Stuffies Vote for a new representative Flashcards
What was the 15th Amendment?
It granted African American men voting rights
What is the 19th Amendment
It granted women voting rights
What was the 24th Amendment?
Eliminated poll taxes
What was the 26th Amendment?
Gave voting rights to anyone over age of 18
driven in part by Vietnam War: “if old enough to fight, old enough to vote”
What was the 1965 Voting Rights Act?
Outlawed discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests.
can’t do things to deny someone’s right to vote based on race or color
What is a Poll Tax?
A tax paid to in order to vote
made it harder esp. for black people in Southern States to vote
Literacy Tests
Test you had to pass in order to vote
used to deny voting rights esp to black people in Southern states
Voter ID laws
Law requiring an ID to vote
It costs money to get an ID, making it harder for minorities to vote
Voter purges
Removes voters who have changed their address, or failed to vote in recent elections
What is Felony Voting rights revoked mean?
Denies voting rights to criminals, even after servicing their time in prison
black people are more likely to be convicted of crimes than whites
What’s a PRIMARY election?
political party members vote to decide who will be their candidate in a general election
e.g. Republicans vote to have Trump run as the Republican candidate
What is a GENERAL election?
All voters vote to decide who will be elected to an office
What is an Interest Group?
A group of individuals who share a common interest for example, gay rights, gun rights, or animal rights
What do Interst Groups Do?
They try to influence public policy and voter opinions
Key difference between Interest Group and Political Party?
Interest groups promote specific issues like gay rights.
Political parties try to win elections
What is a lobbyist?
A person paid to try to influence how laws are drafted
What is a PAC?
A Political Action Committee. It collects money and donates it to election campaigns.
How does a PAC help an interest group achieve its goals?
They help candidates win elections in exchange for promises of promoting their special interest.
Example: animal rights group gives money to a Democratic candidate who promises to pass laws preventing cruelty to animals
What is Gerrymandering?
When politicians change the boundaries of a voting district to help them win elections
changing the boundaries is also called “redistricting”
Baker vs. Carr (Supreme Court Case)
Allowed courts to decide on “redistricting” cases
made it harder for politicians to manipulate voting rights
What is a Third Party?
Neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party
example: Green Party (single issue)
Why do Third Parties matter?
*They raise awarness of issues the other parties aren’t discussing
* Spoil elections by taking away votes from main parties
If people vote for Green party instead of Democrats, Trump could win!
