CPCT CPCT Electoral Systems and Voting Rights 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which U.S. constitutional amendment granted women the right to vote?
- 15th Amendment
- 17th Amendment
- 19th Amendment (Correct answer)
- 24th Amendment
Correct answer: 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibits denying the right to vote based on sex.
Question 2: What is the term for an electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority?
- Proportional representation
- Ranked-choice voting
- Plurality voting (Correct answer)
- Runoff voting
Correct answer: Plurality voting
Plurality voting, also called 'first-past-the-post,' awards victory to whoever receives the most votes regardless of majority.
Question 3: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 primarily aimed to eliminate what barrier to voting?
- Age restrictions
- Racial discrimination at the polls (Correct answer)
- Property ownership requirements
- Literacy tests for immigrants only
Correct answer: Racial discrimination at the polls
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 targeted racial discrimination, particularly in Southern states that used literacy tests and intimidation to disenfranchise Black voters.
Question 4: What is 'gerrymandering' in U.S. electoral politics?
- A form of campaign finance fraud
- Manipulating district boundaries to favor a political party (Correct answer)
- Suppressing voter turnout through misinformation
- Buying votes through patronage
Correct answer: Manipulating district boundaries to favor a political party
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral district lines to give one party a strategic advantage over another.
Question 5: Under the U.S. Electoral College system, how many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?
- 218
- 270 (Correct answer)
- 301
- 435
Correct answer: 270
A presidential candidate must receive at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes to win the presidency.
Question 6: Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished the poll tax in federal elections?
- 21st Amendment
- 22nd Amendment
- 23rd Amendment
- 24th Amendment (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes as a prerequisite for voting in federal elections.
CPCT CPCT Electoral Systems and Voting Rights 1
Which U.S. constitutional amendment granted women the right to vote?