OpenStax "American Government 3e": Chapter 7 "Voting and Elections" - Review Questions

Which of the following makes it easy for a citizen to register to vote?

a. grandfather clause

b. lengthy residency requirement

c. National Voter Registration Act

d. competency requirement

c. National Voter Registration Act

Which of the following is a reason to make voter registration more difficult?

a. increase voter turnout

b. decrease election fraud

c. decrease the cost of elections

d. make the registration process faster

b. decrease election fraud

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

a. The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.

b. The state ended voter registration.

c. The state sends every resident a voter registration ballot.

d. The state allows online voter registration.

a. The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.

What effect did the National Voter Registration Act have on voter registration?

increased voter registration rate and turnout: accessibility (DMV/driver's license, state ID), established agencies, state-mandatory opportunities in various points/avenues, statistical impact in minority/underrepresented groups lowering barriers and making more convenient process

What challenges do college students face with regard to voter registration?

[Given] The main challenge is figuring out where students wish to register, at home or at college. Out-of-state students have an even greater challenge because they have moved across state lines.

If you wanted to prove the United States is suffering from low voter turnout, a calculation based on which population would yield the lowest voter turnout rate?

a. registered voters

b. voting-eligible population

c. voting-age population

d. voters who voted in the last election

c. voting-age population

What characterizes those most likely to vote in the next election?

a. over forty-five years old

b. income under $30,000

c. high school education or less

d. residency in the South

a. over forty-five years old

Why do Belgium, Turkey, and Australia have higher voter turnout rates than the United States?

a. compulsory voting laws

b. more elections

c. fewer registration laws

d. more polling locations

a. compulsory voting laws

forced

What recommendations would you make to increase voter turnout in the United States?

[Given] To increase voter turnout in the United States, I would suggest these options: move to all-mail voting, hold elections on weekends, automatically register voters, and pass federal law that further reduces impediments to voter registration.

Why does age affect whether a citizen will vote?

-older tends to have more time, education, and interest to interact with politics (65-74) + parties and government tend to also focus on issues affecting older citizens rather than on younger citizens + after retirement, they have more money, education, and job security and are likely to see more clearly how the government affects their well-being

-younger tends to have less time (work/schooling), less educated, and less interest to interact with politics/political apathy + frequent moving, lower tax and regulatory burdens, less dependence on government social programs, family responsibilities, and lack of engagement with government (18-25) + volunteering instead

If you were going to predict whether your classmates would vote in the next election, what questions would you ask them?

[Given] I would ask them their age, educational level, interest in politics, income level, and whether they voted in the last election.

A state might hold a primary instead of a caucus because a primary is ________.

a. inexpensive and simple

b. transparent and engages local voters

c. faster and has higher turnout

d. highly active and promotes dialog during voting

c. faster and has higher turnout

Which of the following citizens is most likely to run for office?

a. Maria Trejo, a 28-year-old part-time sonogram technician and mother of two

b. Jeffrey Lyons, a 40-year-old lawyer and father of one

c. Linda Tepsett, a 40-year-old full-time orthopedic surgeon

d. Mark Forman, a 70-year-old retired steelworker

b. Jeffrey Lyons, a 40-year-old lawyer and father of one

middle-age, wealth, occupation related to government/politics, small family

Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?

a. at their precinct, on Election Day

b. at their state capitol, on Election Day

c. in their state capitol, in December

d. in Washington D.C., in December

c. in their state capitol, in December

In which type of election are you most likely to see coattail effects?

a. presidential

b. midterm

c. special

d. caucuses

a. presidential

coattail effect - phenomenon that occurs when the popularity of a political candidate or leader results in higher voter counts for other candidates of the same party; "riding on the president's coattails"

What problems will candidates experience with frontloading?

frontloading - excessively funding/putting resources into the beginning of a campaign to the point where the rest of the future campaign is lackluster, decreasing possible votes and increasing a change away from a vote; popularity would increase and then decrease

Why have fewer moderates won primaries than they used to?

[Given] Candidates with extreme viewpoints gain media attention, and primary voters are more ideologically motivated than voters in other elections.

How do political parties influence the state's primary system?

-deciding primary type: whether a state uses open, closed, or semi-closed primaries; often advocate for a primary type that benefits their electoral strategy

closed primary - only registered party members can vote

open primaries - allow any registered voter to participate.

-setting rules and procedures: establish governing the primary process, including eligibility requirements, the scheduling of primaries, and the method of voting (ex: in-person, mail-in).

-delegates and allocation: determine based on results, impacting how votes translate into representation at national conventions; can include winner-takes-all or proportional distribution methods

-influencing voter engagement: voter turnout by promoting the primary election, mobilizing their base, and providing information on candidates and issues

-state party platforms: developed, can influence which issues are prioritized during the primaries, shaping candidate positions and voter preferences

-collaboration with state officials: to implement their preferred primary systems and ensure that the process aligns with their goals

Why do parties prefer closed primaries to open primaries?

[Given] Closed primaries do not allow voters affiliated with other parties to vote, thus keeping the decision inside the party.

Susan is currently working two part-time jobs and is frustrated about the poor economy. On Election Day, she votes for every challenger on the ballot, because she feels the president and Congress are not doing enough to help her. What type of vote did she cast?

a. retrospective

b. prospective

c. pocketbook

d. straight ticket

c. pocketbook

based on money/financials

Which factor is most likely to lead to the incumbency advantage for a candidate?

a. candidate's socioeconomic status

b. gerrymandering of the candidate's district

c. media's support of the candidate

d. candidate's political party

b. gerrymandering of the candidate's district

manipulating boundaries to favor party

In what ways is voting your party identification an informed choice? In what ways is it lazy?

informed choice - shared ideology, logical

lazy - not all candidates of the same party share all the same policy positions, may miss some issues, partisanship

Do physical characteristics matter when voters assess candidates? If so, how?

[Given] Voters tend to vote for candidates who look attractive and competent. They may consider race, gender, height, weight, and other physical attributes.

Which of the following is not a step in the initiative process?

a. approval of initiative petition by state or local government

b. collection of signatures

c. state-wide vote during a ballot election

d. signature or veto by state governor

d. signature or veto by state governor

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.

a. voters propose something but the governor approves it

b. voters propose and approve something but the legislature also approves it

c. government proposes something and the voters approve it

d. government proposes something and the legislature approves it

c. government proposes something and the voters approve it

a general vote on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision; not purely

for the people" due to government proposal

What problems would a voter face when trying to pass an initiative or recall?

voter would need to collect signatures, pick the right election/group of voters, raise money for advertising

Why do some argue that direct democracy is simply a way for the wealthy and businesses to get their own policies passed?

[Given] People of means can easily form interest groups to propose initiatives/recalls and that have the resources to pay for signature collection.

Which of the following would NOT be a problem faced by a voter trying to pass an initiative of recall?

a. there are no requirements for initiatives or recalls

b. the voter would need to collect signatures

c. pick the right election/group of voters

d. raise money for advertising

a. there are no requirements for initiatives or recalls

What effect did the National Voter Registration Act have on voter registration?

a. registration increase by 57 percent

b. registration increase by 17 percent

c. registration increase by 7 percent

d. registration increase by 0 percent

c. registration increase by 7 percent

*based on textbook

Which of the following is NOT a reason why age can affect whether a citizen will vote?

a. parties and government tend to also focus on issues affecting older citizens rather than on younger citizens

b. older voters have more money, education, and job security and are likely to see more clearly how the government affects their well-being, particularly after retirement

c. older voters are less interested in politics and have less to lose than younger voters

d. younger citizens prefer volunteering over voting

c. older voters are less interested in politics and have less to lose than younger voters