Campaigns and Elections Flashcards
Define:
suffrage
Suffrage means having the right to vote.
At the time the states ratified the Constitution, to whom did suffrage extend?
At the time the states ratified the Constitution, only white male property owners were entitled to vote.
During the first few decades of the 19th Century, the property qualification was gradually abolished in almost all states (although South Carolina remained an exception).
The 15th Amendment (1870) extended voting rights to which group?
The 15th Amendment eliminated any racial qualifications for voting; although it applied to any race, it was directed toward black suffrage in the post-Civil War era.
In 1920, the states ratified the 19th Amendment, which extended suffrage to _____ throughout the country.
women
Prior to ratification of the 19th Amendment, some states had allowed women to vote in local and/or national elections.
Which amendment allowed citizens of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential elections?
The 23rd Amendment allowed Washington, D.C.’s, citizens to vote in residential elections. The district has three electoral votes.
What is the minimum voting age in national elections?
Pursuant to the 26th Amendment, the minimum voting age is 18 years old.
During the Progressive Era, reformers designed measures to increase the responsibility of government to the people. What were some of these measures?
Measures advanced during the Progressive Era included the secret (Australian) ballot, initiatives, referendums, recalls, and direct primaries. Reformers intended these measures to limit the influence of party bosses.
What is a recall?
Under a recall, an election is held to determine whether an elected official should be removed. Nineteen states allow recall elections, which are held if a certain number of voters sign petitions to that effect. The number of necessary voters varies by state.
In 2012, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin survived a recall attempt financed in part by public sector unions, who were disatisfied when Walker sought to end mandatory union dues by public sector employees.
In the legislative process, what is a referendum?
A referendum allows voters to directly cast ballots on proposed laws.
During the Progressive Era, reformers championed the referendum as a means of enhancing the role of voters in their government.
In the legislative process, what is an initiative?
An initiative is a means by which a petition, signed by a requisite number of voters, can be presented as an electoral measure to the people by a whole.
During the Progressive Era, the right to propose initiatives was established in a number of state constitutions.
What is the Australian ballot?
First popularized in Australia, the Australian ballot received widespread adoption in the early 1900s. Under the Australian ballot, a voter’s ballot is cast in private.
As part of the Progressive Movement, the use of the Australian ballot marked a significant reform as a means of preventing voter intimidation.
How does voter turnout in non-presidential election years compare with voter turnout in presidential election years?
Voter turnout in non-president election years is typically lower than voter turnout in presidential election years.
Overall, voter turnout has been decreasing since the early 1900s, which many political scientists attribute to a decline in political efficacy.
What are the two election processes that make up a campaign for president?
The two election processes are:
- Seeking the nomination: Prior to the party convention, presumptive nominees compete for delegates in state by state primaries and caucuses
- The general election: During the general election, the candidate competes against the other party’s nominee for president.
Define:
primary election
During a primary election, voters select from candidates seeking the nomination of a political party.
Technically, voters in primary elections are voting for delegates to the national convention, where the presidential candidate is officially chosen by a delegate vote. The delegates pledge that they will vote for the candidate on the convention’s first ballot.
The trend is that the leading candidate typically has a majority of convention delegates before the convention; thus, only one ballot is taken.
What is the difference between closed and open primaries?
While both open and closed primaries choose a party’s nominee, during a closed primary voting is only open to registered members of a party. During an open primary, anyone may cast a ballot to determine a party’s nominee.