Civic Literacy Exam Electoral Processes & Voting Rights 2

Question 1

How many electoral votes are needed to win the U.S. presidency?

Accepted Answer

270 out of 538

Answer

There are 538 total electoral votes (435 congressional districts + 100 senators + 3 for Washington D.C.). A candidate needs a majority — 270 — to win the presidency.

Question 2

What is a 'primary election'?

Accepted Answer

An election held within a political party to select its candidate for a general election

Answer

A primary election is an intra-party election where registered voters (sometimes only party members, sometimes any voter) choose which candidate will represent their party in the subsequent general election.

Question 3

What did the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution do?

Accepted Answer

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 for all elections

Answer

The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in all federal, state, and local elections, partly in response to the argument that if 18-year-olds could be drafted to fight in Vietnam, they should be able to vote.

Question 4

What is 'gerrymandering'?

Accepted Answer

Drawing voting district boundaries to give one political party an unfair advantage

Answer

Gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party, group, or incumbent over others. The term dates to 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry approved an oddly shaped district.

Question 5

What is the significance of a 'filibuster' in the U.S. Senate?

Accepted Answer

It allows senators to delay or prevent a vote by extending debate indefinitely

Answer

The filibuster is a Senate procedure where a senator (or group) can delay or block legislation by refusing to end debate, effectively requiring 60 votes (cloture) to proceed to a vote rather than a simple majority.

Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

Civic Literacy Exam Electoral Processes & Voting Rights 2