Chapter 10: elections and Voting Behaviors

Question 1

legitimacy

Answer 1

a characteristics of elections by political scientists meaning that they are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders, when legitimacy is high, as in the U.S. even losers accept the results

Question 2

referendum

Answer 2

A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove legislation or a constitutional amendment

Question 3

initiative petition

Answer 3

a process permitted in some states whereby voters may put proposed changes in the state constitutions to a vote if sufficient signatures are obtained on petitions calling for such a referendum

Question 4

recall

Answer 4

A procedure that allows voters to call a special election for a specific official in an attempt to throw him or her out of office before the end of his or her term
are only permitted in 17 states, are seldom used because of their cost and descriptiveness, and are rarely successful.

Question 5

Election of 1800

Answer 5

Adams v. Jefferson
no primaries, nominating conventions, or speeches
federalists vs. Democrat republicans
state and local governments campaign for candidates
cazy newspapers
runner up wins vp

Question 6

Election of 1986

Answer 6

McKinley vs. Bryan
based on economics (gold v. silver)
had national conventions and speeches
Bryan was young and one of the first to actually campaign, but lost

Question 7

2008 election

Answer 7

McCain vs. Obama
first African american success
Obama: obscure senator with a message of unity and multiculturalism
John McCain was a maverick but crisis in 2008 hurt his image

Question 8

suffrage

Answer 8

the right to vote

Question 9

15th amendment

Answer 9

african americans can vote

Question 10

17th amendment

Answer 10

senators elected by voters

Question 11

19th amendment

Answer 11

women can vote

Question 12

23rd amendment

Answer 12

D.C. gets electoral college votes

Question 13

24th amendment

Answer 13

got rid of poll taxes

Question 14

26th amendment

Answer 14

18 year old voting age

Question 15

political efficacy

Answer 15

The belief that one’s political participation really matters - that one’s vote can actually make a difference.

Question 16

civic duty

Answer 16

The belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote.

Question 17

why do some people not vote

Answer 17

cant take time off work
think their vote doesn’t matter
aren’t registered

Question 18

Voter registration

Answer 18

a system adopted by the states that requires register well in advance on election day. a few states permit voting day registration

Question 19

Motor voter act

Answer 19

Passed in 1993 and went into effect for the 1996 election that requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for drivers licenses

Question 20

Who votes

Answer 20

northwestern states
people with higher educations
older people
white people (minorities are underrepresented)
women
married people
government employees

Question 21

mandate theory of elections

Answer 21

the idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out their platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory more than political scientists

Question 22

policy voting

Answer 22

Electoral choices that are made on the basis of the voters’ policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues.

Question 23

how political scientists think people vote

Answer 23

1 party identification
2 evaluation of candidates
3 policy voting

Question 24

Party identification

Answer 24

a citizens self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other

Question 25

Candidate evaluation

Answer 25

personal image
control over public appearances can manipulate their projected image
higher educated people have been shown to use appearance to predict candidate actions in office

Question 26

policy voting includes

Answer 26

that people will know their policy positions, candidate’s positions, differences between candidates, and than vote
this can be difficult to keep up with and politicians often clout their positions and the media focuses on the horse race not policy stances

Question 27

electoral college

Answer 27

A unique American institution created by the Constitution that provides for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties.
each state has the same number votes as seats in congress
no majority-> 3 top winners go to house of representation

Question 28

winner take all system in electoral college

Answer 28

electors vote in a block (all but Maine and Nebraska)

• gives more power to small states
• candidates don’t focus on states they know they already have

Question 29

third parties

Answer 29

electoral contenders other than the two major parties. not unusual, but rarely win elections

Question 30

democracy and voting

Answer 30

elections and public policy shape each other
greater political differences between candidates make people steering gov’t easier
make policy ideas ambiguous
people often vote based on the economy state

Question 31

retrospective voting

Answer 31

a theory of voting in which voters essentially ask the question “What have you done for me lately?” when voting