Chapter 10 Elections and Voting Behavior Chapter Review
I. How American Elections Work (pp. 298-299)
A. Elections socialize and institutionalize political activity and provide regular access to political power, thus establishing
legitimacy.
B. A referendum gives voters the chance to approve or disapprove some legislative act or constitutional amendment.
C. Initiative petitions enable voters to put proposed legislation on the ballot.
II. A Tale of Three Elections (pp. 299-304)
A. 1800: The First Electoral Transition of Power
B. 1896: A Bitter Fight over Economic Interests
C. 2004: The Ratification of a Polarizing Presidency
III. Whether To Vote: A Citizen's First Choice (pp. 304-309)
A. Deciding Whether to Vote
1. The costs of voting may rationally outweigh the benefits.
2. People who see policy differences in the parties are more likely to vote.
3. People with a high sense of political efficacy are more likely to vote.
4. People with a high sense of civic duty are more likely to vote.
B. Registering to Vote
1. Voter registration procedures currently differ greatly from state to state.
2. The 1993 Motor Voter Act requires states to permit people to register at the same time they apply for driver's
licenses.
C. Who Votes?
1. People with a higher education vote more regularly.
2. Older people vote more regularly than younger people.
3. African Americans and Hispanics vote less regularly.
4. Women vote slightly more regularly than men.
5. Married people are more likely to vote than non-married.
6. Government employees vote more regularly.
IV. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizens' Decisions (pp. 310-315)
A. The mandate theory of elections suggests that the winner has a mandate to carry out promised policies.
B. Party Identification provides a perspective through which voters can view the political world.
C. Candidate Evaluations: How Americans see the Candidates
D. Policy Voting occurs when people base their choices in an election on their own issue preferences.
V. The Last Battle: The Electoral College (pp. 315-316)
VI. Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior (pp. 316-319)
A. Democracy and Elections
1. The greater the policy differences between the candidates, the more likely voters will be able to steer
government policies by their choices.
2. People who feel better off than before will vote for candidates who pledge to continue the status quo; those
who feel worse off will vote for the opposition (retrospective voting).
B. Elections and the Scope of Government
VII. Summary (p. 319)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying Chapter 10, you should be able to:
1. Explain the functions and unique features of American elections.
2. Describe how American elections have evolved using the presidential elections of 1800,
1896, and 2004 as examples.
3. Discuss the factors that affect a citizen's choice of whether to vote.
4. Explain how Americans vote and what factors influence how they vote.
5. Explain how the electoral college works and what biases it can introduce.
6. Understand how elections affect democracy, public policy, and the scope of government.
The following exercises will help you meet these objectives:
Objective 1: Explain the functions and unique features of American elections.
1. List the three kinds of elections found in the United States and their purpose.
1.
2.
3.
2. What is the difference between an initiative petition and a referendum?
Objective 2: Describe how American elections have evolved using the
presidential elections of 1800, 1896, and 2004.
1. Complete the following table on the elections of 1800, 1896, and 2004.
Year Candidates Winner Major Issues Campaign Significance
and Party Style of Election
1800
1896
2004
2. What were the major reasons why people voted for either George W. Bush or John Kerry in the 2004
presidential election?
George W. Bush:
John Kerry:
Objective 3: Discuss the factors that affect a citizen's choice of whether to vote.
1. List and explain three major reasons why people might vote.
1.
2.
3.
2. What is the major provision of the 1993 Motor Voter Act?
3. List and explain six demographic factors that are related to voter turnout.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Objective 4: Explain how Americans vote and what factors influence how they
vote.
1. What is meant by the "mandate theory of elections"?
2. How has the influence of party identification on voting changed since the 1950s?
3. What are the three most important dimensions of candidate image?
1.
2.
3.
4. What are the four conditions necessary for true policy voting to take place?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Objective 5: Explain how the electoral college works and what biases it can
introduce.
1. Briefly explain how the electoral college works.
2. What are the two reasons why the electoral college is important to presidential elections?
1.
2.
Objective 6: Understand how elections affect democracy, public policy, and the
scope of government.
1. What are the two tasks that elections accomplish, according to democratic theory?
1.
2.
2. According to the text, what is the clearest way in which elections broadly affect public policy?
3. What does retrospective voting mean?
Chapter 10 Key Terms
Identify and describe:
1. Legitimacy-
2. Referendum-
3. Initiative Petition-
4. Suffrage-
5. Political Efficacy-
6. Civic Duty-
7. Voter Registration-
8. Motor Voter Act-
9. Mandate Theory of Elections-
10. Policy Voting-
11. Electoral College-
12. Retrospective Voting-
Compare and contrast:
initiative petition and referendum-
suffrage and voter registration-
voter registration and Motor Voter Act-
policy differences and civic duty-
mandate theory of elections and policy voting-
Name that term:
1. A term used to describe elections that are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method to select political
leaders. _________________________
2. This enables voters in 23 states to put proposed legislation on the ballot._________________________
3. It varies among the states and tends to dampen voter turnout._________________________
4. This reflects the belief that one's vote can make a difference._________________________
5. Politicians are more attracted to this idea than are political scientists._________________________
6. A unique American institution created by the Constitution._________________________
7. When voters essentially ask the simple question, "What have you done for me lately?"_________________________
Chapter 10 Extended Response Questions
1. Voters tend to hold strong views of party identification that lead them to vote for the same party relatively
consistently
a. Identify two groups that voted Democratic according to table 10.2 on page 311 of the textbook in both
elections. Explain why the Democratic Party attracts these voters.
b. Identify two groups that voted Republican according to the table above in both elections. Explain why the
Republican Party attracts these voters.
2. The Electoral College has come under criticism on many occasions, most recently in the 2000 Presidential
election.
a. Explain how the president is elected in the United States, including the process of determining the number of
electoral votes and how these votes are cast.
b. Describe at least two ways in which the Electoral College system can result in electing a president who did not
win a plurality of the popular vote.
c. Identify several effects of the Electoral College on the states and their relative power in presidential elections
because of the proportion of electoral votes each state holds and because of the political strategies of
presidential candidates.
Chapter 10 Review Questions Quiz
Check the correct answer: 8. Voter turnout in 1896 approached
1. Elections serve the purpose of a. 20 percent.
a. socializing and institutionalizing political activity. b. 60 percent.
b. providing regular access to political power. c. 50 percent.
c. providing a legitimate means to replace leaders. d. 80 percent.
d. all of the above
9. The election of 2000 boiled down to who would win
the state of
2. In the United States, elections are used to
a. California.
a. select party nominees.
b. Pennsylvania.
b. select officeholders.
c. Florida.
c. make or ratify legislation.
d. New York.
d. all of the above
10. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately determined the
3. Voters in some states can put a proposed law on the
winner of the 2000 presidential election.
ballot with
True
a. an initiative petition.
False
b. an opinion poll.
c. a referendum. 11. In 2004, George W. Bush successfully portrayed
d. a three-fifths vote. John Kerry as a “flip flopper.”
True
4. A referendum is used to give voters a chance to False
approve a proposed legislative act or constitutional
amendment.
12. One of the main reasons people voted for George W.
True Bush in 2004 was
False a. his stand on the economy.
b. the war in Iraq.
5. In the election of 1800,
c. strong leadership in the war on terrorism.
a. candidates were nominated at national
conventions. d. his stand on health care.
b. the focus of the campaign was on the voters.
13. A paradox in American electoral history is that while
c. the candidate with the second-highest number of suffrage has expanded,
electoral votes became vice president. a. fewer Americans exercise the right to vote.
d. media coverage was extensive.
b. participation in elections has increased.
6. In the election of 1896, the Republicans supported c. people place greater value on their right to vote.
a. low tariffs. d. fewer people are eligible to vote.
b. the gold standard.
14. Rational people might decide that the costs of voting
c. rural farmers in debt. outweigh the benefits.
d. unlimited coinage of silver. True
False
7. (bonus) Which candidate traveled through 26 states
and logged 18,000 miles?
a. William McKinley
b. Grover Cleveland
c. John Adams
d. William Jennings Bryan
15. Which of the following factors is NOT central to the
decision of whether or not to vote? 23. In the 1950s, the single best predictor of a voter's
a. perceived policy differences between the parties decision of how to vote was
a. political efficacy.
b. the knowledge that most elections are extremely
close b. policy voting.
c. a sense of political efficacy c. party identification.
d. a sense of civic duty d. candidate evaluation.
16. The belief that ordinary people can influence the 24. A study by Rosenberg and McCafferty concluded
government is known as that
a. political efficacy. a. a candidate's appearance and image has no real
b. rational behavior. effect on voters.
b. policy voting has become the single most important
c. civic duty.
determinant of how to vote.
d. class-based voting.
c. it is possible to manipulate a candidate's
appearance in a way that affects voters' choices.
17. The voter registration system is
d. party identification has all but disappeared as a
a. implemented by federal authorities.
determinant of how to vote.
b. more restrictive in northern states.
c. an important factor in low voter turnout. 25. Studies have shown that the most important
dimension of candidate image is
d. the same in every state.
a. integrity.
18. The Motor Voter Act made voter registration easier. b. reliability.
True c. competence.
False d. all of the above
19. All other things being equal, who of the following 26. Which of the following conditions is NOT central to
individuals is most likely to vote? policy voting?
a. a single person a. a voter's clear view of his or her policy preferences
b. a married government employee b. a voter's knowledge of where the candidates stand
c. a high school drop-out c. a voter's party identification
d. a southern black d. a vote for the candidate whose positions match
those of the voter
20. African Americans and other minorities with high
income and education levels vote with greater frequency 27. No longer can a candidate get a party's nomination
than whites with high income and education levels. without taking stands on the major issues of the day.
True True
False False
21. Politicians and political scientists agree on the 28. The electoral college system was created by
relevance of the mandate theory of elections. a. political practice.
True
b. political parties.
False
c. an act of Congress.
22. Which of the following factors is NOT central to the d. the Constitution.
decision of how to vote?
a. simplified registration procedures
b. party identification
c. candidate evaluation
d. policy voting
29. Which of the following statements about the electoral 34. The greater the policy differences between the
college is FALSE? candidates, the more likely voters will be able to steer
a. It is used in many countries of the world. government policies by their choices.
True
b. Each state has as many electors as it has senators
and representatives. False
c. In most states, there is a winner-take-all system.
35. Parties and candidates
d. Electoral college votes are counted when the new
a. are skilled in the art of ambiguity.
congressional session opens in January.
b. prefer to tackle the controversial issues.
30. Electoral college votes are cast in proportion to the c. use the media for comprehensive issue coverage.
popular vote for each candidate.
d. always provide voters with sharp choices.
True
False 36. (bonus) Who said that candidates should offer "a
choice, not an echo"?
31. The electoral college is important to the presidential a. Jimmy Carter
election because it
b. Barry Goldwater
a. introduces a bias into the campaign and electoral
process. c. Benjamin Page
b. over-represents the less populated states. d. Ronald Reagan
c. may result in the election of a president who did not
37. Retrospective voting refers to voting
receive the most popular votes.
a. by absentee ballot.
d. all of the above
b. for an incumbent because the perception that his or
32. The electoral college system can introduce bias in her policies have made you better off.
the electoral process because it over-represents c. according to party identification.
a. urban states.
d. the same way year after year.
b. small states.
c. big states. 38. Because of retrospective voting, nothing makes
incumbent politicians more nervous than the state of
d. states without big cities.
a. foreign affairs.
33. It is possible for the electoral college to choose a b. the environment.
president who did not win a majority of the popular vote. c. the economy.
True
d. all of the above
False
39. Individuals who believe they can influence the
government's actions are also more likely to believe, in
turn, that the government should have more power.
True
False
CHAPTER 10 ELECTIONS AND VOTING BEHAVIOR Answer Key
1. d (p. 298) 14. T (p. 305) 27. T (p. 314)
2. d (p. 298) 15. b (p. 305) 28. d (p. 315
3. a (p. 298) 16. a (p. 305) 29. a (p. 315)
4. T (p. 298) 17. c (p. 306) 30. F (p. 316)
5. c (p. 300) 18. T (p. 306) 31. d (p. 316)
6. b (p. 300) 19. b (p. 308) 32. b (p. 316)
7. d (p. 300) 20. T (p. 308) 33. T (p. 316)
8. d (p. 301) 21. F (p. 310) 34. T (p. 317)
9. c (p. 301) 22. a (p. 310) 35. a (p. 317)
10. T (p. 302) 23. c (p. 311) 36. b (p. 317)
11. T (p. 303) 24. c (p. 313) 37. b (p. 318)
12. c (p. 303) 25. d (p. 313) 38. c (p. 318)
13. a (p. 304) 26. c (p. 313) 39. T (p. 319)
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. What are the functions of elections in American society? What are some of the electoral features that are unique to the
United States?
2. How has the American electoral system evolved? How did the election of 2004 contrast with elections of the past,
particularly the elections of 1800 and 1896?
3. What is the electoral paradox of more suffrage and less participation? Why would we expect people to vote more today
and why do they not do so? How does the voter registration system affect the decision to vote?
4. What factors determine why people choose to vote? What groups are most likely to vote and what groups are least
likely to vote? What are the implications of these differences in electoral participation?
5. Why do people vote the way they do? Which reason do you believe is most important and why?
6. What is the electoral college and how does it work? What biases in the electoral process does it introduce? Should the
electoral college system be preserved or abolished?
7. How do elections affect democracy, public policy, and the scope of government?