Understanding American Government and Politics

What does the 15th Amendment prohibit?

• Conditioning the right to vote on a poll tax

• Denying the right to vote based on sex

• Denying the right to vote based on race

• 18 year old voting age

Which voting behavior involves voting for a candidate based on their past performance?

• Prospective Voting

• Retrospective Voting

• Rational Choice Voting

• Party-Line Voting

What is a major factor that prevents voter turnout?

• Weekend elections

• Voter registration requirements

• Mandatory voting laws

• High voter enthusiasm

How are elections in America different from most other countries?

• Elections controlled by the judiciary

• Elections controlled by a monarch

• National controlled elections

• State controlled elections

What role do parties play in the political process?

• Only running campaigns

• Mobilization and education of voters

• Providing financial support to all candidates

• Determining the outcome of elections

What signifies a political realignment?

• A change in the voting age

• The introduction of a new electoral system

• A major crisis leading to a shift in political coalitions

• A new party formation

Why does the winner-take-all system hurt third parties?

• It makes their campaigns more expensive

• It encourages a multi-party system

• It limits their chance because seats are not awarded based on the proportion of the vote

• It allows them to win more seats

What is the primary function of interest groups?

• To run candidates for office

• To influence public policy

• To vote in elections

• To organize political rallies

What is the difference between open and closed primaries?

• Open primaries do not exist

• Closed primaries are only for incumbents

• Open allows any party member to vote, closed requires party membership

• Open is for presidential elections, closed is for midterms

What was a major change introduced by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

• Mandatory public funding for all campaigns

• Unlimited contributions to parties

• Ban on soft money contributions

• Introduction of soft money