Chapter 7

Referenda

A yes or no vote by citizens on a law or candidate proposed by the state government.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

organizations created to raise money for political campaigns and spend money to influence policy and politics LIMITED MONEY, DIRECT CONTRIBUTION

24th amendment

This ended poll taxes.

Incumbency advantage:

The advantage held by officeholders that allows them to often win reelection.

Open Primary

An election in which any registered voter may vote in any party's primary or caucus.

Closed Primary

An election in which only voters registered with a party may vote for that party's candidates.

Voting Age Population

age population in terms of the number of citizens over eighteen.Some of these persons may not be eligible to vote in their state, but they are included because they are of age to do so

Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008)

the Supreme Court decided that Indiana's voter identification requirement was constitutional, although the decision left open the possibility that another case might meet the burden of proof required to overturn the law.

Voting Eligible Population

The number of citizens eligible to vote because they are citizens, mentally competent, and not imprisoned. If a state has more stringent requirements, such as not having a felony conviction, citizens counted in the VEP must meet those criteria as well.

Straight ticket voting

The practice of voting only for candidates from the same party.

Felons and voting rights:

Florida and Kentucky permanently bar felons and ex-felons from voting unless they obtain a pardon from the governor, while Mississippi and Nevada allow former felons to apply to have their voting rights restored. On the other end of the spectrum, Vermont does not limit voting based on incarceration unless the crime was election fraud. Maine citizens serving in Maine prisons also may vote in elections.

What states are the only states allowed to have their primary or caucus in January or February?

In 2008, the national parties ruled that only Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire could hold primaries or caucuses in January.

Drawbacks of direct democracy

One is that it requires more of voters. Instead of voting based on party, the voter is expected to read and become informed to make smart decisions. Most citizens, however, do not have the time to perform a lot of research before voting. When citizens rely on television ads, initiative titles, or advice from others in determining how to vote, they can become confused and make the wrong decisions. Direct democracy also opens the door to special interests funding personal projects. Any group can create an organization to spearhead an initiative or referendum. And because the cost of collecting signatures can be high in many states, signature collection may be backed by interest groups or wealthy individuals wishing to use the initiative to pass pet projects. Direct democracy is not always a process by the people, but can be a process used by the wealthy and business.

VRA of 1965

The act protected the rights of minority voters by prohibiting state laws that denied voting rights based on race.

Caucuses:

A form of candidate nomination that occurs in a town-hall style format rather than a day-long election; usually reserved for presidential elections. Despite the common use of the primary system, at least five states (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Colorado, and Iowa) regularly use caucuses for presidential, state, and local-level nominations. Caucuses are less expensive than primaries because they rely on voting methods such as dropping marbles in a jar, placing names in a hat, standing under a sign bearing the candidate's name, or taking a voice vote.

top-two primary

A primary election in which the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, become the nominees for the general election. For state-level office nominations, or the nomination of a U.S. Senator or House member, some states use the top-two primary method. Thus, two candidates from the same party could run against each other in the general election.

Factors influencing vote choice

Some simply vote using party affiliation or on whichever candidate lines up closer with their personal ideology. Some vote based on characteristics like attractiveness, gender, or race. Others will look at issues or the economy.

Motor Voter

The National Voter Registration Act (1993), often referred to as Motor Voter, was enacted to expedite the registration process and make it as simple as possible for voters. The act required states to allow citizens to register to vote when they sign up for driver's licenses and Social Security benefits. On each government form, the citizen need only mark an additional box to also register to vote. Oregon made news when it took the concept of Motor Voter further. When citizens turn eighteen, the state now automatically registers most of them using driver's license and state identification information.

Immediate effects of VRA

The effects of the VRA were visible almost immediately. In Mississippi, only 6.7 percent of blacks were registered to vote in 1965; however, by the fall of 1967, nearly 60 percent were registered. Alabama experienced similar effects, with African American registration increasing from 19.3 percent to 51.6 percent. Voter turnout across these two states similarly increased. Mississippi went from 33.9 percent turnout to 53.2 percent, while Alabama increased from 35.9 percent to 52.7 percent between the 1964 and 1968 presidential elections. Following the implementation of the VRA, many states have sought other methods of increasing voter registration. Several states make registering to vote relatively easy for citizens who have government documentation.

Ballot initiatives

The most common form of direct democracy is the initiative, or proposition. An initiative is normally a law or constitutional amendment proposed and passed by the citizens of a state. Initiatives completely bypass the legislatures and governor, but they are subject to review by the state courts if they are not consistent with the state or national constitution. They usually have to get a certain amount of signatures, and then they can be placed on a ballot.

Factors that decrease voter turnout

The reasons range from the obvious excuse of being too busy (19 percent) to more complex answers, such as transportation problems (3.3 percent) and restrictive registration laws (5.5 percent). One prominent reason for low national turnout is that participation is not mandated. Low turnout also occurs when some citizens are not allowed to vote. One method of limiting voter access is the requirement to show identification at polling places. Another reason for not voting is that polling places may be open only on Election Day. This makes it difficult for voters juggling school, work, and child care during polling hours. Apathy may also play a role. Some people avoid voting because their vote is unlikely to make a difference or the election is not competitive. Finally, some voters may view non-voting as a means of social protest or may see volunteering as a better way to spend their time.

Recall

The removal of a politician or government official by the voters.

Coattail effect:

The result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from his or her party win their own elections.

Ballot Fatigue

The result when a voter stops voting for offices and initiatives at the bottom of a long ballot.

Party Platforms

The set of issues important to the political party and the party delegates. The parties take the cohesive list of issues and concerns and frame the election around the platform. Candidates will try to keep to the platform when campaigning, and outside groups that support them, such as super PACs, may also try to keep to these issues.

Voter registration residency requirements:

The stipulation that citizen must live in a state for a determined period of time before a citizen can register to vote as a resident of that state. It is often thirty days.

Laws passed to prevent African Americans from voting:

The varied registration and voting laws across the United States have long caused controversy. In the aftermath of the Civil War, southern states enacted literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and other requirements intended to disenfranchise black voters in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Literacy tests were long and detailed exams on local and national politics, history, and more. Poll taxes required voters to pay a fee to vote. Grandfather clauses exempted individuals from taking literacy tests or paying poll taxes if they or their fathers or grandfathers had been permitted to vote prior to a certain point in time.

Prospective voting

This occurs when the voter applies information about a candidate's past behavior to decide how the candidate will act in the future. For example, will the candidate's voting record or actions help the economy and better prepare him or her to be president during an economic downturn? The challenge of this voting method is that the voters must use a lot of information, which might be conflicting or unrelated, to make an educated guess about how the candidate will perform in the future.

Pocketbook Voting

This occurs when the voter looks at his or her personal finances and circumstances to decide how to vote. Someone having a harder time finding employment or seeing investments suffer during a particular candidate or party's control of government will vote for a different candidate or party than the incumbent.

Retrospective voting:

This occurs when the voter looks at the candidate's past actions and the past economic climate and makes a decision only using these factors. This behavior may occur during economic downturns or after political scandals, when voters hold politicians accountable and do not wish to give the representative a second chance.

Factors that drive voter turnout

Those between eighteen and twenty-five are least likely to vote, while those sixty-five to seventy-four are most likely. One reason for lower voter turnout among younger citizens may be that they move frequently. Youth are less active in government and politics, leading the parties to neglect them. When people are neglected, they are in turn less likely to become engaged in government. Younger people are often still in college, perhaps working part-time and earning low wages. They are unlikely to be receiving government benefits beyond Pell Grants or government-subsidized tuition and loans. They are also unlikely to be paying taxes at a high rate. Government is a distant concept rather than a daily concern, which may drive down turnout. A citizen's socioeconomic status—the combination of education, income, and social status—may also predict whether he or she will vote. Among those who have completed college, the 2012 voter turnout rate jumps to 75 percent of eligible voters, compared to about 52.6 percent for those who have completed only high school. Race is also a factor. Caucasians turn out to vote in the highest numbers, with 63 percent of white citizens voting in 2012. In comparison, 62 percent of African Americans, 31.3 percent of Asian Americans, and 31.8 percent of Hispanic citizens voted in 2012. Another factor that deals with race is the state of politics; for example, many Hispanics voted when Trump was running.

impact of voter id laws

decreases voter turnout

Super PACs

officially known as Independent Expenditure-Only Committees; organizations that can fundraise and spend as they please to support or attack a candidate but not contribute directly to a candidate or strategize with a candidate's campaign. UNLIMITED MONEY, INDIRECT CONTRIBUTION

Shelby County v. Holder (2013)

the Supreme Court agreed. In a 5-4 decision, the justices in the majority said the formula for placing states on the VRA (Voting Rights Act) preclearance list was outdated and reached into the states' authority to oversee elections. States and counties on the preclearance list were released, and Congress was told to design new guidelines for placing states on the list.