Ch 8

What impact did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have on the system of voting in the United States?

It eliminated barriers to voting for African Americans. ----------------------------

plurality election

a type of election in which the candidate with the most votes wins the election

Blanket or wide-open primary

A primary in which voters do not register party affiliations and receive ballot papers containing the names of all candidates from all political parties running for office; usually voters may choose only one candidate per office rather than one candidate per political party.

______ was a legal barrier to voting imposed upon African Americans in Texas.

The poll tax--------The state of Texas imposed several measures to keep African Americans from exercising their right to vote, including the payment of a poll tax, which many African Americans could not afford.

Incumbent candidates tend to have a significant advantage over their challengers in an election.

True -----------------

poll tax

an annual tax that had to be paid before one was allowed to vote; used in Texas

equal protection clause

clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring that state laws and state constitutions treat all citizens the same

In Texas, primary elections for nominating candidates for state offices, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, are ______.

direct primaries -----------------------

Name recognition, position taking, and credit claiming are all advantages available to ______.

incumbent candidates -------------------------- Name recognition, position taking, and credit claiming are just a few of the advantages realized by incumbent candidates running for office.

primary election

intraparty election in which candidates compete to determine who will win the party's nomination in the general election

Modern campaigns are characterized by the use of ______.

social media ----------------------------- Modern campaigns make use of high-tech platforms such as social media, websites, instant messaging, and other online channels to connect with voters.

Motor Voter Act

the National Voter Registration Act, which allows citizens to register to vote when applying for or renewing their driver's license

credit claiming

the advantage derived from incumbents' ability to point to positive outcomes for which they are responsible

white primary

the attempt by the Democratic Party in Texas and other southern states to limit the voting in party primaries to only party members; in Texas, this practice was codified in state law

voter turnout

the number of people casting ballots in a given election

Casework

the process of solving problems for constituents

Due to institutional barriers and other matters, which group has historically been the "losers" of the Texas political system?

African Americans -------------------------------- Due to institutional barriers to voting and the long history of white elites as winners in the Texas political system, African Americans have become the "losers" of the Texas political system.

Why is it more accurate to measure voter turnout as a calculation of the percentage of ballots cast in the election based on the total voting-age-eligible population?

Each state has different voter registration requirements. ------------------------------ The main reason it is more accurate to measure voter turnout as a calculation of the percentage of ballots cast in the election based on the total voting-age-eligible population is because each state has different voter registration requirements which may make it difficult for potential voters to register to vote.

Texas does not require candidates to disclose campaign contributions.

False ------------

Voters are required to declare a party affiliation in order to participate in an open primary.

False ------------ Voters are not required to declare a party affiliation in order to participate in an open primary, which is why it is called an "open" primary.

In general, Hispanics in Texas tend to identify with and vote for Republican candidates.

False ----------------- In general, Hispanic voters in Texas tend to identify with and vote for Democratic candidates, not Republican candidates.

The long ballot in Texas elections is cause for high voter turnout and enthusiasm.

False ------------------------ The long ballot in Texas elections has made voting rather costly for voters, which negatively impacts voter turnout and leads to apathy among voters.

What impact did the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment have on voting rights in Texas?

It expanded the right to vote to African American men.-------The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified after the Civil War and expanded the right to vote to African American men.

What is the purpose of a state representative engaging in casework?

It solves problems for their constituents. ------------------ The purpose of representatives engaging in casework is so they can work to solve problems for their constituents.

For the 2018 midterm elections, Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke raised $78.0 million compared to his challenger, Republican and eventual winner of the election Ted Cruz who raised $42.8 million. What conclusion should one draw from this election concerning campaign finance?

Raising more money than your opponent will not guarantee a win. ------------------------- Given the details in this scenario, it can likely be concluded that raising more money to fund a campaign does not always guarantee a candidate will win.

Why should candidates running for political office be wary of using social media to campaign?

Social media sites are vulnerable to abuse and manipulation. ------------------------------ Social media can be a very useful tool for campaigns, but it must be used with caution, as it is vulnerable to abuse and manipulation.

What is a reason for the low voter turnout in Texas?

Texas political culture casts political involvement in a negative light. ------------------------------------ One reason for the low voter turnout in Texas is because Texas political culture casts political life and involvement in a negative light.

Why might campaigning for office in Texas be costlier than campaigning in other states?

The large size of Texas means candidates must advertise in several networks across the state. ------------------- Campaigning for office in Texas can get costly for candidates due to the sheer size of the state, which requires candidates to advertise on several networks across the entire state to reach the full electorate.

What is a characteristic of a majority election?

The winner of such an election must receive 50% of the vote plus one additional vote.---------One characteristic of a majority election is that the winner of the election must receive 50% of the vote plus one additional vote, which would indicate a majority.

Minor political parties tend to be "losers" in the Texas political system.

True --------------------- Minor political parties are considered to be "losers" in the Texas political system since they are at a disadvantage compared to the major political parties.

Candidates running for office in Texas must come up with more money to fund television ads compared to candidates running in other states.

True ----------------------- Since Texas is so large, candidates running for political office usually require more funds and higher production quality to produce television ads for over 20 separate television markets across the state.

The U.S. Constitution leaves much of the voting and election process up to the states.

True---- The U.S. Constitution does in fact leave much of the voting and election process up to the states. As such, there are 50 different sets of voter registration processes in the United States.

independent candidate

a candidate running for office without a political party affiliation

Voting Rights Act of 1965

a federal statute that eliminated literacy tests as a qualification to vote, greatly increasing African Americans' access to the ballot box

A primary election in which voters indicate their choice to hold office, but the actual decision of who the party's candidate will be is selected by party elites, is known as ______.

a preference primary ----------------------- A primary election in which voters indicate their choice to hold office, but where the actual decision of who the party's candidate will be is selected by party elites, is known as a preference primary.

direct primary

a primary election in which the winning candidate directly receives the party nomination

preference primary

a primary election in which voters indicate their choice to hold office but the actual selection is left to the political party elites

private financing

a system of campaign financing in which citizens, interest groups, labor unions, and corporations donate funds to cover the cost of elections for political parties or candidates

cross-filing

a system that allows a candidate to run simultaneously as a Democratic and a Republican candidate, essentially competing in both parties' primaries

literacy test

a test of a prospective voter's ability to read and understand aspects of American government; used to bar African Americans from voting in many parts of the post-Reconstruction South but not used in Texas

runoff election

a type of election in an SMDM system that is held when an election fails to yield a clear majority winner in the initial balloting; the runoff is limited to the top two vote-getters from the initial election, ensuring a majority win

majority election

a type of election in which a candidate must receive 50 percent of the vote plus one additional vote to be declared the winner; simply winning the most votes is not sufficient

Advanced or early voting

a voting system that allows a voter to cast a ballot before an election without giving a specific reason, thus making voting more convenient for the voter

open primary

an electoral contest in which voters are not required to declare a party affiliation to participate but must request a specific party's ballot at the primary; voters are subsequently barred from participating in the other party's primary

closed primary

an electoral contest restricted to party loyalists and excluding both supporters of other political parties and independent voters; may be enforced or unenforced

party primary

an electoral contest to win a political party's nomination for the right to appear as its candidate on the ballot in the general election

position taking

an incumbent's advantage in having an existing record of positions on issues, both from previous elections and in the context of decisions made while in office

How can an independent candidate running for political office get on the ballot?

by submitting an application to be on the ballot --------------------------------- In order for an independent candidate to get on the ballot, they must submit an application for a place on the general election ballot.

Suppose a candidate running for president wants to appeal to as many voters as possible, and based on public opinion polling data, they and their policies are well-received by both Republicans and Democrats. As such, they decide to run as both a Republican candidate and a Democratic candidate. What practice is this candidate engaging in?

cross-filing ------------------- When a candidate runs simultaneously as a Democratic candidate and a Republican candidate, they are engaging in cross-filing.

A primary election in which the winning candidate directly receives the party nomination is known as a ______.

direct primary --------------- A primary election in which the winning candidate directly receives the party nomination is known as a direct primary.

Candidates must report who has contributed money to their campaign and how much has been contributed to their campaign by an individual or group through a process known as ______.

disclosure ------------------- The process of reporting who has contributed money to a candidate's campaign, and how much, is known as disclosure.

Additional campaign finance limitations and regulations are placed on which type of candidates in Texas?

judicial candidates ------------------------------ Since state and local judges in Texas are elected, judicial candidates are subject to additional campaign finance limitations and regulations so as to maintain the perception of objectivity and impartiality if they are elected.

The Supreme Court's decisions on Buckley v. Valeo and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission struck down limitations on campaign expenditures, citing that such spending was a form of ______.

political expression ------------------------------- The Supreme Court ruled on these cases on the grounds that expenditures on behalf of a candidate's campaign were considered political expression and therefore were to be protected from limitations by the First Amendment.

Suppose Makayla has just turned 18 and is looking forward to voting in the next election. Shortly after she registers to vote in her state, she receives a letter in the mail indicating that she must pay a fee of $5 within 3 months in order to have a ballot to cast in the election. What should she classify this fee for voting as?

poll tax --------------- Given the details of this example, this would be considered a poll tax, which is an annual tax that must be paid before an individual is allowed to vote in an election.

roll off

process in which voters mark off only the "more important" offices on a lengthy ballot—usually national or statewide offices—and leave the county or local office choices blank

party-line voting

process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation

Texas uses direct democracy in their elections through the ______.

referendum process in which voters approve amendments to the state constitution ----------------------- Although Texas does not use direct democracy elections as much as other states do, they do use the referendum process in which voters approve amendments to the state constitution.

second-order election

selections for offices below the national executive level in countries with presidential systems like the United States' or the national legislature level in parliamentary countries like Great Britain; generally viewed as less important in scope and impact on a country

Suppose a devout Christian man and small business owner who immigrated to Texas as a refugee from harsh conditions in Cuba has just secured his U.S. citizenship and is now able to vote in the next election. Based on voting trends in Texas, it is likely this man will register to vote as and cast his vote for candidates in which party?

the Republican Party --------------------- Data suggest that Cuban Americans are the only Hispanic population that vote for the Republican Party on a regular basis. Additionally, more religious individuals who hold socially conservative values tend to vote Republican. As such, this man would most likely register as and vote Republican.

incumbent

the current officeholder

grandfather clause

the granting of voting rights only to those citizens whose grandfathers had the right to vote; used to bar African Americans from voting in the South after the end of Reconstruction; used in other southern states but not used in Texas

suffrage

the legal right to vote

Suppose a local news outlet is reporting on the most recent election and wants to calculate the voter turnout rate for their state. If they want the most accurate and uninflated turnout rate that measures how many people actually voted out of those who are legally allowed to vote, which method of calculation should they use?

the percentage of voting-age-eligible individuals who turned out to vote -------------------------------- The method of calculating voter turnout that produces a voter turnout rate that is not inflated and is thus more accurate would be calculating the percentage of voting-age-eligible individuals who turned out to vote.

disclosure

the reporting of who contributes money to a campaign and how much is contributed by an individual, group, or corporation

Who is most likely to be classified as a "winner" in Texas's election system?

those who participate in the political system --------------------------------- One of the "winners" in the Texas election system is those who are politically active, as they have more of a say in the allocation of resources.

An attempt to limit the voting in party primaries to only party members as a way of disenfranchising African American voters was known as the ______.

white primary------The attempts by the Democratic Party in Texas to limit the voting in party primaries to only party members as a way of disenfranchising African American voters were known as the white primary.