Unit 5 Review

Question 1

15th Amendment

Answer 1

Allowed black men to vote

Question 2

17th Amendment

Answer 2

Granted the people the right to vote senators into office

Question 3

19th Amendment

Answer 3

Women’s rights to vote

Question 4

24th Amendment

Answer 4

Abolished poll taxes which were used to suppress the minority vote

Question 5

26th Amendment

Answer 5

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Question 6

Rational choice voting

Answer 6

When a person votes based on their individual self interest, carefully studies the candidates & makes a rational choice

Question 7

Retrospective voting

Answer 7

Person votes based on the recent past track record of the politician in question

Question 8

Prospective voting

Answer 8

Person votes based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Question 9

Party-line voting

Answer 9

When people consistently vote in alignment with their party’s positions, often without considering individual issues

Question 10

Models of voting

Answer 10

Rational choice, retrospective, prospective, party-line

Question 11

Franchise

Answer 11

The right to vote

Question 12

Voter turnout

Answer 12

1. Structural barriers
2. Political efficacy
3. Demographics
4. Type of election

Question 13

Structural barriers

Answer 13

A policy or law that can prevent people from voting / encourage people to vote
Ex: voter id laws

Question 14

Voter id arguments

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Political efficacy

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Demographics

Answer 16

Age, gender, race, etc.

Question 17

Type of election

Answer 17

The type of election affects how people vote
Ex: national elections see more participation than state and local elections

Question 18

Party identification / ideological orientation

Answer 18

A republican votes for a republican candidate, democrat votes for a democrat candidate, etc.

Question 19

Candidate characteristics

Answer 19

Consider the character of the candidates: are they likable, trustworthy, etc.

Question 20

Political issues

Answer 20

If you don’t like the laws enforced by a candidate, you may end up voting against them

Question 21

Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Linkage institution

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Four types of linkage institutions

Answer 23

Political parties, interest groups, elections and media

Question 24

Political party

Answer 24

Organization defined by a certain ideological belief that puts forward candidates for election

Question 25

What parties do

Answer 25

Mobilization and education of voters, write & publish the party platform, find quality candidates, provide campaign management support for their candidates

Question 26

Canvassing campaigns

Answer 26

When a huge amount of party members show up at peoples’ homes with the goal of persuading people to vote for their candidate

Question 27

Party platform

Answer 27

The kind of policies the party will enact if their candidate is elected

Question 28

How parties have changed

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Coalition

Answer 29

A demographic group voting all together & influencing the outcome of the election

Question 30

Party realignment

Answer 30

Happens when there’s a shift in what the voters care about. Leads to new dominant parties emerging and old ones losing influence

Question 31

Changes in structure: Campaign finance laws

Answer 31

Changed how much money can be given to candidates and parties

Question 32

Changes in structure: communication and data-management technology

Answer 32

As technology advances, parties have more ability to mine data on certain groups & use that data to win elections

Question 33

Why cant third parties win?

Answer 33

Winner-takes-all voting districts

Question 34

Winner-takes-all voting districts

Answer 34

The candidates who gets the most votes in a district wins the entire representation for that area

Question 35

Proportional system

Answer 35

Political parties get a share of representation that matches their votes

Question 36

Reasons interest groups exist

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Iron triangle

Answer 37

Relationship between a government agency, politicians & interest groups. They work together to influence public policies in a way that benefits all 3 parties

Question 38

Issue networks

Answer 38

When many different interest groups come together to achieve a short term policy goal

Question 39

Factors that hinder interest groups

Answer 39

Little political & economic resources (policy makers look at well funded groups more), unequal access to decision makers, free rider problem

Question 40

Process of electing a president

Answer 40

Candidates have to earn their party’s nomination through primary elections (some states hold open primaries some states hold closed)

Question 41

Primary election

Answer 41

An initial round of voting where members of a political party choose their preferred candidate to represent the party in the general election

Question 42

Incumbent

Answer 42

The current officeholder running for reelection

Question 43

Incumbency advantage

Answer 43

• 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