POSC 100 4-1
According to Patterson, the frequency of U.S. elections increases turnout by assuring that American democracy is better represented. True or False
FALSE
In the opinion of Madison, argues Schattschneider, parties are intrinsically good, and assist the government organize itself more efficiently. True or False
FALSE
Similar to the United States, in other democracies primary elections select the party nominees. True or False
FALSE
The effort to introduce voter identification cards in Georgia and Indiana was to stamp out widespread fraud and abuse in the election process. True or False
FALSE
Within the United States, there is little variation in voter participation from state-to-state. True or False
FALSE
According to Patterson, today nearly any American adult who is determined to vote can legally and actually do so. True or False
TRUE
Americans are more likely than citizens of other democracies to contribute time and money to political and community organizations. True or False
TRUE
In 2004 and 2008, turnout among younger voters increased substantially from other recent presidential elections. True or False
TRUE
Millions of Americans shirk their duty to vote regularly, a tendency that sets Americans apart from citizens of most Western democracies. True or False
TRUE
No other Western European democracy has elections for the lower chamber of its national legislature or for its chief executive as often as the United States. True or False
TRUE
One reason for the low voter turnout is that individual Americans are responsible for registering to vote, whereas in most other democracies voters are registered automatically by government officials. True or False
TRUE
Only a small proportion of Americans can be classified as political activists. True or False
TRUE
Senior citizens, despite the infirmities of old age, have a far higher turnout rate than do voters under the age of thirty. True or False
TRUE
The hopes of the Framers of the Constitution in dealing with factions (parties) is based on the assumption that such organizations would exhaust themselves in a futile attempt to fight their way through the American system of government. True or False
TRUE
Which of the following states have lenient registration laws that allow people to register at their polling place on election day? a) Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, b) California, Florida, Wisconsin, c) Arizona, Mississippi, Wyoming, d) Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina.
a) Idaho, Maine, Minnesota
When evaluating interest groups, Schattschneider argues: a) there are many interests, including a great body of ________interests, b) that the government pursues a multiplicity of policies and _________ and __________ interests in the process, c) that each ___________ is capable of having many interests, d) that interests cannot be mobilized ___________, and e) that conflicts among interests are not cumulative, it seems reasonable to suppose that the government is not the ________ of blind forces from which there is no escape.
a) common, b) creates, destroys, c) individual, d) perfectly, e) captive
According to the 2008 Supreme Court decision, Indiana's voter identification card law: a) did not place an undue burden on the poor, b) was an attempt to disenfranchise the poor, c) was another way of introducing poll taxes to vote, d) was a partisan witch-hunt to assure that Republicans won more elections.
a) did not place an undue burden on the poor
The reasons for the low voter turnout rates in the United States include: a) ________ laws, b) _____________ requirements, c) ___________ of elections.
a) elections, b) registration, c) scheduling
How were blacks disenfranchised in the South after the Civil War? a) by _____________ and electoral trickery, including b) _______-only primaries, c) rigged _________ tests, and d) _____ taxes.
a) intimidation, b) white, c) literacy, d) poll
Civic duty and apathy are attitudes that are usually acquired from: a) one's parents, b) teachers, c) religious leaders, d) the media.
a) one's parents
Why do older adults vote in higher numbers than young voters? a) Older voters are more likely to live in the same __________ from one election to the next and thus do not have to ___________, b) Older voters are more likely to own their homes and to have _________, which heightens their sense of having a ______ in election outcomes.
a) residence, reregister, b) children, stake
Scholars estimate that turnout in the U.S. would be roughly how many percentage points higher if it had European-style registration? a) 6 percent, b) 10 percent, c) 13 percent, d) 18 percent.
b) 10 percent
Women did not secure the right to vote until 1920 with the ratification of the following amendment: a) 18th, b) 19th, c) 20th, d) 21st.
b) 19th
What has been the average percentage voter turnout rate for presidential elections since the 1960s? a) 42%, b) 55%, c) 62%, d) 71%
b) 55%
What is meant by the law of imperfect political mobilization? a) Every individual focuses only on his own self interest, b) Every individual is torn by a diversity of his own interests, c) Because of the multiplicity of interest groups, people come away too confused to pursue any interest, d) The more resources become dispersed throughout society, the larger the number of interest groups in society.
b) Every individual is torn by a diversity of his own interests
A lack of interest in politics: a) narcissism, b) apathy, c) utopian, d) fatalism
b) apathy
In 1993, in an effort to increase registration levels nationwide, Congress enacted a voter registration law known as: a) voter maximization, b) motor voter, c) voter education, d) civic suffrage.
b) motor voter
The fact that the United States does not have a major labor or socialist party has: a) resulted in decreasing the gap in voter turnout levels of lower and upper income persons, b) resulted in increasing the gap in voter turnout levels of lower and upper income persons is substantial, c) a minimal impact on voter turnout rates among different classes of people, d) assured that the rampant corruption that characterizes European elections has been prevented.
b) resulted in increasing the gap in voter turnout levels of lower and upper income persons is substantial
The states that have erected the most barriers to voter registration are located in: a) the Northeast, b) the South, c) the Midwest, d) the West.
b) the South
What is the proparty aspect of the Constitution? a) the right to due process found in the 5th Amendment, b) the right to agitate and to organize found in the 1st Amendment, c) the right to be protected against cruel and unusual punishment found in the 8th Amendment, d) the right against self-incrimination found in the 5th Amendment.
b) the right to agitate and to organize found in the 1st Amendment
Which amendment to the Constitution gave African-American males the right to vote? a) 13th, b) 14th, c) 15th, d) 16th
c) 15th
In Minnesota and New Hampshire, how many adults vote in presidential elections? a) 1 in 3, b) 1 in 5, c) 7 in 10, d) 4 in 5.
c) 7 in 10
Why was voter registration started around 1900? a) To assure greater voter participation in elections, b) To minimize confusion at the ballot box, c) To prevent voters from casting more than one ballot, d) To streamline the process of counting the votes.
c) To prevent voters from casting more than one ballot
A belief that citizens are obliged to participate in public affairs: a) personal honor, b) patriotism, c) civic duty, d) nationalism.
c) civic duty
Schattschneider argues that: a) rarely, if ever, can government destroy interest groups, b) people have conflicting interests and nothing else, c) in the democratic process, the nation moves from controversy to agreement, to forgetfulness, d) powerful factions are inhibited in their pursuit of special interests.
c) in the democratic process, the nation moves from controversy to agreement, to forgetfulness
Involvement in activities intended to influence public policy and leadership: a) civic duty, b) voter apathy, c) political participation, d) public discretion.
c) political participation
At the nation's founding, who had the right to vote? a) white people, b) white males, c) white males with property, d) all people.
c) white males with property
According to Patterson, why did voter turnout among working-class white Americans drop in 1968 and 1972? a) Because of the Vietnam War, b) Because they felt secure and satisfied with the policies of the government, c) Because they had many more entertainment options available, d) Because of the Civil Rights Movement.
d) Because of the Civil Rights Movement
He was noted for saying that a man could lose his right to vote if his jackass died: a) George Washington, b) Ben Franklin, c) Aaron Burr, d) Thomas Paine.
d) Thomas Paine
The sense of powerlessness that is rooted in the belief that government pays no attention to their interests: a) endearment, b) estrangement, c) isolation, d) alienation.
d) alienation
Compared with other Western democracies, the United States has relatively high levels of voter participation. True or False
FALSE
In 1971, the Twenty-sixth Amendment extended voting rights to: a) 18 year olds and older, b) banned poll taxes, c) protected African Americans from voting discrimination, d) assured that ballot stuffing would cease.
a) 18 year olds and older
What percent of the 200 million eligible voters in the United States turned out for the 2010 mid-term elections for Congress? a) 40 percent, b) 52 percent, c) 61 percent, d) 73 percent.
a) 40 percent