Ch 4/5 study guide

Question 1

What are the defining characteristics of a representative democracy?

Answer 1

Elections

Question 2

The indicators of who is most likely to vote are:

Answer 2

1. Education
2. Income
3. Age
4. Level of interest
5. Identification

Question 3

The qualifications for voting in texas are:

Answer 3

1 citizen of the US

2. 18+ years old
3. Resident of the state

Question 4

T or F: Texas requires that all ballots and election materials be printed in other languages in addition to English in counties with /5% or greater language minority/.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

T or F: The new voter ID law requires voters to show one of the following: drivers license, passport, military ID, concealed handgun license, or a voter ID card that the state provides.

Answer 5

True

Question 6

T or F: Voter turnout is the proportion eligible Americans who actually vote.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

T or F: Midterm elections always experience a lower turnout.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

T or F: Voting age population is the total number of resident persons who are 18+, regardless of citizenship or felony status.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

Legal Constraints to voting in Texas include:

Answer 9

1. The poll tax
2. Woman’s suffrage
3. White primary
4. The military vote
5. Long residence Rep
6. Property ownership
7. Annual Reg
8. Early reg
9. Jury duty

Question 10

T or F: Socioeconomic factors reducing voting in texas are: 4 mil people living in poverty and, of Texans older than 25, 1 in 4 has not graduated from high school.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

What is the predominate political culture combo in Texas that also works against voting?

Answer 11

Traditionalistic and Individualistic

Question 12

Other deterrents to voting in texas are political structures. They include:

Answer 12

• long ballot

- number of elections

Question 13

How are primary elections funded?

Answer 13

Candidate filing fees, state treasury

Question 14

Who finances primary elections?

Answer 14

State treasury, candidate

Question 15

What kind of vote results are required in primary elections?

Answer 15

Majority vote

Question 16

T or F: Crossover voting is when members of one political party vote in the other party’s primary to influence the result.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

T or F: Primary elections in Texas are held on the first Tuesday in March.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

Who primarily votes in primary elections?

Answer 18

Better educated, more affluent, more ideologically committed

Question 19

Who pays for general elections?

Answer 19

Public officials of state and county

Question 20

What kind of vote results are required in a general election?

Answer 20

Plurality vote

Question 21

T or F: General elections are held in conjunction with federal elections.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

What year was the voting rights act passed?

Answer 22

1965

Question 23

Who was the president who authored and passed the voting rights act?

Answer 23

Lyndon B Johnson

Question 24

T or F: States with a history of racial discrimination, Including texas, have to demonstrate to the U.S. adept of racial or ethnic minorities justice that changes to the voting laws do not harm voting power.

Answer 24

False

Question 25

T or F: Some voters can vote by mail

Answer 25

True

Question 26

T orF: In 2012, early voting amounted to 63% of the votes cast.

Answer 26

True

Question 27

In state elections, 2 factors usually determine who wins. What are they?

Answer 27

Party identifications and incumbency

Question 28

Which party do large metropolitan areas usually identify with?

Answer 28

Democrats

Question 29

T or F: Incumbent candidates are more likely to win general elections.

Answer 29

True

Question 30

T or F: PACs serve as a vehicle through which the interest groups collect money and then contribute to political candidates.

Answer 30

True

Question 31

T or F: During the 2009-10 election cycle in Texas, more than 1300 PACs were active.

Answer 31

True

Question 32

T or F: Banks, corps, law firms and professional organizations among others may organize and register their political action committees with the secretary of state's office.

Answer 32

True

Question 33

T or F: Soft money is the money spent by political parties on behalf of political candidates especially for the purposes of increasing voter registration and turnout.

Answer 33

True

Question 34

T or F: Independent expenditures cannot be limited per the U.S. Supreme Court as long as they were not working or communicating directly with the candidate's campaign organization.

Answer 34

True

Question 35

T or F: Texas candidates may not raise or spend money until an official campaign treasurer is appointed.

Answer 35

True

Question 36

T or F: Tx Campaigns and PACs may not accept cash contributions for mo we than an aggregate of $100 but checks in unlimited anounts are permitted.

Answer 36

True

Question 37

Direct contributions from which entities are prohibited?

Answer 37

Corporations and labor unions

Question 38

Primary enforcement of campaign regulations is the responsibility of which commission?

Answer 38

Texas Ethics

Question 39

Most elected state officers in Texas have traditionally been:

Answer 39

Middle/upper class, from urban area, strong ties to professional and business interests in the state

Question 40

Who was the first woman from Texas to be elected as a Tx senator?

Answer 40

Kay Bailey Hutchinson

Question 41

Who was the first Latino to win a state executive office?

Answer 41

Dan Morales

Question 42

Who was the first African American elected to statewide office?

Answer 42

Morris Overstreet

Question 43

How many members are in the Tx House of Representatives?

Answer 43

150

Question 44

How many members are in the texas senate?

Answer 44

31

Question 45

T or F: Texas has a population with a higher poverty rate and lower education rates than the national average

Answer 45

True

Question 46

Texas has a large number of elections. Do they cause more or less people to vote?

Answer 46

Less

Question 47

Name at least two causes for long ballots in texas:

Answer 47

Discourage people to vote and lots of candidates

Question 48

T or F: except for preparation of the statewide portion of the ballot, county level officials actually conduct genera elections.

Answer 48

True

Question 49

T or F: Counties may chose from three options for the administration of the general elections: county clerks, tax assessor collector, or county election administrator

Answer 49

True

Question 50

What is the most basic and common form of political participation?

Answer 50

Voting