POLS 1336 : Exam 3

Which form of political participation continues to rise dramatically, especially in the last decade? a. Recruiting for a political party b. Communicating directly with members of Congress c. Working for a political candidate d. Attending political meetings

Communicating directly with congress

In Texas, all candidates—whether a party nominee, an independent, or a member of a minor party—are automatically placed on the general election ballot.

FALSE

The Australian ballot, adopted by Texas in 1892, allowed people to

vote in secret

What law makes an act illegal after the fact?

Ex post facto

Franco believes that equality and citizen participation are important political values. He believes that the more people are allowed to vote, the better the government can respond to people's interests. Franco believes in which model of voting? a. Jeffersonian model b. Psychological model c. Hamiltonian model d. Economic model

. Jeffersonian model

A party must hold a primary if it receives

20 percent of the gubernatorial vote in the prior election

Around what age does voter turnout peak in the United States? a. 25 b. 60 c. 45 d. 30

60

Texas has fairly specific laws about recounts. Identify one of these laws.

A candidate can request a recount if he or she loses by less than 10 percent.

What does a candidate need to win the presidency? a. A plurality of electoral votes b. A majority of electoral votes c. A plurality of the national popular vote d. A majority of the national popular vote

A majority of electoral votes

To win a general election in Texas, how many votes must a candidate receive?

A plurality

Considering the most important variables that lead to electoral participation, which statement below summarizes voter participation in Texas?

Because a large portion of the Texas population lives in poverty, they are less likely to vote.

Which plan did President Reagan favor for giving money to the states?

Block grants

Which historical protest involved the dumping of tea in opposition to the British government-backed monopoly? a. Shays's Rebellion b. Watts Riots c. Boston Tea Party d. Tea Party Rally

Boston Tea Party

Which state has the most electoral votes? a. Texas b. Florida c. California d. Oklahoma

California

Nearly three-fourths of which group of people vote in elections? a. College-educated b. The 1 percent c. Latinos d. Grade-school educated

College Educated

In which type of voting system (like Australia's) are citizens required by law to vote? a. Proxy voting b. Compulsory voting c. Plurality voting d. Preferential voting

Compulsory Voting

What powers belong to both the federal and state government?

Concurrent

In which system of government does ultimate authority rest with regional governments (e.g., state governments) and hardly any power is granted to the national government?

Confederal

Which Supreme Court case ruled that the federal government had no authority to regulate slavery in the territories?

Dred Scott v. Sandford

In which model do citizens consider the costs and benefits of voting—i.e., when the benefits exceed the costs, they turn out to vote? a. Psychological b. Economic c. Genetic d. Institutional

Economic

Which person would be considered a crossover voter?

Evan, a Democrat, votes for a moderate candidate in the Republican primary.

Which person exemplifies the participation paradox?

Even though Ben knows his vote probably won't change the outcome of an election, he votes anyway.

As of 2018, a number of states have legalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. Which system allows for this variation?

Federalism

Which amendment extended voting rights to African American males? a. Twelfth b. Eleventh c. Nineteenth d. Fifteenth

Fifteenth

How many times in history has an individual NOT gained the popular vote and still become president? a. One b. Ten c. Fifteen d. Five

Five

In the 1967 case Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court declared that under the Constitution "the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State." Which amendment is violated when a state like Virginia denies people the freedom to marry on the basis of racial classifications?

Fourteenth

Whose New Deal and Great Society programs expanded federal authority?

Franklin Roosevelt's; Lyndon Johnson's

What plan favored by President Richard Nixon gave the states the greatest amount of leeway in spending money from the national government?

General Revenue-sharing

A trend in which older voters who die are replaced in the electorate by less reliable young voters is known as a. the voting-eligible population. b. generational replacement. c. graveyard voting. d. the grandfather clause.

Generational Replacement

In 1991, a redistricting in North Carolina was designed to create a district with African Americans in the majority. Later, federal courts ruled that the state had to revise those district lines so that the congressional district was more compact. What is this politicization of drawing district boundaries called? a. Gerrymandering b. Staggering c. Pork-barreling d. Microtargeting

Gerrymandering

How did Alexander Hamilton's and Thomas Jefferson's preferred governments differ?

Hamilton favored nation-centered gov, and Jefferson favored state-centered

Individuals who currently hold the contested office but who run again are called what? a. Justices b. Diplomats c. Veterans d. Incumbents

Incumbents

In 2011, the Texas legislature enacted one of the strictest voter ID laws in the nation that was eventually struck down by the courts. The Texas legislature responded by passing a new law allowing individuals to vote based on what condition?

Individuals must sign an affidavit swearing that they had a reasonable impediment to obtaining a standard ID and then they must show alternate proof of identity.

In which model of voting is the voting process shaped by the rules of the system, political party behavior, the ways candidates run their campaigns, and the context of the election? a. Genetic b. Institutional c. Psychological d. Economic

Institutional

Which statement describes spending on presidential elections from 2000 to 2016? a. It has risen sharply. b. It has declined slowly. c. It has been relatively stable. d. It has fluctuated

It has risen sharply

How does the average rate of voter turnout in the U.S. compare to that of other democracies? a. It is about the same. b. It is lower. c. It is slightly higher. d. It is much higher.

It is lower

Who participated in the first televised presidential debate? a. Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson b. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon c. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan d. Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon

John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon

Which candidate is using the strategy known as negative campaigning?

Lester is running for a position with the Texas legislature. Rather than tout his own accomplishments, Lester attacks the character of his opponent to make voters think his opponent is untrustworthy.

Most governors have the power to veto certain parts of a bill. What is this called?

Line-item veto

To assess their educational skills, potential voters in 1960s Alabama were required to answer questions like these: Whose duty is it to keep Congress informed of the state of the union? In which document or writing is the "Bill of Rights" found? How many states were required to approve the original Constitution in order for it to be in effect? In what type of assessment are these potential votes participating? a. Grandfather clauses b. Jim Crow laws c. Literacy tests d. White primaries

Literacy Tests

Which Supreme Court case resolved the debate over the national authority to establish a bank?

McCulloch v. Maryland

What are elections called that occur in between the four-year presidential election cycles? a. Advisory b. General c. Midterm d. Primary

Midterm

In which plan for selecting state judges does a board of experts recommend candidates to the governor, who then selects judges from the list?

Missouri Plan

Which level of government has the most power in a unitary system?

National

Which two U.S. states can split their electoral votes, as opposed to winner-take-all? a. Nebraska and Maine b. Florida and Georgia c. Oklahoma and Texas d. Alabama and Arkansas

Nebraska and Maine

What two factors dominate election outcomes in state elections?

Party identification and incumbency

Leroy grew up in a household with parents who voted in every election, national and local. Now as an adult, Leroy votes similarly, and when people ask him about his loyalty to the process, he simply tells them, "It is my duty to vote." Which model of voting does Leroy exemplify? a. Genetic b. Institutional c. Psychological d. Economic

Psychological

While waiting for the commuter train, a woman with a clipboard and pen approaches you. She asks you to sign a petition that would potentially remove a candidate from office before his term expires. You listen to her argument and then sign the list. In what procedure are you participating?

Recall

When state legislatures redraw district lines to try to keep districts equal in terms of population, it is called a. gerrymandering. b. microtargeting. c. pork-barreling. d. redistricting.

Redistricting

U.S. senators serve a staggered term of a. two years. b. one year. c. four years. d. six years.

Six years

Which Supreme Court case outlawed the practice of the white primary? a. California Democratic Party v. Jones b. Griswold v. Connecticut c. Marbury v. Madison d. Smith v. Allwright

Smith v. Allwright

Ironically, which state elected Joseph Rainey, the first African American member of the House of Representatives? a. South Carolina b. North Carolina c. West Virginia d. Virginia

South Carolina

What level of government has the most power in a confederation?

State

What groups can raise and give an unlimited amount of money to political candidates? a. 501(c)(3) organizations b. Super PACs c. PACs d. Interest groups

Super PACs

What clause makes the Constitution more powerful than state law?

Supremacy Clause

Which women's suffrage advocate was arrested after her attempt to vote in 1872? a. Elizabeth Cady Stanton b. Susan B. Anthony c. Victoria Claflin Woodhull d. Eleanor Roosevelt

Susan B Anthony

Several Midwest states—Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan—are not considered strictly pro-Republican (like Tennessee) or pro-Democrat (like Massachusetts). What are these states, which are usually of vital interest to presidential candidates, called? a. Retrospective b. Invisible c. Swing d. Valence

Swing

Referendum and initiative are forms of direct democracy used by the states.

TRUE

The reason delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention moved to a federalist system is they recognized the system of government established by the Articles of Confederation was failing.

TRUE

Which political movement began with protests against the nearly $800 billion stimulus package, which Congress passed in 2009 in the hopes of ending the financial crisis that began in 2008? a. Tea Party b. March for Our Lives c. Women's Rights d. Civil Rights

Tea Party

Which amendment declares "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"?

Tenth

How does competition between political parties affect voter turnout in Texas?

Texas's history as a one-party state has taken away from the competitiveness of elections and reduced voter interest and turnout.

Which statement accurately describes the aim of the Constitution and the states in regard to elections? a. The Constitution includes guidelines for all state and national elections, and it requires the national government to establish eligibility requirements for the states. b. The Constitution divides the responsibility for holding elections equally between the federal government and the states c. The Constitution is specific about the dominant role of the federal government in holding elections, and the states play a limited role. d. The Constitution is silent on the rules about voting in elections, leaving such choices to states.

The Constitution is silent on the rules about voting in elections, leaving such choices to states.

What usually happens to total seats in the House of Representatives at the midterm elections? a. The president's party gains about the same number of seats as it loses. b. The president's party usually gains seats. c. The president's party usually loses seats. d. The present's party gains seats about half the time and loses seats the other half.

The President's party usually loses seats

Which of the following powers is granted to governors in all fifty states?

The authority to veto laws subject to override by the state legislatures

If a county decides to use a decentralized system for administering general elections, which person has the most responsibility?

The county clerk

The fact that a same-sex marriage performed in Massachusetts is valid in any other state is based on what constitutional clause?

The full faith and credit clause

Which statement describes the relationship between income and voting? a. The lower one's income, the more likely one is to vote. b. Those with a high income and those with a low income are equally likely to vote. c. Those who represent the annual median family income in the U.S. are most likely to vote. d. The higher one's income, the more likely one is to vote.

The higher one's income the more likely to vote

During which event does the party name their presidential and vice presidential candidates and lay out the party's plan for government? a. The invisible primary b. The national convention c. The Iowa caucus d. The first primary

The national convention

What is it called when a popular president running for reelection brings additional party candidates into office? a. Microtargeting b. The midterm election effect c. The strategic politician effect d. The presidential coattails effect

The presidential coattails effect

Which clause requires that states treat people from other states equally to their own residents?

The privileges and immensities clause

Historically, how does the voter turnout in Texas compare to voter turnout nationwide?

The voter turnout in Texas has been consistently lower than the turnout nationwide.

Which amendment prohibited slavery throughout the nation?

Thirteenth

Suppose one of the U.S. senators from the state of Texas suddenly resigns, leaving another year to be served of his or her term. How will the remainder of this person's term be filled?

Through a special election

In Texas, voters can choose on election day in which primary they will participate.

True

In recent years, what has been the most common nonvoting form of political participation in the United States? a. Trying to influence others' votes b. Working for a party or candidate c. Giving money to campaigns d. Attending political meetings

Trying to influence other's votes

Texas required individuals to pay a poll tax to vote in state elections until it was declared unconstitutional by the

Twenty-Fourth Amendment.

Which amendment set the voting age at 18? a. Nineteenth b. First c. Twenty-Sixth d. Second

Twenty-Sixth

How many terms do members of the House of Representatives serve? a. Four b. One c. Two d. Six

Two

Beginning with the 2020 election, how will voting ballots be different in Texas?

Voters who want to vote a straight ticket will have to make a separate mark for each candidate they wish to choose.

What is the most common form of political participation in the U.S.? a. Working for a party or candidate b. Making financial donations to campaigns c. Voting d. Attending a political meeting

Voting

Why has Oregon recently had such a high rate of voting (i.e., 70 percent in 2008 and 68 percent in 2016)? a. Early voting b. Internet ballots c. Extended voting hours d. Voting by mail

Voting by mail

The voting-age population measure has been in error because it has not considered increases in the number of immigrants and convicted felons who are ineligible to vote. What new measure corrects for these trends? a. Available voter b. Adjusted voter c. Legal voter d. Voting-eligible population

Voting-eligible population

Speaking to the U.S. Senate in 1850, Daniel Webster proclaims, "Peaceable secession! Sir, your eyes and mine are never destined to see that miracle. There can be no such thing as a peaceable secession. Peaceable secession is an utter impossibility." Which political action is Webster opposing here?

Wanting to withdraw from a nation-state

When did women in Texas receive full suffrage?

When the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920

In Texas, if no candidate receives a majority of votes cast for a particular office in the first primary,

a second runoff primary is required between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes.

The National Voter Registration Act requires states to a. register all eligible voters, though the states can define "eligible." b. allow absentee ballots so voters can vote by mail. c. allow voters to register when they apply for or renew their driver's licenses. d. remove ineligible voters from their rolls.

allow voters to register when they apply for or renew their driver's license

In counties with a 5 percent or greater language minority, Texas requires

ballots and election materials be printed in other languages in addition to English

Texas political parties select their nominees for the general election through the use of

direct primaries

When comparing local elections to statewide elections, the candidate pool in local elections tends to be more

diverse

The MOST important demographic variables that influence whether or not a person votes are

education, income, and age.

The November presidential election is coming up and the current president is running for re-election. Elise is a concerned citizen who believes that the current president is spending too much time working toward reelection and not enough time governing. This change in the president's focus demonstrates the concept of the a. patronage game. b. permanent campaign. c. invisible primary. d. vanishing margin

permanent campaign

Money spent by political parties for activities such as get-out-the-vote drives is known as

soft money

The period before the primaries during which candidates attempt to capture party support and media coverage is called a. the permanent primary. b. open primaries. c. the beauty contest primary. d. the invisible primary.

the invisible primary

The number of electoral votes a state receives corresponds to what? a. The number of major cities in the state b. The number of senators and members of the House of Representatives for the state c. The popularity of the state's major political players d. The state's area

the number of senators and members of the House of Representatives for the state

In December 2013, with President Barack Obama's popularity sagging and a struggling economy, many quality Democratic candidates decided not to run in the 2014 elections. This demonstrates a. the strategic politician hypothesis. b. the permanent campaign. c. vanishing marginals. d. retrospective voting.

the strategic politician hypothesis

In the earliest presidential elections, how did electors vote for president and vice president? a. They cast ballots for their top two choices; the winner became president, and the second-place finisher became vice president. b. Those voting within the District of Columbia were allowed to break any ties. c. They rallied behind and voted for a party candidate, no matter his ideology. d. They selected the most popular (as opposed to qualified) candidate.

they cast ballots for their top two choices; the winner became president, and the second-place finisher became vice president

Noncontroversial issues that are not likely to differ between candidates—such as "keeping America safe" and "providing good education for children"—are called a. retrospective issues. b. position issues. c. wedge issues. d. valence issues.

valence issues

Since the 1960s, competitiveness in congressional elections has been declining. This trend is referred to as a. term limits. b. safe seats. c. presidential coattails. d. vanishing marginals.

vanishing marginals

Controversial and divisive topics like gun control, abortion, and race that are often used in campaigns to break up an opponent's coalitions are referred to as a. retrospective voting strategies. b. valence issues. c. wedge issues. d. position issues.

wedge issues