| Line 28: |
Line 28: |
| | === "5. If a police officer pulls over a car on the New Jersey Turnpike ...." === | | === "5. If a police officer pulls over a car on the New Jersey Turnpike ...." === |
| | | | |
| − | Police officers on the NJ Turnpike work for the state government, but most police officers work for local government (e.g., Newark, or Bedminister Township). No police officers work for the federal government. There are really three levels of government: federal, state and local, although often the "state and local" levels are grouped together. | + | Police officers on the NJ Turnpike work for the state government, but most police officers work for local government (e.g., Newark, or Bedminister Township). No police officers work for the federal government. There are really three levels of government: federal, state and local, although the "state and local" levels are often grouped together. |
| | | | |
| | === "7. Explain what gerrymandering is." === | | === "7. Explain what gerrymandering is." === |
| | | | |
| − | Very few students earned full credit on this question. Gerrymandering is difficult to understand and explain. The key point is that most people vote Democratic or Republican in every election, and politicians know who those people (neighborhoods) are. State legislatures, not governors or Congress, redraw state and congressional legislative districts every ten years based on the Census, and by grouping certain neighborhoods into different districts this "gerrymandering" can increase the number of districts controlled by one side or the other, by giving that side (for example) a 60% majority in numerous districts. | + | Very few students earned full credit on this question. Gerrymandering is difficult to understand and even more difficult to explain! The key point is that most people vote Democrat or Republican in every election in a predictable away. Politicians know who those people (neighborhoods) are. State legislatures, not governors or Congress, redraw state and congressional legislative districts every ten years based on the Census, and by grouping certain neighborhoods into different districts this "gerrymandering" can increase the overall number of districts controlled by one side or the other. For example, if there are ten districts of 100,000 voters each, split 50/50 overall between Democrat and Republican, then random redistricting would result in 5 Democrats winning and 5 Republicans winning. But through gerrymandering Democrats can create 8 safe Democratic seats having districts that are 60% Democrat, and 2 safe seats that are 90% Republican, for a net gain of 3 seats for Democrats. |
| | | | |
| − | In this way a state that should be sending half Democrats and half Republicans to Congress in their dozen or so congressional seats can cause its delegation to be mostly Democrats (in districts designed to have 60% Democratic voters) with only a few Republicans (in districts designed to have 90% Republican voters). | + | In this way a state that should be sending half Democrats and half Republicans to Congress among their congressional seats can cause its delegation to be mostly Democrats (in districts designed to have 60% Democratic voters) with only a few Republicans (in districts designed to have 90% Republican voters). |
| | | | |
| | === 8. Question concerning sources of bias in polling === | | === 8. Question concerning sources of bias in polling === |
| Line 43: |
Line 43: |
| | *who is asked the questions (likely voters, or any American) | | *who is asked the questions (likely voters, or any American) |
| | | | |
| − | Rasmussen polling is consistently more favorable to Republicans, for example, probably because he chooses whom to ask his questions in a way that includes more solidly Republican Americans than other pollsters do. The Fox News Channel likes having Rasmussen on its show frequently because he gives more favorable results for the predominantly Republican audience of that cable channel. | + | Rasmussen polling is consistently more favorable to Republicans, for example, probably because he chooses whom to ask his questions in a way that includes only the most likely voters, who probably have a higher percentage of Republicans than the general public, which includes many people who vote only when they feel like it. The Fox News Channel likes having Rasmussen on its show frequently because he gives results welcomed by the predominantly Republican audience of that cable channel. |
| | | | |
| | Rasmussen is an exception, because most pollsters are Democrats and their results typically favor a position supported by Democrats. | | Rasmussen is an exception, because most pollsters are Democrats and their results typically favor a position supported by Democrats. |