Free Practice Quiz Question List

5 Elections and Electoral Systems Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 5 Elections and Electoral Systems, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions

True or false

1 point

In single-member plurality, the winning candidate must receive more than half of all votes cast.

A
True
B
False

Written response

1 point

What is the electoral-system term for the number of representatives elected from a district?

Fill in the blank

1 point

In party-list PR, lists in which the party sets the order of candidates are called .

Choose one

1 point

In a party-list proportional representation system, what feature makes the list an open list?

A
Voters rank individual candidates, and ballots transfer under counting rules to fill several seats.
B
Voters can influence which candidates from a party list are elected.
C
A second round is held whenever no party wins a majority of legislative seats.
D
District and list seats are allocated separately, without the list tier compensating for district results.

True or false

1 point

Candidate-selection practices and measures such as reserved seats or quotas can affect descriptive representation, not just the electoral formula.

A
True
B
False

Written response

1 point

What proportional-representation system has voters rank individual candidates in multi-member districts, with votes transferred under counting rules to fill seats?

Choose one

1 point

A single-member district uses first-past-the-post. Three candidates receive 40%, 35%, and 25% of the votes. Who wins the seat?

A
The candidate with 35%, because that candidate is closest to the mean vote share.
B
No candidate wins, because a second round is always required when nobody has a majority.
C
The candidate with 40%, because that candidate has more votes than any rival.
D
The candidate with 25%, because plurality awards the seat to the smallest party.

Choose all

1 point

Select all factors that can shape electoral outcomes in addition to the electoral rules themselves.

A
Party organization
B
Social divisions
C
Campaign resources
D
The assumption that electoral rules alone determine every result
E
Political institutions and whether elections are genuinely free and fair

Choose one

1 point

A country adopts party-list PR but sets a high electoral threshold. What is a likely effect of that threshold?

A
It guarantees that every party receives seats in proportion to its vote share.
B
It ensures that district and list seats compensate for one another.
C
It can make it harder for smaller parties to qualify for seats.
D
It converts a multi-member district into a single-member district.

Choose all

1 point

Select all statements that correctly distinguish mixed-member proportional (MMP) systems from parallel systems.

A
MMP uses list seats to bring parties' overall seat totals closer to their vote shares, subject to the system's rules.
B
A parallel system uses its list tier to compensate for disproportionality in district results.
C
In a parallel system, district and list seats are allocated separately, so the list tier does not compensate for district results.
D
MMP and parallel systems both necessarily produce overall seat totals exactly equal to vote shares.

Open ended

1 point

Compare plurality systems with proportional representation. Explain one way each can affect representation or political outcomes, and why the material does not identify one formula as universally best.

Choose one

1 point

A voter in a winner-take-all district prefers a trailing candidate but thinks that candidate cannot win. What strategic response is described in the material?

A
They vote for a party list because open lists allow voters to reorder every party's candidates.
B
They may vote for a leading candidate rather than their preferred candidate if they fear their preferred candidate cannot win.
C
They rank all candidates, which automatically makes the district proportional.
D
They abstain because votes for losing candidates are transferred to the winning candidate.

Choose one

1 point

Voters choose a party list and can also influence which candidates on that list win seats. Which ballot design does this describe?

A
An open list
B
A closed list
C
A single-member plurality district
D
A party threshold

Choose one

1 point

A district elects five representatives. Which feature of its electoral system does the number five describe?

A
The number of parties that qualify for seats
B
The number of representatives elected from a district
C
The minimum vote share needed to qualify for seats
D
The rule used to distribute seats among parties

Choose one

1 point

In a single-member plurality election, three candidates receive $40\%$ , $35\%$ , and $25\%$ of the vote. What follows under this rule?

A
The candidate with 35% wins because the system requires a majority.
B
The candidate with 25% wins because the system transfers votes.
C
The candidate with 40% wins despite not receiving a majority.
D
No candidate wins unless a second round is held.

Choose one

1 point

A reform is intended to strengthen the connection between elected members and the places they represent. Which dimension of representation is it targeting?

A
Geographic representation
B
Party representation
C
Descriptive representation
D
Proportional representation

True or false

1 point

Winner-take-all incentives may encourage larger parties, but they do not guarantee a two-party system because regional support, social divisions, and political history also matter.

A
True
B
False

Written response

1 point

In a multi-member district, voters rank individual candidates and ballots are transferred under the counting rules to fill seats. What is this system called?

Written response

1 point

What dimension of representation concerns whether a legislature includes people from different social groups?

Fill in the blank

1 point

Two party-list systems use the same ballot and district size, but apply different rules to convert party votes into seats. Which electoral-system design feature differs?