political participation test

CHAPTER 6

Political Participation

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

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1. Voter turnout in European elections is typically

a. nearly 100 percent.b. more than 80 percent.c. approximately 50 percent.d. less than 40 percent.e. less than 30 percent.

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2. In U.S. presidential elections, voter turnout is typically

a. less than 25 percent.b. less than 30 percent.c. less than 60 percent.d. more than 80 percent.e. nearly 100 percent.


3. Voter turnout rates for the best-attended elections run between 50 percent and 60 percent in

a. most European countries.b. the United States.c. both Europe and the United States.d. neither Europe nor the United States; both have higher turnout

rates.e. the United States and Italy.

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4. The text argues that conventional data comparing U.S. and European voter turnout rates are misleading because they

a. compute turnout by two different measures.b. are compiled by different agencies.c. fail to recognize different political cultures.d. disregard the levels of vote fraud.e. All of these.

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167 Chapter 6: Political Participation


5. Voter turnout rates are computed as a percentage of the entire population, which is significantly higher than the number of registered voters in

a. most European countries.b. the United States.c. both Europe and the United States.d. neither Europe nor the United States.e. Italy and France.


6. Compared with other Western nations, the percentage of registered voters in the United States who actually vote is

a. much lower.b. much higher.c. about the same.d. approximately the same as the number of eligible voters.e. unknown.

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7. The most obvious negative consequence of strict voter registration procedures, such as those that exist throughout the United States, is a(n)

a. reduction in the number of candidates seeking office.b. reduction in voting generally.c. increase in single-issue voting.d. increase in the power of political parties.e. increase in split ticket voting.

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8. Low voter turnout in the United States can best be explained by

a. voter apathy.b. the media, especially television.c. the political party system.d. the media, especially big city newspapers.e. the voter registration system.

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9. In European countries, the burden of voter registration rests on

a. individual voters.b. political parties.c. interest groups.d. the government.e. party leaders.


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Type: ConceptualAns: APage: 132

10. Why are so many more people registered to vote in most European nations than in the United States?

a. because voter registration is both free and automatic in these countries

b. because voters are so much more politically motivated in these countries

c. because voting is prerequisite to citizenship in these countriesd. because voters are paid to vote in these countriese. because voters are less ideological in these countries


11. Political participation encompasses all of the following activities except

a. voting.b. paying your taxes.c. writing your congressional representative.d. signing a petition.e. discussing politics.


12. One unusual — but possible — explanation suggested by the text for the low rate of voter registration in the United States is that

a. participation in government is denied to so many people.b. many local governments do not require voters to register.c. the media discourage voter registration.d. people are happy with the way government is working.e. voters cannot actually find the places where they are supposed

to vote.


13. The adoption of motor-voter programs has resulted in

a. significantly more Republicans being registered.b. significantly more Democrats being registered.c. an increase in independent registrations.d. a drop-off in voter registration.e. a string of victories for the Democrats.


14. The motor-voter law took effect in

a. 1980.b. 1985.c. 1990.d. 1995.e. 2000.


15. A 2001 study found that motor-voter registrants were

a. much more likely to vote than other new registrants.b. slightly more likely to vote than other new registrants.c. about as likely to vote as other new registrants.d. less likely to vote than other new registrants.e. None of these.




16. One way the "motor-voter" bill makes registering to vote easier is by allowing

a. mail-in registration with income tax payment for all car owners.

b. registration with driver's license application.c. all state welfare offices to register applicants.d. automatic registration for all car owners.e. rewards for car owners who register.

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17. Which of the following was required by the U.S. Constitution?

a. free adult male suffrageb. popularly elected presidential electorsc. nonpartisan election commissionsd. popularly elected Senatorse. popularly elected House members


18. Which of the following statements about the right to vote in the United States is correct?

a. Not every U.S. citizen of voting age is allowed to vote.b. The original U.S. Constitution ensured women the right to

vote.c. In 1880 a higher percentage of British than Americans could

vote.d. The original U.S. Constitution specifically prohibited setting

property restrictions on the right to vote.e. The states originally had little say as to who could and could

not vote.

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19. Which of the following statements about elections in the United States is correct?

a. The U.S. Constitution called for presidential electors to be picked by voters directly rather than by state legislatures.

b. The U.S. Constitution standardized the process by which members of the House were elected.

c. The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allowed all blacks to vote.

d. The U.S. Constitution left entirely to the states the decision of who could vote and for what offices.

e. All of these.


20. Direct election of members of the House of Representatives was required by

a. a Supreme Court ruling.b. decisions of the individual states.c. an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.d. an Executive order.e. the original U.S. Constitution.




21. Property restrictions on suffrage persisted in the South as late as

a. 1800.b. 1820.c. 1840.d. 1890.e. 1945.


22. Which of the following was not a device intended to prevent blacks from voting?

a. the grandfather clauseb. the poll taxc. the literacy testd. the Australian ballote. the white primary


23. The poll tax was a device used to prevent electoral participation by

a. southern blacks.b. blacks throughout the nation.c. poor people in the North.d. poor people throughout the nation.e. those who fought for the North in the War Between the States.


24. Which Amendment stated that "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude"?

a. the 12th Amendmentb. the 17th Amendmentc. the 15th Amendmentd. the 25th Amendmente. None of these.


25. Blacks first voted in large numbers in the South

a. in the 1970s.b. after the Voting Rights Act of 1965.c. after World War II.d. early in the twentieth century.e. soon after the Civil War.



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26. Which of the following statements about the right to vote by blacks is correct?

a. The Fifteenth Amendment ensured all blacks the right to vote.b. According to the Fifteenth Amendment, blacks could not be

denied the right to vote on the basis of illiteracy.c. According to the Fifteenth Amendment, blacks could not be

denied the right to vote on the basis of race alone.d. According to the Fifteenth Amendment, blacks could not be

denied the right to vote on the basis of poverty.e. None of these.


27. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 contained all of the following provisions except

a. a suspension of the use of literacy tests.b. the appointment of federal examiners to register blacks in areas

where voter participation had been low.c. an end to all poll taxes and property requirements.d. the imposition of criminal penalties for interfering with the

right to vote.e. B and C.


28. One way that blacks were prevented from voting prior to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was by requiring them to

a. sign a grandfather clause.b. register six months in advance of an election.c. become U.S. citizens.d. memorize the Bill of Rights.e. pass a literacy test.


29. In the twentieth century, legal impediments used in the South to prevent blacks from voting were

a. increased as time went on.b. upheld by the Supreme Court.c. swept away by the Civil Rights Act of 1965.d. kept in some states and dropped in others.e. removed one by one.


30. Between 1915 and 1925, the size of the eligible voting population in the United States almost doubled. The main reason for this was that

a. the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.b. women were given the right to vote.c. the grandfather clause that denied voting to blacks was ruled

unconstitutional.d. literacy tests for blacks were ruled unconstitutional.e. voter registration laws were abolished in seventeen states.




31. Throughout most of the country, women were first allowed to vote

a. with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.b. with adoption of the Bill of Rights.c. during the second-party system before the Civil War.d. immediately after the Civil War.e. in the first two decades of this century.


32. Until 1920, women were kept from voting by

a. intimidation.b. social custom.c. their own choice.d. tradition.e. law.


33. The first elections in which all persons between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one were able to vote were held in

a. 1944.b. 1956.c. 1972.d. 1984.e. 1985.


34. The number of voters eligible to vote in the 1972 presidential election rose dramatically from the previous election, in large measure because voting was extended to

a. persons between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one.b. all blacks through passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1970.c. women through ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.d. aliens through passage of the Alien Rights Act.e. None of these.


35. Which of the following gave the right to vote in state elections to eighteen-year-olds?

a. an act of Congressb. a Constitutional amendmentc. a federal court rulingd. concerted action on the part of the statese. an Executive order


36. Suffrage was extended in the Twenty-sixth Amendment to

a. those aged eighteen to twenty.b. blacks.c. women.d. residents of the District of Columbia.e. felons who had received presidential pardons.




37. In the first presidential election in which eighteen-year-olds were allowed to vote, they

a. turned out in far heavier numbers than the population as whole.b. voted heavily Democratic.c. voted heavily Republican.d. voted heavily Independent.e. made little difference to the outcome of the election.


38. By 1972 those who had received the right to vote in all U.S. elections and who had been previously disenfranchised included

a. blacks only.b. blacks and women only.c. blacks, women, and eighteen-year-olds only.d. blacks, women, eighteen-year-olds, and prison inmates.e. blacks, women, eighteen-year-olds, and prison inmates who

had been pardoned.


39. By federal law, those areas in which less than 50 percent of the population has voted in presidential elections

a. can have federal elections canceled.b. lose a seat in the House of Representatives.c. are placed on probation until the turnout rises to 55 percent or

more.d. cannot be treated differently from any other area of the

country.e. can be subject to federal voter registrars and poll watchers.


40. Federal voter registrars and poll watchers can be sent into areas where

a. less than 50 percent of the population votes in a presidential election.

b. vote fraud has been documented in two or more previous elections.

c. a literacy test or poll tax was in use prior to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

d. both parties petition the government for their presence.e. a party gathers more than 70 percent of the vote.




41. Which of the following statements applies to the voting rights of U.S. citizens who cannot speak English?

a. All U.S. citizens are guaranteed the right to a ballot written in his or her native language.

b. These citizens must pass a language test before they are allowed to vote.

c. Areas must only provide translators for Spanish speaking persons under the age of twenty-one.

d. Areas must provide a translator to all non-English-speaking citizens wishing to vote.

e. Areas with many such citizens must provide ballots written in the citizens' languages.


42. The _____ Amendment gave voters in the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections.

a. Fifteenthb. Twentiethc. Twenty-secondd. Twenty-thirde. Twenty-sixth


43. Which of the following statements about U.S. voter participation in presidential elections is correct?

a. It increased sharply after women, blacks, and youths were given the right to vote.

b. It has remained steady since at least the mid-nineteenth century.

c. It has declined since the latter part of the nineteenth century.d. It rose steadily throughout the first half of the twentieth century

but has recently declined.e. It has risen steadily since the campaign of Ross Perot.


44. Some scholars argue that the decline in voter turnout in the twentieth century is more apparent than real because in the nineteenth century

a. vote fraud inflated ballot counts.b. the illiteracy of immigrants was not a factor.c. property qualifications reduced the electorate.d. blacks were terrorized to keep them from voting.e. elections were commonly affected by freakishly poor weather.




45. The phenomenon of vote fraud has led some scholars to conclude that

a. confidence in government has undergone a genuine decline in this century.

b. confidence in government has undergone only an apparent decline.

c. voter turnout has increased dramatically.d. voter turnout has declined.e. the decline in voter turnout in the twentieth century has been

apparent, not real.


46. Scholars who deny that there has been a real voting decline from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries point to earlier practices of

a. vote fraud.b. the party bloc ballot.c. automatic registration.d. multiple-member districts.e. run-off elections.


47. One explanation given by the text for the decline in U.S. voter participation in presidential elections after 1900 is that

a. parties began functioning to mobilize mass voter turnout.b. fewer citizens were directly affected by the outcome of

presidential elections.c. other forms of political participation became less accessible to

citizens.d. election fraud was rampant in the nineteenth century.e. the Republican party began to attempt to mobilize individuals

who were least likely to vote.


48. Scholars who see a genuine voting decline from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries attribute it largely to the fact that

a. individuals pay less attention to politics.b. interest groups make partisanship irrelevant.c. nonelected officials control policy making.d. political leaders pay too much attention to polls.e. the major parties have become more honest.



a. election fraud increased dramatically in the twentieth century.b. fewer citizens were directly affected by the outcome of

presidential elections.c. other forms of political participation became less accessible to

citizens.d. parties ceased mobilizing mass voter turnout.e. the Republican party began to attempt to mobilize individuals





50. The steady decline in U.S. voter turnout appears to be the unintentional result of

a. strict voter registration procedures.b. the poll tax.c. the fraudulent reporting of election results.d. literacy testing.e. media campaigns.



a. election fraud increased dramatically.b. parties began mobilizing mass voter turnout.c. fewer citizens were directly affected by the outcome of

presidential elections.d. voter-registration regulations became more burdensome.e. the Republican party began to attempt to mobilize individuals



52. In the nineteenth century, voting ballots were printed by

a. the government.b. Congressc. the courts.d. state legislatures.e. political parties.


53. Which of the following statements regarding the Australian ballot is incorrect?

a. It is printed by the government.b. It appeared first in the states.c. It appeared in the late 1800’s.d. It is cast in secret.e. It eliminated vote fraud.


54. The enactment of strict voter registration procedures has resulted in

a. decreased electoral fraud.b. decreased voter turnout.c. stronger political parties.d. A and B.e. None of these.


55. Which of the following measures was created to cut back on vote buying and fraudulent vote counts?

a. the grandfather clauseb. the poll taxc. the Australian ballotd. the motor-voter lawe. the Anderson-Howard Act




56. The most common form of political participation, excluding voting in presidential elections, is

a. becoming a member of a political party.b. contributing money to an election.c. actively working for a party.d. attending political rallies.e. voting in local elections.


57. According to Verba and Nie's study of political participation, the type of activity most likely to attract citizens with strong opinions and party identification is

a. campaigning.b. voting.c. joining a nonpartisan political organization.d. writing local officials about a problem.e. contacting a local official.


58. Surveys that ask individuals whether they voted in a given election are hampered by the fact that

a. most people cannot remember whether they voted.b. some 10 percent will report voting when in fact they did not.c. the individuals sampled are frequently unrepresentative of the

larger population.d. most people regard voting as a private matter.e. federal law prohibits questioning voters within forty-eight

hours of an election.


59. The Voting Age Population (VAP) is calculated from

a. state voter registration lists.b. census reports.c. public opinion polls.d. legislative surveys.e. party membership lists.


60. One notable problem with Voting Age Population (VAP) statistics is that they

a. are usually calculated without reference to gender.b. are biased by the views of political parties.c. tend to exaggerate the number of female voters.d. over-represent individuals born before 1960.e. include people who cannot vote.


61. If a researcher insists on using VEP statistics in a study of vote turnout, as opposed to VAP statistics, he/she is probably concerned about

a. creating a balance between males and females in the data.b. removing political party bias.c. generating a more accurate estimate of the number of female



voters.d. having a more reliable estimate of the number of voters across

time.e. removing individuals from the data who are actually ineligible

to vote.


62. When Voting Eligible Population (VEP) statistics are examined,

a. the decline in vote turnout is even more apparent.b. the apparent decline in vote turnout vanishes completely.c. it is apparent that vote turnout has not declined since the early

1970’s.d. mid-term congressional elections routinely feature turnout rates

of above 55 percent.e. None of these.


63. A careful study of the “party of nonvoters” in the 1992 and 1996 elections found the most common demographic feature(s) of nonvoters to be

a. residential mobilityb. conservatismc. Protestantismd. youthe. A and D


64. The texts suggests that, if the “party of nonvoters” had participated at a higher rate in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections,

a. Bill Clinton would probably have won, by a wider margin.b. Bill Clinton would probably have won, by a smaller marginc. George Bush would probably have won, by a narrow margin.d. Ross Perot would probably have won, by a large margin.e. Ross Perot would probably have won by a narrow margin.


65. In a typical survey, one might expect ________ percent of respondents to claim to have voted when, in fact, they did not.

a. 2 to 4b. 6 to 8c. 8 to 10d. 15 to 20e. 30 to 40


66. Politically inactive individuals tend to be all of the following except

a. low income.b. ideological.c. young.d. nonwhite.e. A and B.




67. Verba and Nie found that about ________ of the population was never active in politics in any way.

a. one-tenthb. one-fifthc. one-halfd. two-thirdse. one-third


68. Inactives tend to

a. be young.b. have little education.c. have low incomes.d. All of these.e. None of these.


69. Which of Verba and Nie's participation groups tends to be older and less educated than the others?

a. inactivesb. campaignersc. communalistsd. parochial participantse. voting specialists


70. Compared to the rest of the population, voting specialists tend to be

a. younger and more educated.b. younger and less educated.c. older and more educated.d. older and less educated.e. middle-aged and highly educated.


71. Youth, low income, and minority status are associated with which of the following participation groups?

a. inactivesb. parochial participantsc. communalistsd. campaignerse. voting-specialists


72. The willingness to engage in partisan competition separates which two of the participation groups described by Verba and Nie?

a. campaigners from complete activistsb. inactives from campaignersc. parochial participants from communalistsd. inactives from parochial participantse. communalists from campaigners




73. Campaigners are distinguished from the general population by their

a. higher education levels and stronger opinions.b. lower education levels and stronger opinions.c. higher education levels and weaker opinions.d. lower education levels and weaker opinions.e. lack of party identification and distaste for conflict.


74. Two of the participation groups Verba and Nie describe, campaigners and communalists, differ primarily in their

a. taste for conflict.b. political ideology.c. socioeconomic status.d. general level of participation.e. intensity of religious sentiment.


75. Which of the following participation groups is distinguished from the others by its higher education and willingness to take strong stands on issues?

a. voting specialistsb. campaignersc. communalistsd. parochial participantse. inactives


76. Which of the following participation groups appears to want to avoid conflict and tension more than the others?



77. Which of the following participation groups avoids both elections and community groups in its political activity?





78. Which of the following do parochial participants seem most eager to avoid?

a. the tension of partisanshipb. both partisanship and community group membershipc. all forms of political involvementd. the appearance of being too individualistice. the sharing of personal problems with public officials


79. Which of the following factors are highly correlated with a high rate of political participation?

a. more education, older than thirty-five years oldb. more education, age younger than thirty-five years oldc. immigrant background, higher incomed. nonimmigrant background, more educatione. high income, younger than twenty-five


80. Which of the following is statements does not apply to the 11 percent of the population who are activists?

a. They are old.b. They have high levels of education.c. They have higher levels of income.d. They participate in many forms of politics.e. B and C.


81. The text suggests that one reason religious involvement increases political participation is because

a. politics is a more simplistic form of theology.b. a belief in God helps people make political decisions.c. the church provides a forum for differing viewpoints.d. it leads to inwardness and thus more political insight.e. it leads to social connectedness and increases awareness of

larger issues.


82. The text suggests that one reason religious involvement increases political participation is because

a. politics is a more simplistic form of theology.b. a belief in God helps people make political decisions.c. the church provides a forum for differing viewpoints.d. it leads to inwardness and thus more political insight.e. it puts one in contact with like-minded people.




83. Before socioeconomic status is taken into account, which of the following groups appears to have lower participation rates than others?

a. womenb. southernersc. Hispanicsd. blackse. Asian-Americans


84. Which of the following statements about political participation by blacks is correct?

a. Blacks participate less than whites across the board.b. Blacks participate more than whites of the same socioeconomic

status.c. Blacks participate only at certain times, such as during the civil

rights movement of the 1960s.d. Blacks participate more heavily than whites in protest

movements, riots, and demonstrations.e. Blacks participate more than whites across the board.


85. Which of two individuals, one black, one white, with roughly the same level of income and schooling, is most likely to participate in politics?

a. The black individual.b. The white individual.c. The two individuals will participate at about the same level.d. The white individual if economics is a critical feature of an

election.e. No study has been conducted on this question.


86. Which of the following statements describes the correlation between eligible voters' distrust of political leaders and the likelihood that they will vote?

a. The more distrustful the voter, the less likely it is that he or she will vote.

b. The more distrustful the voter, the more likely it is that he or she will vote.

c. The more distrustful the voter, the more likely it is that he or she will register to vote.

d. A and C.e. No apparent correlation exists.




87. According to studies, what effect does cynicism have on voter turnout?

a. It decreases turnout.b. It increases it across the board.c. It increases turnout for minor parties only.d. It decreases turnout when third parties are also a factor.e. It has no effect on turnout at all.


88. Which of the following statements is true of voter registration in recent years?

a. It has increased dramatically.b. It has decreased dramatically.c. It has become more difficult for eligible voters.d. It has changed little.e. It has become easier for eligible voters.


89. Since 1970, federal law has prohibited states from having residency requirements longer than ___ days for presidential elections.

a. 10b. 15c. 30d. 60e. 100


90. Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, and Wisconsin have each legislated voter registration

a. according to stricter standards than the federal ones.b. on the same day as the elections.c. by postcard up to one month before the election.d. by using door-to-door registrars.e. on the internet.


91. Recently, some states have reformed their laws to make it easier for people to

a. cast absentee ballots while incarcerated.b. get to the polls on election day.c. meet federal requirements to be citizens.d. register to vote.e. rescind an accidental vote.


92. Most states that initiated same-day voter registration witnessed on election day

a. a continuing voter turnout decline.b. a major increase in voter turnout.c. no change at all in voter turnout.d. a major increase in turnout of Democratic voters.e. slight improvements in voter turnout.




93. Compared to the role they used to play, political parties today tend to be

a. much better at enrolling new voters and getting them to vote.b. more grassroots oriented than before.c. less able to produce candidates who appeal to voters.d. more distant, national bureaucracies.e. more personal, but less organized.


94. One cause of the decline in voter turnout may be the increasingly distant and bureaucratic image of

a. most candidates for office.b. most interest groups.c. state officeholders.d. local office holders.e. the major political parties.


95. In Italy, what happens if citizens do not vote in an election?

a. They are fined.b. That fact is noted on their government papers.c. Nothing is done.d. They are prohibited from receiving government assistance.e. They are threatened with deportation.


96. Two recent studies have shown that most of the differences in voter turnout in different countries can be explained by all of the following factors except

a. party strength.b. media coverage.c. automatic registration.d. compulsory voting systems.e. B and C.


97. Two multinational studies of voter turnout concluded that party strength, automatic registration, and compulsory voting laws accounted for how much of the variance in turnout?

a. almost noneb. about one-thirdc. about two-thirdsd. almost alle. It could not be determined from the data.




98. One argument against compulsory voting in this country is

a. the expense involved.b. the variation in enforcement from state to state.c. its vulnerability to vote fraud.d. the impossibility of implementing it.e. voter objections to identification papers.


99. Which of the following forms of participation has been decreasing in recent years?

a. votingb. writing to public officialsc. making demands on government officialsd. public demonstrations and protest marchese. contributing money to a party


100. If measures were taken to improve voter turnout, it is safest to say that

a. such measures would be more likely to benefit the Republicans.

b. such measures would be more likely to benefit the Democrats.c. such measures would help both major parties about equally.d. such measures would hurt both parties and help independent

candidates.e. we do not know which major party, if either, would benefit.


101. When Jesse Jackson ran for president in 1984, which of the following happened to black voter registration in the South?

a. It remained low.b. It increased but was more than offset by an increase in voter

registration by southern whites.c. It actually declined.d. It increased and played a major role in winning several states

for Jackson.e. It had no impact on registration.


102. Between 1967 and 1987, the proportion of Americans who contacted public officials

a. increased dramatically, from 17 percent to 27 percent.b. increased slightly, from 15 percent to 17 percent.c. decreased slightly, from 11 percent to 9 percent.d. decreased dramatically, from 20 percent to 13 percent.e. decreased dramatically, from 30 percent to 2 percent.



Type: FactualAns: EPage: 144Table 6.3

103. Between 1967 and 1987, the proportion of Americans contacting government officials increased greatest for those who contacted

a. local officials about issue-based interests.b. local officials about state officials.c. local officials about particularized issues.d. state or national officials about particularized issues.e. state or national officials about issue-based issues.


104. Although we vote at _______ rates here than people do abroad, the meaning of our vote is ________.

a. higher, sameb. higher, more importantc. lower, differentd. lower, samee. lower, more important

Type: FactualAns: BPage: 144Table 6.3

105. Between 1967 and 1987, a considerable increase was noted in the proportion of Americans who

a. always vote in local elections.b. contacted public officials.c. attend political rallies or meetings.d. participate in a political club.e. actively worked for candidates.


106. Since 1960 the percentage of nonvoters with some college education or who held white-collar jobs has

a. decreased.b. stayed about the same.c. increased.d. decreased for blacks only.e. remained about the same for blacks only.


107. Which of the following statements about public demonstrations such as sit-ins and protest marches is correct?

a. They have been used primarily by antiwar and civil rights activists.

b. They have become much more common in recent decades.c. They are normally not considered a form of political

participation.d. They have not been especially effective.e. They are increasingly less common.




108. Compared to voters in the United States, most European voters have the opportunity to cast ballots

a. more frequently, for as many offices.b. less frequently, for as many offices.c. less frequently, for fewer offices.d. more frequently, for fewer offices.e. more frequently for more offices.


109. Compared to the profile of voters in the United States, the social composition of voters in most European countries is

a. closer to the general population.b. more skewed toward the upper classes.c. more skewed toward the middle classes.d. more skewed toward the working classes.e. more skewed toward government employees.


110. In which country do voters have the most frequent opportunities to participate in elections?

a. Japanb. Germanyc. the United Statesd. Great Britaine. Italy


111. The text states, "Americans may not vote at high rates, but voting affects a far greater part of the political system here than abroad." Why is this the case?

a. because our votes are given more publicityb. because our votes more accurately reflect the countryc. because our votes more accurately reflect our opinionsd. because we vote for the leader of our natione. because we vote for so many offices


112. In which of the following countries is the profile of voters the least like that of the country's general population?

a. Japanb. Germanyc. the United Statesd. Great Britaine. Sweden




113. The text suggests that the profile of voters in the United States may make the government more responsive to

a. conservative ideology.b. liberal ideology.c. the voices of the so-called silent majority.d. non-partisan elites who work in government.e. confronting ideologies of higher-status people.


114. In the United States, voter turnout is heavily skewed toward higher-status persons. One effect of this may be to make our government

a. more flexible in times of international crisis.b. less ideological and more independent.c. less vulnerable to the ideologies of political elites.d. more compassionate toward the needs of minorities.e. more sensitive to the ideologies of upper-status people.


115. The most powerful determinant of political participation, other than education and information, is

a. race.b. gender.c. employment.d. region.e. age.


116. The text believes that U.S. elections affect the conduct of government officials

a. hardly at all.b. considerably, but slightly less than in other nations.c. considerably, but much less than in other nations.d. about as much as in other nations.e. more than in other nations.


117. According to the text, elections in which of the following countries have the most powerful effect on the conduct of officials?

a. Japanb. Germanyc. the United Statesd. Great Britaine. Italy

TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONSAns: TruePage: 131

118. Conventional data on vote turnout routinely show turnout rate of 80 percent, or higher, in European elections.

Ans: FPage: 131

119. In this country, ninety percent of the voting-age population is registered to vote.



Ans: FalsePage: 132

120. Measured against the total adult population, voter turnout rates in the United States are on a par with those in Europe.

Ans: TruePage: 132

121. Measured against the total registered electorate, voter turnout rates in the United States are on a par with those in Europe.

Ans: FalsePage: 133

122. A 2001 study found that turnout of motor voter registrants was higher than that of other new registrants.

Ans: TruePage: 133

123. The findings of a 2001 study suggest that those who register in a process that is “costless” are less likely to vote.

Ans: TruePage: 132

124. The percentage of the population in most European nations who vote in elections is much higher than in the United States.

Ans: FalsePage: 132

125. The percentage of registered citizens in most European nations who vote in elections is much higher than in the United States.

Ans: TruePage: 132

126. Registration procedures rather than voter apathy are the major cause of low voter turnout in the United States.

Ans: TruePage: 132

127. The text argues that apathy on election day is not the primary cause of low voter turnout in this country.

Ans: FalsePage: 133

128. The text identifies voting as the sole measure of citizen participation in politics.

Ans: TruePage: 132

129. The United States is the only Western democracy to place the full burden of voter registration on the individual.

Ans: FalsePage: 132

130. Get-out-the-vote campaigns would be the logical means of improving voter turnout rates in the United States.

Ans: TruePage: 132

131. The text argues that get-out-the-vote campaigns are unlikely to improve voter turnout.



Ans: TruePage: 132

132. The United States differs from European nations in that its citizens take responsibility for registering to vote.

Ans: FalsePage: 132

133. U.S. and European systems of voter registration are similar.

Ans: FalsePage: 132

134. Enactment of the "motor-voter" bill will be more beneficial to the Democrats than to the Republicans.

Ans: TruePage: 132

135. Voter turnout is declining because all economic groups have become less likely to vote.

Ans: TruePage: 133

136. The motor-voter law has allowed a lot of people to register that way but without much impact on election results.

Ans: TruePage: 133

137. Very high levels of registration and voting, suggests the text, could be a measure of citizen dissatisfaction.

Ans: FalsePage: 133

138. The text argues that if Americans were more satisfied with government, voter turnout rates would be much higher.

Ans: TruePage: 133

139. Other and perhaps more significant measures of political participation exist besides voter turnout.

Ans: TruePage: 134

140. Women did not receive the right to vote in all U.S. elections until the twentieth century.

Ans: TruePage: 134

141. Prisoners in the United States cannot vote.

Ans: FalsePage: 134

142. Initially, the U.S. Constitution, not the states, decided who could vote and for what offices.

Ans: FalsePage: 134

143. The Fifteenth Amendment said that no state could deny any citizen the right to vote on account of gender.



Ans: FalsePage: 134

144. Former slaves were given the right to vote by the U.S. Constitution.

Ans: FalsePage: 134

145. The Fifteenth Amendment conferred the right to vote on any U.S. citizen.

Ans: TruePage: 134

146. Poll taxes and literacy tests were methods used to keep blacks from voting.

Ans: TruePage: 135

147. Blacks did not begin to vote in large numbers until passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Ans: TruePage: 135

148. For decades after receiving suffrage, women voted in smaller proportions than men.

Ans: FalsePage: 135

149. When first allowed to vote, women turned out in greater numbers than men.

Ans: FalsePage: 135

150. Women were first allowed to vote in the South.

Ans: FalsePage: 135

151. The number of voters doubled when women were allowed to vote in 1920.

Ans: TruePage: 135

152. Several states permitted women to vote prior to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.

Ans: FalsePage: 136

153. The Voting Rights Act of 1970 gave eighteen-year-olds the right to vote in all elections, federal and state.

Ans: TruePage: 136

154. The Twenty-sixth Amendment gave eighteen-year-olds the right to vote in state elections.

Ans: FalsePage: 136

155. In 1972, a large youth vote allowed George McGovern to win several key states.



Ans: FalsePage: 136

156. National standards today govern few aspects of voter eligibility.

Ans: FalsePage: 136

157. Most aspects of voter eligibility are controlled by the states rather than the federal government.

Ans: TruePage: 136

158. Areas with significant numbers of citizens not speaking English must give those people ballots written in their own language.

Ans: TruePage: 136

159. Residents of the District of Columbia could not vote in presidential elections until 1961.

Ans: TruePage: 136

160. The Twenty-third Amendment gave citizens of the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections.

Ans: FalsePage: 137

161. Since 1900 only two presidential elections have drawn a voter turnout in excess of 70 percent.

Ans: FalsePage: 137

162. Political parties in the twentieth century are less conservative and more committed to voter participation than in the nineteenth century.

Ans: TruePage: 137

163. The diminishing role of parties in voter registration and turnout is one probable reason for the decline in voting.

Ans: FalsePage: 138

164. Voter fraud today is more prevalent than in the nineteenth century and helps explain some of the reasons for declining voter turnout.

Ans: TruePage: 138

165. States first began adopting the Australian ballot around 1890.

Ans: FalsePage: 138

166. The Australian ballot was not used in the United States until after World War I.

Ans: TruePage: 139

167. After the 1890s, it became more difficult for Americans to register to vote.

Ans: TruePage: 139

168. Strict voter registration requirements accomplished two things: it reduced fraud and it reduced voter turnout.



Ans: FalsePage: 140

169. Most people participate in elections by contributing money to a candidate who is running for election.

Ans: TruePage: 140

170. Relatively few Americans have ever contributed to a political campaign.

Ans: TruePage: 140

171. For Americans, voting is the most common form of political participation.

Ans: TruePage: 140

172. For most people, casting a vote is their only significant form of political participation.

Ans: TruePage: 140

173. For most Americans, voting is the most prevalent form of participation in the political process.

Ans: FalsePage: 140

174. When people talk to pollsters, they tend to underestimate the amount of their political participation.

Ans: TruePage: 140

175. Survey figures on political participation tend to exaggerate the frequency of actual participation.

Ans: TruePage: 140

176. Most Americans are more likely to take part in nonpolitical (e.g., church-related or charitable) activities than political activities.

Ans: FalsePage: 141

177. Inactives and complete activists each comprise about 20 percent of the U.S. population.

Ans: TruePage: 141

178. Voting specialists do little else politically than vote.

Ans: FalsePage: 141

179. Communalists are like campaigners, but with a keener interest in the tension and conflict of campaigns.

Ans: TruePage: 141

180. Parochial participants will contact local officials about specific, often personal problems.



Ans: FalsePage: 141

181. Activists tend to have less education, have lower incomes, and tend to be younger than non-activists.

Ans: TruePage: 141

182. The text suggests that the key variable in political participation may be political information rather than schooling.

Ans: FalsePage: 141

183. Level of education appears to be a determinant of political participation only until one controls for income and occupation.

Ans: TruePage: 141

184. Voting rates for men and women are approximately equal.

Ans: FalsePage: 141

185. Voting rates for women now exceed those of men by 10 to 15 percent.

Ans: FalsePage: 142

186. Recent declines in voter turnout for presidential elections can be adequately explained by the increasing numbers of young people and blacks.

Ans: TruePage: 142

187. Evidence exists to support the claim that people who are cynical about our leaders are just as likely to vote as people who are not.

Ans: TruePage: 142

188. The fact that members of the baby boom generation are now in adulthood is a partial explanation for recent declines in presidential election turnout.

Ans: TruePage: 142

189. Voter residency requirements in excess of thirty days have been prohibited by federal law since 1970.

Ans: FalsePage: 141

190. Religious involvement appears to have no effect on political participation.

Ans: FalsePage: 142

191. If all states had same-day voter registration, voter turnout would probably increase dramatically.

Ans: FalsePage: 142

192. A few states still maintain residency requirements in excess of the federal thirty-day standard.



Ans: FalsePage: 142

193. Over the past twenty years, registering to vote has become more difficult.

Ans: TruePage: 142

194. Making same-day registration legal in all states would probably lead to modest increases in voter turnout.

Ans: FalsePage: 143

195. In four states that allowed same-day registration in 1976, three saw voter turnout increase dramatically.

Ans: TruePage: 143

196. In some countries voting is compulsory.

Ans: FalsePage: 143

197. Recent declines in voter turnout run counter to the growing public belief that elections are important.

Ans: TruePage: 143

198. One cause of the decline in voter turnout is that more citizens today believe that elections are not important.

Ans: FalsePage: 143

199. Relaxing registration requirements, says the text, would probably aid the Democrats more than the Republicans.

Ans: TruePage: 143

200. We simply do not know whether currently proposed voter registration law reforms would help one political party or the other.

Ans: TruePage: 144

201. The text argues that Americans vote less than Europeans but participate more in politics in other ways.

Ans: FalsePage: 144

202. Along with voting, Americans are participating far less in politics in terms of letter-writing to public officials and protest demonstrations.

Ans: TruePage: 144

203. Unlike voting, most other forms of political participation have been on the rise in recent years.

Ans: TruePage: 144

204. Americans may vote less than citizens of other nations, but they are also more likely to work for a party or community action group.



Ans: FalsePage: 144

205. Overall, voter turnout in the United States is lower than in European nations, but other forms of citizen participation are about equal on both continents.

Ans: FalsePage: 144

206. Public demonstrations such as sit-ins and protest marches are less common than they were a decade ago.

Ans: TruePage: 144

207. In many European nations, voters get to vote just once every four or five years.

Ans: TruePage: 144

208. Persuading others how to vote is a form of political participation.

Ans: TruePage: 144

209. Contacting a local official to discuss, or share views about, a political issue is a form of political participation.

Ans: TruePage: 144

210. Compared to other countries, Americans vote in more elections and for more offices.

Ans: TruePage: 145

211. In the United States, vote turnout is heavily skewed toward higher-status persons: those in managerial, professional or other white-collar occupations.

Ans: FalsePage: 145

212. Research indicates political participation in the United States dramatically decreased from 1867 to 1987.

Ans: TruePage: 145

213. While the percentage of Americans participating in presidential elections may have decreased between 1967 and 1987, many other forms of political participation have increased.

Ans: TruePage: 146

214. Nonwhites and Latinos tend to be underrepresented among American voters.

Ans: TruePage: 146

215. Currently, little is known about the relationship between political participation and variables such as command of the language.

Ans: FalsePage: 145

216. Voting in the United States affects a smaller part of the political system than voting in most European countries.

Ans: TruePage: 145

217. The average voter in the United States is not as representative of the whole population as is the average voter in Japan or Sweden.



SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS218. Discuss how increasing federal control over registration and election rules has led to the enfranchisement of

more groups of voters.

Answer

a. Blacks: federal legislation and court decisions removed southern obstacles one by one in the Fifteenth Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965

b. Women: Nineteenth Amendment in 1920

c. Eighteen- to twenty-year-olds: Voting Rights Act of 1970, then the Twenty-sixth Amendment in 1971

Page: 134-136

219. Review and comment on the debate over why U.S. election turnout in the twentieth century has been very low.

Answer

a. Real decline: parties more competitive, hardworking in nineteenth century, legal barriers low, elections meaningful and often close; all of these factors reversed in twentieth century

b. Apparent decline: earlier vote counts inflated by fraud, which became more difficult after twentieth-century reforms

c. Text viewpoint: costs of voting (registration, informing oneself, voting on weekday) outweigh benefits of voting (civic duty)

Page: 136-139

220. List and describe the characteristics of the six categories of political participation devised by Verba and Nie. Comment on the extent to which this information helps your understanding of participation in this country.

Answer

a. Inactives (rarely vote or get involved in organizations)

b. Complete activists (participate in all forms)

c. Voting specialists (only vote)

d. Campaigners (vote and work in campaigns)

e. Communalists (vote and work in community activities)

f. Parochial participants (do not vote, campaign, or do social work but contact politicians)

Page: 140

221. Discuss the causes of political participation. What factors are correlated with political participation?

Answer

a. The more education one has, the more likely one is to vote.

b. No gender differences, but whites vote more than blacks or Hispanics.

c. Churchgoers are more likely to vote and take part in politics than nonchurchgoers.

d. Young people vote less frequently than older people.

e. More affluent participate more often than the poor.

Page: 141-144



ESSAY QUESTIONS222. The text discusses the reasons for political participation and also gives reasons for the decline in voter

turnout in the United States. With this information, formulate a strategy to increase voter participation. Consider target groups, electoral procedures, and legal requirements.

Answer

a. The method of voter registration should be made less cumbersome.

b. Target the groups who do not vote: young, non-college educated, and minorities.

c. Reduce the number of elections and the number of elected officials.

d. Allow political parties a larger role in elections to mobilize voters.

Page: 136-144

223. The text argues that the methods used to compare voter turnout rates between the United States and Europe are misleading. Present four arguments that demonstrate the flaws in this comparison.

Answer

a. The comparisons are usually made between two different groups: registered voters participating in Europe and the total voting-age population participating in the United States.

b. Apathy is not as much the problem in the United States as the fact that fewer people are registered to vote in this country.

c. Many European countries have automatic registration procedures, while the burden of registration in the United States falls on the voter.

d. Voting is only one form of political participation. Involvement in other forms of political activity is much higher in the United States than in Europe.

Page: 131-134


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