Exam One
1. Identify the basic factors that voters use as reasons for preferring one candidate to another. Indicate what factors have a short-term influence on voting, and which factors have a long-term influence. Explain why your classification of factors as short-term or long-term.
2. What do political scientists mean by "retrospective voting"? Include in your answer an example of retrospective evaluation from the data included in the 1996 presidential election study (i.e. what question would you use to measure "retrospective voting"?).
3. Identify the characteristics of the voters in 1992 who supported: (a) President Bush, (b) Governor Clinton, and (c) Mr. Perot.
4. Does the rise of political power in the suburbs suggest that a realignment of political parties is imminent?
5. Explain why President Clinton appears to be supported by women votes who are defecting from the Republican party.
strategy.6. What role did religion have in determing
presidential vote the 2000 presidential election? Is religion a long-term or short-term
force? Why?
7. What two conditions are
necessary for voters to engage in "issue voting"?
8. Does the ideology of the voters influence their
selection of candidates in the 1996 election? Explain what variables you would use to test the
effect of ideology on presidential voting. Include in your essay a prediction of the relationship you
expect to find.