Question 1

Suppose that a federal election is coming soon and the government has been running persistent large budget deficits. Constitutional economists would most likely urge ___________________ in order to eliminate future budget deficits.

Accepted Answer

A) voters to vote for liberal candidates 
B) voters to vote for conservative candidates 
C) Congress to pass a law constraining them to spend no more than what they are receiving in tax revenues 
D) Congress to remove all constraints on spending and taxes.

Question 2

Public choice economists often explain low voter turnouts in terms of

Accepted Answer

A) dissatisfaction of many voters with the limited choice of candidates. 
B) lack of civic responsibility of the electorate. 
C) net costs of voting that many voters perceive. 
D) rational ignorance of many voters of the actual date of the elections.

Question 3

Candidate X and Candidate Y have a debate. X's advisers believe that one result of the debate is that Y will appear to the voters as further to the left than before. This is good news for X

Accepted Answer

A) if Y was already left-of-center before the debate. 
B) if Y was right-of-center before the debate. 
C) no matter what Y's previous position was. 
D) under no circumstances.

Question 4

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views, to win votes in a two-person race

Accepted Answer

A) one candidate will move to the far right of the political spectrum while the other moves to the far left. 
B) one candidate will move between the middle and far right end of the political spectrum while the other moves between the middle and the far left end. 
C) both candidates will move to the far right end of the political spectrum. 
D) both candidates will move to the far left end of the political spectrum. 
E) both candidates will move toward the middle of the political spectrum.

Question 5

The answer is: "rational ignorance." What is the question?

Accepted Answer

A) Why do special interest groups lobby politicians? 
B) What causes a candidate in a two-person political race to take polls? 
C) What explains why voters often know very little about the candidates and the issues? 
D) What motivates the free rider?

Question 6

Public choice is concerned with decision making by

Accepted Answer

A) consumers. 
B) businesses. 
C) government. 
D) foreigners. 
E) consumers and businesses.

Question 7

Special interest groups

Accepted Answer

A) often gain from public policies that may not be in accord with the interests of the general public. 
B) never gain from public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public. 
C) always gain from public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public. 
D) never lobby for public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public. 
E) always lobby for public policies that are not in accord with the interests of the general public.

Question 8

Competition for votes between two political parties will cause those parties to

Accepted Answer

A) produce quite different policy proposals. 
B) have very similar policy proposals. 
C) find ways to clearly distinguish themselves in order to give voters a clear choice. 
D) a and c 
E) none of the above

Question 9

Under certain circumstances, a congressional district may be a special interest group.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Public choice theorists say that the greater the number of potential voters in an election, the __________ the perceived benefits of voting held by each voter, and so the __________ the likely percentage turnout of voters.

Accepted Answer

A) greater; lower 
B) greater; higher 
C) smaller; lower 
D) smaller; higher

Question 11

Public choice theorists insist that when a person goes from public to private employment, his or her motivations __________ while the institutional arrangements shaping his or her actions __________.

Accepted Answer

A) remain the same; change 
B) remain the same; also remain the same 
C) change; also change 
D) change; remain the same

Question 12

Simple majority rule will almost always generate efficient outcomes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Candidate A says, "Health care is too expensive in the United States. We need to do something-and quickly-to develop a better, more responsive, less expensive health care system." Candidate B, who is running against candidate A in a two-person race, says, "Health care is too expensive in the United States. We need to do something about it and quickly. I suggest that we have the federal government develop a centralized system for delivering health care in this country." If you know nothing else about the two candidates, it follows that

Accepted Answer

A) candidate A has taken polls and candidate B has not. 
B) candidate B has taken polls and candidate A has not. 
C) candidate B is smarter than candidate A. 
D) candidate B has a higher probability of winning the election than candidate A. 
E) candidate A has a higher probability of winning the election than candidate B.

Question 14

According to public choice theorists, people in the market sector and people in the public sector have __________, and (but) sometimes act differently because of different __________ arrangements in the two sectors.

Accepted Answer

A) different motives; institutional 
B) the same motives; institutional 
C) different views of politics; equilibrium 
D) the same motives; equilibrium 
E) none of the above

Question 15

According to public choice theory, low voter turnouts are the result of voters

Accepted Answer

A) being apathetic. 
B) being uninformed. 
C) being lazy. 
D) disliking the candidates. 
E) calculating their costs and benefits of voting.

Question 16

Public choice theory assumes that those involved in the public sector are generally motivated by

Accepted Answer

A) public spirit. 
B) altruism. 
C) the desire to achieve allocative efficiency. 
D) the same factors involved in the private sector. 
E) a and b

Question 17

Exhibit 31-4
​
 
-Refer to Exhibit 31-4. At the market equilibrium price of the good, producers' surplus is the area

Accepted Answer

A) D + E 
B) A + B + C + D + E 
C) A + B + C 
D) C + E 
E) none of the above

Question 18

Exhibit 31-2
​
 
-Refer to Exhibit 31-2-(c). Two candidates are competing for an electorate consisting of 11 voters labeled A-K shown positioned with respect to their ideological stands on issues. The median voter theory would predict that candidates will assume the ideological position(s)

Accepted Answer

A) of voters K and G, respectively. 
B) of voters H and J, respectively. 
C) of voters I and A, respectively. 
D) of voter E.

Question 19

In the early 19th century, the main lobbyists behind passage of the Factory Acts were the women and children who were being exploited.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

There is evidence that __________ were the main lobbyists behind passage of the Factory Acts which put restrictions on women and children working in early 19th century England.

Accepted Answer

A) male workers 
B) female workers 
C) child-care advocates 
D) factory owners

Exam 31: Public Choice and Special Interest Group Politics

Suppose that a federal election is coming soon and the government has been running persistent large budget deficits. Constitutional economists would most likely urge ___________________ in order to eliminate future budget deficits.

Public choice economists often explain low voter turnouts in terms of

Candidate X and Candidate Y have a debate. X's advisers believe that one result of the debate is that Y will appear to the voters as further to the left than before. This is good news for X

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views, to win votes in a two-person race

The answer is: "rational ignorance." What is the question?

Public choice is concerned with decision making by

Special interest groups

Competition for votes between two political parties will cause those parties to

Under certain circumstances, a congressional district may be a special interest group.

Public choice theorists say that the greater the number of potential voters in an election, the the perceived benefits of voting held by each voter, and so the the likely percentage turnout of voters.

Public choice theorists insist that when a person goes from public to private employment, his or her motivations while the institutional arrangements shaping his or her actions .

Simple majority rule will almost always generate efficient outcomes.

According to public choice theorists, people in the market sector and people in the public sector have , and (but) sometimes act differently because of different arrangements in the two sectors.

According to public choice theory, low voter turnouts are the result of voters

Public choice theory assumes that those involved in the public sector are generally motivated by

Exhibit 31-4 -Refer to Exhibit 31-4. At the market equilibrium price of the good, producers' surplus is the area

Exhibit 31-2 -Refer to Exhibit 31-2-(c) . Two candidates are competing for an electorate consisting of 11 voters labeled A-K shown positioned with respect to their ideological stands on issues. The median voter theory would predict that candidates will assume the ideological position(s)

In the early 19th century, the main lobbyists behind passage of the Factory Acts were the women and children who were being exploited.

There is evidence that __________ were the main lobbyists behind passage of the Factory Acts which put restrictions on women and children working in early 19th century England.

Exam 31: Public Choice and Special Interest Group Politics

Suppose that a federal election is coming soon and the government has been running persistent large budget deficits. Constitutional economists would most likely urge ___________________ in order to eliminate future budget deficits.

Public choice economists often explain low voter turnouts in terms of

Candidate X and Candidate Y have a debate. X's advisers believe that one result of the debate is that Y will appear to the voters as further to the left than before. This is good news for X

If it is assumed that people vote for the candidate who comes closer to matching their own views, to win votes in a two-person race

The answer is: "rational ignorance." What is the question?

Public choice is concerned with decision making by

Special interest groups

Competition for votes between two political parties will cause those parties to

Under certain circumstances, a congressional district may be a special interest group.

Public choice theorists say that the greater the number of potential voters in an election, the __________ the perceived benefits of voting held by each voter, and so the __________ the likely percentage turnout of voters.

Public choice theorists insist that when a person goes from public to private employment, his or her motivations __________ while the institutional arrangements shaping his or her actions __________.

Simple majority rule will almost always generate efficient outcomes.

According to public choice theorists, people in the market sector and people in the public sector have __________, and (but) sometimes act differently because of different __________ arrangements in the two sectors.

According to public choice theory, low voter turnouts are the result of voters

Public choice theory assumes that those involved in the public sector are generally motivated by

Exhibit 31-4 ​ -Refer to Exhibit 31-4. At the market equilibrium price of the good, producers' surplus is the area

Exhibit 31-2 ​ -Refer to Exhibit 31-2-(c) . Two candidates are competing for an electorate consisting of 11 voters labeled A-K shown positioned with respect to their ideological stands on issues. The median voter theory would predict that candidates will assume the ideological position(s)

In the early 19th century, the main lobbyists behind passage of the Factory Acts were the women and children who were being exploited.

There is evidence that __________ were the main lobbyists behind passage of the Factory Acts which put restrictions on women and children working in early 19th century England.

Public choice theorists say that the greater the number of potential voters in an election, the the perceived benefits of voting held by each voter, and so the the likely percentage turnout of voters.

Public choice theorists insist that when a person goes from public to private employment, his or her motivations while the institutional arrangements shaping his or her actions .

According to public choice theorists, people in the market sector and people in the public sector have , and (but) sometimes act differently because of different arrangements in the two sectors.

Exhibit 31-4 -Refer to Exhibit 31-4. At the market equilibrium price of the good, producers' surplus is the area

Exhibit 31-2 -Refer to Exhibit 31-2-(c) . Two candidates are competing for an electorate consisting of 11 voters labeled A-K shown positioned with respect to their ideological stands on issues. The median voter theory would predict that candidates will assume the ideological position(s)