Voting Rights and Elections Impact

Questions and Answers

Which of the following conclusions is most supported by the data in the chart?

Only African Americans benefited from the Voting Rights Act.

Voter registration rates have remained static over the years.

There are no disparities in voter registration.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has significantly reduced disparities in voter registration between Whites and African Americans. (correct)

Which of the following is the most likely result of the changes in voter registration rates illustrated in the table?

No effect on Congress.

A shift in voting demographics.

An increase in the number of African American members of Congress from Georgia. (correct)

A decrease in voter participation.

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the table?

Voter registration was easy in all states.

Barriers to registration existed in all of the states in the table but were most significant in Mississippi. (correct)

Barriers were highest in Georgia.

Only Mississippi had registration barriers.

The new developments in campaigning described in the passage have the greatest impact on which of the following trends?

The rise of candidate-centered campaigns. Signup and view all the answers

Given the evolution of campaign communication described in the passage, which of the following is a way that political candidates most likely would use these tools to reach the broadest possible base of supporters?

Using social media tools to target different demographic and political groups with messages designed to appeal to them. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples best illustrates how the trend in political communications described in the passage will most likely affect campaigns?

Political candidates will seek more data on voters so that their campaigns can create messages designed to attract different demographics. Signup and view all the answers

What do the data in the bar graph indicate about how Gary Johnson's candidacy affected the 2016 election?

His supporters were split between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, indicating no impact on the election outcome. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following explanations describes the impact of Jill Stein's candidacy on the 2016 election as depicted by the data in the bar graph and your knowledge of presidential elections?

Jill Stein's supporters preferred Hillary Clinton, hurting the Clinton campaign. Signup and view all the answers

Based on the data in the bar graph and your knowledge of presidential elections, how should Hillary Clinton's campaign have responded if Jill Stein's support in the polls had increased significantly as Election Day approached?

By adopting positions on issues similar to Stein's in an attempt to win over those voters before the election. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a visual limitation of the bar graph?

The bar graph contains data from 1998 to 2014 but does not illustrate how spending is broken down by specific years or elections. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following features of the data displayed make the use of the bar graph less helpful for a comparison?

The bar showing the spending for the Chamber of Commerce makes comparisons with the other groups more difficult. Signup and view all the answers

If one were interested in showing how much certain industries spend on lobbying, the best way to change the visual would be to _____

categorize the data by industry group and combine the data so that a bar represents each group. Signup and view all the answers

A voter has seen his income increase by 3% over the past four years. He is encouraged that unemployment is down and the price of gas has remained relatively low. On Election Day, by voting for the incumbent presidential candidate, he has engaged in which type of voting?

Retrospective voting Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best represents the model for party-line voting?

Despite not recognizing the name, a candidate votes for the Democratic Party candidate because he is a Democrat. Signup and view all the answers

A citizen cast her vote for the candidate in a congressional election based on the candidate's promise to reform the health care system. Which voting behavior model best characterizes the citizen's choice?

Prospective voting. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best explains how political parties use party platforms?

The platform is used to define the party's general stance on political issues. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best explains the role of parties in Congress?

Parties organize government by selecting chamber leadership and determining committee membership. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best demonstrates how political parties serve as linkage institutions?

Parties may organize activities to identify supporters, increase registration, and get out the vote. Signup and view all the answers

Increases in the amount of money spent on national defense and security contracts, such as those that occurred after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and during the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, would most likely have which of the following consequences?

Defense contractors would increase their lobbying efforts in order to improve their chances of winning a contract. Signup and view all the answers

For decades, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has worked closely with members of Congress to successfully curtail the capacity of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to regulate firearms and track gun crimes. Which of the following statements best explains how the NRA maintains its influence in Washington?

The National Rifle Association outspends its competitors in all elections and stages of policy making. Signup and view all the answers

Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932 after running on the Democratic Party platform that included an expansion of federal programs aimed at pulling the United States out of the Great Depression. The expansion plan, known as the New Deal, substantially increased the voting base of the Democratic Party. As a result, the Democratic Party dominated Congress and many state governments for the next half-century. The election of 1932 is considered a critical election because it

changed the base of support in each party. Signup and view all the answers

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and labor unions could spend unlimited amounts of money supporting political candidates under certain circumstances. Which of the following was the basis for the Court's ruling?

The freedom of speech in the First Amendment. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following quotes from the Federalist Papers best supports the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?

"Liberty is to faction what air is to fire....But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency." Signup and view all the answers

The decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) led to the creation of super PACs that can legally raise unlimited amounts of money and engage in electioneering with few limits. Madison argued in The Federalist 10 that factions, like super PACs, would not be detrimental to society because the Constitution

created a large republic with many factions that would cancel each other out. Signup and view all the answers

A popular news website obtains transcripts of confidential discussions in the White House regarding how the National Security Agency should collect private data of citizens. Even though the president urges the website not to publish the story, the website does so anyway because it believes the conversation does not reveal information that poses a risk to national security. Which of the following cases would the news website most likely cite if it had to argue the case that it can publish the story without permission from the president?

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971). Signup and view all the answers

A Pentagon contractor named Daniel Ellsberg stole a report, which later became known as the Pentagon Papers. The report had classified information about the conduct of the war in Vietnam. He gave this report to several major media outlets. The government tried to use prior restraint to prevent the outlets from publishing these excerpts. The Court allowed the media outlets to publish the excerpts in which of the following cases?

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971). Signup and view all the answers

Using social media, individuals are increasingly able to communicate their political views to a wide audience. However, some messages over social media have led to certain individuals being arrested for making credible threats. This issue is most related to which of the following cases?

Schenck v. United States (1919). Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Voting Rights and Electoral Impact

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 significantly reduced voter registration disparities between Whites and African Americans.
Changes in voter registration rates likely resulted in increased African American representation in Congress, particularly from Georgia.
Barriers to voter registration were widespread, with Mississippi exhibiting the most significant obstacles.

Campaign Strategies and Communication

New developments in campaigning have led to an increase in candidate-centered campaigns.
Political candidates utilize social media to effectively target specific demographic and political groups with tailored messages.
Data on voters is increasingly sought by candidates to create appealing messages for varied demographics.

2016 Election Dynamics

Gary Johnson's candidacy did not affect the 2016 election outcome as his supporters were evenly split between major candidates.
Jill Stein's supporters preferred Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, negatively impacting Clinton's campaign.
To counter potential increases in Stein's support, Clinton should have aligned her positions with Stein's to attract her voters.

Data Representation in Elections

The bar graph from 1998 to 2014 lacks minute year-by-year data breakdowns, hindering precise comparisons.
The Chamber of Commerce's spending data complicates comparisons with other groups.
Reorganizing data by industry groups could better illustrate lobbying expenditures across industries.

Voting Behavior Models

A voter with a 3% income increase and low gas prices engaged in retrospective voting by choosing the incumbent.
Party-line voting is exemplified by a voter selecting a candidate based solely on party affiliation.
Prospective voting is represented when a voter elects a candidate promising health care reform.

Role of Political Parties

Political parties use platforms to outline their positions on key issues.
In Congress, parties organize governance through leadership selection and committee assignments.
Parties act as linkage institutions by mobilizing supporters and facilitating voter registration and turnout.

Financial Influence in Politics

Increased defense spending post-9/11 led defense contractors to intensify lobbying for contract acquisition.
The National Rifle Association maintains political influence by significantly outspending competitors in elections and policy-making stages.

Historical Elections and Court Rulings

The election of 1932 marked a critical shift, establishing the Democratic Party's support base and dominance for decades due to the New Deal.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) allowed unlimited spending by corporations and unions, grounded in First Amendment rights.

Factions and Political Climates

The Federalist Papers emphasize that liberty supports factionalism, aligning with the decisions in Citizens United.
The establishment of super PACs post-Citizens United aligns with Madison's idea that various factions balance each other out in a large republic.

Press Freedom and National Security

The New York Times Co. v. United States case exemplified the press's ability to publish sensitive material without presidential consent.
The Pentagon Papers case highlighted the government's inability to impose prior restraint on media regarding national issues.

Social media enables widespread communication of political views but has also led to legal issues surrounding credible threats linked to cases like Schenck v. United States.

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Description

Explore the significant changes in voter registration and representation following the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This quiz also examines the evolution of campaign strategies in the digital age, particularly during the 2016 election. Test your knowledge on the effects of these dynamics on electoral outcomes and candidate performance.