Crash Course - Election Basics

Why do we have elections in the first place.

• Democracies can only exist when we elect representatives.

• The constitution lays out the foundation for all elections in each state.

• The nation is far too complex to have each citizen to decide policies on an individual basis.

• Humans are naturally drawn to competition.

What is adverse selection?

• When we decide what to choose even though we do not have all of the information we need to make the best choice.

• When we deliberately choose something that is not good for us.

• When we disagree with both options, so we decide not to participate in choosing at all.

• When we make a choice that backfires on us

One of the benefits of elections is that it forces the candidate to be more _______________ with the voters.

• dishonest

• honest

• generous

• humble

Elections are beneficial for the democracy because it

• Creates jobs for media analysts

• They are considered the most entertaining of news events

• The give the people the power to eliminate policymakers who do a poor job

• They give hope to people in a hopeless world

The Constitution of the United States

• gives each state detailed instructions how to operate elections.

• says nothing about elections at all.

• said nothing about elections until the 19th amendment.

• says that the states are responsible for elections, but gives very little detail except in the case of the president.

Originally, the states were not allowed to elect senators directly, but that changed with the

• 1st amendment

• 17th amendment

• 10th amendment

• 25th amendment

The 24th amendment eliminated poll taxes because

• the republican led congress favored eliminating taxes

• the economy was not dong well

• the taxes were being used to make it hard or impossible for poor people to vote

• the tax revenue was more than the treasury could spend

The Federal Election Commission was developed to

• make voting more accessible to American voters, especially minority voters

• limit how many people could vote in each state

• establish rules to prevent widespread voter fraud

• choose candidates qualified to run for office

Ballots, registration, polling locations, and hours of operation are decided by

• the candidates

• the federal government

• the state governments

• the constitution

Historically, laws passed typically ________ voting rights and participation.

• increased

• decreased

• eliminated