Exam 2 Review Flashcards
What is the significance of the 15th amendment?
15th - prohibited denying right to vote based on race
What is the significance of Smith vs Allwright? (1944)
Determined white primaries are unconstitutional (Allwright is all right)
What is the significance of the 19th amendment?
Allowed women to vote (1920)
What is the significance of the 26th amendment?
Lowered voting age to 18 (1971)
What is the significance of Harper vs Virginia State Board of Elections (1966)?
Poll taxes are unconstitutional
Voting Acts of 1965 resulted
What does suffrage and franchise mean?
Right to vote
Why did your founding fathers not create a pure democracy? (4 reasons)
- Tyranny of the majority
- Distrustful that masses could discern themselves
- Masses easily manipulated
- Madison feared mob rule
What are the 4 purposes of Elections?
- Implement democracy by allowing citizens to choose among candidates and issues
- Socialize political activity
- Institutionalize access to political power
- Bolster state’s power and authority
What are some influences on a person’s political socialization?
- Family
- Media
- Peers
- Education
- Income
- Race
- Gender
- Religion
- Opinion Leader
- Lifestyle
What is an Open Primary?
When voters do not have to declare their party affiliation and choose for either party’s primary ballot
What is a closed primary?
When voters must declare their party affiliation before voting for their party’s nominee
What is a blanket primary?
When voters may vote for candidates from either party for the offices under consideration
According to De Tocqueville, what is required in order to have equal opportunity?
Equal Rights
What is the literal meaning of Democracy
Greek Demos (the people) kratos (authority), A system of government in which political authority is vested in the people
What is the Procedural View of Democracy?
Universal participation, political equality, majority rule, a government responsive to public opinion
What is the Substantive View of Democracy?
It focuses on the substance of the government policies, not the policy making procedure
What is the history of the enfranchisement of women in America?
- Wyoming allowed women to vote first in 1869
- 12 states followed until 1918
- Then in 1920 19th amendment allowed all women the right to vote
What is totalitarianism?
Unlimited power of government to control all aspects of political, economic, and social life.
What is Authoritarianism?
A type of regime in which only the government is fully controlled by the ruler. Social and economic institutions that exist are not under the government’s control
What is an Aristocracy?
Rule by the best, normally the most wealthy
What is Theocracy?
Rule by God
What is an Oligarchy?
Rule by a few
What is Democracy?
A system of government in which political authority is vested in the people