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. 177

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 and Party Winner Major Issues Campaign Style Significance of Election 1800 1896 2004 178

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. 179

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? 180

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? 181

Compare and contrast: initiative petition and referendum suffrage and voter registration voter registration and Motor Voter Act 182

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?" 183

USING YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1. The text points out that the United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among all democratic nations. Examine the reasons why voter turnout is so low and outline a comprehensive plan that would increase voter turnout in the United States. What policies need to be changed to increase voter turnout? How might incentives be used to get people to vote? You might want to look at voting laws in other countries with high turnout rates to get ideas. Also include an examination of the Motor Voter Act. Speculate on how the Motor Voter Act might increase participation. What are the main criticisms of the Motor Voter Act? Comment on how your suggestions might be implemented. 2. Find out about electoral turnout in your state for the 2004 and 2006 elections. How did the participation rates for various population groups (based on race, income, region, etc.) differ? Compare your state's voting rate to the national turnout rate and to that of other states. How well does your state fare? See if you can identify some of the demographic features of your state that might help explain its rate of turnout, such as its size, urbanization, or population composition. How did participation rates differ between 2004 and 2006 and why? How might the voter registration system in your state affect turnout? Briefly describe what you found and suggest ways to improve electoral participation. REVIEW QUESTION Check the correct answer: 1. Elections serve the purpose of a. socializing and institutionalizing political activity. b. providing regular access to political power. c. providing a legitimate means to replace leaders. d. all of the above 2. In the United States, elections are used to a. select party nominees. b. select officeholders. c. make or ratify legislation. d. all of the above 3. Voters in some states can put a proposed law on the ballot with a. an initiative petition. b. an opinion poll. c. a referendum. d. a three-fifths vote. 184

4. A referendum is used to give voters a chance to approve a proposed legislative act or constitutional amendment. 5. In the election of 1800, a. candidates were nominated at national conventions. b. the focus of the campaign was on the voters. c. the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president. d. media coverage was extensive. 6. In the election of 1896, the Republicans supported a. low tariffs. b. the gold standard. c. rural farmers in debt. d. unlimited coinage of silver. 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 8. Voter turnout in 1896 approached a. 20 percent. b. 60 percent. c. 50 percent. d. 80 percent. 9. The election of 2000 boiled down to who would win the state of a. California. b. Pennsylvania. c. Florida. d. New York. 10. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately determined the winner of the 2000 presidential election. 11. In 2004, George W. Bush successfully portrayed John Kerry as a flip flopper. 185

12. One of the main reasons people voted for George W. Bush in 2004 was a. his stand on the economy. b. the war in Iraq. c. strong leadership in the war on terrorism. d. his stand on health care. 13. A paradox in American electoral history is that while suffrage has expanded, a. fewer Americans exercise the right to vote. b. participation in elections has increased. c. people place greater value on their right to vote. d. fewer people are eligible to vote. 14. Rational people might decide that the costs of voting outweigh the benefits. 15. Which of the following factors is NOT central to the decision of whether or not to vote? a. perceived policy differences between the parties b. the knowledge that most elections are extremely close c. a sense of political efficacy d. a sense of civic duty 16. The belief that ordinary people can influence the government is known as a. political efficacy. b. rational behavior. c. civic duty. d. class-based voting. 17. The voter registration system is a. implemented by federal authorities. b. more restrictive in northern states. c. an important factor in low voter turnout. d. the same in every state. 18. The Motor Voter Act made voter registration easier. 19. All other things being equal, who of the following individuals is most likely to vote? a. a single person b. a married government employee c. a high school drop-out d. a southern black 186

20. African Americans and other minorities with high income and education levels vote with greater frequency than whites with high income and education levels. 21. Politicians and political scientists agree on the relevance of the mandate theory of elections. 22. Which of the following factors is NOT central to the decision of how to vote? a. simplified registration procedures b. party identification c. candidate evaluation d. policy voting 23. In the 1950s, the single best predictor of a voter's decision of how to vote was a. political efficacy. b. policy voting. c. party identification. d. candidate evaluation. 24. A study by Rosenberg and McCafferty concluded that a. a candidate's appearance and image has no real effect on voters. b. policy voting has become the single most important determinant of how to vote. c. it is possible to manipulate a candidate's appearance in a way that affects voters' choices. d. party identification has all but disappeared as a determinant of how to vote. 25. Studies have shown that the most important dimension of candidate image is a. integrity. b. reliability. c. competence. d. all of the above 26. Which of the following conditions is NOT central to policy voting? a. a voter's clear view of his or her policy preferences b. a voter's knowledge of where the candidates stand c. a voter's party identification d. a vote for the candidate whose positions match those of the voter 187

27. No longer can a candidate get a party's nomination without taking stands on the major issues of the day. 28. The electoral college system was created by a. political practice. b. political parties. c. an act of Congress. d. the Constitution. 29. Which of the following statements about the electoral college is FALSE? a. It is used in many countries of the world. b. Each state has as many electors as it has senators and representatives. c. In most states, there is a winner-take-all system. d. Electoral college votes are counted when the new congressional session opens in January. 30. Electoral college votes are cast in proportion to the popular vote for each candidate. 31. The electoral college is important to the presidential election because it a. introduces a bias into the campaign and electoral process. b. overrepresents the less populated states. c. may result in the election of a president who did not receive the most popular votes. d. all of the above 32. The electoral college system can introduce bias in the electoral process because it overrepresents a. urban states. b. small states. c. big states. d. states without big cities. 33. It is possible for the electoral college to choose a president who did not win a majority of the popular vote. 188

34. The greater the policy differences between the candidates, the more likely voters will be able to steer government policies by their choices. 35. Parties and candidates a. are skilled in the art of ambiguity. b. prefer to tackle the controversial issues. c. use the media for comprehensive issue coverage. d. always provide voters with sharp choices. 36. (bonus) Who said that candidates should offer "a choice, not an echo"? a. Jimmy Carter b. Barry Goldwater c. Benjamin Page d. Ronald Reagan 37. Retrospective voting refers to voting a. by absentee ballot. b. for an incumbent because the perception that his or her policies have made you better off. c. according to party identification. d. the same way year after year. 38. Because of retrospective voting, nothing makes incumbent politicians more nervous than the state of a. foreign affairs. b. the environment. c. the economy. d. all of the above 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. 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? 189

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? 190