Question 1

Which state holds their elections entirely by mail?

Accepted Answer

Oregon holds their elections entirely by mail, allowing all registered voters to receive their ballots via mail and return them the same way. This system has been in place since 1998 and has been shown to increase voter turnout.

Question 2

Which of the following most directly contributes to an incumbent president facing competition for the party's nomination during a reelection bid?

Accepted Answer

Low approval ratings typically lead to a decline in support from the president's own party, making it more likely that other members of the party will challenge the president for the nomination. Open and closed primaries, frontloading, and the president's schedule are all factors that can impact the primary process, but low approval ratings are the most direct contributor to facing competition from within the party.

Question 3

Why do election rules and their implementation matter?

Accepted Answer

In close races, small changes to rules can have a big impact on the electoral outcome. Therefore, it is important to have clear and fair rules in place and to implement them consistently to ensure that elections are free and fair.

Question 4

Which of the following is a recent trend in American general elections?

Accepted Answer

Early voting has become a recent trend in American general elections, where voters can cast their ballots before the official election day, often starting weeks in advance. This has become increasingly popular as a way to increase voter turnout and make voting more accessible for those with busy schedules or other obligations on election day. Frontloading refers to scheduling primary elections early in the calendar year, and blanket primaries allow voters to choose candidates from any party on a single ballot, but these are not recent trends in American general elections. Nationalized balloting and regional elections are not commonly used terms in relation to American elections.

Question 5

If your senator decides to run for reelection, then he or she would be considered the ________ in that election.

Accepted Answer

An incumbent is a current officeholder who is seeking reelection. Therefore, if your senator decides to run for reelection, he or she would be considered the incumbent in that election.

Question 6

An election in which any registered voter can participate in selecting a party nominee is
Called a(n):

Accepted Answer

In an open primary, any registered voter can participate in selecting a party nominee, regardless of their party affiliation. This is different from a closed primary where only registered party members can participate. A blanket primary is similar to an open primary but allows voters to select candidates from multiple parties on one ballot. A general election is the final election that determines who will hold office, and a runoff election occurs when no candidate receives a majority of votes in the primary or general election.

Question 7

The 2014 election was a ________ election; the 2012 election was a ________ election.

Accepted Answer

A midterm election is one that occurs in the middle of a presidential term and typically includes races for Congress. A presidential election, on the other hand, is when the country elects a president. Therefore, the 2014 election, which featured races for Congress but not for president, was a midterm election. The 2012 election, which included the presidential race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, was a presidential election.

Question 8

Voters hold incumbents accountable through which kind of evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Retrospective evaluation refers to judging the performance of an incumbent based on their past actions and decisions. This is a common way for voters to hold incumbents accountable during elections. Personal evaluation refers to basing a vote on the candidate's personal traits rather than their performance in office, prospective evaluation refers to judging a candidate based on their promises for future performance, campaign evaluation refers to judging a candidate based on their overall campaign strategy or tactics, and registration refers to the act of registering to vote.

Question 9

If an election is close enough, usually within 1 percent, a state may allow a(n):

Accepted Answer

A recount is a process in which the votes are counted again to make sure that the results are accurate. If the election is close, within 1 percent, a recount can be requested and authorized by the state to ensure that the winner is determined fairly. This is a common process in many states to ensure the integrity of the election process. Therefore, the best answer is C) recount.

Question 10

What kind of election is it when legislative reelection rates are high and the issues are relatively local?

Accepted Answer

A normal election is characterized by high legislative reelection rates and issues that are relatively local, as opposed to nationalized elections where broader national issues dominate.

Question 11

While the ________ use(s) proportional allocation rules in all primaries and caucuses, the ________ uses a combination of proportional allocation and winner-take-all to determine convention delegates.

Accepted Answer

The Democratic Party uses proportional allocation rules in all primaries and caucuses, while the Republican Party uses a combination of proportional allocation and winner-take-all to determine convention delegates.

Question 12

Which of the following does NOT help a candidate survive early primary contests?

Accepted Answer

Superdelegates typically only come into play during the later stages of the primary process and are not a factor in a candidate surviving early primary contests. A candidate surviving early primaries is more dependent on having financial resources (campaign contributions), a motivated campaign team (campaign volunteers), support from established politicians (political endorsements), and media coverage to gain name recognition and momentum.

Question 13

Which of the following restrictions on voter eligibility is true for all Americans regardless of what state they live in?

Accepted Answer

The requirement to be 18 years or older is a federal law under the 26th Amendment and applies to all Americans, regardless of the state they live in. The other options may vary by state law. For example, some states allow convicted felons to vote once they have served their sentence and others do not, and some states allow people in jail on Election Day to vote while others do not.

Question 14

How are presidential primaries different from presidential caucuses?

Accepted Answer

The main difference between presidential primaries and caucuses is the manner in which voters participate. Primaries involve voting by ballot, whereas caucuses take place in a local meeting where participants openly support their preferred candidate. Option D is the only one that correctly identifies this difference.

Question 15

In the fictional country of Atlantis they use a system of elections where if no one gets more than 50 percent of the votes they eliminate everyone but the top two contenders and then vote again. This is an example of what kind of election system?

Accepted Answer

This system is a "majority with run-off" because it requires a candidate to achieve more than 50% of the votes to win, and if no candidate does, a run-off election is held between the top two contenders.

Question 16

Which of the following illustrates the importance of ballot design?

Accepted Answer

The "butterfly" ballot in Florida in 2000 led to confusion among voters, which may have affected the outcome of the presidential election in that state. This illustrates the importance of ballot design in ensuring that voters are able to accurately and easily cast their votes.

Question 17

A normal election takes place when ________, while a nationalized election takes place when ________.

Accepted Answer

A normal election is characterized by high reelection rates, while a nationalized election occurs when reelection rates are low and significant national issues are at play.

Question 18

A voting system in which the candidate with the most votes wins is called:

Accepted Answer

Plurality voting is a system in which the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not have a majority (more than 50%) of the votes. This is the most commonly used voting system in the United States for elections such as the presidential election and many state and local elections.

Question 19

What does it mean to be a "representative" democracy?

Accepted Answer

A representative democracy is a form of government in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions and policies on their behalf. The representatives are chosen through fair and free elections, and they work to pass laws and make decisions that reflect the will of the people who elected them. However, unlike a direct democracy where citizens vote directly on policies and bills, in a representative democracy, citizens have an indirect say on policy by voting in elections. Therefore, option E is the best choice.

Question 20

When Bob goes to vote, he often thinks about questions like "Has my current member of Congress done a good job?" and "Does my current member of Congress handle issues I care about properly?" This is an example of what kind of evaluation?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a retrospective evaluation because Bob is reflecting on his current member of Congress's performance and past actions.

Quiz 9: Elections