each member is transitive.
B) The collective preferences of the group are not transitive.
C) The outcome of the vote will change, depending on the order of the vote.
D) All of these are true.

Question 57

The Condorcet paradox can arise with:

A) first-past-the-post voting.
B) approval voting.
C) run-off elections.
D) pair-wise majority voting.

Question 58

If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,which of the following is true?

A) The preferences of each member is transitive.
B) The collective preferences of the group are transitive.
C) The outcome of the vote will not change, regardless of voting method.
D) The most efficient outcome for the group will occur if pair-wise majority voting was used.

Question 59

Which theorem tells us that no voting system is perfect?

A) Arrow's impossibility theorem
B) Median-voter theorem
C) Condorcet paradox
D) Bowman's problematic theorem

Question 60

If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded and the voters' preferences are shown in the table,in order for the library to win overall,which items must be voted on first?

A) Computer lab and gym
B) Library and computer lab
C) Gym and library
D) The order will not affect the outcome of the vote.

Question 61

The consequence for society of the free-rider problem is:

A) valuable goods and services are oversupplied.
B) valuable goods and services are undersupplied.
C) goods and services not valued by the society will be oversupplied.
D) valuable goods and services are underdemanded.

Question 62

Mail-in ballots are designed to:

A) increase your ability to fulfill your civic duty.
B) increase utility derived from voting.
C) decrease the costs associated with voting.
D) increase the accuracy voting process.

Question 63

When a voter chooses to remain ignorant when the opportunity costs of gathering information outweigh the benefits,it is called:

A) irrational voting.
B) trigger mechanisms.
C) rational ignorance.
D) instinct theorem.

Question 64

If two groups disagree about a policy,a smaller group that experiences higher benefits per person can be:

A) the one less likely to get its way.
B) as successful as a larger group with smaller benefits per person, but typically not more.
C) more difficult to bargain due to the small size of the group.
D) the one more likely to get its way.

Question 65

We refer to situations in which individuals need to act collectively to reach solutions that will make everyone better off as:

A) collective-action problems.
B) free-rider problems.
C) moral hazard problems.
D) public-mind problems.

Question 66

Political advocacy:

A) and political engagement can suffer from the free-rider problem.
B) is not affected by the free-rider problem, but political engagement is.
C) can suffer from the free-rider problem, but political engagement does not.
D) and political engagement are not affected by the free-rider problem.

Question 67

Research has shown that the chances of one vote making a difference in an election is:

A) 0.001 %.
B) 0.10 %.
C) 0.01 %.
D) 99.999 %.

Question 68

If we think of good governance as a public good created by well-informed voters,we can predict that it will be:

A) oversupplied.
B) undersupplied.
C) in market equilibrium, if left unchecked.
D) in market equilibrium, despite market interference.

Question 69

Despite the fact that most votes have virtually no impact on the outcome of a vote,and knowing people incur opportunity costs to vote,we recognize that people vote for all of the following reasons except they:

A) feel pressure to fulfill their civic duty.
B) altruistically decide to contribute to the democratic process by voting.
C) get utility from participating in a civic event.
D) are obligated legally to do so.

Question 70

When organizing a collective action,it is generally true that the larger the group the:

A) lower the costs and benefits per person.
B) higher the costs and lower the benefits per person.
C) lower the costs and higher the benefits per person.
D) higher the costs and benefits per person.

Question 71

When a group of people stand to gain from an action that is not rational for any of the members to undertake individually,it is referred to as a:

A) free-rider problem.
B) collective-action problem.
C) moral hazard problem.
D) societal-wellbeing problem.

Question 72

The likelihood of successful collective action:

A) can be lower for large groups.
B) can be higher for large groups.
C) can be lower for small groups.
D) generally does not depend on the size of the group.

Question 73

The problem caused when people are often reluctant to voluntarily pay for goods and services that provide benefits for everyone,even for those who don't pay is called the:

A) drop in the bucket hypothesis.
B) rational ignorance problem.
C) moral hazard problem.
D) free-rider problem.

Question 74

A collective-action problem is a situation in which:

A) people are often reluctant to voluntarily pay for goods and services that provide benefits for everyone, even for those who don't pay.
B) people are reluctant to voluntarily pay for goods and services because they believe their individual contribution will not make a difference.
C) a group of people stand to gain from an action that is not rational for any of the members to undertake individually.
D) a small group of individuals gains power that sways the decisions of society to their personal gain at the expense of the larger society.

Question 75

At its extreme,the use of the powers of government by public officials to achieve personal gains is:

A) collective action.
B) corruption.
C) bribery.
D) a moral hazard.

Question 76

By using mail-in ballots,voter participation may fall.This can be explained as the decreased:

A) costs of voting are outweighed by the decreased benefits of being seen voting.
B) benefits of being seen voting are smaller than the decreased costs of voting.
C) benefits of being seen voting are smaller than the increased costs of voting.
D) costs of voting are larger than the decreased benefits of being seen voting.

Question 77

An unintentional consequence of using mail-in ballots in a small community is:

A) decreased costs associated with voting.
B) decreased pressure from others to fulfill their civic duty.
C) increased costs associated with tallying the votes.
D) increased pressure from government to vote.

Question 78

If the free-rider problem affects political advocacy,the result may be that the:

A) best ideas will always win because those supporters value the outcome the most.
B) best ideas will always win because free-riders are not typically supporters of relevant alternatives.
C) best ideas might not win out if lots of people fail to lend their support.
D) irrelevant alternatives are eliminated from the options, increasing the efficiency of the vote.

Question 79

The time and money it takes to organize a group or a campaign and to get the attention of lots of busy people is the:

A) cost of collective action.
B) reason why collective action does not happen in the real world.
C) reason why all individuals never participate in any collective action.
D) initial set-up costs of the campaign or group.

Question 80

Research has shown that voters are more likely to turn out in elections with ________ electorates and when the election is likely to be ____________.

A) small; very competitive
B) large; very competitive
C) small; not very competitive
D) large; not very competitive