Chapter 8: Voting and Political Participation Flashcards
Be able to define political participation and give examples of different kinds
o Actions that are aimed at changing or supporting the actions of political agents and officials.
Such as Voting, Protesting, Community work, Joining political organizations
Compare and contrast the two types of Political Participation
o Conventional participation is routine behavior that uses the institutional channels and is acceptable to the dominant culture (voting, signs in yard).
o Unconventional participation is relatively uncommon behavior that challenges or defies established institutions or the dominant culture Spray painting slogans on walls).
Be able to identify why political participation matters and identify the key role that individuals play in the government
Political participation matters because it is a critical part of any democracy. Individuals play a key role in the government by voicing their concerns and their opinions through political participation.
Explain why voting is not a rational behavior of political participation
Voting is an essential component of democracy.
（Indeed, a system of government by the people is legitimate only to the extent that people participate. The fewer the number of people that participate, the less legitimate the system of government becomes.）
Identify the key parts of both the Rational and Consumptive Voting Calculus and give examples of each
o Rational:
R=PxB-C
- R: reward
- P: the probability of vote mattering
- B: Benefit you directly receive
- C: Cost of voting
o Consumptive:
R=PXB-C+D • D: Duty
Be able to identify the key features of the likely voter
o Age o Generation o Income o Education o Occupation o Residential context o Sex o Partisanship/Political Interest o Socialization o Race/Ethnicity
Be able to identify other policy or candidate-related factors that affect the likelihood of voting
o Attitudes o Candidates o Close election o Issues o Political Events o Political Parties, Labor Unions, Interest groups o Social Capital
Be able to identify the key factors that contribute to voting choice
o social identity o party identification o incumbent performance o policy issues o candidate traits
Be able to explain why voter turnout has declined in the 20th Century
o Participation rules
o Uninformed voters
o Rules too complex
o Leads candidates to be more extreme
Be able to compare and contrast the U.S.’s voting system with other industrialized democracies
The US Constitution states that special elections will be held to fill vacant Senate seats, but that state legislatures may empower the governor of the state to fill the seat by an appointment between the time that it becomes vacant and the time that the winner of the special election is certified. Most states allow the governors to pick the replacement who serves until the next general election when the voters decide who will serve the remainder of the term.
Be able to identify the factors that affect participation in American elections.
o People will vote when benefits outweigh the costs
R=PxB-C
- R: the reward
- P: the probability that your vote matters
- B: The benefit you will directly receive if your candidate wins
- C: The cost of voting
o R=PxB-C+D
• D: equal to the amount of duty felt by an individual
How do we get people to vote?
- The consumptive Model of Voting
* People vote because they get some inherent satisfaction from the act of voting
Understand the distinction between primary and general elections and the key structures and rules of each.
o Primary election - a type of election where voters cast secret ballots for the candidate, they want to represent their party in the general election
o Caucus convention - a system of local gatherings where voters decide which candidate to support and select delegates for nominating convention
What are Primary election voting rules?
closed: people may vote if they are registered members of that party. No independents
open: anyone can vote for a party primary regardless of party affiliation
semi-closed: If you are registered, you can only vote for who you are with. Independents can vote for anyone
Run-offs: If neither candidate receives a majority, then the two must face off in a runoff
What are General Election rules?
The nominee from each party faces one another at the general election
leading up, there will be debates
In the US, elections are based on the first past the post or plurality electoral rules
Lastly, the electoral college casts its vote, usually based upon the popular vote, for president
Understand the basic rules of campaign finance and how candidates raise funds for campaigns.
o The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 - set a new system of campaign financing based on federal elections based on 3 principles
o Political Action Committees (PACs)
Individuals can contribute up to $5000 to a PAC
The PAC can only contribute $5000 to a
candidate and up to $15000 to a national party but can use the money in other places
Cannot accept corporate donations
o Super PACs
“created” by the Citizens. United Supreme Court decision
can accept unlimited donations
Explain the role that the Electoral College has played in the evolution of campaigns and the party system.
o Electoral College
Article 2, Section 1
- Details about electors
- number of electors per state
- Qualifications to be an elector
o The actual election
If no candidate wins a majority or there is a tie, the vote goes to the House of Representatives
Identify the current debates surrounding the Electoral College use.
o Problems with the electoral college
The popular vote may lose
Contingency problem
“Constant two”
Faithless factor
• Problem 1: popular vote may lose, happened 5 times
• Problem 2: it is not a particularly good plan
because each state only gets one vote, only the house of representatives gets to vote, they all must agree
- Problem 3: Each state is awarded 2 electoral votes in addition to the vote it has based on its population, L-Lock
- Problem 4: Few states have laws where electors have to vote the way the population voted
Define Conventional Participation
Conventional participation is routine behavior that uses the institutional channels and is acceptable to the dominant culture (voting, signs in yard).
Define Unconventional Participation
Unconventional participation is relatively uncommon behavior that challenges or defies established institutions or the dominant culture Spray painting slogans on walls).
Define Rational Voting Model
An influential political scientific model that predicts citizens will vote if the benefits of doing so exceed the cost
Define Consumptive Voting Model
System in which citizens pay a fine or receive some other punishments if they do not vote.
Define Prospective Voting
Voting is based on what a candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue if elected.
Define Retrospective Voting
A theory of voting in which voters essentially ask this simple question: “What have you done for me lately?”
(Using the past performance of candidate/party to make a decision.)
Define Sociographic Voting
Focuses on the national economy
Define Pocketbook Voting
Focusing on your personal financial situation
Define Primary Election
Elections held to determine parties’ nominees
Define Caucus
a system for selecting convention delegates used in about a dozen mostly rural states in which voters must show up at a set time and attend an open meeting to express their presidential preference.
Define Citizens United v. FEC
Corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited because doing so would violate the First Amendment.
Define Political Action Committee
An organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
Define Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is the practice of setting boundaries of electoral districts to favor specific political interests within legislative bodies, often resulting in districts with convoluted, winding boundaries rather than compact areas.
Define Super PAC
Political-action committee that is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, individuals, and associations.
Define Electoral College
A group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president, in which each state’s number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress.
Define Federal Elections Commission
An independent regulatory agency created in 1975 whose members are appointed by the president; responsible for overseeing campaign financing, including who can give money, how much they can give, and how donations are disclosed.
