Deck 8: Political Participation and Voting

Question 1

Which Amendment extended voting rights to eighteen year olds?

A)Thirteenth Amendment
B)Fifteenth Amendment
C)Nineteenth Amendment
D)Twenty-Second Amendment
E)Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Answer 1

E

Question 2

According to Table 8.2,which age category tends to have the highest voting rates?

A)29 and under
B)30-45
C)46-61
D)62-77
E)78 and over

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In what year was a woman's right to vote recognized?

A)1900
B)1910
C)1920
D)1930
E)1940

Answer 3

C

Question 4

If the large financial donations by George Soros in 2004 and Sheldon Adelson in 2012 did not change the outcome of either election,why would they have bothered to give such large sums of money?

A)Because they hoped to be associated with a winning candidate.
B)Because they wanted to gain political favors from a candidate.
C)Because they wanted to raise awareness about a candidate or an issue.
D)Because they wanted to influence the outcome of future legislation.
E)Because they believed private donations were more effective than public ones.

Question 5

The fact that people are active in politics,even though their individual impacts seem small,is known as the paradox of __________.

A)accessibility
B)compromise
C)delayed benefits
D)participation
E)selective engagement

Question 6

The paradox of participation is best illustrated by which statement?

A)It is rare for an election to be decided by a single vote.
B)Incumbents have a high reelection rate.
C)Latino voter turnout remains at a low level.
D)Few Americans contribute money to political campaigns.
E)African-American partisanship switched to Democrats.

Question 7

Prospective voting occurs when a citizen's vote is based upon __________.

A)a candidate's religious beliefs
B)how a politician has performed in the past
C)partisan identification
D)the citizen's socioeconomic level
E)expectation of what a politician will do if elected

Question 8

A benefit enjoyed only by people who contributed to the attainment of the benefit is a(n)__________.

A)collective benefit
B)expressive benefit
C)group benefit
D)selective benefit
E)symbolic benefit

Question 9

Which of the following legislation abolished literacy tests as a requirement for voter registration?

A)1865 Civil Rights Act
B)1932 Voting Rights Act
C)1960 Civil Rights Act
D)1965 Voting Rights Act
E)1975 Voting Rights Act

Question 10

Voting based upon expectations of what a candidate will do once in office is called __________.

A)clairvoyant voting
B)expectant voting
C)future voting
D)prospective voting
E)tentative voting

Question 11

Roughly what percentage of eligible Americans has not registered to vote?

A)ten percent
B)twenty percent
C)thirty percent
D)forty percent
E)fifty percent

Question 12

Of the issues listed in Table 8.4,on which do we see the greatest difference between younger and older Americans?

A)allowing Social Security funds to be invested in the stock market
B)ensuring women access to abortion services
C)expanding government services in general
D)favoring same-sex marriages
E)supporting cuts in military spending to reduce the deficit

Question 13

According to Figure 8.6,in which of the categories would you see the lowest levels of Latino participation?

A)campaign contributions
B)campaign work
C)membership in a political organization
D)protesting
E)voting

Question 14

When did the Occupy Wall Street movement begin?

A)1999
B)2001
C)2008
D)2009
E)2011

Question 15

According to Figure 8.5,which of the following statements regarding Southern party affiliation is true?

A)Partisan affiliation has been evenly split between Democrats and Republicans since 1960.
B)Partisan affiliation has diminished for both Republicans and Democrats since 2000.
C)Partisan affiliation for Democrats has declined since 1964.
D)Partisan affiliation for independents has declined since 2000.
E)Partisan affiliation for Republicans has declined since 1992.

Question 16

In Figure 8.1,which country has the highest level of voter turnout?

A)Australia
B)Germany
C)Netherlands
D)United Kingdom
E)United States

Question 17

According to Table 8.1,in which of the following activities do Americans participate the most?

A)attending campaign meetings
B)contacting public officials
C)discussing politics with others
D)volunteering
E)organizing to benefit the community

Question 18

Roughly what percentage of Americans contributes money to political campaigns?

A)five percent
B)ten percent
C)fifteen percent
D)twenty percent
E)twenty-five percent

Question 19

Issues on which virtually everyone agrees are known as __________.

A)compromise issues
B)decided issues
C)group issues
D)salient issues
E)valence issues

Question 20

Which of the following was a key concern for the Occupy Wall Street movement?

A)high levels of student loan debt
B)low levels of government spending
C)military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq
D)privatization of Medicare
E)the federal deficit

Question 21

Which of the following is true about American voters?

A)Almost all Americans register to vote.
B)Americans are more likely to vote in local elections than for president.
C)Roughly three-quarters of Americans vote regularly.
D)Most Americans do not vote in every election.
E)The majority of Americans neither register nor vote.

Question 22

Which of the following would probably increase voter turnout in the United States?

A)voter registration on Election Day
B)increased public funding for third parties
C)bi-annual elections
D)plurality elections
E)voter identification laws

Question 23

Which of the following best describes voting in the United States?

A)Voting belies the weakness in partisan identification in the United States.
B)Voting illustrates how citizens have low levels of political efficacy.
C)Voting is dependent upon overall voter information levels.
D)Voting requires identifying with both a state and national political party
E)Voting requires both registration and turnout during the election cycle.

Question 24

Why do we say there is a paradox of participation?

A)Citizens engage in split-ticket voting.
B)Citizens participate,though they are not likely to directly affect the outcome.
C)Citizens vote for president,but their votes do not directly count.
D)Voting and participation are too confusing for citizens.
E)Voting is the least preferred method of participation by citizens.

Question 25

Which of the following is a way that a political party's mobilization efforts would increase participation?

A)GOTV campaigns bring implicit social rewards to voters.
B)GOTV campaigns increase the number of elections in which voters may participate.
C)GOTV campaigns minimize the selective benefits of voting.
D)GOTV campaigns reduce the expense of primary elections for parties.
E)GOTV campaigns supplement the pool of eligible voters.

Question 26

Even though Americans vote at lower rates than that of other democracies,they are more likely to do which of the following?

A)attend a political meeting
B)engage in community work
C)join a political party
D)run for elected office
E)write to elected officials

Question 27

Partisan direction refers to __________.

A)the gradual drift toward party dealignment
B)the partisan direction of a party's platform
C)the degree of loyalty a party inspires
D)the number of volunteers a party can mobilize
E)the political party with which a person identifies

Question 28

If your candidate were worried about voter turnout,which option would you suggest as the best way to improve turnout?

A)Campaign in a senior citizens center.
B)Lobby for increased NASA funding.
C)Manufacture a campaign crisis.
D)Run negative ads against your candidate's rival.
E)Sponsor a GOTV campaign.

Question 29

If demographic groups participated in proportion to the population percentage,__________.

A)Americans would elect more third party candidates.
B)Overall,collective opinion would change very little.
C)Collective opinion would be more economically conservative.
D)Collective opinion would be more socially liberal.
E)There would be consensus on most political issues.

Question 30

The results in Florida during the 2000 presidential election demonstrate that __________.

A)Democrats are more likely to engage in election protests that Republicans.
B)Florida is more conservative than most of the other states.
C)Individual participation can affect the outcome of an election.
D)The Supreme Court has constitutionally mandated election oversight.
E)High levels of partisanship negatively affect individual participation.

Question 31

Of the following,who is most likely to vote?

A)registered Republicans
B)African-Americans
C)people younger than thirty
D)people with high school diplomas
E)the unemployed

Question 32

According to the authors of your text,while there are many reasons why Americans do not vote,which of the following best explains low voter turnout rates among Americans?

A)candidate choice
B)election scheduling
C)plurality decisions
D)registration regulations
E)voter identification laws

Question 33

What has been the result of a lowered cost of voter participation in the United States?

A)Participation levels have been stable.
B)Participation levels have decreased.
C)Participation levels have increased.
D)Partisanship has increased.
E)Partisanship has decreased.

Question 34

If you choose a candidate based on a specific policy preference,you have engaged in which sort of voting?

A)consensus voting
B)issue voting
C)perspective voting
D)red button voting
E)retrospective voting

Question 35

Which of the following helps explain why some Americans do not vote?

A)Americans have difficulty passing voter eligibility tests.
B)Americans worry about the interchangeability of their votes.
C)Most Americans think political efficacy is high.
D)There are too many political parties from which to choose.
E)Voter registration is not automatic: it is a citizen's responsibility.

Question 36

If you wanted to find out demographic information about voters in your district,what would be the most effective way to do so?

A)Call all the voters in your district
B)Go door to door
C)Hold a town hall meeting
D)Send out a voter survey
E)Use computers and statistical analysis

Question 37

Which of the following is true regarding factors that influence participation?

A)All the factors are related,but none is more important than the other in understanding voter participation.
B)Because only some of the factors are related,they are all equally important in understanding voter participation.
C)Personal factors are more important than the others in understanding voter participation.
D)Political environment is more important than legal factors in understanding voter participation.
E)While unrelated,factors are all equally important in understanding voter participation.

Question 38

Why does occupation impact political turnout?

A)Politics becomes more important,the more capital you earn.
B)Blue collar employers often require employees to vote.
C)White collar professions tend to emphasize civic skills.
D)Service industries tend to have high active union membership.
E)Paying taxes includes a vested political interest in voting.

Question 39

You are a politician with limited time to visit voters.Given what you know from Table 8.2,with which of the following income groups should you spend the most time?

A)voters in the first quintile
B)voters in the second quintile
C)voters in the third quintile
D)voters in the fourth quintile
E)voters in the fifth quintile

Question 40

What is the goal of non-voting participation?

A)to influence the content of bureaucratic regulations
B)to influence the decisions of elected officials
C)to influence the opinions of federal judges
D)to influence the recruitment of candidates by the political parties
E)to influence the selection of primary dates by the states

Question 41

When you cast your ballot,the most important factor affecting your choice will probably be your __________.

A)age
B)partisan affiliation
C)race
D)religion
E)socioeconomic status

Question 42

How does the two-party system affect American elections?

A)It depresses voter registration.
B)It increases voter mobilization.
C)It lowers voter turnout.
D)It exaggerates candidate similarities.
E)It reduces partisan strength.

Question 43

What is the most likely behavior of people with low partisan attachments?

A)They are more likely to change party affiliation over time.
B)They are more likely to have blue collar jobs.
C)They are more likely to volunteer in the community.
D)They are more likely to vote in general elections.
E)They are more likely to vote in primary elections.

Question 44

What is a possible resolution to the paradox of participation?

A)Advocate for non-traditional forms of voting.
B)Educate individuals on the benefits of voting.
C)Fund voter mobilization initiatives.
D)Join a group of like-minded political activists.
E)Reduce voter registration requirements by the states.

Question 45

The emergence of "Reagan Democrats" in the 1980s is a reflection of __________.

A)a long-term decline of the Democratic Party
B)bi-polarity in political and partisan attitudes
C)how changing political attitudes can affect partisan affiliation
D)the decline of "leaner" categories in American politics
E)the stability of partisan attitudes

Question 46

Why would a multi-party system create a greater incentive for you to vote?

A)Multiparty systems are less corrupt.
B)Multiparty systems are less ideological.
C)Multiparty systems have easier registration rules.
D)Multiparty systems have fewer elections.
E)Multiparty systems provide more specific collective benefits.

Question 47

According to your text,a Democrat in a Republican dominated district may stop voting,due to __________.

A)low partisanship decisions
B)low party strength decisions
C)minority electoral decisions
D)plurality electoral decisions
E)proportional electoral decisions

Question 48

If a candidate thinks that voters will engage in prospective voting,which of the following is most likely to occur in a campaign?

A)emphasis on the personal life of the candidate and his or her opponent
B)emphasis on the past performance of the candidate
C)emphasis on the previous foreign policy experience of a candidate
D)emphasis on what the candidate has done to improve the economy of his or her district
E)emphasis on what the candidate will do in office if elected

Question 49

If you decide to make sure supporters of your candidate get to the polls on Election Day,you are engaging in voter __________.

A)bouncing
B)efficacy
C)mobilization
D)participation
E)wrangling

Question 50

Why does a two-party system depress voter turnout?

A)American parties are relatively centrist.
B)American parties tend to work collectively.
C)There are more independent voters than partisan voters.
D)Third parties are better at voter mobilization.
E)Two parties limit the perception of voter choice.

Question 51

If you vote for a candidate because of his or her stand on gun control,you have engaged in what type of voting?

A)conservative
B)issue
C)partisan
D)typology
E)valence

Question 52

What does the women's suffrage movement illustrate about political activity?

A)It illustrates how grassroots participation can increase civic skills.
B)It illustrates how partisanship can affect election outcomes.
C)It illustrates how socioeconomic class affects civic skills.
D)It illustrates the relationship between gender and civic skills.
E)It illustrates that civic skills are of little use without the vote.

Question 53

How does partisanship influence the general election?

A)Partisanship depresses independent voter turnout.
B)Partisanship increases total voter turnout.
C)Partisanship increases contention with third parties.
D)Partisanship is highly stable in determining political behavior.
E)Partisanship is highly subjective in determining political behavior.

Question 54

Why are valence issues important in how voters develop political positions?

A)Valence issues are a tertiary source of party identification.
B)Valence issues are the primary source of partisan direction.
C)Valence issues help highlight the different approaches to addressing common issues.
D)Valence issues cut across socioeconomic status dividing Americans.
E)Valence issues vary widely between voters and are the cause of major electoral debates.

Question 55

Of the following,which is the most important for a retrospective voter?

A)how convincingly the candidate speaks in debate
B)how closely a candidate follows the party platform
C)the policy promises of a candidate
D)the past performance of a candidate
E)the private life and moral code of a candidate

Question 56

How does the revisionist view of party identification differ from the traditional view?

A)The traditional view argues that partisan direction is more important that partisan strength in determining party identification.
B)The revisionist view asserts that opinions about issues and candidates do not influence party identification.
C)The traditional view believes that partisan strength is the sole factor affecting party identification.
D)The revisionist view holds that local issues affect party identification more than national issues.
E)The revisionist view maintains that partisan direction is more important than party strength in determining voter identification.

Question 57

Why is it difficult to determine how many people vote on election day?

A)Census data does not have information on voting behavior.
B)It is easy to overstate the number of people who will vote in an election.
C)Registration records from the states are incomplete.
D)Some states have slow vote recording processes.
E)There is not enough data to determine long term trends in voter turnout.

Question 58

How does voter registration affect voter turnout?

A)Registration requirements depress turnout by discriminating against minorities and women.
B)Registration requirements make the voting process smoother by removing ineligible voters before Election Day.
C)Registration requirements depress turnout by making the registration process more difficult for everyone.
D)Registration requirements increase turnout by investing citizens in a sense of civic duty.
E)Registration requirements increase voter turnout by supplementing existing voter ID laws.

Question 59

When you say that you identify with one political party over another,you are discussing your partisan __________.

A)action
B)direction
C)efficacy
D)strength
E)trajectory

Question 60

Why is there less data about what influences the decisions of primary voters?

A)There is a perception of bias,as primary voters also vote on Election Day.
B)Partisan strength is not considered an important issue in primary elections.
C)Primary voters are less likely to participate in polls.
D)The smaller sample makes primary voting data less credible.
E)Primary voters have lower levels of partisan direction.

Question 61

Prior to 1963,there were no federal protections for the voting rights of African Americans.

Question 62

Issue and policy preferences are clear predictors of voting behavior.

Question 63

A politician is more likely to visit a senior citizen center than a community college.

Question 64

One way to increase election turnout would be to change the election calendar.

Question 65

A __________ campaign is an effort to mobilize voters.

Question 66

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 abolished __________ as a condition for registering to vote.

Question 67

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 abolished literacy tests as a requirement for voter registration.

Question 68

According to Table 8.1,of all forms of political participation,Americans are least likely to participate in a protest.

Question 69

Citizens with high levels of efficacy believe that government does not work.

Question 70

According to Figure 8.6,__________ have the lowest rates of voter participation by racial category.

Question 71

Younger Americans are more likely to vote than older Americans.

Question 72

Socioeconomic status seldom influences voting behavior.

Question 73

__________ is the right to vote.

Question 74

Convicted felons can vote in the United States.

Question 75

According to Table 8.2,Democrats have higher voter turnout rates than Republicans.

Question 76

If you have a high level of political __________,you believe your actions can affect politics.

Question 77

Each individual vote is significant in determining the outcome of an election.

Question 78

People who self-identify as a Democrat or a Republican are less likely to vote.

Question 79

If you perceive an election as contested,you are less likely to vote.

Question 80

The general trend in U.S.voter participation is one of decline.