Chapters 6-7 (American Government)
What is civic duty?
Civic duty is political participation. Americans hold the belief that it is our responsibility to participate in our governmental affairs.
What acts did Congress pass in response to low voter turnout at elections?
In response to the low voter turnouts at elections, the National government passed the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (Motor Voter Act) and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to make the registration process easier.
What are the provisions of the Motor Voter Act (National Voter Registration Act of 1993)?
It requires that States provide voter registration at driver's license agencies, public assistance and disability offices, or mail-in registration.
What happens after polices are created during the policymaking process?
New policies created don't always please 100% of the American people, so people and interest groups will regroup and go through the entire policymaking process again to accommodate their interests, problems, and concerns.
How do "time-zone fallouts" affect potential voters?
The difference in time-zones impact voters to decide against voting because of media coverage and reports.
What is gerrymandering?
The practice of drawing state Congressional district lines to the advantage or disadvantage to a certain group of people or political party
Why was HAVA passed?
To establish a more efficient, standard voting process for all states
Where does the policy making process begin and why?
All policies begin with the American people because of their interests, problems, and concerns.
What US Constitutional Amendments have expanded suffrage? How?
15th- black suffrage 19th- women's suffrage 24th- outlawed poll taxes 26th- voting age lowered to 18
What three ways does the National government expand franchise?
1. Amendments 2. Laws passed by Congress 3. Supreme Court Decisions
What are the two major trends in the history of voting rights?
1. Gradual expansion of franchise 2. The Federal government taking control from the States over voting rights and requirements
What are two examples of Jim Crow Laws? What law/amendment ended them?
1. Literacy tests, ended by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 2. Poll taxes, outlawed by the 24th Amendment
Name three Supreme Court Decisions that protect the right and integrity of voting.
1. No gerrymandering 2. No mal-apportioned districts 3. States may allow photo ID to be able to vote
What are the original provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
1. Outlawed the literacy tests 2. Voter registration and voter examiners 3. Preclearance
What were some of the new election administration standards required by HAVA for all states?
1. Statewide database for registered voters 2. Modernized voting equipment 3. One fully accessible voting machine at each precinct for handicapped voters 4. Provisional ballots 5. Photo ID required for first time voters
What are the two major provisions of HAVA?
1.Establish new election administration standards for states 2. Provided federal funds (3.9 billion) to assist states and localities in updating and improving voting systems
In order, list the six steps of the policymaking process.
1.People 2. Linkage Institutions 3. Policy Agenda 4. Policymaking Institutions 5. Policy 6. People
What are some examples of "cannot voters"?
1.Resident aliens (non US citizens) 2. People who aren't of voting age 3. People who are physically disabled, ill, or hospitalized 4. People in jails or prisons 5. People who are traveling and miss elections
What are the five voting requirements of Mississippi?
1.US citizen 2. 18 years old 3. Resident of the Sate 4. Must be registered 30 days prior to the election to vote 5. Must have photo ID
What is a provisional ballot?
A ballot provided to people who's name may have been left of your county list by mistake. Provisional ballots will be counted if your name is left off of your county list by mistake. Provisional ballots will not be counted if you vote in the wrong county.
What is an absentee ballot?
A ballot that you must apply for if you want to vote in an election that you will be out of town for or can't attend. In Mississippi, you must provide a reason for requesting an absentee ballot
What is an "actual nonvoter"?
A voter that is actually registered to vote and is capable of voting, but decides not to under the belief that his or her vote doesn't matter
What is a "cannot voter"?
A voter who legally or physically cannot vote.
What is a "nonvoting voter"?
A voter who votes but doesn't at the same time. A nonvoting voter will vote for important offices such as the President or Senators or Representatives, but won't vote for elections of less importance or elections that they are not sure of.
Which type of voter lacks political efficacy?
An "actual nonvoter"
Which court case established the "one man, one vote" principle? What does this principle mean?
Baker vs. Carr. It means that Congressional districts must be drawn fairly and equal in relation to the amount of population so that each man's vote has equal representation in elections.
What is map-apportionment?
Drawing state Congressional district lines that create districts unequal in population
What are some examples of policies?
Expenditures, taxes, laws, regulations, etc.
Why did the VRA of 1965 require voter examiners to attend the voter registration in the Southern States?
Federal officials came to every county in the Southern states and watched over the voter registration process to make sure everyone was fairly treated and assisted in the registration and voting process.
Which state is generally held responsible for the passing of the Help American Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA)?
Florida
When and why did the Supreme Court rule that pre clearance was unconstitutional?
In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that pre clearance was unconstitutional because it was a policy that discriminated against the Southern states.
How did the removal of pre clearance by the Supreme Court directly affect voting in Mississippi?
It allowed for the photo ID law to be passed and put into practice.
What impact has the Motor Voter Act had on voter turnout?
It has had no affect on the amount of people that show up to vote.
What impact has the Motor Voter Act had on voter registration?
It has increased voter registration by 73%
What does the term "universal adult suffrage" mean?
It means that in the United States, any citizen of the age 18 has the right to vote.
What are the Jim Crow Laws?
Laws passed by many Southern Sates that disfranchised African Americans from the 1890s until the 1960s.
What links the people to the government in the policymaking process? What are some examples of these institutions?
Linkage institutions connect the people to the government in the policymaking process. People contact institutions like political parties and interest groups to voice their wants and needs. People also contact the media and vote to voice their political interests and opinions.
What do linkage institutions do to voice the people's interests, problems, and concerns?
Linkage institutions try to incorporate the people's wants into policy agenda.
How does the registration process affect the voter turnout?
Many people blame the registration requirement for lowering the voter turnout at elections.
What are the criticisms of the Motor Voter Act?
People say that the mail-in registration increases voter fraud and extra expense for State governments.
What is policy agenda?
Policy agenda is the "to-do" list of political issues trying to be made into policies.
What are some examples of policymaking institutions?
Policymaking institutions include establishments such as the legislature, the executive, the courts, etc. Government institutions capable of proposing and passing laws.
What is preclearance and what law is it a provision of?
Preclearance is approval required by the Justice Department for any law that the Southern states wanted to pass that could have a possible impact on elections. It is an original provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
What is the purpose of making voters register before they vote?
Registration keeps the integrity of elections honest. It protects against fraudulent voting.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) was passed as a result of which controversial Presidential election?
The 2000 Presidential election between Bush and Gore
What amendment was made to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in 1983? What did it do?
The Minority Language Provision- made ballots in different languages available to voters who don't speak English
What region did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 specifically target?
The Southern states known for discrimination, specifically Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Texas.
Who draws the congressional district lines?
The State Legislature
Who had original jurisdiction over voting rights and requirements? Why?
The State governments had original jurisdiction over voting rights and requirements because the Constitution never specifically mentioned who should decide voting rights and requirements.
What impact did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have on policy, elected officials, and the electorate in the South?
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed the content of policies being passed to favor and include the black vote, it made it possible for black officials to be elected, and added African Americans into the official electorate.
What is political efficacy?
The belief that your vote does matter and can bring about political and governmental change in society
What does the electorate describe?
The electorate describes the potential voting population of a nation, state, or geographic area.
What is the current electorate of the United States?
The electorate of the United States is known as "universal adult suffrage".
What happens during the policymaking process after the linkage institutions incorporate the people's interests, problems, and concerns into the policy agenda?
The policy agenda is then looked at and considered by policymaking institutions that can make the agenda into actual policies.
What happens after the policy agenda reaches policymaking institutions?
The policymaking institutions take the agenda and make them into actual policies.
Where does the policymaking process always start and end?
The policymaking process will always start with the people and end with the people because it is the people who start the creation of policies through their interests, problems, and concerns.
What is franchise?
The right to vote
What is suffrage?
The right to vote
What does the use of photo ID help to accomplish in the voting and registration process?
The use of photo ID helps to keep the election and registration process honest. It prevents fraudulent voting.
What is the greatest form of political participation?
Voting