Review Questions

choices. 6 . Anastasia, Emma, and Greta are deciding what to do on a weekend getaway. They each suggest a first, second, and third choice and then vote on the options. Table 18.2 shows their first, second, and third choice preferences . Explain why they will have a hard time reaching a decision. Does the group prefer mountain biking to canoeing? What about canoeing compared to the beach? What about the beach compared to the original choice of mountain biking? Anastasia Emma Greta First Choice Beach Mountain biking Canoeing Second Choice Mountain biking Canoeing Beach Third Choice Canoeing Beach Mountain biking TABLE 18.2 7 . Suppose there is an election for Soft Drink Commissioner. The field consists of one candidate from the Pepsi party and four from the Coca-Cola party. This would seem to indicate a strong preference for Coca- Cola among the voting population, but the Pepsi candidate ends up winning in a landslide. Why does this happen?

Review Questions

8 . How does rational ignorance discourage voting? 9 . How can a small special interest group win in a situation of majority voting when the benefits it seeks flow only to a small group? 10 . How can pork-barrel spending occur in a situation of majority voting when it benefits only a small group? 11 . Why do legislators vote for spending projects in districts that are not their own? 12 . Why does a voting cycle make it impossible to decide on a majority-approved choice? 13 . How does a government agency raise revenue differently from a private company, and how does that affect the way government makes decisions compared to business decisions?

Critical Thinking Questions

14 . What are some reasons people might find acquiring information about politics and voting rational, in contrast to rational ignorance theory? 15 . What are some possible ways to encourage voter participation and overcome rational ignorance? 16 . Given that rational ignorance discourages some people from becoming informed about elections, is it necessarily a good idea to encourage greater voter turnout? Why or why not? 17 . When Microsoft was founded, the company devoted very few resources to lobbying activities. After a high- profile antitrust case against it, however, the company began to lobby heavily. Why does it make financial sense for companies to invest in lobbyists? 18 . Representatives of competing firms often comprise special interest groups. Why are competitors sometimes willing to cooperate in order to form lobbying associations? 19 . Special interests do not oppose regulations in all cases. The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 would require online merchants to collect sales taxes from their customers in other states. Why might a large