AP Gov Ch 8: Political Participation

Which age group is least likely to vote in a presidential election? (1964-2000)

18 to 24.

Identify two time periods of considerable length that are characterized by a steady, general decrease in voter turnout. (1860-2004)

1896 to 1920 / 1960 to 1988.

What percentage of the voting age population in America voted in these elections? (1996-2001)

47.2 percent.

According to the VEP measure, what percentage of eligible voters participated in the 2004 presidential election? (1948-2000)

60 percent.

What percentage of registered voters in America voted in these elections? (1996-2001)

63.4 percent.

The percentage of the adult population in America that is registered to vote is remarkably high

About 1/3 are not registered.

Where is the turnout of the voting age population above 80 percent or higher? (1996-2001)

Australia, Denmark and Belgium.

Where is the turnout of registered voters above 90 percent or higher? (1996-2001)

Belgium and Australia.

voting-age population (VAP)

Citizens who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement

voting-eligible population (VEP)

Citizens who have reached the minimum age to be eligible to vote, excluding those who are not legally permitted to cast a ballot

Motor-voter registrants are more likely to vote than other new registrants.

F A 2001 study found they are less likely to vote.

Research suggests get-out-the-vote drives are generally successful.

F A 2004 study found the results of such efforts to be small, or nil.

At the time the Constitution was ratified, the only qualifications for voters were that they be white and male.

F At that point in time, suffrage was extended to white, male property holders.

Calls to overhaul the nation's voting system were even greater in 2004 than they were in 2000.

F Calls for reform were almost nonexistence in 2004 because the election was not a close as it was in 2000.

In a typical survey, 20 to 25 percent of Americans misrepresent their voting habits.

F In a typical survey 8-10 percent will misrepresent voting.

Voter turnout for those 18 to 21 has steadily improved since 1972.

F It started somewhat low and has, for the most part, declined since.

Turnout in U.S. presidential elections has never been above 70 percent.

F It was very often about 70 percent in the 1800s.

States may not have a residency requirement of more than 60 days.

F States may not have such requirements longer than 30 days.

Political parties are more effective at mobilizing voters than they once were.

F They are much less effective than they used to be at this.

Parochial participants vote frequently but participate very little in the political process otherwise.

F They do not vote, but feel free to contact officials about problems.

Public demonstrations and sit-ins and protest marches are much less common in recent decades.

F They have become much more common.

Research has found little or no correlation between religious involvement and political participation.

F Those who are actively involved in religion are much more likely to participate in politics than those who are not.

The problem with VEP measures is that they contain a lot of people who cannot vote.

F VAP measures contain a lot people who cannot vote, not VEP measures.

Older persons are more likely than younger persons to misreport their voting habits.

F Younger persons are more likely to misreport.

In how many years does the VAP reach 60 percent? (1948-2000)

Four (1952, 1960, 1964, and 1968).

How does voter turnout in the twentieth century compare with that of the nineteenth? (1860-2004)

It is about 25 percent lower in the twentieth century

Which group is least likely to vote according to their schooling, or level of education? (1964-2000)

Less than high school.

What is the second largest source of voter applications in this time period? (1999-2004)

Mail.

What was the largest source of voter applications in this time period? (1999-2004)

Motor vehicle offices.

In how many years does the VEP reach 60 percent?(1948-2000)

Seven (1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1992 and 2004).

According to law, federal elections must be held in even numbered years and on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

T

At one time, Chinese Americans were widely denied the right to vote.

T

Before 1961, residents of the District of Columbia could not vote in presidential elections.

T

Blacks are more likely to be members of churches that stimulate political interests, activity, and mobilization than Latinos.

T

Democrats usually suspect higher turnout would work to their advantage.

T

Four states allow voters to register and vote all in the same day.

T

In Australia and other countries, fines can be levied on nonvoters.

T

In the United States, voter turnout is heavily skewed toward higher status persons in professional, managerial and other white-collar occupations.

T

Low rates of voter registration may indicate people are reasonably well satisfied with how the country is being governed.

T

Men and women vote at about the same rate.

T

Most scholars believe voter turnout did decrease somewhere around the 1890s.

T

Nonvoters are more likely to be poor than voters.

T

Political "activists" constitute about 11 percent of the population.

T

The 1965 Civil Rights Act suspended the use of literacy tests.

T

The Nineteenth Amendment nearly doubled the number of eligible voters in the United States.

T

The Supreme Court declared grandfather clauses unconstitutional.

T

The kinds of people who vote here are different from the kinds of people who vote abroad.

T

Voting is by far the most common form of political participation.

T

When the Voting Rights Act of 1970 extended the right of eighteen-year-olds to vote in state elections, the Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional.

T

Describe voter turnout among blacks and Hispanics. (1964-2000)

Turnout for blacks and Hispanics is lower than that of whites with Hispanics having the lowest rates for the three groups.

Describe trends in turnout in the last two elections. (1860-2004)

Turnout has increased in the last two presidential elections, although it remains well below pre- 1960s levels.

grandfather clause

a clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867

Australian ballot

a government-printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted around 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated

poll tax

a requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

literacy test

a requirement that citizens show that they can read before registering to vote

Who tends to think that they will benefit from increases in registration and voting? a. Democrats b. Republicans c. Incumbents d. State officials e. Senators

a. Democrats

VEP measures of turnout may have an advantage over VAP measures because a. VEP measures attempt to remove ineligible voters from the data. b. VEP measures are based on actual census data. c. VEP measures include prisoners, but not felons or aliens. d. VEP measures include felons, but not prisoners or aliens. e. VEP measures are verified by each state legislature.

a. VEP measures attempt to remove ineligible voters from the data.

One explanation for the apparent decline in voter turnout suggests the political parties are no longer attempting to mobilize the mass of voters and are too a. conservative. b. liberal. c. moderate. d. disorganized. e. ideological.

a. conservative.

A 2001 study found that motor-voter registrants were less likely than other new registrants to a. vote. b. vote Republican. c. vote Democrat. d. support Independent candidates. e. support incumbents.

a. vote.

Those who cast ballots in elections but engage in no other form of political participation are called a. voting specialists. b. campaigners. c. issue belligerents. d. communalists. e. parochial participants.

a. voting specialists.

The Voting Rights Act of 1970, which gave eighteen-year-olds the right to vote in state and federal elections a. was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. b. was vetoed by the president. c. was opposed by a large majority of Americans. d. was upheld by the Supreme Court but revoked by Congress. e. was never considered on the floor of either the House or the Senate.

a. was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

About ___ percent of the American population are completely inactive (they rarely discuss politics or vote and are not involved in organizations). a. 10 b. 20 c. 40 d. 50 e. 60

b. 20

In surveys, about what percentage of respondents claim to have voted in an election when they did not do so? a. 2 to 3 percent b. 8 to 10 percent c. 20 to 25 percent d. 30 to 35 percent e. 40 to 50 percent

b. 8 to 10 percent

Which of the following statements about the motor-voter law is accurate? a. It encouraged about 80 million more people to vote. b. It requires states to allow people to register to vote when applying for driver's licenses. c. It took effect in 1993. d. It has changed the balance of registrants in favor of the Democrats. e. It allows illegal aliens and convicted felons to register to vote.

b. It requires states to allow people to register to vote when applying for driver's licenses.

The best evidence suggests Americans a. are voting less and participating in politics less. b. are voting less and participating in politics more. c. are voting and participating in politics at about the same rate. d. are voting more and participating less in politics. e. are voting more and participating more in politics.

b. are voting less and participating in politics more.

Initially, following passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, women a. voted as often as men, but generally in the same manner. b. voted less often than men, but generally in the same manner. c. voted more often than men, but generally in the same manner. d. voted more often than men, but quite independently. e. voted as often as men, but quite independently.

b. voted less often than men, but generally in the same manner.

Individuals between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one could vote in a presidential election for the first time in a. 1964. b. 1968. c. 1972. d. 1976. e. 1980.

c. 1972.

In the first presidential election where those between eighteen and twenty-one could vote, the turnout rate for the new voters was about a. 20 percent. b. 30 percent. c. 40 percent. d. 50 percent. e. 60 percent.

c. 40 percent.

In states that have instituted same-day voter registration, the effect on voter turnout has been a. a major decline. b. a slight decline. c. a slight increase. d. a major increase. e. no effect at all.

c. a slight increase.

Those who prefer to participate in politics by forming and joining nonpartisan groups and dealing with various issues in them are referred to as a. voting specialists. b. campaigners. c. communalists. d. issue belligerents. e. parochial participants.

c. communalists.

In 2002, Congress passed legislation which did all of the following except a. required states to have a system in place for counting disputed ballots. b. provided federal funds to upgrade voting equipment. c. created a uniform national voting system. d. provided federal funds for training election officials. e. B and D.

c. created a uniform national voting system.

Compared with European turnout, American turnout is more skewed toward _________ persons. a. informed b. ideological c. higher-status d. secular e. alienated

c. higher-status

Compared with Europeans, American voters are offered the opportunity to vote a. much less frequently. b. slightly less frequently. c. more frequently. d. just as often. e. much less frequently, but their vote counts more.

c. more frequently.

At the time the Constitution was ratified, voting was limited to a. most white males. b. most males. c. property owners or taxpayers. d. the commercial class. e. farmers.

c. property owners or taxpayers.

Which of the following are more likely to vote and otherwise take part in politics? a. Fans of professional sports. b. Midwesterners. c. Bowlers. d. Regular church goers. e. Musicians and poets.

d. Regular church goers.

Those who are inactive in politics tend to a. have lower levels of education. b. have lower levels of incomes. c. be relatively young. d. all of the above. e. be extremely liberal or conservative.

d. all of the above.

Two careful studies of voter turnout in twenty-four democratic nations found that almost all of the difference in voter turnout could be explained by a. the degree of party strength. b. the presence or absence of automatic registration. c. the presence or absence of compulsory voting laws. d. all of the above. e. none of the above.

d. all of the above.

Studies show that feelings of distrust toward political leaders have ________ effect on voter turnout. a. a stimulating b. a depressing c. an impressive d. no e. an unpredictable

d. no

Those who stay out of electoral contests and community organizations but will contact officials to deal with specific problems are called a. voting specialists. b. campaigners. c. communalists. d. parochial participants. e. issue belligerents.

d. parochial participants.

Until about 1890 ballots were printed by the a. candidates. b. House of Representatives. c. state legislatures. d. political parties. e. local government.

d. political parties.

When Jesse Jackson ran for the presidency in 1984, a. registration of southern blacks decreased. b. registration of southern whites decreased. c. registration of southern blacks and whites decreased. d. registration of southern blacks and whites increased. e. there was no noticeable effect on voter registration.

d. registration of southern blacks and whites increased.

In this country about _______ of the voting age population is registered to vote. a. one-eighth b. one-quarter c. one-half d. two-thirds e. ninety-five percent

d. two-thirds

Which of the following was employed to discriminate against African Americans who wanted to vote? a. Literacy tests. b. Poll taxes. c. Grandfather clauses. d. White primaries. e. All of the above.

e. All of the above.

After the 1890s voter-registration regulations became more burdensome because a. they had longer residency requirements. b. it became harder for African Americans to vote. c. educational qualifications were added in some states. d. voters were required to register far in advance of the election. e. all of the above.

e. all of the above.

Political demonstrations have been used by a. antiwar activists. b. farmers. c. truckers. d. civil rights activists. e. all of the above.

e. all of the above.

The most important changes in elections have included all of the following except a. extension of suffrage to women. b. extension of suffrage to African Americans. c. extension of suffrage to eighteen-year-olds. d. direct popular election of Senators. e. direct popular election of Representatives in the House.

e. direct popular election of Representatives in the House.

Americans that are ________ are not so likely to misreport voting? a. young b. low-income c. nonwhite d. less-educated e. elderly

e. elderly

Adoption of the Australian ballot enabled United States citizens to vote a. early and often. b. more easily. c. by absentee ballot. d. without being informed. e. in secret.

e. in secret.

34. The number of elective offices in the United States, compared with European nations, is a. much lower. b. slightly lower. c. about the same. d. slightly higher. e. much higher.

e. much higher.

Studies of non-voters suggest that, had they voted in recent presidential elections, a. the Democrats would have won more often. b. the Republicans would have won more often. c. the Democrats would have won more of the elections by "landslides." d. the Republicans would have won more of the elections by "landslides." e. the outcome of most elections would have been about the same.

e. the outcome of most elections would have been about the same.

When one refocuses analyses of voter turnout in the last fourteen presidential elections to VEP measures, it is clear that a. there never has been anything like a turnout problem in America. b. the voter turnout problem disappeared in the most recent elections. c. voters are participating more now than ever before. d. voter turnout has generally declined in the most recent elections. e. voter turnout has generally remained the same.

e. voter turnout has generally remained the same.

registered voters

people who are registered to vote

Activists

people who tend to participate in all forms of politics

political participation

the many different ways that people take part in politics and government

white primary

the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation