Unit 3 - Chapter 9.5-9.8

Question 1

suffrage

Answer 1

the legal right to vote, extended to African Americans by the 15th amendment, women in the 19th, and 18-20 yr olds in 26th

Question 2

political efficacy

Answer 2

the belief that ordinary people can influence the government (your vote actually makes a difference)

Question 3

civic duty

Answer 3

the belief that in order to support a democratic government, a citizen should vote

Question 4

voter registration

Answer 4

system adopted by states that requires voters to register prior to voting (some require 1 month in advance, others on Election Day itself, which last minute register increases turnout)

Question 5

Motor Voter Act

Answer 5

federal act that requires states to permit people to register to vote when apply for a driver’s license

Question 6

mandate theory of elections

Answer 6

idea that winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out their platforms and politics (politicians like this more than political scientists bc allows them to claim public support)

Question 7

policy voting (and four conditions that must be met)

Answer 7

when people base their choices in an election on their own issue preferences

voters must have clear policy positions, voters must know where candidates stand on policy issues, must see differences between candidates, and must vote for candidate that matchers their own

Question 8

electoral college

Answer 8

what actually determines who becomes president, created by the constitution

Question 9

battleground states

Answer 9

states candidates focus on, polls show contest is likely to be closest (more likely to see candidates campaign and show ads there)

Question 10

people who aren’t allowed to vote but are of age:

Answer 10

must be a legal citizen, must be state resident, some felons, required to register to vote

Question 11

Voting Rights Act of 1965:

Answer 11

prohibits racial discrimination in voting

Question 11

how federalism effects elections:

Answer 11

States run elections, but national government establishes basic guidelines of voting (elections are great example of federalism)

Question 11

Reasons for low voter turnout:

Answer 11

have to register beforehand, too many elections, voting happens during work week, winner take all system, no penalty not to vote

Question 12

Ballot Fatigue

Answer 12

ballot is long w/many candidates, multiple elections per year, people don’t want to vote that much

Question 13

Gender Gap

Answer 13

more men than women in US, women more likely to vote, particularly for Democrats since women are more about equality traditionally

Question 14

Retrospective Voting

Answer 14

Voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected based on the recent past

Question 15

Prospective Voting

Answer 15

Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future (less common)

Question 16

Three things most people look for in presidential candidate:

Answer 16

integrity, reliability, and competence