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