Ch 7 Government Review

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

National Voter Registration Act

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

People of means can easily form interest groups to propose initiatives/recalls and that have the resources to pay for signature collection.

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

Signature or veto by state governor

A state might hold a primary instead of a caucus because a primary is _______

faster and has higher turnout

Why have fewer moderates won primaries than they used to?

Candidates with extreme viewpoints gain media attention, and primary voters are more ideologically motivated than voters in other elections.

Why do parties prefer closed primaries to open primaries

Closed primaries do not allow voters affiliated with other parties to vote, thus keeping the decision inside the party.

district system

the means by which electoral votes are divided between candidates based on who wins districts and/or the state

voting-eligible population

the number of citizens eligible to vote

voting-age populations

the number of citizens over 18

straight-ticket voting

the practice of voting only for candidates from the same party

closed primary

an election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for that party's candidates

open primary

an election which any registered voter may vote in any party's primary or caucus

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

Increased voter registration and turnout

What recommendations would you make to increase voter turnout in the United States?

To increase voter turnout in the United States, I would suggest these options: move to all-mail voting, hold elections on weekends, automatically register voters, and pass federal law that further reduces impediments to voter registration.

What problems will candidates experience with frontloading?

When candidates frontload, they use up most of their resources during the early campaign process to recieve popularity quickly. If this is not done properly, then they will not have the necessary funding later to further support their campaign as if all the spending does not lead to an increase of popularity, their is no income increase, their are no future funds for more campaigning.

winner-take-all system

all electoral votes for a state are given to the candidate who wins the most votes in that state

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

gerrymandering of the candidate's district

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ___________

government proposes something and the voters approve it

Where and when do Electoral College electors vote?

in their state capitol, in December

super PACs

officially known as Independent Expenditure-Only Committees; organizations that can fundraise and spend as they please to support or attack a candidate but not contribute directly to a candidate or strategize with a candidate's campaign

political action committees (PACs)

organizations created to raise money for political campaigns and spend money to influence policy and politics

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

over forty-five years old

delegates

party members who are chosen to represent a particular candidate at the party's state- or national-level nominating convention

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

presidential

incumbency advantage

the advantage held by officeholders that allows them to often win reelection

midterm elections

the congressional elections that occur in the even-numbered years between presidential election years, in the middle of the president's term

electoral college

the constitutionally created group of individuals, chosen by the states, with the responsibility of formally selecting the next US president

incumbent

the current holder of a political office

recall

the removal of a politician or government official by the voters

coattail effect

the result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from his or her party win their own elections

Ballot fatigue

the result when a voter stops voting for offices and initiatives at the bottom of a long ballot

voter fatigue

the result when voters grow tired of voting and stay home from the polls

platform

the set of issues important to the political party and the party delegates

residency requirement

the stipulation that a citizen must live in a state for a determined period of time before a citizen can register to vote as a resident of that state

Chronic minority

voters who belong to political parties that tend not to be competitive in national elections because they are too small to become a majority or because of the Electoral College system distribution in their state

In what ways is voting your party identification an informed choice? In what ways is it lazy?

A voter who chooses a party identification as an informed choice chose that party after understanding what they stand for and understanding what the candidates in that party stand for. Those that choose it lazily simply do it because their friends or family are in the party (for example) They are party poopers.

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

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

Why does age affect whether a citizen will vote?

Because the older you are the more you tend to vote. It affects your issues that you have, example on retirement, insurance, etc, and you have time and interest to cause a change. Younger people are either too busy to vote, or they just don't care and are screwing around in a bar somewhere.

If you were going to predict whether your classmates would vote in the next election, what questions would you ask them?

I would ask them their age, educational level, interest in politics, income level, and whether they voted in the last election.

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?

Retrospective

What challenges do college students face with regard to voter registration?

The main challenge is figuring out where students wish to register, at home or at college. Out-of-state students have an even greater challenge because they have moved across state lines.

How do political parties influence the state's primary system?

The parties can affect turnout and how people approach the primaries. Example: Say a McCain supporter doesn't particularly care which republican is elected, they just want a republican. Despite their indifference about which republican, say they really dislike Hillary Clinton. They might go to the democratic primary to vote Bernie because they care more to NOT have Hillary than to have a particular republican.

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote

Do physical characteristics matter when voters assess candidates? If so, how?

Voters tend to vote for candidates who look attractive and competent. They may consider race, gender, height, weight, and other physical attributes.

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

Voting-age population

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

When passing initiative it can take a longtime to get signatures to try and start a campaign and recall can be detrimental to the government if they are not educated

shadow campaign

a campaign run by political action committees and other organizations without the coordination of the candidate

caucus

a form of candidate nomination that occurs in a town-hall style format rather than a day-long election; usually reserved for presidential elections

top-two primary

a primary election in which the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, become the nominees for the general election

referendum

a yes or no vote by citizens on a law or candidate proposed by the state government

early voting

an accommodation that allows voting up to two weeks before election day

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

compulsory voting laws

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

decrease election fraud

initiative

law or constitutional amendment proposed and passed by the voters and subject to review by the state courts; also called proposition