POLS chapter quizzes exam 2

One of the most effective ways Southern state legislatures legally disenfranchised black voters was through?

the "white primary."

The most politically powerful age group in the states is?

senior citizens

What political development "democratized" the nomination process and reduced the power of party bosses?

primaries

Which amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees women the right to vote?

Nineteenth Amendment

Which amendment of the constitution prohibits states from requiring voters to pay a poll tax?

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

_____ refer to elections used to determine who will run in the general elections under the party labels?

Primary elections

_____ refers to allowing voters from a different party to help determine the party's nominee.

Crossover voting

Separating state elections from presidential or federal elections _____

permits voters to focus more closely on state issues

Lower voter turnout levels in some states can be attributed to

less educated and poorer population

In some states, a plurality winner of the party's primary automatically triggers a second election called a?

runoff primary

According to the responsible party model, responsible parties perform which of the following actions?

• Educate people about issues and simplify their choices

• Recruit candidates for public office

• Hold their elected officials accountable to deliver on their campaign promises

• All of the above

All of the above

The increased influence of the media and single-issue interest groups in the electoral process has contributed to?

a rise in candidate-centered elections

Which of the following is the most important predictor of voting behavior?

Party identification

Party identification has been declining because _____

more people are not self-identifying with either political party

Situations where a voter casts his or her vote for a Democrat in one race and a Republican in another is called ______

split-ticket voting

The important functions political parties provide in American politics include all the following EXCEPT _______

passing state campaign finance laws

The power structure of American political parties is _____

decentralized

State parties are governed largely by the ____

laws of the states

The primary responsibility of national committees in both political parties is to _____

keep the party going in between elections

Professional media campaigns are predominately used in statewide races to _____

contact more potential voters through television, radio, and newspaper advertising

In Texas, why is a governor's post-adjournment veto so powerful?

It cannot be overturned by the legislature.

Most state legislators are?

more educated than the general population.

All state legislative districts are supposed to be drawn…

in a compact and contiguous manner with fairly equal numbers of voters in each district

Drawing of district lines for partisan advantage is referred to as?

gerrymandering

Which body is most responsible for drawing legislative districts?

state legislatures

The function of committees in the legislative process is to?

reduce legislative work to manageable proportions by providing for a division of labor among legislators.

If committees simply ignore a bill or fail to schedule hearings on it, they are said to be?

pigeonholing a bill.

For how long does the Texas legislature meet?

The regular legislative session lasts 140 days every two years

States where one political party controls one or both houses of the legislature and the other political party controls the governorship have a…

divided government

How is the Speaker of the House chosen?

elected by the House members