AP Gov 5.1 & 5.2 review
midterm election
-Elections held midway between presidential elections. -smaller voter turnout in comparison to nat. elections
Young voters
-lowest turnout--> could be due to a variety of reasons: undeveloped views, lack of strong political views, mobility, ect -have seen a general decline in their turnout since 1972 but has risen in recent elections.
Grandfather Clause
A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.
white primary
A state primary election that restricts voting to whites only; outlawed by the Supreme Court in 1944.
Smith v. Allwright
A supreme court case in 1944 that ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny membership in political parties to African Americans as a way of excluding them from voting in primaries. (declared white primaries unconstitutional)
voter registration
A system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of Election Day. A few states permit Election day registration.
literacy test
A test given to persons to prove they can read and write before being allowed to register to vote
Senator Hoffman is campaigning for reelection in her state. Her campaign message emphasizes how the policies she has supported have benefited her constituents. She has spotlighted job creation and an overall improvement in the standard of living in the state in the past six years. Senator Hoffman is hoping to appeal to which of the following voting behavior models? A) Retrospective voting B) Prospective voting C) Straight Ticket Voting D) Rational-Choice Voting
A) Retrospective voting -looking at the candidate's past
Electorate
All of the people entitled to vote in a given election
Which of the following scenarios best represents an example of straight ticket voting? A) citizen always votes for the candidate who supports conservation of the environment. B) A homeowner votes for a candidate based on the candidate's promise to lower property taxes. C) A citizen casts votes for all Republicans based solely on the candidates' affiliation with the Republican Party. D) A citizen votes for the incumbent member of the House of Representatives after receiving help processing his disability claim.
C) A citizen casts votes for all Republicans based solely on the candidates' affiliation with the Republican Party.
Which of the following scenarios is most related to the Twenty-Sixth Amendment? A) A primary election is held to determine the candidate who will run as the Republican for the United States Senate. B) An interest group purchases a television ad prior to an election. C) An eighteen-year-old votes in a presidential election. D) A woman votes in a local election.
C) An eighteen-year-old votes in a presidential election. -26th amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
17th Amendment (1913)
Established that senators were to be elected directly by voters (instead of by state legislatures as under the Constitution originally). This law was part of the Progressive Era effort to curb the power of political parties and open up the government with more democracy to the people.
19th Amendment (1920)
Gave women the right to vote
23rd Amendment
Gives Washington DC electoral college votes as if it were a state (DC still has no representation in Congress)
Asian American voters
Has the highest education level, but lowest voter turnout; about the same turnout as Hispanics -concerns about civil liberties and protections
26th Amendment
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
Australian ballot (secret ballot)
Practice that required citizens to vote in private rather than in public, and required the government (rather than political parties) to supervise the voting process. -must be printed and distributed at public expense -show all qualifying canidates -be available ONLY at polling places -be completed in private
15th Amendment (1870)
Prohibited voting restrictions based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude (slavery)
24th Amendment (1964)
Prohibits federal and state governments from charging poll tax
Evangelical voters tend to vote...
Republicans -largest religious group -tend to hold conservative beliefs
Shelby County v. Holder
Ruled the preclearance portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 unconstitutional for now
voter efficacy
The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference
Guinn v. United States (1915)
The grandfather clause was deemed unconstitutional.
voter apathy
The lack of interest among the citizenry in participating in elections.
Help America Vote Act of 2002
The law that passed in 2002 to regulate federal elections and help poorer counties acquire more modern voting machines. -also addressed voters with disabilities -voting system in which voters can look over their vote/change it
1964 Civil Rights Act
This act prohibited Discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin by employers or labor unions
1965 Voting Rights Act
This act suspended the use of literacy tests and authorized the appointment of federal examiner who could order the registration of blacks in states and counties where fewer than 50% were registered, or voted previously.
rational choice voting
Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest
African American voters
What group of traditionally Republican voters abandoned that party to vote for Roosevelt in 1936? -tend to have a less favorable view on the criminal justice department, want less money spent on international affairs, more funds or Americans in need
Retrospective Voting Model
a theory of democratic elections in which voters look back at the performance of a party in power and cast ballots on the basis of how well it did in office
provisional ballots
a vote that is cast but not counted until determination is made that the voter is properly registered -ex: if they forgot their ID
1957 Civil Rights Act
addressed discrimination in voter registration and established the U.S. Office of Civil Rights of the Justice Department
Absentee Ballots
allow citizens to vote when they cannot vote in person on Election Day
prospective voting
basing voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of a given vote
Jewish voters tend to
be more liberal than average on economic and cultural issues
voting-age population
citizens who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement
voting eligible population
citizens who have reached the minimum age to be eligible to vote, excluding those who are not legally permitted to cast a ballot
Catholic voters
conservative on social issues (church) liberal on economic values ( history of discrimination)
Hispanic Voters
generally identify with the Democratic Party, except Cubans (more conservative/Republican) -fastest growing minority in US
Preclearance
mandated by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the prior approval by the Justice Department of changes to or new election laws by certain States -put states under fed. supervision if they attempted to create new loopholes to prevent individuals from voting
party-line voting model
process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation
poll taxes
required citizens of a state to pay a special tax in order to vote
voter turnout
the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election
ballot fatigue
the phenomenon by which voters cast fewer votes for offices listed toward the bottom of the ballot
Franchise
the right to vote
Suffrage
the right to vote
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (motor-voter law)
this act passed in 1993 and frequently called the "Motor Vehicle Act" is a piece of legislation that includes a provision that makes it possible to register to vote when applying for or renewing your drivers license.
registered voters
those legally eligible to vote who have registered in accordance with the requirements prevailing in their state and locality
older voters
turnout to vote more, especially in state and local politics as well as non presidential election years
Gender gap in voting
women weren't able to vote until the 19th amendment; in recent history women have voted more than men