Deck 7: Voting and Political Participation in Texas

Question 1

According to a recent survey,which of the following types of political participation is most common?

A) worked with others to solve a community problem
B) signed a paper petition
C) sent a letter to the editor of a local publication
D) contributed money to a political candidate or party

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which group was the primary target of the poll tax?

A) individuals who did not own property
B) itinerant farm workers
C) low-income white farmers
D) poor Democrats

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In Verba and Nie's typology of political participation,which category contains the highest percentage of the population?

A) complete activists
B) parochial participants
C) inactives
D) campaigners

Answer 3

C

Question 4

How does Texas compare to the rest of the country in terms of percentage of eligible voters who actually vote?

A) well above average
B) a bit above average
C) about average
D) below average

Question 5

What is the impact of Texas political culture on political participation?

A) It strongly encourages political participation.
B) It moderately encourages political participation.
C) It has no significant effect on political participation.
D) It discourages political participation.

Question 6

John is upset that the power company is planning to build several wind turbines on the property next to his home.He writes letters to his elected representative and the local newspaper,voicing his displeasure with the project.According to Verba and Nie,what type of political participation is John demonstrating?

A) communalist
B) campaigner
C) parochial participant
D) voting specialist

Question 7

Which of the three measures for voter turnout consistently shows the higher figures?

A) percentage of registered voters who voted
B) percentage of VEP who voted
C) percentage of VAP who voted
D) They are all roughly equal.

Question 8

Why was Texas's 2011 voter ID law rejected by the U.S.Justice Department?

A) because of the authority granted in Section 5 of the Federal Voting Rights Act
B) because the data Texas provided demonstrated minorities would be adversely affected
C) because of the legacy of restricted access to the ballot
D) because new data generated by the federal government demonstrated minorities would be adversely affected

Question 9

An individual who is an active voter but avoids the combat and controversy of partisan campaigns is which type of political activist?

A) communalist
B) campaigner
C) parochial participant
D) voting specialist

Question 10

If the post office in Texas is unable to deliver a voter registration card,it will be returned to the voter registrar,and

A) it will be sent to the polling station on election day for the voter to pick up.
B) the voter registrar will attempt to find a forwarding address and re-send the card if one is found.
C) the county sheriff will be notified to investigate possible voter fraud.
D) the voter will need to re-register in order to vote in future elections.

Question 11

The National Voter Registration Act is also known as the

A) Vehicles and Votes Act.
B) Rapid Registration Act.
C) Motor Voter Act.
D) CARS Act.

Question 12

According to a recent survey,which of the following types of political participation is least common?

A) attended a political rally or speech
B) volunteered for a political candidate
C) sent a letter to the editor of a local publication
D) contributed money to a political candidate or party

Question 13

In Texas,how long prior to an election must you register in order to be eligible to vote?

A) 0 days (same day registration)
B) 10 days
C) 15 days
D) 30 days

Question 14

In what decade was the poll tax abolished in Texas?

A) 1890s
B) 1920s
C) 1940s
D) 1960s

Question 15

Of the following,which are NOT considered part of the voting population using VAP?

A) noncitizens
B) convicted felons
C) citizens
D) minors

Question 16

The state of Texas's history of restricting access to voting is very much in keeping with its

A) individualistic political culture.
B) moralistic political culture.
C) states rights political culture.
D) traditionalistic political culture.

Question 17

The expansion of political participation in the southern U.S.states has come about largely because of

A) suffrage movements of the early twentieth century.
B) federal government intervention.
C) the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
D) the civil rights movement.

Question 18

Which of the three measures for voter turnout consistently shows the lower figures?

A) percentage of registered voters who voted
B) percentage of VEP who voted
C) percentage of VAP who voted
D) They are all roughly equal.

Question 19

What is the voter participation measure used most often by political scientists?

A) percentage of registered voters
B) percentage of voting-age U.S. citizen population
C) percentage of voting-eligible population
D) percentage of voting-age population

Question 20

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding "same-day" voter registration?

A) It leads to a higher rate of voter fraud.
B) It promotes higher voter turnout.
C) In states with large minority communities, it fosters lower voter turnout.
D) It was first tried in North Dakota.

Question 21

Define the voter participation measurement known as voting-age population,and discuss the errors inherent in this measurement.

Question 22

What factors explain why Hispanics vote in relatively low proportions in Texas?

Question 23

The Texas Constitution allows cities and school boards to cancel elections if

A) three-quarters of the races are uncontested.
B) all the races are uncontested.
C) there is a budget shortfall that will impact services if the election is held.
D) the city was chartered as a general rule city.

Question 24

The Supreme Court's 1944 Smith v.Allwright decision

A) outlawed white primaries.
B) upheld property qualifications for bond elections.
C) required Texas schools to desegregate.
D) held that poll taxes were constitutional.

Question 25

Which of the following helps increase voter turnout in an election?

A) party competition
B) closeness of the election
C) party competition in a district
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 26

Which state does NOT limit the voting rights of persons convicted of a felony?

A) West Virginia
B) Mississippi
C) Vermont
D) Texas

Question 27

How did Texas act throughout its history to restrict the voting rights of poor people and minorities? How were these practices finally ended?

Question 28

In a recent survey of Texas adults,approximately ________ of respondents reported encouraging others to vote for a particular candidate.

A) one-quarter
B) half
C) three-quarters
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 29

Define and contrast registered voters,voting-age population,and voting-eligible population.

Question 30

Discuss Texas's legacy of restricted ballot access.Does Texas continue to restrict the ballot today? Defend your position.

Question 31

Which group had the lowest turnout rate in Texas in the 2012 presidential election?

A) African American
B) white
C) Asian American
D) Hispanic

Question 32

Which group had the highest turnout rate in Texas in the 2012 presidential election?

A) African American
B) white
C) Asian American
D) Hispanic

Question 33

What are the current laws in Texas that define what a person needs to do to register to vote and then actually vote on Election Day?

Question 34

Which of the following elections would typically have a higher voter turnout?

A) general election
B) primary election
C) local election
D) off-year election

Question 35

List the characteristics of a citizen who is more likely to vote than others in Texas,and discuss why this person would be more likely to vote.

Question 36

What is the most common form of political participation?

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

Question 37

Which group was the primary supporter of the white primary in Texas?

A) the Republican Party
B) the Democratic Party
C) African American organizations
D) the Ku Klux Klan

Question 38

The annual registration system for Texas voters

A) was abolished at the same time as the poll tax.
B) applied only to racial minorities.
C) was replaced by a permanent registration system.
D) only applied to white primaries.

Question 39

With the growth of the Internet,what has become one of the easiest ways to participate in politics?

A) voting
B) attending rallies
C) making financial contributions
D) signing paper petitions

Question 40

Which of the following is a rational reason for why some people choose not to vote?

A) satisfaction with the status quo
B) the so-called paradox of voting
C) "good citizen" syndrome
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 41

Argue for or against allowing convicted felons to vote.How does Texas address the issue of voting and convicted felons?

Question 42

Discuss forms of political participation other than voting.Does one stand out as being more important than the others? Explain.

Question 43

Why is voter turnout typically quite low for local elections?