American Government-Exam 2

To which level of government (local, state, national) does the U.S. Constitution give primary responsibility for regulating and administering elections for federal office?

state

Are election laws mostly the same from state to state or do they tend to vary markedly across states? Why?

Regulate from state to state because states have a lot of freedom on how to run elections.
Article 1, Section 4 of the U.S.
Constitution establishes that each state sets its own congressional election procedures, but that congress can set uniform national rules altering state laws.

o In Georgia, are elections administered by a single centralized agency, or are they administered by each county in the state?

Each county in the state

What is a primary election?

Held to determine political parties' nominees

What is a general election?

Parties' nominees run against each other to determine who serves in office,elections are held where the parties' nominees run against each other to determine who serves in office. (occurs after the primary election)

When (in even-numbered years or odd-numbered years) do elections occur for the following offices?
Georgia Senate:

Every even year (Georgia general assembly)

o When (in even-numbered years or odd-numbered years) do elections occur for the following offices?
Georgia House of Representatives

o When (in even-numbered years or odd-numbered years) do elections occur for the following offices?
U.S. House of Representatives

Every even year

o When (in even-numbered years or odd-numbered years) do elections occur for the following offices?
U.S. President

Every 4 years (even)

o When (in even-numbered years or odd-numbered years) do elections occur for the following offices?
Major Georgia executive branch offices, such as Governor and Lieutenant Governor:

Midterm election years (even)

o When (in even-numbered years or odd-numbered years) do elections occur for the following offices?
Atlanta Mayor

Odd or even years

o When (in even-numbered years or odd-numbered years) do elections occur for the following offices?
Atlanta City Council

Odd or even year

What is a referendum and how is it different from a citizen ballot initiative? Does Georgia have both kinds of ballot items? If not, which does it have?

Proposed law placed on a ballot by a legislative authority.In contrast, a citizen ballot initiative is placed on ballots by citizens who gather a required number of signatures on petitions. Georgia only has a referendum.

What, according to your textbook, does Article X of the Georgia Constitution require for an amendment to the Georgia Constitution to be ratified (i.e., does it need to be a general or primary election, even or odd year, referendum or other)?

A proposed constitutional amendment can be ratified only after being placed on a ballot as a referendum item in a general election in an even-numbered year

What is convenience voting?

Any form of voting that does not occur on the day of the election at the voting precinct. Flexible opportunities to vote besides traditional in-person voting at the polls on election day

What are the two primary forms of convenience voting?

Absentee voting and early in-person voting

o How does Georgia compare to other states in the extent to which it provides voters with convenience voting options (below average, average, or above average)?

Georgia is above average in the degree to which it provides voters with convenience voting options

What is no-excuse absentee voting? Does Georgia have this?

Georgia has this; everyone is eligible to vote absentee- you do not, need an excuse like being sick or out of the country

How many weeks prior to Election Day does the early voting period last in Georgia? Do any states have longer early voting periods than this?

Early voting period in Georgia lasts three weeks before Election Day. Some states have longer early voting periods which are an entire month.

o Is voter turnout generally higher or lower in Presidential election years or in midterm election years? Is it generally higher in federal elections or in local elections?

-Higher in presidential election years
-Lower in local election

Over the past decade, have African American citizens tended to vote at higher, lower, or approximately the same rate as white Americans (i.e., non-Hispanic whites)?

African American citizens tend to vote at the same rate as white Americans

o At the same time, have Hispanic (Latino / Latina) citizens tended to vote at higher, lower, or approximately the same rate as African Americans?

Hispanic citizens tend to vote at a lower rate compared to African Americans.

o Do men and women currently vote at approximately the same rate, or does one sex tend to vote at a significantly higher rate than the other (and if so, which one)?

Women have had slightly higher turnout rates than men

o Do wealthier Americans and poorer Americans tend to vote at approximately the same rate, or does one economic group tend to vote at a significantly higher rate than the other (and if so, which one)?

Higher turnout rate for higher income voters

o Do younger Americans and older Americans tend to vote at approximately the same rate, or does one age group tend to vote at a significantly higher rate than the other (and if so, which one)?

Older American turn out more then younger

o Do highly educated Americans and less-educated Americans tend to vote at approximately the same rate, or does one education-level group tend to vote at a significantly higher rate than the other (and if so, which one)?

Highly educated Americans tend to have a significantly higher voter rate

What is epistocracy?

rule by knowledge

Currently, Americans with lower levels of political knowledge tend to vote at lower rates than Americans with higher levels of political knowledge. According to Jason Brennan, is this lower rate of turnout by Americans with lower knowledge a problem to be solved or is it something desirable that should be encouraged? Why?

His theory is only highly informed people should vote, and uninformed voters have a moral duty to abstain from the electoral process

What does it mean to say, "if you are not at the table, you are on the menu"? What implication does this have for the argument that it would be good to increase voter turnout among those who currently vote at disproportionately low rates?

It is the only place that all citizens can participate equally, the threat or promise of voting is the only way to influence the self-interests of elected officials

According to the textbook, is there evidence to suggest that governments tend to systematically serve the interests of those who vote and disserve those who do not vote? Or does the government seem indifferent to who votes?

Your interests are more likely to be represented, policy makers pay more attention to voters or registered voters

Be sure to know and understand the rational choice model of voting

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Be sure to know and understand the rational choice model of voting.
§ How does it create the "paradox of voting"

To explain why it is rational to vote even if one is unlikely to determine the winner by oneself.

Be sure to know and understand the rational choice model of voting.
§ When expressed as a formula, what does the D-Term variable represent?

All direct benefits from voting that are independent from whether one's vote is the decisive factor in the election

Be sure to know and understand the rational choice model of voting
What does the C-Term variable represent

the costs incurred by Voter I by voting

Be sure to know and understand the rational choice model of voting.

Why are these thought to be the two most important variables influencing voter turnout?

There are factors that influence the direct benefits and cost of voting, which is different for everyone. Representation(d-term) and taking time to vote might mean losing an hour of paid work(c-term) can influence voter turnout.

Be sure to know and understand the rational choice model of voting.
§ What is the resource model of voting and how does it relate to the rational choice model?

Need answer

According to the textbook, on what basis have over five million American citizens over the age of 18 been disenfranchised?

Felony convictions

What is meant by "compulsory voting"? What impact has it been shown to have on voter turnout?

In some countries, citizens pay a fine or receive some other punishment if they abstain from voting, resulting in a very high voter turnout.

What impact has same-day registration had on voter turnout? How does the rational choice model of voting explain this?

​​Same-day registration increases voter turnout by 5% above-average.

o What impact on voting rates did Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act have among Latino citizens who speak Spanish as a first language?

this law increased Latino representation in government by increasing turnout among Latino citizens who speak Spanish as a first language

What did it do?
requires localities to provide materials in a non-English language if more than 10,000 or over five percent of the total voting age citizens are members of a single language minority group, have depressed literacy rates, and do not speak English well.

o What are some potential strategies provided by the textbook for reducing the costs of voting related to election timing and location?

- convenience voting
- move all state and local elections to even-numbered years so that the elections coincide with federal elections
- make Election Day a national holiday so people don't need to take time off work.

What is civil disobedience? Be sure to know examples of civil disobedience.

Acts of lawbreaking intended to create awareness of unjust laws or government practices and thereby catalyze reforms of those laws or practices such as
Trespassing on government or corporate property
- Obstruction of vehicular traffic
- Unlawful assembly
- Disorderly conduct
- Disturbing the peace
- Refusal to pay taxes
- Refusal to perform military service
- Interference with public officials' performance of official duties

o According to the textbook, demonstrations, marches, and protests are often used not only to make a point about a public policy issue, but also for something else? What else are they used for?

To express the first amendment which is the rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. It's also used to support democracies and to granted that policymakers uphold their rights.

What are strikes and boycotts?

A strike is a collective decision by a large number of people to refuse to work in order to dramatize a situation or force those who are adversely affected to make concessions.

A boycott is a collective refusal to purchase a particular good or service.

What is the main difference between a strike and a boycott?

a strike is when people refuse to Work, while boycott is refusing to PURCHASE a good/service

o Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "A riot is the language of the unheard." According to the textbook, did King mean by this that a riot indicates the democratic political system is operating well? Or did he mean it's a sign that the system is operating poorly?

King meant a riot indicates that the system is operating poorly.

· Be able to associate the following concepts / labels with the correct corresponding major political party: color blue, color red, Grand Old Party (GOP), elephant, donkey, conservative, liberal, right, left.

Need answer

Major party

frequently win elections and have majority or sizeable seats in legislature (Democratic or Republican).

Minor party

Minor parties rarely if ever win elections and have no-little seats in legislature (libertarian).

What are the main differences between political parties and interest groups as discussed in the textbook? What do they have in common?

Political parties want to win elections and take control of the government. Interest groups are citizens that join together and voice their opinions and their goal is to influence the government.

o What is meant by "party platform"? What does it typically include?

A document that expresses a political party's principles, goals, and policy positions on domestic and foreign affairs.

o Does the U.S. have a two-party system or multiparty system?

Multi-Party

o What is a Winner-Take-All election system? How does it differ from a Proportional Representation election system? Which system is used in America?

Winner-take-all or winner-takes-all is an electoral system in which a single political party or group can elect every office within a given district or jurisdiction

Why does the United States Have a Two-Party System

It developed in the struggle between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.because of two structural features in American politics: single-member districts and winner-take-all elections

Duverger's Law offers a social scientific explanation for why some countries have two-party systems and others have multiparty systems. What is that explanation?

Winner-take-all elections tend to favor two-party systems, while PR tends to favor multiparty systems

The Republican Party developed due to tensions between the North and the South in America. What event led to the solidification of the Republican and Democratic parties in America?

The Civil War

· What is meant by "party realignment"? What is the most important example of this in recent history according to the textbook?

A shifting of party allegiances within the electorate. When black people went from Republican to Democrat in the mid-1960s

· The 1932 presidential election is widely considered to be a critical election. What reason does the textbook give for this?

After this election, political parties were largely identified as being divided by differences in their members' socio-economic status

· Today, which parts of the country are strongly associated with the Democratic Party and which are associated with the Republican Party?

Urban areas and the Northeast are Democratic while the South and rural areas are extremely Republican.

What does the term "party-in-the-electorate" mean?

Those members of the voting public who consider themselves to be part of a political party and/or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other.

A lot of people say they are "independents," but the textbook points out that this is somewhat misleading. Why is this misleading? (Hint: it has something to do with the concept of party "leaners".)

Most self-proclaimed "independents" lean in the direction of one party or the other. They identify with a party during elections even if they don't publicly pick a side.

· What is meant by "mega-identity"? Be sure to know and understand the discussion in the textbook around this term, specifically why party identification is best thought of as a social identity that overlaps with many other aspects of social identity.

An identity through which multiple social identities reinforce and magnify each other.

What does the term party organization mean? Why is it important (according to the textbook)?

The formal structure of the political party, and its active members are responsible for coordinating party behavior and supporting party candidates. A vital component of any successful party because it bears most of the responsibility for building and maintaining the party "brand." It also plays a key role in helping select, and elect, candidates for public office.

· The local and state level party organizations are much less visible than the national level. Why is this?

Local and state-level party organizations are the workhorses of the political process
-they take on most of the responsibility for party activities and are easily the most active participants in the party formation and electoral process

What are the 5 ways the House and Senate differ?

-The size
-Seats per state
-Term Lengths
-Citizenship/Age Requirements
-Constitutional Powers

Be able to compare the House and Senate differences along all 5 dimensions.
· Why the Founders Chose Bicameralism

need answer

What is the idea of a "mixed regime"

(traced back to Greek philosopher Aristotle)? The founders sought to use bicameralism to combine the advantages of democracy and aristocracy while avoiding the shortcomings of each.
Mixed Regime: Good political system should mix democratic and aristocratic elements to avoid disadvantages of a pure democracy or pure aristocracy while gaining their advantages
Originally Aristotle's Idea (founders)
Bicameral shares the combination of advantages of democracy and aristocracy while avoiding their short comings

How is it reflected in the bicameral structure of Congress?

The House is democratically designed and the Senate has an aristocratic design.

How did the Great Compromise contribute toward the establishment of congressional bicameralism?

This compromise, the small state preference for equal state representation applied to the Senate and the large state preference for representation proportional to state population size applied in the House.Equal representation from each state in the Senate and
proportional representation of the states in the House of
Representatives

What are the advantages of bicameral legislatures?

More Diverse Constituency and Slower to Act(the advantage of reducing the likelihood of passing flawed or reckless legislation.)

What are some disadvantages of bicameral legislatures?

Less Accountability and Slower to Act(This slowness can be a disadvantage when there is a sensed need to act quickly.)

The Committee System
oWhat are the 5 basic types of committees?

Standing Committee, Select(Temporary/Permanent) Committee, Joint and Conference Committees

Which committees are the core committees in both the House and Senate?

Standing Committees

What is the difference between a standing committee, a joint committee, a select committee, and a conference committee?

Standing: Permanent congressional committees responsible for a particular area of public policy.
Joint: Composed of members of both House and Senate that perform advisory functions
Select: Perm- cover issues that cut across the jurisdiction of multiple standing committees Temp-Serve for a limited amount of time investigate, study, make findings, hold public hearings,
Conference: Temporary committees that are formed to resolve differences between house and senate versions of a bill

How is the party balance on a committee determined? Which party has more seats on a committee: the majority or the minority party?

Majority

What do the party conferences in Congress do?

Members of each major party get together to select their leaders.

What are the different leadership positions in Congress? (For example, House Majority Leader, Speaker of the House, etc.). Be able to describe what each position does.

HOuse Majority Leader: Second most influential leader of the majority party in the HOR(behind only the Speaker of the House
-Speaker of the House:Invariably the leader of the majority party in the House; powerful presiding officer of the HOR selected by majority vote in the chamber.

Be able to rank the following positions based on how much real power they have (according to the textbook): the Senate's president pro tempore, the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House

need answer

What are the six stages before a bill can become a law?

need answer

In which chamber must bills that raise revenue begin?

What do committees do with bills that are sent to them?

What is a traditional filibuster? Which chamber allows for a filibuster of legislation? What is a cloture vote? How many votes are needed to end a filibuster

How can a bill become law even if the President vetoes the legislation?

President vetoes the bill it is sent back to Congress with a note listing his/her reasons. The chamber that originated the legislation can attempt to override the veto by a vote of two-thirds of those present. If the veto of the bill is overridden in both chambers then it becomes law.

What is an omnibus spending bill?

type of bill that combines smaller ordinary appropriations (spending) bills into one larger single bill that can be passed at once. There are twelve different ordinary appropriations bills that need to be passed each year.

The balance of power between congressional committees and political parties has shifted heavily toward which since the 1980s?

Party leadership has gained control of bills, which restricts debate

What is a modern filibuster? How is it different from a traditional filibuster?

Senators can request cloture before any bill can get a vote, which increases the number of votes needed for a bill to advance from a simple majority to a super majority, allowing the senate minority to obstruct legislation.

What is the budget reconciliation process? What is its relationship to the modern filibuster?

The budget reconciliation process is where the federal budget can be amended in a single vote.

What is reapportionment?

Reapportionment is the redistribution of seats in the HOR based on state population changes

Who is in charge of conducting reapportionment?

congress

What is the one-person, one-vote standard? Which institution established it?

A rule created by the Supreme Court that says state elections require an equal number of voters in each district

What is redistricting? Which level of government (the national government or the state governments) is in charge of it?

Redistricting is the redrawing of district lines to accommodate population shifts and keep districts equal. State govt is in charge of it

According to the textbook, what percentage of 2022 House district elections are genuinely competitive "toss up" races that could go either way?

8%

According to the textbook, what percentage of House elections in the year 2000 were genuinely competitive "toss up" races that could have gone either way?

40%

Causes of the Decline in Competitive Congressional Elections
o What is the "Big Sort"?

A trend over the past forty years in which Americans who are similarly in educational level, lifestyle, and political orientation increasingly choose to live close to each other

What is gerrymandering?

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.
Book definition •The manipulation of legislative district boundaries as a way of favoring candidates from a particular party, group, or socio-economic class.

Has gerrymandering or the "Big Sort" had more impact on the decline of competitive congressional elections?

Gerrymandering

What are the effects of uncompetitive elections on voters and civic health?

Uncompetitive elections provide little incentive for winning over voters or promoting voting. They can also be less informed about public health affairs.

What is malapportionment?

An unequal distribution of voting power per citizen across geographic electoral units (e.g., districts or states) due to divergent ratios of voters to representatives

Is the U.S. Senate one of the most or one of the least malapportioned legislative chambers in the world?

Is the U.S. House of Representatives one of the most or one of the least malapportioned legislative chambers in the world?