Answer: This represents the difference between the votes cast for President

and the votes cast for U.S. Representatives, which represents so-called

“nonvoting voters” who vote in the election but not for every candidate on the

ballot.

7

Checkpoint Answer: People may not trust the political system, they may not

feel that their vote will matter in any given election or on a given issue, that

conditions will remain the same whether they vote or not, or even that

presidential elections may have been decided by earlier voting before they

have a chance to vote in the western time zones.

9

Political Cartoon Question: It suggests that people who choose not to vote in a

democracy are wasting a special privilege that people living under other

systems of government do not have.

10

Checkpoint Answer: Election results, scientific polls/surveys, and studies of

political socialization are used to gather data about voter behavior.

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NOTE TO TEACHERS: Studies show that men and women tend to vote

differently on issues such as abortion, social welfare, and military involvement.

14

Political Cartoon Answer: Answers will vary, but possible answer is that all

citizens have a right to complain because participating in public affairs is not

limited to voting.

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