Unit 5 Review Flashcards
15th Amendment
Allowed black men to vote
17th Amendment
Granted the people the right to vote senators into office
19th Amendment
Women’s rights to vote
24th Amendment
Abolished poll taxes which were used to suppress the minority vote
26th Amendment
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
Rational choice voting
When a person votes based on their individual self interest, carefully studies the candidates & makes a rational choice
Retrospective voting
Person votes based on the recent past track record of the politician in question
Prospective voting
Person votes based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future
Party-line voting
When people consistently vote in alignment with their party’s positions, often without considering individual issues
Models of voting
Rational choice, retrospective, prospective, party-line
Franchise
The right to vote
Voter turnout
- Structural barriers
- Political efficacy
- Demographics
- Type of election
Structural barriers
A policy or law that can prevent people from voting / encourage people to vote
Ex: voter id laws
Voter id arguments
• Republicans argue that ID laws decrease the possibility of voter fraud
• Democrats argue that voter fraud almost never happens, therefore these laws only serve to keep minorities out of the voting booth
Political efficacy
A citizen’s belief about whether their vote matters
Ex: Republican living where it’s all Democrats, they may feel their vote doesn’t really matter
Demographics
Age, gender, race, etc.
Type of election
The type of election affects how people vote
Ex: national elections see more participation than state and local elections
Party identification / ideological orientation
A republican votes for a republican candidate, democrat votes for a democrat candidate, etc.
Candidate characteristics
Consider the character of the candidates: are they likable, trustworthy, etc.
Political issues
If you don’t like the laws enforced by a candidate, you may end up voting against them
Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission
Citizens United produced a movie encouraging people not to vote for Hillary Clinton. The FEC said the BCRA applied since it was to influence voters. Citizens United sued the FEC and the Court ruled in favor of Citizens United
Amendment: First
Linkage institution
It’s like a messenger or connector in the world of politics. It helps people share their ideas and concerns with the government. Examples include things like elections, political parties, and the media, which all play a role in linking what people think to what the government does
Four types of linkage institutions
Political parties, interest groups, elections and media
Political party
Organization defined by a certain ideological belief that puts forward candidates for election
What parties do
Mobilization and education of voters, write & publish the party platform, find quality candidates, provide campaign management support for their candidates
Canvassing campaigns
When a huge amount of party members show up at peoples’ homes with the goal of persuading people to vote for their candidate
Party platform
The kind of policies the party will enact if their candidate is elected
How parties have changed
The way parties interact with candidates
In the past the party mattered & the candidate was secondary, now its the opposite
Parties have changed their platforms over time in order to appeal to a larger audience of the electorate
Altering the entire party structure
Campaign finance laws, party realignment, communication & data-management technology
Coalition
A demographic group voting all together & influencing the outcome of the election
Party realignment
Happens when there’s a shift in what the voters care about. Leads to new dominant parties emerging and old ones losing influence
Changes in structure: Campaign finance laws
Changed how much money can be given to candidates and parties
Changes in structure: communication and data-management technology
As technology advances, parties have more ability to mine data on certain groups & use that data to win elections
Why cant third parties win?
Winner-takes-all voting districts
Winner-takes-all voting districts
The candidates who gets the most votes in a district wins the entire representation for that area
Proportional system
Political parties get a share of representation that matches their votes
Reasons interest groups exist
They educate voters & office holders on the interest groups’ chosen issue, engage in lobbying, draft legislation, mobilize its members to apply pressure on legislators / gov agencies
Iron triangle
Relationship between a government agency, politicians & interest groups. They work together to influence public policies in a way that benefits all 3 parties
Issue networks
When many different interest groups come together to achieve a short term policy goal
Factors that hinder interest groups
Little political & economic resources (policy makers look at well funded groups more), unequal access to decision makers, free rider problem
Process of electing a president
Candidates have to earn their party’s nomination through primary elections (some states hold open primaries some states hold closed)
Primary election
An initial round of voting where members of a political party choose their preferred candidate to represent the party in the general election
Incumbent
The current officeholder running for reelection
Incumbency advantage
• The incumbent has already won an election, so they know how its done
• They’re well known
• They already have an army of volunteers & fundraisers ready to help with another campaign
