Political Participation Flashcards
What is suffage?
The legal right to vote
Throughout American History, what were some reasons groups have been restricted to vote?
Because of their race, gender, and property ownership.
What factors expanded voting rights?
Wealth Limitations Eliminated Early 1800s
15th amendment - niggers
19th amendment - lol women
24th amendment - ends poll taxes
26th amendment - 18 y.o.
How has the internet helped with political participation?
It gave citizens greater access to political information and potentially, a greater role in politics than ever before.
What is online participation?
Interactive political engagement facilitated by vast opportunities to connect to causes, people, events, and information online.
Why does online political activity increase political participation?
Information is easier to obtain online.
It exposes people to politics such as when opening email, checking Facebook, etc.
Online news covers events and issues at same time the t.v. generally does, but is more in depth like newspapers.
Participation requires less effort.
Enables new forms of political expression through the creation of blogs, videos, social medias, and websites.
What are some drawbacks to online participation?
There is a digital divide because those who are poorer, lower educated, black, latino, and older are more likely to be without internet.
This can lead to increasing inequalities in political participation.
Voter turnout rates in history?
More votes during the last 1800s and dropped from there, then more voted during FDRs tyranny, and dropped from there, even more during 1992, then dropped, and even more following 9/11 until Obama’s reelection.
Do people vote more in the presidential election or the midterm election?
The presidential election.
Do states implement voting and election laws the same?
Nawwww
What are some state electoral laws?
Registration deadlines prior to election day
Length of residency at current address
I.D. requirements
Early and absentee voting rules
Variable vote locations
Ballot method: mail only, paper, kiosk, etc.
What incomes do the average voter have?
Tend to have >$50000 because leaving work to vote isn’t worth it for peasants.
What are some common traits with the education levels of votes?
Tend to at least have been in college.
What are some commons traits with the race of voters?
More whites vote greatly, then blacks, while Asians and Hispanics tend to not vote so much.
Do many nonvoters lack efficacy?
No.
Why do nonvoters lack efficacy?
They do not believe that the government listens to people like them or that their vote actually matters in determining the outcome of elections and the business of government.
Poorer people are more likely than better-off individuals to feel that the government does not listen to people like them.
What about the structure of the elections make people not vote?
It’s too complicated and discouraged people from voting by making it too difficult to register. The timing is an issue as well.
What is California’s New Motor Voter Act (2015)
Signed by Jerry Brown and going into action in the next few years and allow people to vote through the DMV.
What do scholars assert with democracies with low voter turnout?
It is more likely to generate threats to their own well-being, since it’s only represented in the views of those that vote.
What are three main factors in the voters decision?
Partisanship, Issues and Policy Concerns, especially when candidates take different positions, and Candidate characteristics such as their personality, career, and perceived things in common.
How many types of elections do each state have?
At least two, generally a primary and general election.
What is a primary election?
It is what comes first and determines the party’s nominees - those who will run for office.
Which voters decide varies greatly from state to state.
The popular vote determines which candidate’s delegates will attend the party’s nominating convention and vote for that party’s nominee.
What is a general election?
The parties’ respective nominees run against each other, and voters decide who should hold office, since the person with the most votes wins.
What was the result of the reforms that the two major U.S. parties made to the earlier delegate selection process after the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago?
It significantly increased the influence of party voters.
How does California run its primary election?
It is a semi-closed/modified closed primary.
Top two candidate open primary system for state offices.
All candidates on a single ballot for primary.
Top two advance to run off. This applies to US senators, reps, state senators, and assembly and executive.
When is the general election generally?
Most are held on the first tuesday after the first monday in November (election day)
What type of system does general elections for congress and most state legislatures feature?
winner-take-all system.
What do some states require when no candidate receives the majority of the votes cast?
A runoff election.
What is a referendum?
An election in which voters in a state can vote for or against a measure proposed by state legislature.
What is an initiative?
A citizen-sponsored proposal that can result in new or amended legislation or a state constitutional amendment.
What is a recall?
An election that allows voters to cut short an officeholder’s term of office.
What is a plurality vote?
The candidate with the greatest number of votes to win, which is most of America’s elections and people often win with far less than 50% of vote.
What is a majority vote?
To win,, the candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote. If not, there will be a runoff and is very rare in america.
