The state of Oregon uses mail-in ballots exclusively. What are the benefits and drawbacks of such a system?
Answer:
An ideal response will:
1. Describe the benefits of vote-by-mail as lower cost and easier to administer than an in-person voting process held on only one day. Vote-by-mail has been found to increase turnout, at least in the initial period after adoption, and in Oregon it continues to foster greater turnout in presidential general elections.
2. Identify the drawbacks as potential abuses of the process, fraudulently cast ballots, or bribing a person to vote a certain way and then mailing in that person's ballot. Some see value in casting a ballot in public with other voters on a designated day. More fundamentally, some question the value of making it easier for people to vote, which voting by mail does. This viewpoint is based on the perceived importance of citizens being willing to invest time and effort, which in-person voting requires.
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Home ownership is a fundamental building block of wealth accumulation for people of color. Which of the following demonstrates a critical difference between the home ownership experiences of whites and people of color?
A. People of color are often the victims of predatory loans, while whites have nondiscriminatory access to financial support institutions. B. People of color tend to save their assets after buying a house, while whites have greater access to high quality investment funds that generate wealth. C. People of color are subjected to higher property taxes than whites who live in generally higher-income areas. D. People of color are often deceived into buying low-quality houses whose prices depreciate quickly, while whites’ homes generally increase in value.
In 1996 President Bill Clinton proclaimed that “the era of big government is over.” According to Paul C. Light, Clinton’s statement
a. contributed to a concerted effort over the past decade to significantly reduce federal spending. b. was largely inaccurate if one considers a realistic count of people working for government. c. was an accurate statement in 1996, but is no longer accurate given the tremendous growth in the size of the federal government since the 1990s. d. contributed to a major revolt in the congressional Democratic caucus against Clinton’s leadership of the party.
If people are to form authentic and rational attitudes about public policies and leaders they require which of the following?
A. freedom of religious beliefs B. accurate and insightfully interpreted political information C. narrowly framed interpretations of political events D. continuous polling by public officials to find out political attitudes
A major scandal in the IRS was reported in all of the major news outlets, leading to a full-scale investigation by Congress and a number of reforms. What is this an example of?
A. Enabling legislation B. Police patrol oversight C. Fire alarm investigation D. Negotiated rule making E. Sunshine legislation