Quiz 7 Voting and Elections

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

 

National Voter Registration Act

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

 

decrease election fraud

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

 

The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.

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

 

Registration increased by 7%

What's a challenge that college students face with regard to voter registration?

 

They wonder whether to register at home or at college.

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?

 

voting-age population

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

 

over forty-five years old

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

 

compulsory voting laws

Why does age affect whether a citizen will vote?

 

Older voters have more money, education, and job security.

If you were going to predict whether your classmates would vote in the next election, what questions would you 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 ________.

 

faster and has higher turnout

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

 

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

Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?

 

in their state capitol, in December

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

 

presidential

What problems will candidates experience with frontloading?

 

Candidates would have less time to campaigns in each state.

Why have fewer moderates won primaries than they used to?

 

Primary voters are more ideologically motivated than voters in general elections.

Why do parties prefer closed primaries to open primaries?

 

Only party members get to decide who the candidate will be.

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?

 

pocketbook

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

 

gerrymandering of the candidate's district

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

 

signature or veto by state governor

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.

 

government proposes something and the voters approve it

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

 

The need to collect signatures, raise money, and choose the election in which their plan is most likely to pass.

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

 

Organizing interest groups and proposing initiatives is easier when money is readily available.