Campaigns and Elections Flashcards

1
Q

Define:

suffrage

A

Suffrage means having the right to vote.

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2
Q

At the time the states ratified the Constitution, to whom did suffrage extend?

A

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).

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3
Q

The 15th Amendment (1870) extended voting rights to which group?

A

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.

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4
Q

In 1920, the states ratified the 19th Amendment, which extended suffrage to _____ throughout the country.

A

women

Prior to ratification of the 19th Amendment, some states had allowed women to vote in local and/or national elections.

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5
Q

Which amendment allowed citizens of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential elections?

A

The 23rd Amendment allowed Washington, D.C.’s, citizens to vote in residential elections. The district has three electoral votes.

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6
Q

What is the minimum voting age in national elections?

A

Pursuant to the 26th Amendment, the minimum voting age is 18 years old.

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7
Q

During the Progressive Era, reformers designed measures to increase the responsibility of government to the people. What were some of these measures?

A

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.

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8
Q

What is a recall?

A

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.

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9
Q

In the legislative process, what is a referendum?

A

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.

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10
Q

In the legislative process, what is an initiative?

A

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.

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11
Q

What is the Australian ballot?

A

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.

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12
Q

How does voter turnout in non-presidential election years compare with voter turnout in presidential election years?

A

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.

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13
Q

What are the two election processes that make up a campaign for president?

A

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.
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14
Q

Define:

primary election

A

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.

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15
Q

What is the difference between closed and open primaries?

A

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.

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16
Q

What is a blanket primary?

A

In a blanket primary, voters pick one candidate for each elective office without consideration of party lines. The candidates with the highest vote totals by party for each office then stand in the general election as their party’s nominee. Blanket primaries are used only in Alaska and Washington.

As an example, during a blanket primary a voter may choose a Republican gubernatorial candidate and a Democratic candidate for state treasurer.

17
Q

Although most states use the primary system of choosing candidates, a small handful use the caucus system. What takes place in the caucus system?

A

In caucus systems, party members meet at the precinct level, where they choose representatives to county meetings. At these county meetings, representatives are chosen for the state convention, where the state’s preference for a nominee is made by choosing delegates to the national convention.

18
Q

During the primaries, candidates direct their message toward which type of voters?

A

During the primaries, candidates attempt to appeal to the party faithful, who make up the large majority of primary voters. Once the nomination is secured, candidates then attempt to appeal to moderates and independents at the center of the political spectrum.

Not suprisingly, the different messages delivered in the primary and general election seasons often lead to charges that a candidate is a “flip-flopper.”

19
Q

Define:

exploratory committee

A

Before a potential candidate officially announces his or her candidacy for office, they sometimes form an exploratory committee. This committee puts the candidate’s name before the voters, gauges media and political support, and ascertains the availability of financing.

20
Q

Why are the states of Iowa and New Hampshire so important to presidential candidates?

A

Iowa and New Hampshire have the first delegate selection contests. Iowa holds a caucus, while New Hampshire has a primary. Candidates spend significant time in the two states.

Winning one or both of these states provides significant advantage to a candidate, both from media coverage and the availability of funds, because donors are more willing to support a candidate they view as a winner.

21
Q

On _____ _____, up to half of all states have primary elections.

A

Super Tuesday

Since Super Tuesday primaries are held in a wide variety of states, they are the first real tests of a candidate’s nationwide appeal. Further, since almost 50% of convention delegates are at issue, a strong showing on Super Tuesday can secure the nomination.

22
Q

What is the difference between a split ticket vote and a straight ticket vote?

A

If a voter casts a split ticket vote, it means he or she divides votes between candidates of different parties. For instance, the candidate may vote for a Democratic senator and a Republican representative.

If a voter casts a straight ticket vote, it means that they’ve voted for candidates all from the same party.

23
Q

What is the role of the Federal Election Commission?

A

The Federal Election Commission discloses campaign finance information and enforces federal election laws, including those that put dollar limits on the amount of contributions a candidate may receive from each supporter.

24
Q

How does the case of Buckley v. Valeo (1976) affect federal election?

A

In Buckley, the Court upheld the Federal Election Campaign Act, which limited the amount a donor could contribute directly to a candidate’s campaign.

The Court did strike down a portion of the act, which prohibited a candidate from contributing a large amount to their own campaign.

25
Q

What decision did the Supreme Court reach in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?

A

In Citizens United, the Court struck down portions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which prohibited electioneering communications from unions, corporations, and not-for-profits in the days shortly before an election. The Court held that the act violated the First Amendment rights of these groups.

26
Q

Define:

Solid South

A

The term “Solid South” refers to the dominance of the Democratic Party in the former Confederate States, which lasted roughly from the end of Reconstruction until the 1960s, when Southern Democrats broke with the party over the issue of civil rights.