Question 1

Compared to two-party systems,proportional-representation systems are thought to:

Accepted Answer

A)  lead to more centrist policies.
B)  offer a wider variety of platforms among which voters can choose.
C)  create unwieldy combinations of policies within one platform.
D)  All of these are true.E) All of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 2

An ideal voting system must not have:

Accepted Answer

A)  a person who has the power to single-handedly enact his or her own preferences.
B)  a person who can convince everyone to vote for his or her preferences,and not their own.
C)  a one-dimensional issue being voted on.
D)  All of these are true.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 3

The median-voter theorem would suggest the reason politicians go from extreme to moderate positions on an issue over the course of an election is because they are:

Accepted Answer

A)  appealing to the median voter in their party in the primary,and the median of all voters in the general election.
B)  appealing to the average voter in their party in the primary,and the average of all voters in the general election.
C)  appealing to the majority of voters in their party in the primary,and the majority of all voters in the general election.
D)  None of these is true.E) All of the above
F) A) and B)

Question 4

The time and money it takes to organize a group or a campaign and to get the attention of lots of busy people is the:

Accepted Answer

A)  cost of collective action.
B)  reason why collective action does not happen in the real world.
C)  reason why all individuals never participate in any collective action.
D)  All of these are true.E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 5

According to the median-voter theorem,the chosen policy will be:

Accepted Answer

A)  the one preferred by the median voter.
B)  the one preferred by the greatest average of voters,rather than the majority of voters.
C)  the one preferred by the average voter,rather than the largest number of voters.
D)  the one preferred by the largest number of voters,rather than the average voter.E) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 6

Another name for plurality voting is:

Accepted Answer

A)  first-past-the-post voting.
B)  instant runoff voting.
C)  pair-wise majority voting.
D)  approval voting.E) All of the above
F) None of the above

Question 7

The problem caused when people are often reluctant to voluntarily pay for goods and services that provide benefits for everyone,even for those who don't pay is called the:

Accepted Answer

A)  free-rider problem.
B)  drop in the bucket hypothesis.
C)  rational ignorance problem.
D)  moral hazard problem.E) A) and D)
F) A) and C)

Question 8

Plurality voting ___________ the ideal voting-system criteria.

Accepted Answer

A)  fails one of
B)  meets all
C)  fails two of
D)  fails all ofE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 9

If the free-rider problem affects political advocacy,the result may be that the:

Accepted Answer

A)  best ideas might not win out if lots of people fail to lend their support.
B)  best ideas will always win because those supporters value the outcome the most.
C)  best ideas will always win because free-riders are not typically supporters of relevant alternatives.
D)  irrelevant alternatives are eliminated from the options,increasing the efficiency of the vote.E) A) and B)
F) None of the above

Question 10

Compared to proportional-representation systems,two-party systems are thought to lead to:

Accepted Answer

A)  more centrist politics.
B)  less centrist politics.
C)  a greater variety of policy getting passed.
D)  very little legislation actually getting passed.E) B) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 11

__________ countries have explicit requirements about the number of parties that can participate in an election.

Accepted Answer

A)  Few
B)  Most
C)  None
D)  AllE) B) and C)
F) B) and D)

Question 12

The median-voter theorem can help explain one reason why politicians tend to change their position on a given issue over the course of an election from:

Accepted Answer

A)  extreme to moderate.
B)  moderate to extreme.
C)  extreme to more extreme.
D)  one extreme to the other.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 13

Which of the four criteria for an ideal voting system is demonstrated when everyone in a town prefers spending on improved public transportation systems instead of public parks,and transportation spending wins?

Accepted Answer

A)  Unanimity
B)  No dictator
C)  Transitivity
D)  Independence of irrelevant alternativesE) A) and B)
F) B) and C)

Question 14

Which theorem tells us that no voting system is perfect?

Accepted Answer

A)  Arrow's impossibility theorem
B)  Median-voter theorem
C)  Condorcet paradox
D)  Bowman's problematic theoremE) B) and C)
F) C) and D)

Question 15

Term limits on political offices:

Accepted Answer

A)  prevent officials from holding office for longer than a certain amount of time.
B)  discourage corruption by ensuring that one person isn't allowed to hold onto power for too long.
C)  in reality can encourage corruption by placing an official in power with no incentive to answer to his constituency.
D)  All of these are true.E) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 16

At its extreme,the use of the powers of government by public officials to achieve personal gains is:

Accepted Answer

A)  corruption.
B)  collective action.
C)  bribery.
D)  a moral hazard.E) B) and D)
F) None of the above

Question 17

Which of the following is a criterion for an ideal voting system,according to economist Kenneth Arrow?

Accepted Answer

A)  Unanimity
B)  No dictator
C)  Transitivity
D)  All of these are considered essential to an ideal voting system.E) A) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 18

In thinking about the criteria for an ideal voting system,unanimity means:

Accepted Answer

A)  If everyone in the group prefers option X to option Y,then X beats Y.
B)  If the median in the group prefers option X to option Y,then X beats Y.
C)  If the majority of the group prefers option X to option Y,then X beats Y.
D)  If no one in the group prefers option X to option Y,then it must still be possible for X to beat Y.E) A) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 19

Plurality voting fails which of the criteria for an ideal voting system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Independence of irrelevant alternatives
B)  Transitivity
C)  No dictator
D)  UnanimityE) A) and D)
F) All of the above

Question 20

The amount of corruption that occurs in a government is hard to measure because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it is illegal,and therefore hidden.
B)  its costs are mostly indirect and nearly impossible to measure.
C)  the benefits subtracted from the costs often go to a small number of people and distort the reality.
D)  All of these are true.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Exam 22: Political Choices

In thinking about the criteria for an ideal voting system,unanimity means:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is a criterion for an ideal voting system,according to economist Kenneth Arrow?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If the free-rider problem affects political advocacy,the result may be that the:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Another name for plurality voting is:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The problem caused when people are often reluctant to voluntarily pay for goods and services that provide benefits for everyone,even for those who don't pay is called the:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

At its extreme,the use of the powers of government by public officials to achieve personal gains is:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The time and money it takes to organize a group or a campaign and to get the attention of lots of busy people is the:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Compared to proportional-representation systems,two-party systems are thought to lead to:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

__________ countries have explicit requirements about the number of parties that can participate in an election.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The median-voter theorem would suggest the reason politicians go from extreme to moderate positions on an issue over the course of an election is because they are:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to the median-voter theorem,the chosen policy will be:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The amount of corruption that occurs in a government is hard to measure because:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The median-voter theorem can help explain one reason why politicians tend to change their position on a given issue over the course of an election from:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Plurality voting fails which of the criteria for an ideal voting system?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Term limits on political offices:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the four criteria for an ideal voting system is demonstrated when everyone in a town prefers spending on improved public transportation systems instead of public parks,and transportation spending wins?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Plurality voting ___________ the ideal voting-system criteria.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which theorem tells us that no voting system is perfect?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

An ideal voting system must not have:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Compared to two-party systems,proportional-representation systems are thought to:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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