Political Behavior Flashcards
15th Amendment
Let Black Men vote
17th Amendment
Granted people the right to vote senators into office
19th Amendment
Recognized Women’s Suffrage
24th Amendment
Abolished poll taxes which were used to suppress minority vote
26th Amendment
Lowered Voting Age from 21 to 18
Rational Choice Voting
Person votes based on individual self-interest, studies issues and platforms
Retrospective Voting
Person votes based on past track record of politician
Prospective Voting
Person votes based on predictions on how politician will do
Party-Line Voting
Person votes for all people of their party
Structural Barriers
- Policy or law that prevents/encourages people to vote
- Affects Voter Turnout
Political Efficacy
- Citizen’s Belief about whether their votes matter
- Affects Voter Turnout
Demographics
- Senior Citizens vote more often
- Dictates Voter Turnout
Type of Election
- National Elections get more participation than State Elections
- Affects Voter Turnout
What factors affect who people vote for?
- Party identification
- Candidate characteristics
- Political issues
Linkage Institution
- Societal Structure that connects people to government/political process
- Mechanisms that let average people connect/talk with policy makers
- Political Parties, Interest Groups, Elections, Media
Canvassing Campaigns
- Political Party organizes volunteers to go persuade people to vote for their candidate
- Door to door talking, campaign signs, etc.
What Parties Do
- Mobilization and Education of Voters
- Write and Publish Party Platform
- Find and give management support to candidates
Why can’t minor parties win?
- Winner-Take-All Voting Districts; all votes go to party with majority
- Major parties incorporate their agendas into their platforms
Interest Group
Group of people who gather around a policy issue in order to persuade policy makers to pass legislation favorable to them
What do Interest Groups do?
- Educate voters and office holders on certain issue
- Engage in lobbying; hold meetings with policy makers to influence them to pass legislation
- Draft legislation + present to legislators
- Mobilize members to pressure/work with legislators
Iron Triangle
- Mutually beneficial relationship between interest groups, congressional committees, and government agencies
- Congressional committees are provided with policy information and donations from interest groups
Primary
Elections in which members of a party vote on which candidate they want to represent them in the general election
FECA
- Created FEC
- Established Limits to hard money
- Limited how much candidates could spend + contributions
Buckley v. Valeo
- Struck Down Candidate Spending Limits since it limited 1st amendment free speech
Hard Money
Contributions given directly to a candidate
Soft Money
Money donated to a party/interest group who can then buy advertising on the candidate’s behalf
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
- Banned soft money to parties
- Increased hard money cap
- Made candidates attach names to ad
Citizens United v. FEC
- Limits on contributions from individuals and corporations are a violation of free speech
- Independent expenditure groups are protected
- Led to development of SuperPACs
SuperPACs
Committees that can receive unlimited donations for the purpose of independent expenditures and political activity
Baker v. Carr
- Supreme Court has jurisdiction over redistricting
- Problems regarding redistricting can be decided over a court
Shaw v. Reno
- Can’t gerrymander based on race
