Question 1

In the 2016 presidential election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton won the popular vote because she won more support from _______________, the largest group within the American electorate.

Accepted Answer

Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in the 2016 election largely due to her significant support from women, who are the largest group within the American electorate.

Question 2

As of mid-2018, a dozen states and the District of Columbia had either already implemented or passed voter registration reforms that would allow people to register when renewing their driver's licenses or state identification cards, or when interacting with any state agency that collects documents with the information required for determining voting eligibility.What is likely to be a result of such laws?

Accepted Answer

These laws are likely to make voter registration more accessible and convenient, leading to an increase in total voter turnout for most elections.

Question 3

In the 1960s, the U.S.Supreme Court held "one person, one vote" was to be the standard in the drawing of any electoral district, whether at the federal, state, or local level.In so doing, the court held that districts must have comparably sized populations within their jurisdictions.The Court made an exception for the election of U.S.senators, however, because:

Accepted Answer

The Constitution explicitly provides for equal representation of states in the Senate, with each state having two senators regardless of population, and this has not been changed by amendment.

Question 4

Voter turnout in the United States is typically calculated by looking at the total number of votes in any election, and dividing that number against the total voting age population in a given jurisdiction.Unfortunately, this simple formula:

Accepted Answer

The formula understates the turnout rate because it includes individuals who are part of the voting age population but are not eligible to vote, such as noncitizens, institutionalized or mentally incapacitated persons, and felons without voting rights.

Question 5

At the beginning of the Republic, most states restricted voting rights to:

Accepted Answer

At the beginning of the Republic, voting rights were primarily restricted to white men over the age of 21, with many states requiring property ownership as a qualification for voting.

Question 6

During the same turn-of-the-century years in which many states began requiring voter registration, what did many states use to keep immigrants and black people from voting?

Accepted Answer

Many states used literacy tests as a means to disenfranchise immigrants and black people, as these tests were often unfairly administered and used to suppress their voting rights.

Question 7

One thing all parts of the United States have, despite differences in the party in power, is overlapping political boundaries.People can live in the same congressional districts but vote in vastly differing city council districts, for instance, and also in school districts at variance with either, even while voting in the same polling place.These boundaries create which practical problem, one that voter registration helps solve?

Accepted Answer

Varying combinations of elected offices require different ballots, and voter registration helps ensure that voters receive the correct ballot for their specific combination of districts.

Question 8

Between 1890 and 1910, what were termed progressive movement reforms included the creation of state voter registration requirements.This reform, like others, was justified on the grounds that it would reduce corruption and voter fraud, such as that associated with urban political machines.Even so, voter registration systems were instituted with the goal of:

Accepted Answer

The creation of state voter registration requirements was often aimed at weakening urban political machines and disenfranchising immigrants and black people, who were seen as supporters of these machines.

Question 9

While the results of the 2016 presidential and congressional elections signaled a shift to the right in U.S.politics, as compared to the Obama era, the shift had strongly populist overtones that seemed to parallel elections in:

Accepted Answer

The 2016 U.S. elections and the Brexit vote both reflected a populist wave, with voters expressing dissatisfaction with the political establishment and favoring nationalist and anti-globalization sentiments.

Question 10

While presidential election polling leading up to the 2015 election was not far off the mark in suggesting a popular vote win for Hillary Clinton, polls were off in states with ____________, ones that gave Donald Trump his Electoral College edge.

Accepted Answer

Polls underestimated Trump's support in states with significant white working-class populations, which were crucial for his Electoral College victory.

Question 11

The way the Electoral College works creates a population inequity in presidential elections because:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The way the Electoral College works creates...

Question 12

Individuals who are _____________ have the right to vote in American federal elections, unless they are imprisoned or, in some states, ex-felons.

Accepted Answer

In the United States, the right to vote in federal elections is granted to citizens who are at least 18 years old, with some restrictions for those who are imprisoned or, in certain states, ex-felons.

Question 13

_________________ provide(s) the basis for administering elections in the United States.

Accepted Answer

Voter registration lists or databases provide the basis for administering elections in the United States by ensuring that only eligible voters can participate and by helping to manage and organize the voting process.

Question 14

Over two-thirds of American states were allowing some form of early voting-that is, voting during a designated period before an official election day by the mid-2010s.Meanwhile, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado allowed voting by mail.These reforms allowed for the rise of:

Accepted Answer

Convenience voting refers to measures like early voting and mail-in voting that make it easier for people to vote, increasing accessibility and participation.

Question 15

Women tend to identify and vote more with ________________ than men do.

Accepted Answer

Women tend to identify and vote more with the Democratic Party than men do, as historically, the Democratic Party has been more aligned with issues that are important to many women, such as healthcare, education, and reproductive rights.

Question 16

In the 2010 decision Citizens United v.Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court held that a federal campaign finance reform law had wrongly imposed restrictions on ________________ by corporations.

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court ruled that restrictions on independent expenditures by corporations violated the First Amendment's free speech clause.

Question 17

Large majorities of African Americans and Hispanic voters have tended to back __________ candidates.

Accepted Answer

African American and Hispanic voters have historically shown strong support for Democratic candidates in U.S. elections.

Question 18

A third-generation Cuban-American woman living in the Miami area, Zamira, has become good friends with Mindy, a native white Floridian who lives just two blocks away from her.Despite a difference in cultural backgrounds, the two-both new to their neighborhood-have bonded not only over their love of local foods, but fondness for discussion of political news and issues.They are surprised, even so, to learn that they live in different congressional districts. What they soon realize is that, although their neighborhood is typically thought of as a more liberal-leaning area, Florida state legislators placed Mindy's street in a more Republican district to dilute Democratic voter strength and boost Republican chances of winning seats.
What political practice did Florida legislators engage in here?

Accepted Answer

The practice described is gerrymandering for partisan advantage, where district boundaries are manipulated to favor one political party over another.

Question 19

Even though Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote.While every race has its nuances or quirks as well as multiple reasons for their ultimate results, similar outcomes occurred in four previous American presidential races, ones tied to:

Accepted Answer

The Electoral College system requires candidates to win individual states to secure electoral votes, which can result in a candidate winning the presidency without winning the popular vote.

Question 20

Turnout in congressional midterm elections has, in recent times, tended to be ____________ the percentage turnout for presidential elections.

Accepted Answer

Turnout in congressional midterm elections is typically considerably lower than the turnout for presidential elections.

Quiz 10: Elections