Chapter 8 Political Participation & Voting

On average, more women vote for ______ candidates, and more men vote for ______ candidates.

Democratic; Republican

Which of the following statements about voting rights is correct?

Even though prison inmates cannot vote, federal law states that an ex-con's voting rights cannot be restricted.

What was the main cause for dropping the legal voting age to eighteen?

Government officials hoped it would lead to a decline in disruptive student protests.

What is one reason that political parties and politicians view Latinos as a critically important group?

The Latino population in the United States is large and rapidly growing.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the percentage of Americans voting in presidential elections since 1960?

The percentage of Americans voting in presidential elections dropped significantly after 1960 but has been increasing in recent years.

Which of the following statements about voter identification laws is most accurate?

Voter identification laws in the states disproportionately affect minority citizens and the less affluent.

What is a poll tax?

a tax imposed by state governments for those registering to vote.

The term turnout describes the number of people that

actually vote.

The main problem with voting as a form of political participation is that

citizens cannot communicate very much information by only casting a ballot.

The main goal of the group Rock the Vote is to

draw young voters into participating politically.

The strongest critique of the socioeconomic status model's explanation of political participation is that

education levels are rising while rates of participation are falling.

The Supreme Court

has ruled that excessive campaign contributions must be strongly regulated by Congress since the electoral process may be in danger of becoming corrupted.

It is likely that eliminating state-level voter registration laws will

increase voter turnout among younger people.

Accidental mobilization occurs when

individuals are exposed to political information that they did not explicitly seek out.

The socioeconomic status model explains one's political participation by examining an individual's

level of education, income, and occupational status.

Which of the following characteristics constitutes one's socioeconomic status?

level of income, level of education, and prestige of occupation

Women are disadvantaged as candidates for office because

male candidates are more likely to have the advantage of incumbency in office

Political ______ is the process in which large numbers of people are organized for political action.

mobilization

Studies have discovered ______ to be the key element of successful mobilization efforts.

personal contact

New media can level the electoral playing field for third-party candidates by

reducing candidate reliance on money from special interests, corporations, special interests, and wealthy donors.

Which of the following groups have had the highest levels of political participation?

senior citizens (65 and over)

The explanation for political participation that points to the characteristics of individuals focuses on

socioeconomic status.

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the criteria for determining one's eligibility to vote were established by

state governments.

The digital divide refers to

the line separating citizens with Internet access from those without.

The term suffrage refers to

the right to vote.