Gateways Chapter 11

In which presidential election year did African American voter turnout exceed that of white voters? a. 2008 b. 2004 c. 2016 d. 2000

a. 2008

According to ________ principles, the more people who vote, the more involved and engaged they will be, thus producing better outcomes. a. Jeffersonian b. Washingtonian c. Clintonian d. Hamiltonian

a. Jeffersonian

Sunflower is a 23-year-old high school dropout living in Seattle, Washington. Based on statistics from previous elections, is Sunflower likely to vote in the upcoming midterm election for state representative? a. No, age, education level, and type of election make her unlikely to vote. b. Yes, coffee drinkers, for which Seattle is known, tend to vote more frequently than tea drinkers. c. No, young people on the West Coast are only interested in local politics, not politics at the state level. d. Yes, young people are the most likely to vote in state elections.

a. No, age, education level, and type of election make her unlikely to vote.

More than 100 million email messages are sent to members of Congress every year. Americans are finding that it is easier and cheaper than traditional letters. a. True b. False

a. True

Only a small percentage of Americans have ever participated in a protest. a. True b. False

a. True

After the Civil War, the Democratic Party restricted its primaries to white voters only, which prevented African American voters from having any real influence over who the candidates would be. a. True b. False

a. True Following the Civil War, the Democratic Party dominated in the South. By restricting its primary to white voters, it kept black voters—even if they could exercise the right to vote—from having any influence because whoever won the Democratic primary always won the general election. In 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Smith v. Allwright, ruled the white primary unconstitutional.

Alexander Hamilton wanted to restrict participation in voting because he believed it would result in government inefficiency, which would be bad for democracy. a. True b. False

a. True Hamiltonian model believes that too much voting participation yields too many demands on government, making government less able to respond.

People who vote are more likely to encounter legislation that benefits them or that meets with their approval. a. True b. False

a. True When Congress, state legislatures, or city councils consider new laws and regulations, these bodies typically give more weight to the interests of groups that are more likely to vote. Each vote adds, to a small degree, to the voter turnout for the constituency. It therefore increases the chances of legislation that benefits the voter or that meets with their approval.

The introduction of ________ meant that voters faced less intimidation, but voting also became more complicated. a. secret ballots b. voter registration c. poll watchers d. open ballots

a. secret ballots

The term public opinion is best defined as ________. a. the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population b. the opinions of the most vocal members of the populace c. the opinions politicians express publicly, which may be very different from their private opinions d. general agreement among the citizenry on an issue

a. the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population

Voter turnout in recent presidential elections among those with high incomes was ________ those with the lowest income. a. three times higher than b. four times lower than c. nearly as high as d. about the same as

a. three times higher than

The Women's suffrage movement, which was resolved in 1920 by the Nineteenth Amendment, was about allowing women to ________. a. vote b. obtain a divorce c. have careers d. own property

a. vote

The term ________ refers to how many people of voting age are living in the country at a particular time. a. voting-age population b. voter registration roll c. qualified voters d. vote-eligible population

a. voting-age population

In George Washington's time, voting was restricted to ________. a. white men who owned enough property b. white men and free black men c. white men and women, but not black men and women d. all white men over the age of 18

a. white men who owned enough property

Which of the following has been shown to increase voter turnout? a. Absentee ballots b. Election Day registration c. Voter ID requirements d. Early voting

b. Election Day registration Studies of early voting have generally found no effect on turnout. One recent study actually found that early voting can lower turnout, largely by reducing the publicity associated with Election Day. In contrast, Election Day registration can increase turnout by several percent. Voter registration drives play a big part in Election Day registration.

African Americans and Hispanics traditionally have not turned out to vote at the same rate as non-Hispanic whites. Even when such factors as socioeconomic status, age, citizenship, and loss of the right to vote due to a felony conviction are taken into account, the difference is very great. a. True b. False

b. False

Local elections are more likely to have higher voter turnout, as local government has a greater and more direct influence on people's lives than state or federal government a. True b. False

b. False

Voter registration drives are most common in well-to-do neighborhoods with many highly educated retirees, as this demographic is most likely to vote. a. True b. False

b. False

In an election year when there is an issue that has a lot of support and interest from members of one party, the members of the other party are likely to have higher voter turnout in order to defeat that issue. a. True b. False

b. False Depending on the issues at stake in a particular election year, political ideology may have a large impact on turnout. Either Republicans or Democrats may be discouraged from voting in a year that looks especially good for the other party.

Bad weather is more likely to discourage well-to-do Republican voters who are more used to being comfortable than less well-to-do voters, giving weather a potential partisan bias. a. True b. False

b. False Research shows that bad weather benefits Republicans slightly by discouraging less well-off voters from participating, giving weather a potential partisan bias.

Frankie is a 70-year-old white woman with a graduate degree in economics. Since she retired, she has been tutoring Julio, a 19-year-old Latino young man who is hoping to earn a GED. Based on previous voting patterns, which one is more likely to vote in the upcoming presidential election? a. Julio, because he is Latino b. Frankie, because she is white and over 65 c. Frankie, because she is a tutor d. Julio, because he is between 18 and 24

b. Frankie, because she is white and over 65

What was the purpose of instituting voting laws such as poll taxes and literacy tests in the southern states? a. To ensure that only qualified people cast votes b. To prevent African Americans from voting c. To prevent inefficiency in government by too much participation d. To prevent voter fraud

b. To prevent African Americans from voting Poll taxes were a means of discouraging blacks from voting. In the 1890s, an individual had to pay $1 in Mississippi and $2 in South Carolina to vote, an amount that may seem small today but was equivalent to $86 or more in today's dollars. For most blacks, almost all poor farmers, this tax made voting impossible.

Daria has recently moved to Eugene, Oregon. When she gets her new driver's license, she will also ________, unless she chooses to opt out. a. receive a "party strip" ballot for the next election b. be registered to vote c. be asked to register for a political party d. receive voter registration materials

b. be registered to vote

About 70 percent of Americans said that they ________ at least a few times a month. a. watch the news b. discuss politics c. donate to a campaign d. vote

b. discuss politics

Minh feels strongly about some of the issues in the upcoming election. To be sure that people who think the same way she does show up at the polls, she decides to volunteer for a(n) ________, which have been shown to be very effective. a. voter ID checking drive b. get-out-the-vote drive c. town meeting-style debate d. institutional model

b. get-out-the-vote drive

Between 2008 and 2016, twenty-one states enacted new laws that ________, although in some states these laws were overturned by the courts or repealed by voters. a. compelled voter registration b. made it more difficult to vote c. replaced absentee voting with mail-in voting d. required the use of party strip ballots

b. made it more difficult to vote In the years since 2008, dozens of states have moved to tighten voter ID requirements. Republicans provided almost all of the support for the new ID laws. By 2016, twenty-one states had enacted new laws that made it more difficult to vote. Cumbersome voter ID rules were the most common, but other new laws limited early voting or absentee ballots. In some states, however, state or federal courts overturned some of the new laws. In a few states, these laws were repealed by the voters.

Starting with the Boston Tea Party right up to the present day, political ________ has been an important way to express opinions and bring about change. a. canvassing b. protest c. campaigning d. legislation

b. protest

Voting laws prohibit felons from voting while they are incarcerated. In ten states, this prohibition continues even after they have served their sentences or been released from parole. In states such as Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia, this law mostly affects ________ Americans because they represent a disproportionate share of former prison inmates. a. Asian b. Latino c. African d. Native

c. African

Which Constitutional amendment, passed in 1870, prohibits states from denying the right to vote based on race? a. Nineteenth b. Twenty-Third c. Fifteenth d. Twenty-Sixth

c. Fifteenth

________ is the process by which people acquire political beliefs and values. a. Political learning b. Agenda setting c. Political socialization d. Consensus

c. Political socialization

Which election is most likely to attract a high voter turnout? a. Midterm congressional election b. City council election c. Presidential election d. Mayoral election

c. Presidential election

What is the purpose of mail-in ballots in elections? a. To increase voting among the elderly b. To get around restrictive voter ID laws c. To increase the number of people who vote d. To decrease voter fraud

c. To increase the number of people who vote

Which of the following nonvoting measures of participation did the most Americans engage in during the 2012 election year? a. Attended a political meeting b. Gave money to a campaign c. Tried to influence others' votes d. Put a bumper sticker on their vehicle

c. Tried to influence others' votes

Elite theory holds that society is ruled by a small number of people who exercise power to further their self-interests. What can the average American citizen do to be more likely to be included as a member of such an elite? a. Run for an open Senate seat in their district. b. Obtain an advanced degree in economics or political theory. c. Vote in every election they can: local, state, and national. d. Focus on becoming wealthy.

c. Vote in every election they can: local, state, and national.

An election that people think ________ is more likely to have a higher than usual turnout on both sides. a. will go against their candidate b. they are registered to vote in c. will be close d. affects them directly

c. will be close The competitiveness of an election influences motivation. Elections that look to be close draw voters' interest and attention, especially if they think their votes might influence the outcome. A close race is exciting and people like to be part of it, further believing that their votes really do count. When it looks as though one candidate or the other is certain to win, voters are more likely to stay home, thinking the issue is already decided.

Of those eligible to vote, which age group is most likely to show up at the polling place? a. 18 to 24 b. 25 to 44 c. 45 to 64 d. 65 and over

d. 65 and over

Which Americans who are eligible to vote (and often do vote) are not included in the count of the voting-age population? a. Permanent residents of the United States b. Americans between the ages of 18 and 21 c. Americans in nursing homes who prefer mail-in ballots d. Americans living abroad who use absentee ballots

d. Americans living abroad who use absentee ballots

According to the original writers of the Constitution, who decided which people were allowed to vote? a. Department of Voter Regulation b. The Constitutional Convention c. Local governments d. The states

d. The states The writers of the Constitution allowed the states to decide who should vote. Thus, women were allowed to vote in Wyoming in 1870 but not in the entire nation until the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920.

________ were instituted in the late nineteenth century in response to corrupt practices such as graveyard voting and ballot box stuffing. a. Literacy tests b. Vote-by-mail systems c. Poll taxes d. Voter registration laws

d. Voter registration laws

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1971, granted voting rights to citizens who were ________. a. African American b. female c. naturalized citizens d. age 18 or older

d. age 18 or older

When the United States was first founded, some adult citizens were not allowed to vote. By 1860, the right to vote had been extended to ________. a. all those over 21 who were not felons b. black men and white women c. black and white men d. all white males

d. all white males

One of the most influential methods of participating in political decision-making is to ________ to support candidates who are likely to agree with your views. a. attend a protest rally b. send an email message c. organize a campaign rally d. donate money

d. donate money

Sandy votes every chance she gets because she believes that her vote counts and makes a difference. This attitude is called ________. a. civic duty b. civic interest c. rationalist d. efficacy

d. efficacy efficacy is the belief that one's involvement influences the course of government.

People are more likely to vote if they believe ________. a. a single vote does not matter b. their side is in danger of losing c. they passed the literacy test d. their side will win

d. their side will win Either Republicans or Democrats may be discouraged from voting in a year that looks especially good for the other party.

The most common form of participating in political activism in a democracy is to ________. a. run for state office b. run for local office c. campaign for a candidate d. vote

d. vote