Test Bank Chapter.4 Voting and Elections

Chapter 4

Test Bank

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 01, Objective 4.1

1) When you “register” to vote, you are

Feedback: factual

a. registering your name for civil service.

b. signing up to run in an election.

c. signing up to vote in elections.

d. volunteering to campaign for a candidate.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 02, Objective 4.1

2) A statute mandating that state governments provide voter registration opportunities to individuals applying for or renewing their driver’s license is called a(n)

Feedback: conceptual

a. motor voter law.

b. voter registration law.

c. civil service law.

d. unconstitutional law.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 03, Objective 4.1

3) An election in which each party selects its nominees for office is called a

Feedback: conceptual

a. recall election.

b. primary election.

c. runoff election.

d. general election.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 04, Objective 4.1

4) An election in which any registered voter can vote for a party’s candidates is called a(n)

Feedback: conceptual

a. semi-closed primary.

b. recall primary.

c. open primary.

d. closed primary.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 05, Objective 4.1

5) An election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for the party’s candidates is called a(n)

Feedback: conceptual

a. semi-closed primary.

b. recall primary.

c. open primary.

d. closed primary.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 06, Objective 4.1

6) An election where, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two top vote getters run again is called a

Feedback: conceptual

a. runoff election.

b. recall election.

c. general election.

d. primary election.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 07, Objective 4.1

7) An election contest held, as needed, to fill vacancies created by death, resignation, or removal from office is called a

Feedback: conceptual

a. runoff election.

b. recall election.

c. general election.

d. special election.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 08, Objective 4.1

8) Early voting in Texas allows for

Feedback: conceptual

a. voters to receive their ballot in the mail and send it back.

b. voters to cast their ballot in person up to two weeks before election day.

c. voters to pay a fee to jump to the front of the line.

d. voters to start voting at age 16.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 09, Objective 4.1

9) In general, since 2012, early voting in Texas’s largest counties has

Feedback: factual

a. increased.

b. decreased.

c. stayed roughly the same.

d. dramatically decreased.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 10, Objective 4.1

10) Someone goes to vote and selects only Democrats on the ballot. This person has just engaged in

Feedback: conceptual

a. split-ticket voting.

b. straight-ticket voting.

c. short-cut voting.

d. deliberate voting.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 11, Objective 4.1

11) Choosing candidates from different parties for different offices is called

Feedback: conceptual

a. split-ticket voting.

b. straight-ticket voting.

c. short-cut voting.

d. deliberate voting.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 12, Objective 4.1

12) Suppose no one candidate gets 50% + 1 of the votes in the election. How does the nominee get decided?

Feedback: factual

a. A coin flip between the top two candidates

b. A runoff election between the top two candidates

c. The candidate who has the highest vote percentage gets the nomination, even if the percentage is below 50%

d. The State Legislature decides

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 13, Objective 4.1

13) In 2005, the Texas legislature approved county-level decisions to move from traditional, neighborhood precinct polls to _______. All voters in counties that allow it can vote in these centers in the general election, regardless of their address, so they can choose the most convenient location.

Feedback: factual

a. vote centers

b. neighborhood precincts

c. county precincts

d. open precincts

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 14, Objective 4.1

14) When can convicted felons vote again?

Feedback: factual

a. While they are in prison

b. Twenty years after they are released from prison

c. While they are on parole

d. After completing sentence, probation, and parole

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 15, Objective 4.2

15) Single-member districts often enhance the

Feedback: factual

a. cost of campaigns.

b. number of candidates.

c. number of third-party legislators.

d. diversity of legislative bodies.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 16, Objective 4.2

16) African American voters form a core component of the _______ Party.

Feedback: factual

a. Democratic

b. Republican

c. Libertarian

d. Texas Freedom

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 17, Objective 4.2

17) An impromptu examination of an individual’s ability to speak and pronounce specific legal passages or a short quiz pertaining to facts of state or U.S. government that was required before voting was called a(n)

Feedback: conceptual

a. literacy test.

b. IQ test.

c. Government 2306 exam.

d. U.S. Citizenship test.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 18, Objective 4.2

18) During the Jim Crow era, voters had to pay to vote. This was called a

Feedback: conceptual

a. poll fee.

b. state tax.

c. poll tax.

d. registration fee.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 19, Objective 4.2

19) Federal law prohibited discrimination in the general election, so Texas passed a law stipulating that only whites could participate in the primary election. This resulted in the

Feedback: conceptual

a. Jim Crow primary.

b. white primary.

c. secret primary.

d. Anglo-only primary.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 20, Objective 4.2

20) During the Jim Crow era, which is not a way the state and local governments attempted to keep Blacks from voting in the general election?

Feedback: factual

a. A requirement that all voters be white

b. A poll tax

c. A literacy test

d. Threats of violence

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 21, Objective 4.2

21) Passed in 1965, the _______ was a landmark piece of federal legislation that outlawed racial discrimination in voting.

Feedback: factual

a. New Deal

b. Anti-Discrimination Act

c. Voting Rights Act

d. Fifteenth Amendment

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 22, Objective 4.2

22) Historically, Hispanic voter turnout has been _______ compared to other racial groups.

Feedback: factual

a. declining

b. about the same

c. higher

d. lower

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 23, Objective 4.2

23) Which of the following groups has the highest voter turnout rates in Texas?

Feedback: factual

a. Whites

b. African Americans

c. Hispanics

d. All groups vote at about the same rate.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 24, Objective 4.2

24) Which of the following groups has the lowest voter turnout rates in Texas?

Feedback: factual

a. Whites

b. African Americans

c. Hispanics

d. All groups vote at about the same rate.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 25, Objective 4.2

25) In the past two decades, _______ turnout has nearly doubled.

Feedback: factual

a. Anglo

b. Hispanic

c. Black

d. Native American

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 26, Objective 4.2

26) When individuals are deprived of the right to vote, they are

Feedback: applied

a. undocumented.

b. enfranchised.

c. disenfranchised.

d. unregistered.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 27, Objective 4.3

27) The belief that your participation can influence the political system is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. political efficacy.

b. partisan politics.

c. bipartisan behavior.

d. dreamer-mentality.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 28, Objective 4.3

28) Compared to other states, voter turnout in Texas is

Feedback: factual

a. lower.

b. higher.

c. about the same.

d. declining.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 29, Objective 4.3

29) The process by which individuals acquire political values and behaviors that have a strong influence on future voting behavior is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. political socialization.

b. partisan affiliation.

c. political ideology.

d. public opinion.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 30, Objective 4.3

30) In recent years, voter fraud

Feedback: factual

a. accounts for about 20% of all votes in Texas.

b. has resulted in hundreds of convictions.

c. is most common in the Panhandle.

d. is extremely rare.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 31, Objective 4.4

31) A battery of survey questions asked of a representative sample of individuals is a(n)

Feedback: conceptual

a. informal poll.

b. public opinion poll.

c. literacy quiz.

d. personal identification survey.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 32, Objective 4.4

32) A candidate who is currently the officeholder is called

Feedback: conceptual

a. The incumbent

b. The Congressman

c. A politician

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 33, Objective 4.4

33) A campaign that highlights the negative of their opponent over the positive of their own candidate is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. negative campaigning.

b. Texas campaigning.

c. incumbent campaigning.

d. personal campaigning.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 34, Objective 4.4

34) When Governor Greg Abbott runs for reelection in 2022, he will have the advantage of

Feedback: applied

a. not having much of a record for his opponent to criticize.

b. being relatively unknown to most voters.

c. name recognition.

d. being a political outsider.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 35, Objective 4.4

35) A campaign tactic that involves identifying potential subgroups of supporters for customizable messages is referred to as

Feedback: conceptual

a. microtargeting.

b. block-walking.

c. canvassing.

d. door-to-door campaigning.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 36, Objective 4.4

36) “Get out the vote” campaigns typically target

Feedback: factual

a. undecided voters.

b. likely opponents.

c. likely supporters.

d. those not registered to vote.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 37, Objective 4.4

37) Why might a PAC give money to both candidates in a given race?

Feedback: applied

a. To ensure access to the eventual winner

b. Because they can’t decide who to support

c. To ensure they can control the behavior of the eventual winner

d. Because PACs often change their minds

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 38, Objective 4.4

38) An organization that collects donations from donors and uses these funds to donate to candidates, parties, or other political causes is referred to as a(n)

Feedback: conceptual

a. interest group.

b. 527.

c. slush fund.

d. political action committee (PAC).

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 39, Objective 4.4

39) Federal election funding is regulated by the

Feedback: factual

a. Federal Election Campaign Act.

b. Texas Bipartisan Election Commission.

c. Federation of the States and Elections.

d. Federal Campaigns and Elections Committee.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 40, Objective 4.4

40) A group that can spend an unlimited amount of money to advocate for causes but is not permitted to give money to candidates is called a(n)

Feedback: conceptual

a. PAC.

b. Super PAC.

c. advocacy coalition.

d. electoral machine.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 41, Objective 4.4

41) You receive a political ad that is based on your viewing and shopping habits. This is likely an example of

Feedback: applied

a. a “get out the vote” campaign.

b. microtargeting.

c. negative campaigning.

d. PAC activity.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 42, Objective 4.5

42) Generally speaking, the candidate who spends the most money

Feedback: factual

a. tends to be the Republican.

b. tends to be corrupt.

c. tends to lose.

d. tends to win.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 43, Objective 4.5

43) A city selects five members of its city council. Everyone in the city can vote on every member of council. This city uses a(n) _______ districting system.

Feedback: applied

a. expansive

b. plural

c. single-member district

d. at-large

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 44, Objective 4.5

44) Generally speaking, younger voters prefer the _______ Party.

Feedback: factual

a. Libertarian

b. Democratic

c. Republican

d. Texan Independence

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 45, Objective 4.5

45) What change did Texas make to voting in the 2020 election?

Feedback: factual

a. Moved Election Day to a Saturday

b. Removed the one-button option for straight-ticket voting

c. Expanded vote by mail

d. Barred face masks in polling places

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 46, Objective 4.5

46) As political parties become more polarized ideologically, voters

Feedback: applied

a. are voting straight ticket less often.

b. are voting straight ticket more often.

c. are voting straight ticket only in midterm elections.

d. are voting straight ticket hardly ever.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 47, Objective 4.5

47) Incumbents are more likely to win a general election with greater voter turnout because their name identification is higher, and they are able to raise and spend more funds. This is known as the

Feedback: conceptual

a. home-seat advantage.

b. winner-take all advantage.

c. incumbent advantage.

d. primary advantage.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 48, Objective 4.5

48) Giving large donations to a candidate usually ensures

Feedback: factual

a. access to the candidate.

b. influence over the candidate.

c. a bidding war with other donors.

d. a strong possibility for corruption.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 49, Objective 4.5

49) A city is divided into four geographic areas that each elect one person to the city council. This city uses a(n) _______ approach to districting.

Feedback: applied

a. collective

b. single-member district

c. at-large

d. plural

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 50, Objective 4.5

50) When do challengers have a better chance of winning?

Feedback: factual

a. In higher turnout elections

b. In low-turnout elections and runoff elections

c. When their opponents are well funded

d. None of the above

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 51, Objective 4.1

51) What must one do in order to vote in the state of Texas?

Feedback:

An individual must sign up to vote, which is called registering.

They must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the county where the individual intends to vote.

At least 18 years old, not legally mentally incapacitated, and not a convicted felon.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 52, Objective 4.1

52) What is a motor voter law?

Feedback:

A statute mandating that state governments provide voter registration opportunities to individuals applying for or renewing their driver’s license.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 53, Objective 4.1

53) What is a primary election?

Feedback:

An election in which each party selects its nominees for office.

They can be either open or closed.

They generally have lower turnout than the general election.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 54, Objective 4.1

54) What is an open primary?

Feedback:

An election in which any registered voter can vote for a party’s candidates.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 55, Objective 4.1

55) What is a closed primary?

Feedback:

An election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for the party’s candidates.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 56, Objective 4.1

56) What is a runoff election?

Feedback:

An election where, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two top vote getters run again.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 57, Objective 4.1

57) What is a special election?

Feedback:

An election contest held as needed to fill vacancies created by death, resignation, or removal from office.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 58, Objective 4.1

58) What is straight-ticket voting?

Feedback:

Checking one box to vote for every candidate a specific party has on the ballot.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 59, Objective 4.1

59) What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Feedback:

A landmark piece of federal legislation that outlawed racial discrimination in voting.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 60, Objective 4.2

60) What was a poll tax?

Feedback:

An unconstitutional tax that required those desiring to register to vote to pay a fee. It was used to discourage Blacks from voting.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 61, Objective 4.1

61) Explain the system of primary elections that we have in Texas. Include in your answer the different types of primary elections that could potentially be used across the states, who gets to decide what is used, and the political effects the type of primary could produce.

Feedback:

Primary Election: an election in which each party selects its nominees for office.

Open Primary: an election in which any registered voter can vote for a party’s candidates.

Closed Primary: an election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for the party’s candidates.

Texas technically has closed primaries because participants declare a party affiliation before voting, but this declaration is nonbinding for future elections.

Practically, Texas has open primaries.

Open primaries encourage crossover voting, in which a voter might vote for candidates from the other party who are weaker or more ideologically extreme so that their own party’s candidates have a better chance of winning.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 62, Objective 4.2

62) Discuss the concept of voting barriers. What measures have been in place in Texas in the past that discourage certain individuals of participating? Include in your answer any relevant constitutional provisions or laws pertaining to voting rights.

Feedback:

Beginning in the 1890s, southern states began to adopt literacy tests—an impromptu examination of an individual’s ability to speak and pronounce specific legal passages or a short quiz pertaining to facts of state or U.S. government.

Poll taxes were also used to restrict access to the ballot.

A poll tax was an unconstitutional tax that required those desiring to register to vote to pay a fee.

The Fifteenth Amendment, passed in 1870, prohibited the denial of voting rights upon the basis of race.

After the Civil War and the end of the Union’s military rule in the South, Anglos were able to keep African Americans economically subservient and reinforce discriminatory voting practices through intimidation.

The Republican Party in Texas, champion of African American voting rights, found itself relatively powerless to help.

In 1965, Congress passed a landmark piece of federal legislation that outlawed racial discrimination in voting.

The act prohibited discrimination against racial minorities.

The language “minorities” was left undefined, however.

In 1975, the Voting Rights Act was amended to mandate the translation of voting materials.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 63, Objective 4.2

63) Describe voting behavior in Texas. What demographics vote in higher percentages than others? What are the trends? Do you expect the trends to continue?

Feedback:

Texans are more likely to vote in presidential than midterm elections.

Anglos are the most likely to vote, followed closely by African Americans. In some elections the percentage turnout of African Americans is equal to or higher than Anglos.

Hispanics trend far behind both Anglos and African Americans in turnout, and turnout has been declining since the 1980s.

Hispanic turnout is low because of low assimilation into politics of Texas, eligibility concerns, and a larger population of individuals under eighteen.

Anglos are more likely to vote for Republicans, and Republicans have dominated state politics for more than 20 years, so Republicans have an incentive to promote the turnout of Anglo voters.

African Americans are historically the most loyal group to the Democratic Party. These numbers spike when a presidential candidate is embraced by African Americans, like Barack Obama in 2008.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 64, Objective 4.4

64) Explain the basics of money in politics. What types of rules are in place?

Feedback:

Candidates need money to hire campaign staff, activate their base, and more importantly, advertise.

Winning candidates raise more funds. This is not only the case for incumbents, as even in open primaries in Texas, 77 percent of candidates who raise the most money won or advanced to the runoff election. However, money is not always the most significant factor in winning elections. In many races, Texas judicial elections in particular, where there are strict limits on funds raised, party trumps fundraising as the key determinant of electoral success.

Three big industry groups dominate the funds contributed in Texas: oil and gas, lawyers, and real estate professionals.

Oil and gas related industry donors are by far the most generous, providing almost $19 million in 2018.

Candidates themselves donated $11 million to their colleagues, shoring up support from within the party.

Political action committees (PACs): organizations that collect donations from donors and use these funds to donate to candidates, parties, or other political causes.

Super PACs: independent expenditure committees that are legally permitted to raise and send unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, unions, or other groups to advocate on behalf of their causes but are not permitted to give to candidates directly.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 04 Question 65, Objective 4.5

65) Texas has been a “red” state for a few decades now. Some pundits expect that Texas may turn “blue” in the future. Explain what is meant by “red” and “blue” and give your opinion on whether Texas may turn “blue” in the future.

Feedback:

The prospect of increasing voter turnout among low-turnout groups, as well as the growth of the Hispanic population, have prompted many to wonder whether Texas could turn from a solid Republican “red” to a Democratic “blue.”

If trends continue, Hispanic and Anglos will each account for 41 percent of the state’s population within the next decade.

Some speculate that Hispanics, who lean Democratic, could tilt the state “blue.”

Answers may vary.