Final answer:
The question regarding the time it takes for the VEP to reach 60 percent turnout cannot be answered without specific historical data and context. The VEP is a term related to voter eligibility and turnout, which factors in only those eligible to vote.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question regarding how many years it takes for the voting eligible population (VEP) to reach 60 percent turnout does not specify a starting point or a specific dataset to reference. However, Fig. 5.2 mentions that a major shift occurred in the first half of the 19th century with regard to voters' emphasis on presidential elections in the U.S. If we assume the question refers to how long it took for the VEP turnout rates to reach 60 percent since that shift, we would need to consult historical VEP data to answer accurately. Without that specific data or context, providing an exact number of years is not possible.
The concept of voting eligible population (VEP) and the errors referred to (Type I and Type II) pertain to statistical analysis and interpretation. The VEP discounts individuals who are not eligible to vote, unlike the voting age population (VAP), which includes all individuals of voting age regardless of eligibility. The information on the VEP turnout rates from 1789 to the present would be key to determining when the VEP reached a certain percentage of turnout.