Question 1

Since voting is a costly activity and since any individual's vote is unlikely to influence the outcome of most elections,citizens' decisions about whether or not to participate in an election may constitute a/an ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A collective-action problem occurs when individuals have a common interest but have difficulty coordinating their efforts to achieve that interest. In the case of an election, individuals may have a common interest in choosing a certain candidate or party, but the costs of voting and the likelihood of their vote making a difference may make them hesitant to participate. This creates a collective-action problem, as individuals need to coordinate their actions to achieve their desired outcome.

Question 2

Which term denotes a person's general understanding of how the political system works and who runs the government?

Accepted Answer

C

Question 3

Which term denotes the activities citizens undertake to influence government behavior?

Accepted Answer

Political participation refers to the activities carried out by citizens to influence government behavior. This can include voting, attending public meetings, contacting elected officials, and participating in protests or demonstrations. Popular sovereignty refers to the concept that the people are the ultimate source of political power, while mobilization refers to the process of organizing and coordinating individuals or groups to take collective action. Political outreach involves efforts by political candidates or parties to connect with voters and gain support, while polling refers to the measurement of public opinion through surveys or other methods.

Question 4

Which of the following is true about voting behavior?

Accepted Answer

Northerners historically have shown higher voter turnout rates than southerners. This can be attributed to various factors including political culture, socioeconomic status, and the historical context of voting rights and access in different regions.

Question 5

Sit-ins,strikes,and even violent revolts against an oppressive government,though extreme and unconventional,are nevertheless forms of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Sit-ins, strikes, and violent revolts are all examples of political participation, which is any activity that involves citizens in the political process. These forms of participation may be viewed as extreme or unconventional, but they still represent an effort by citizens to influence or challenge the government. Partisanship refers to the identification with a particular political party or ideology, polling relates to the gathering of public opinion data, political science is the study of politics, and social networking refers to online platforms for communication and connection.

Question 6

The so-called Motor Voter Law,enacted in 1994,required states to permit an individual to register to vote ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The Motor Voter Law requires states to allow individuals to register to vote when they apply for a driver's license.

Question 7

Some people like to follow politics,but most rely on friends or coworkers,or on simple "cues" from news stories or advertisements,to get the information they need to make political choices.Many people pay virtually no attention to politics.For these reasons,the level of ____________________ varies widely within the population.

Accepted Answer

The passage discusses how people obtain information to make political choices, indicating that the level of political knowledge varies widely within the population.

Question 8

Charlie,Dylan,and Joe disagree with American foreign policy decisions and do not like the current direction the U.S.is headed.They decide to take matters into their own hands and start an insurgency.They have engaged in ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Starting an insurgency is an example of unconventional or non-traditional political participation since it involves the use of violence or illegal means to challenge the government or authorities. It is not a legitimate or conventional way of expressing dissent or engaging in politics.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT an acceptable reason for few people to participate in politics?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is NOT an...

Question 10

Shelly wants to vote in the upcoming election.Before she will be eligible to vote,Shelly knows that she must fill out forms and provide personal information to her state government.This process is called ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Voter registration is the process of providing personal information to a state government in order to become eligible to vote. Voter enrollment is not a commonly used term in this context. Suffrage refers to the right to vote, not the process of becoming eligible to vote. Civic license and political license are not terms commonly used in relation to voting.

Question 11

The 1960s sit-ins by students at lunch counters in Greensboro,North Carolina,to protest "whites-only" seating at restaurants and other Jim Crow barriers,were considered ____________________ at the time.Today,we may consider these actions ____________________.

Accepted Answer

At the time, the sit-ins were seen as illegitimate acts of political participation by many, especially those who supported segregation laws. Today, they are widely regarded as legitimate and important acts of political participation that contributed to the civil rights movement.

Question 12

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 caused states to ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Help America Vote Act of 2002...

Question 13

Mary is concerned about plans to build a waste-to-energy facility in her district.She decides to write a letter to her member of Congress expressing her displeasure with the current proposal.Mary has engaged in ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Writing a letter to a member of Congress is a conventional form of political participation, which involves expressing opinions through legitimate channels of representative government.

Question 14

Which is the process by which citizens enroll themselves with the government to gain permission to vote in an election?

Accepted Answer

Voter registration is the process by which citizens enroll themselves with the government to gain permission to vote in an election. This involves filling out a form with personal information and often requires proof of residency or citizenship. Voter enrollment, suffrage, civic license, and political license are not the commonly used terms for this process.

Question 15

Writing letters to a member of Congress,attending a political rally,and donating money to a political campaign are examples of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

These are all examples of political participation, which refers to citizens actively engaging in the political process. Partisanship refers to a strong allegiance to a particular political party, polling refers to the act of collecting data through surveys, political science is the academic study of politics, and social networking refers to online platforms for connecting with others.

Question 16

Which is the principle that the authority to make decisions on behalf of society belongs to the people?

Accepted Answer

Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority to make decisions on behalf of society belongs to the people. This means that the people have the power to govern themselves through democratic means, such as voting and participating in decision-making processes. Popular sovereignty is a key tenet of democratic systems of government, and it ensures that the voices of the people are heard and their interests represented in the governance of their society.

Question 17

Why do countries like Iran,Pakistan,and Zimbabwe consider themselves "democracies?"

Accepted Answer

While Iran, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe may have flawed democratic processes and institutions, they do hold elections where citizens can vote for their leaders. Therefore, they consider themselves democracies. However, the extent to which citizens are truly able to participate freely and fairly in the democratic process in these countries is questionable.

Question 18

The "paradox of voting" refers to the ____________________ that emerges in the context of mass electoral participation.

Accepted Answer

The paradox of voting is a type of collective-action problem that arises when individuals don't have a strong incentive to participate in elections because their individual vote is unlikely to sway the outcome. However, if everyone thinks this way and chooses not to participate, the outcome could be very different, and not necessarily in the best interest of the whole group. This creates a paradox where individuals have a collective interest in participating, but individually may not find it rational to do so.

Question 19

The probability of a grave accident while attempting to get to the polls is higher than the probability of swaying a national election with a single vote.This leads scholars to ask,"Why does anyone even bother to vote in mass elections?" This is an example of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The given scenario is an example of the paradox of voting. This paradox suggests that the probability of an individual vote swaying a national election is close to zero. Despite this, people still bother to vote in elections in large numbers. The paradox has been explained using various theories, including the notion that people vote because it gives them a sense of civic duty or an opportunity to express themselves.

Question 20

What does the inequality between the costs of voting and citizens' expected rewards from voting create?

Accepted Answer

The inequality between the costs of voting and the citizens' expected rewards from voting creates the paradox of voting, which questions why individuals vote when the costs seem to outweigh the benefits.

Quiz 10: Political Participation