Chapter 10 Reading Guide
1. Your textbook makes the argument that elections have legitimacy in the eyes of the American
people. What does this mean?
2.
List and describe the three types of elections we have in the U.S.
a.
b.
c.
3.
What is a referendum?
4. What is an initiative petition?
5. What was the campaign for the election of 1800 like? Briefly describe it.
6.
Who decided the winner of the election of 1800?
7.
The election of 1896 had one of the highest voter turnouts ever. What percent of the electorate
voted?
8.
Define suffrage:
9.
As the right to vote has been extended, what has happened in regards to voter turnout?
10. What was the most frequent response in 2008 when people were asked why they didn’t vote?
11. What is political efficacy?
12. Define civic duty:
13. What has been some of the effects of voter registration laws?
14. What did the Motor Voter Act do? Has turnout changed since this law was passed?
15. Describe who (typically) votes.
16. What is the mandate theory of elections?
17. What has research shown to be the three most important dimensions of candidate image?
18. What is policy voting?
19. What is the formula for the number of electoral votes a state receives?
20. What is the winner take all system in regards to the electoral college?
21. What do Maine and Nebraska do instead of winner take all?
22. Who decides the election if there is no majority winner? When was the last time this happened?
23. How are less populated states overrepresented in the electoral college?
24. What is retrospective voting?