Chapter 22 Test Bank KEY
1. The median-voter theorem suggests that:
2. The theorem that suggests that politicians maximize their votes by taking the policy position preferred
by the median voter, under certain conditions is called the:
3. All of the following conditions must exist for the median-voter theorem to hold except that:
4. One of the conditions that must exist for the median-voter theorem to hold is:
5. According to the median-voter theorem, the chosen policy will be the one preferred by the:
6. Suppose a vote was taken in a small town of 11 people to determine how much of the budget should
go toward education spending. Five individuals want 10 percent, five individuals want 80 percent and one
person wants 25 percent. According to the median-voter theorem, the chosen amount to spend on
education will be ______ of the budget.
7. Suppose a vote was taken among 7 district representatives about how much of the city budget should
be spent on tourism advertising. Two prefer it to be 10 percent, two prefer 15 percent, and three prefer 50
percent. According to the median voter theorem, the chosen amount to spend on tourism advertising is
______ of the budget.
8. 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:
9. 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 appealing to the:
10. Once voting preferences become more complicated than those assumed by the median-voter
theorem:
11. Which economist defined the characteristics of an ideal voting system in his book Social Choice and
Individual Values?
12. Which of the following is not a criterion for an ideal voting system, according to economist Kenneth
Arrow?
13. In thinking about the criteria for an ideal voting system, unanimity means if:
14. 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?
22-4
15. An ideal voting system must not have:
16. An ideal voting system will not function if a _________ is present, and has the power to enact his or
her own preferences.
17. In thinking about the criteria for an ideal voting system, needing no dictator means:
18. When considering voting options, if option X beats Y, and Y beats Z, then transitivity says that:
19. Suppose everyone in a town prefers spending on improved public transportation systems instead of
public parks, and prefers spending on public parks instead of building a public zoo. An ideal voting
system would ensure that:
22-5
20. Suppose everyone in a town prefers spending on improved public transportation systems instead of
public parks, and prefers spending on public parks instead of building a public zoo. A voting system that
would ensure that zoo funding would never beat spending on transportation would demonstrate which
criteria for an ideal voting system?
21. To have an ideal voting system in place, if a group is voting on option X versus option Y, this decision
should not depend on any information or preference about another unconnected option, Z. In other words,
which of the following criteria must be present in the voting system?
22. Suppose everyone in a town votes that they prefer improved public transportation systems instead of
public parks, then according to the criteria of ________________, that preference should not change
even if a third option, like a public zoo, is included.
23. Suppose everyone in a town votes that they prefer improved public transportation systems instead of
public parks. According to the criteria of independence of irrelevant alternatives that preference should
___________ even if a third option not likely to win, like a public zoo, is included in the vote.
22-6
24. The voting system for most elections in the United States is called:
25. First-past-the-post voting entails:
26. Another name for plurality voting is:
27. One of the merits of plurality voting is:
28. Arguably the simplest voting system is:
29. Plurality voting fails which of the criteria for an ideal voting system?
30. The “independence of irrelevant alternatives” criterion is also known as the:
31. Commentators on the presidential election between Bush and Gore in 2000 believe that the presence
of Nader, a third party candidate:
32. In considering the criteria for an ideal voting system, the idea of an irrelevant alternative refers to:
33. Plurality voting ___________ the ideal voting-system criteria.
34. Pair-wise majority voting eliminates which problem?
22-8
35. Pair-wise majority voting entails:
36.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, assuming public
parks and the zoo was the first pair to be voted on, which option would win overall?
37.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
22-9
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, assuming public
parks and transportation was the first pair to be voted on, which voter will be happiest with the outcome?
38.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, assuming
transportation and the zoo was the first pair to be voted on, which option would win overall?
39.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, assuming public
zoo and transportation was the first pair to be voted on, which voter will be happiest with the outcome?
22–10
40.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, which option
would win overall?
41.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held, the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, and Carlo is setting
22–11
42.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held, the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, and Bob is setting the
agenda for votes, which pair will he put up for vote first?
43.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held, the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, and Abby is setting
the agenda for votes, which pair will she put up for vote first?
22–12
44.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters’ preferences are shown in the table, which of the
following is true?
45.
Voters’ Ordered Preferences
Abby
Bob
Carlo
Public parks
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public zoo
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public
transportation
Public parks
Public zoo
If a pair-wise majority vote was held and the voters’ preferences are in the given table, which option would
win the first round of voting?
46.
School Board Voters’ Ordered Preferences
David
Ernie
Fiona
22–13
New gym
New library
New computer lab
New library
New computer lab
New gym
New computer lab
New gym
New library
If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded and the voters’
preferences are shown in the table, which option would David like to see voted on first?
47.
School Board Voters’ Ordered Preferences
David
Ernie
Fiona
New gym
New library
New computer lab
New library
New computer lab
New gym
New computer lab
New gym
New library
If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded and the voters’
preferences are shown in the table, if Ernie sets the agenda which option would he see was voted on
first?
48.
School Board Voters’ Ordered Preferences
David
Ernie
Fiona
New gym
New library
New computer lab
New library
New computer lab
New gym
New computer lab
New gym
New library
22–14
If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded, the voters’
preferences are shown in the table, and the gym and library are voted on first, which project will win in the
end?
49.
School Board Voters’ Ordered Preferences
David
Ernie
Fiona
New gym
New library
New computer lab
New library
New computer lab
New gym
New computer lab
New gym
New library
If a pair-wise majority vote was held to determine which school project gets funded and the voters’
preferences are in the given table, who will be happiest if the lab and library are voted on first?
50.
School Board Voters’ Ordered Preferences
David
Ernie
Fiona
New gym
New library
New computer lab
New library
New computer lab
New gym
New computer lab
New gym
New library
If a first-past-the-post vote was taken by the school board on which project gets funded and the voters’
preferences are shown in the table, which project is most likely to win?
51.
School Board Voters’ Ordered Preferences
David
Ernie
Fiona