Unit 2 reveiw Flashcards
Voting
What Amendment granted African American males the right to vote?
15th Amendment
What Amendment granted women the right to vote?
19th Amendment
What Amendment granted citizen of the District of Columbia electoral votes during Presidential elections?
23rd Amendment
What Amendment eliminated poll taxes or any other type of tax to vote?
24th Amendment
What outlawed the discriminatory voting practices?
Voting Rights Act of 1965
What granted anyone 18 years and older the right to vote?
26th Amendment
What are the qualifications to vote in Virginia?
- Voter registration is required before a citizen may vote
- Citizen of the United States
- Resident of Virginia and precinct
- At least 18 years of age by day of general election
How does a person register to vote in Virginia?
- In-person at the registrar’s office,
- By mail (applications can be obtained from the Department of Motor vehicles, public libraries, state/local government offices, or other designated locations),
- Online
How many days before the election should you vote?
22
What factors predict which citizens will vote?
Age, education, income
What percentage of voters is greater; Presidential elections or State and local elections?
Presidential elections
Why do citizens fail to vote?
- Lack of interest (in candidates or issues),
- Failure to register
- Belief that vote does not count or will have no impact
- no time or too busy
Is every vote important?
Yes
What does the Green Party believe in?
Green politics, environmentalism
What does the Constitution Party believe in? (Republicans)
Favors government based on strict interpretation of the US Constitution
What does the Libertarian Party believe in?
Favor the rights of individuals
Where can the differences between political parties be found?
Differences between political parties are stated in party platforms and reflected in campaigning
How many years until the next president is elected?
4 years
What is the Electoral College used for?
Electing the president and Vice president of the US and casts the official vote for the president
What is the Electoral College made of?
A group of electors (people) who vote on behalf of the winning political party of their state
How is the number of electors in the Electoral College determined?
The number of electors of each state is based on each state’s congressional representation (the number of United States senators plus the number of representatives in the House of Representatives)
How is Congressional Representation determined?
State population
Who has a bigger representation in the Electoral College; Bigger or smaller states?
Less populated states have less representation, larger populated states have more representation
How does the Electoral College selection process work? (4 steps)
- Each political party chooses its slate of electors.
- After the popular vote, the electors cast their official votes.
- Most states have a “winner-takes-all” system that awards all electors to the winning presidential candidate.
- Candidates need 270 electoral votes to win, which favors a two-party system
How does the “winner-takes-all” system impact political campaigning?
The winner-take-all system leads to the targeting of densely populated states for campaigning, although candidates must pay attention to less populated states and swing states whose electoral votes may make the difference in a tight election
What is a Swing State?
a state that switches political parties
