AP GOV FRQ #3 questions well
answered already passed
Explain why voter turnout is different in each of the following.
i. Presidential versus midterm elections - ANS ✔Presidential vs. midterm elections
o Media coverage is greater in presidential elections.
o Increased interest in and importance of national and presidential campaigns.
Explain why voter turnout is different in each of the following.
ii. Primary versus general elections - ANS ✔Primary vs. general elections
o Partisans and activists are more likely to vote in primaries.
o Only party members may vote in closed primaries.
o Many primary elections are noncompetitive.
o Independents are less likely to participate in primary elections.
o General elections simplify choices.
o Media coverage is greater in general elections.
o Increased interest in and importance of general elections.
Identify one specific trend evident in the figure above. - ANS ✔Percentage of House seats for
Democrats has trended down.
• Percentage of presidential electoral votes for Democrats has trended down.
Choose two of the following and use each to explain why southern voters from 1948 to
2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing
Democratic candidates for the presidency.
,i. Incumbency advantage - ANS ✔Incumbency advantage — Even though Southern voters were
voting for Republican
presidential candidates, they continued to vote for incumbent Democratic congressional
candidates because of the incumbency advantage
Choose two of the following and use each to explain why southern voters from 1948 to
2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing
Democratic candidates for the presidency.
ii. Gerrymandering - ANS ✔• Gerrymandering — District lines created safe seats/majority-
minority districts, which
protected Democratic seats even though there were more Republican voters in statewide
presidential elections.
Choose two of the following and use each to explain why southern voters from 1948 to
2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing
Democratic candidates for the presidency.
iii. Differences between state and national parties - ANS ✔• State versus national parties —
Because national and state parties were largely independent of
each other, to get votes Democratic congressional candidates responded to local interests,
whereas Democratic presidential candidates responded to a national constituency.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
i. Catholics - ANS ✔Catholics — They have become less reliable Democratic voters.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
, Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
ii. Labor union members - ANS ✔Labor union members — They have become less reliable
Democratic voters; have decreased in
number and thus there are fewer Democratic supporters; have become a smaller percentage of
the Democratic voting bloc.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
iii. Women - ANS ✔Women — They have become more reliable Democratic voters; have
increased in number and
thus there are more Democratic supporters; have become a larger percentage of the
Democratic voting bloc.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
iv. Social conservatives - ANS ✔Social conservatives — They were previously nonexistent and
have now crystallized to
become more reliable Republican voters; previously found in the Democratic party and have
moved to the Republican party.
Describe the winner-take- all feature of the electoral college - ANS ✔the candidate who gets the
most votes wins all of a state's electoral votes.
Explain one way in which the winner-take- all feature of the electoral college affect how
answered already passed
Explain why voter turnout is different in each of the following.
i. Presidential versus midterm elections - ANS ✔Presidential vs. midterm elections
o Media coverage is greater in presidential elections.
o Increased interest in and importance of national and presidential campaigns.
Explain why voter turnout is different in each of the following.
ii. Primary versus general elections - ANS ✔Primary vs. general elections
o Partisans and activists are more likely to vote in primaries.
o Only party members may vote in closed primaries.
o Many primary elections are noncompetitive.
o Independents are less likely to participate in primary elections.
o General elections simplify choices.
o Media coverage is greater in general elections.
o Increased interest in and importance of general elections.
Identify one specific trend evident in the figure above. - ANS ✔Percentage of House seats for
Democrats has trended down.
• Percentage of presidential electoral votes for Democrats has trended down.
Choose two of the following and use each to explain why southern voters from 1948 to
2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing
Democratic candidates for the presidency.
,i. Incumbency advantage - ANS ✔Incumbency advantage — Even though Southern voters were
voting for Republican
presidential candidates, they continued to vote for incumbent Democratic congressional
candidates because of the incumbency advantage
Choose two of the following and use each to explain why southern voters from 1948 to
2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing
Democratic candidates for the presidency.
ii. Gerrymandering - ANS ✔• Gerrymandering — District lines created safe seats/majority-
minority districts, which
protected Democratic seats even though there were more Republican voters in statewide
presidential elections.
Choose two of the following and use each to explain why southern voters from 1948 to
2000 were electing Democratic candidates to Congress more frequently than choosing
Democratic candidates for the presidency.
iii. Differences between state and national parties - ANS ✔• State versus national parties —
Because national and state parties were largely independent of
each other, to get votes Democratic congressional candidates responded to local interests,
whereas Democratic presidential candidates responded to a national constituency.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
i. Catholics - ANS ✔Catholics — They have become less reliable Democratic voters.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
, Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
ii. Labor union members - ANS ✔Labor union members — They have become less reliable
Democratic voters; have decreased in
number and thus there are fewer Democratic supporters; have become a smaller percentage of
the Democratic voting bloc.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
iii. Women - ANS ✔Women — They have become more reliable Democratic voters; have
increased in number and
thus there are more Democratic supporters; have become a larger percentage of the
Democratic voting bloc.
Several other changes in party composition have emerged in the past few decades.
Select three of the following groups and for each explain how parties have changed in
composition with respect to that group.
iv. Social conservatives - ANS ✔Social conservatives — They were previously nonexistent and
have now crystallized to
become more reliable Republican voters; previously found in the Democratic party and have
moved to the Republican party.
Describe the winner-take- all feature of the electoral college - ANS ✔the candidate who gets the
most votes wins all of a state's electoral votes.
Explain one way in which the winner-take- all feature of the electoral college affect how
