Question 1

It has often been remarked that Democratic candidates are more liberal in the Democratic primaries and Republican candidates are more conservative in the Republican primaries than either is in the general election.The explanation for this is most probably that
A) they are facing politically different opponents in the two elections.
B) the median voter preferences are more to the left (right)in the primaries than in the general election.
C) more people vote in the general election than in the primaries.
D) candidates are not as likely to locate the position of the median voter in the (earlier)primaries as they are in the (later)general election.

Accepted Answer

This is most likely due to the fact that the primary elections tend to attract more ideologically extreme voters, who are more likely to support candidates with strong ideological positions. In contrast, the general election involves a larger and more diverse electorate, which may lead candidates to moderate their positions in order to appeal to a broader group of voters who may have more moderate views. Therefore, the median voter preferences are more to the left (right) in the primaries than in the general election.

Question 2

Low voter turnouts that appear to be a result of voter apathy may instead be a result of
A) government intervention.
B) special interest group activity.
C) cost-benefit calculations.
D) a and b
E) a,b,and c

Accepted Answer

Low voter turnouts may be due to cost-benefit calculations made by individuals who weigh the effort of voting against their perceived impact on the election outcome. This does not necessarily involve government intervention or special interest group activity, making options A and B incorrect. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Question 3

Public choice is concerned with decision making by
A) consumers.
B) businesses.
C) government.
D) foreigners.
E) consumers and businesses.

Accepted Answer

Public choice theory focuses on decision making by government entities, including their behavior, motives, and consequences of their actions.

Question 4

The process whereby votes are exchanged to gain support for legislation is referred to as
A) logrolling.
B) rational ignorance.
C) simple majority voting.
D) special interest voting.
E) a and d

Accepted Answer

The process of exchanging votes in favor of each other's legislation is known as logrolling. This is a common practice in legislative bodies to gain support for a bill that may not have enough support on its own.

Question 5

According to public choice theorists,people behave differently in the market sector than in the public sector because
A) the more people there are in the market sector the less influence they are able to exert,whereas the more people there are in the public sector the more influence they are able to exert.
B) the fewer people there are in the market sector the less influence they are able to exert,whereas the fewer people there are in the public sector the more influence they are able to exert.
C) self-interest is the motivating force in the market sector,whereas altruism is the motivating force in the public sector.
D) altruism is the motivating force in the market sector,whereas self-interest is the motivating force in the public sector.
E) institutional arrangements are different in the two sectors.

Accepted Answer

Public choice theory argues that institutional arrangements are different in the market and public sectors, leading individuals to behave differently. In the market sector, individuals are driven by self-interest and motivated to maximize their own profits. In the public sector, individuals are motivated by a different set of incentives, such as political power and social approval. The public sector is subject to different institutional arrangements, such as democracy and bureaucracy, which can shape individuals' behavior in distinct ways compared to the market sector.

Question 6

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views,to win votes in a two-person race
A) one candidate will move to the far right of the political spectrum while the other moves to the far left.
B) one candidate will move between the middle and far right end of the political spectrum while the other moves between the middle and the far left end.
C) both candidates will move to the far right end of the political spectrum.
D) both candidates will move to the far left end of the political spectrum.
E) both candidates will move toward the middle of the political spectrum.

Accepted Answer

In a two-person race, if candidates aim to win the maximum number of votes by aligning with the views of the electorate, they are likely to move toward the middle of the political spectrum. This is because the majority of voters often hold moderate views, and positioning closer to the center allows candidates to appeal to a broader range of voters.

Question 7

Special interest groups are subsets of __________ that hold (usually)intense preferences for or against a particular government service,activity,or policy.
A) the general population
B) bureaucrats
C) elected officials
D) candidates for political office
E) all of the above

Accepted Answer

Special interest groups are typically smaller subsets of the general population that have strong opinions or desires related to specific government services, activities, or policies. While bureaucrats, elected officials, and political candidates may also hold strong beliefs about certain issues, they are not necessarily considered special interest groups by definition.

Question 8

Special interest groups
A) often gain from public policies that may not be in accord with the interests of the general public.
B) never gain from public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public.
C) always gain from public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public.
D) never lobby for public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public.
E) always lobby for public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public.

Accepted Answer

Special interest groups often have narrow and specific interests that may not necessarily align with the interests of the general public. They may lobby for and gain from public policies that benefit their own interests, even if it comes at the expense of the broader public. This is why special interest groups are often viewed with skepticism by some members of the public and can be a source of controversy in politics.

Question 9

According to public choice theory,low voter turnouts are the result of voters
A) being apathetic.
B) being uninformed.
C) being lazy.
D) disliking the candidates.
E) calculating their costs and benefits of voting.

Accepted Answer

Public choice theory suggests that individuals are rational and self-interested in their decision-making, including whether or not to vote. Therefore, they will weigh the costs and benefits of voting, such as the time and effort involved in casting a ballot versus the perceived impact of their vote. If the perceived benefits do not outweigh the costs, individuals may choose not to vote. This is known as rational non-voting. Therefore, the best choice is E - voters calculating their costs and benefits of voting.

Question 10

The state of choosing not to acquire information because the costs of acquiring the information are greater than the benefits is referred to as
A) logrolling.
B) rational ignorance.
C) market failure.
D) government failure.

Accepted Answer

Rational ignorance refers to the state of choosing not to acquire information because the cost of acquiring the information is greater than the benefits. This decision is considered rational when the benefits of acquiring the information are not significant enough to justify the cost of doing so. Logrolling refers to the practice of exchanging favors between two parties to get what one wants. Market failure and government failure refer to situations where the market or government fails to allocate resources efficiently. These concepts are unrelated to the situation described in the question.

Question 11

Simple majority voting sometimes leads to projects being undertaken whose costs are greater than the benefits.How is this possible?
A) It is not possible,unless the voting results are rigged.
B) Because voters have no way to express the intensity of their preferences.
C) Because many voters choose to be rationally ignorant.
D) Because free riding is pervasive.

Accepted Answer

Simple majority voting does not measure the intensity of voters' preferences. Therefore, a project may receive a majority of votes, even if many voters only mildly prefer it over the alternative options. This can lead to the selection of projects that have costs greater than their benefits.

Question 12

The simple majority decision rule may generate results that are
A) efficient,because the projects undertaken are the ones desired by more than 50 percent of the people.
B) efficient,because projects are undertaken only if total benefits exceed total costs.
C) efficient,because the intensity of individuals' preferences are considered.
D) inefficient when the total benefits of projects undertaken are less than the total costs.
E) inefficient when the intensity of individuals' preferences are considered.

Accepted Answer

The simple majority decision rule can be inefficient if projects are approved based on majority preference without considering if the total benefits exceed the total costs, leading to potential inefficiencies.

Question 13

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views,then
A) candidates will label themselves as right-wingers.
B) candidates will label themselves as left-wingers.
C) candidates will label their opponents as middle-of-the-roaders.
D) candidates will discuss the means to accomplishing ends.
E) a candidate who is trailing in the polls will modify his or her position to become more like his or her opponent.

Accepted Answer

This assumption suggests that candidates will adjust their positions to align more closely with the majority of voters' views to gain more support, especially if they are behind in polls. This strategy is aimed at attracting undecided voters or those whose views are not strongly aligned with the leading candidate.

Question 14

Congressman A promises to vote for a bill that Congressmen B and C are sponsoring,and in return both B and C promise to vote for a future bill that A is sponsoring.This practice is called
A) cutting "red tape."
B) chasing the median voter.
C) rational ignorance.
D) logrolling.

Accepted Answer

This practice is called logrolling, where two or more legislators agree to support each other's bills or policies.

Question 15

According to public choice theorists,the behavior of people employed in the public sector is likely to differ from the behavior of people employed in the private sector because
A) the two sectors are likely to attract people of different psychological profiles.
B) government employees are likely to exhibit more civic responsibility than private-sector employees.
C) the same objective to maximize one's net benefit will produce different behavior in different institutional settings.
D) all of the above
E) a and b

Accepted Answer

Public choice theorists argue that the institutional setting shapes individuals' behavior, and the incentives and constraints faced by public sector employees are different from those in the private sector. Therefore, the same objective of maximizing one's net benefit will produce different behavior in different institutional settings. The answer choices A and B are not convincing explanations for the difference in behavior between public and private sector employees as they rely on assumptions about the psychological profiles and civic responsibility of individuals, which may not be supported by evidence.

Question 16

Special interest groups are usually
A) well informed on all political issues.
B) well informed on all economic issues.
C) well informed on issues of interest to them.
D) not well informed on any issues,but appear to be.

Accepted Answer

Special interest groups are formed around a single issue or set of related issues. Therefore, they tend to be well-informed on issues that are directly related to their interests. They may not have the same level of knowledge on other issues that are not relevant to their interests.

Question 17

Which of the following is a prediction of the median voter model for a two person political race?
A) Candidates will try to present themselves as extremists.
B) Candidates who are behind in the polls will try to move closer to the position of their opponents.
C) Candidates will try to label their opponents as "too middle-of-the-road."
D) Candidates will try to be specific and clear about their own programs and the means of achieving them.

Accepted Answer

The median voter model predicts that in a two-person race, candidates will move towards the center to capture the median voter. If a candidate is behind in the polls, moving closer to the opponent's position (who is presumably capturing the median voter) is a strategy to win over some of these voters.

Question 18

"In two hours the polls will close.I know I should probably vote,but it is raining,and besides,there is a basketball game on TV tonight,so I'll just stay in." This person is exhibiting
A) median voter preferences.
B) rational ignorance.
C) decision making based on cost-benefit considerations.
D) logrolling.

Accepted Answer

The person is weighing the costs (going out in the rain and missing a basketball game) against the benefits (voting) and deciding that the costs outweigh the benefits, which is a form of decision making based on cost-benefit considerations.

Question 19

Rational ignorance refers to voter-citizens choosing to be uninformed about politics and government on an individual basis because
A) of apathy.
B) of ignorance.
C) of laziness.
D) they believe the benefits of becoming informed are greater than the costs.
E) they believe the benefits of becoming informed are less than the costs.

Accepted Answer

Rational ignorance occurs when individuals purposefully choose to be uninformed about politics and government because they believe that the benefits of becoming informed are less than the costs. This could be due to the time and effort needed to become informed, the complexity of the issues, or a belief that their individual vote will not make a difference in the outcome. It is not necessarily due to apathy, ignorance, or laziness.

Question 20

-Refer to Exhibit 32-2-(a).Two candidates are competing for an electorate consisting of 9 voters labeled A-I shown positioned with respect to their ideological stands on issues.The median voter theory would predict that candidates will assume the ideological position(s)
A) of voter A.
B) halfway between that of voter G and that of voter A.
C) of voter C.
D) of voter B.
E) of voter G and voter I,respectively.

Accepted Answer

The answer of 
-Refer to Exhibit 32-2-(a).Two candidates are competing...

Quiz 19: Building Theories to Explain Everyday Life: From Observations to Questions to Theories to Predictions

It has often been remarked that Democratic candidates are more liberal in the Democratic primaries and Republican candidates are more conservative in the Republican primaries than either is in the general election.The explanation for this is most probably that

Low voter turnouts that appear to be a result of voter apathy may instead be a result of

Public choice is concerned with decision making by

The process whereby votes are exchanged to gain support for legislation is referred to as

According to public choice theorists,people behave differently in the market sector than in the public sector because

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views,to win votes in a two-person race

Special interest groups are subsets of __________ that hold (usually) intense preferences for or against a particular government service,activity,or policy.

Special interest groups

According to public choice theory,low voter turnouts are the result of voters

The state of choosing not to acquire information because the costs of acquiring the information are greater than the benefits is referred to as

Simple majority voting sometimes leads to projects being undertaken whose costs are greater than the benefits.How is this possible?

The simple majority decision rule may generate results that are

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views,then

Congressman A promises to vote for a bill that Congressmen B and C are sponsoring,and in return both B and C promise to vote for a future bill that A is sponsoring.This practice is called

According to public choice theorists,the behavior of people employed in the public sector is likely to differ from the behavior of people employed in the private sector because

Special interest groups are usually

Which of the following is a prediction of the median voter model for a two person political race?

"In two hours the polls will close.I know I should probably vote,but it is raining,and besides,there is a basketball game on TV tonight,so I'll just stay in." This person is exhibiting

Rational ignorance refers to voter-citizens choosing to be uninformed about politics and government on an individual basis because

-Refer to Exhibit 32-2-(a) .Two candidates are competing for an electorate consisting of 9 voters labeled A-I shown positioned with respect to their ideological stands on issues.The median voter theory would predict that candidates will assume the ideological position(s)