Voters And Voting Flashcards
0
Q
Is the right to vote a civil liberty?
A
It is not a civil liberty, it is a political right
1
Q
What two things mean the right to vote?
A
Suffrage and the franchise
2
Q
Define electorate
A
Those eligible to vote. Roughly 2/3 of the United States
3
Q
Who sets suffrage qualifications
A
States, but the constitution places five restrictions
4
Q
What is the 15th amendment
A
No state can deny a person the right to vote by race, color, previous servitude
5
Q
What is the 19th amendment
A
No state can deny a person the right to vote by gender
6
Q
What’s the 23rd amendment
A
People in Washington DC can vote
7
Q
What is the 24th amendment
A
No state to require a poll tax
8
Q
What’s the 26th amendment
A
No state may deprive a person 18 and older a right to vote
9
Q
What are ways states can limit voting
A
Are they citizens? Enter are they residents? you must register to be a voter Transients can't vote Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 during the general election
10
Q
Can aliens vote
A
Not currently
11
Q
What is the average residency in order to vote
A
30 days
12
Q
Why is there voter registration
A
To prevent voter fraud
13
Q
What are transients
A
Someone who moves around. The military is exempt
14
Q
Which state allows 17-year-olds to vote if they’ll be 18 on the day of the presidential election
A
Nebraska
15
Q
How early must you register before an election
A
30 days
16
Q
What states allow same-day registration to vote
A
Maine and Wisconsin
17
Q
How many eligible voters vote
A
Less than a half
18
Q
How many of those who vote are nonvoting voters
A
Approximately 12%
19
Q
What is a nonvoting voter
A
Someone who doesn’t vote complete vote
20
Q
When are nonvoting voters more common
A
For state elections and in the top half of the ballot
21
Q
When do more people vote
A
In presidential year elections, and in general elections
22
Q
What are reasons for nonvoting?
A
Handicapped, hospitalized, in jail, religious beliefs restricted, race or religion discrimination, traveling
23
Q
What are examples of nonvoters
A
The system is meaningless, they don’t matter
Those who believe if they vote it won’t matter in the end
Their vote won’t make a difference, and they want world peace
The procedures are too cumbersome
They’re apathetic
24
What is the number one reason for not voting
Apathy
25
what are sociological characteristics of people who vote
Higher income
| Higher education, higher occupational status, married people, between 35 and 65
26
What is a psychological factor of people who vote
They identify with a party
27
What are characteristics of people who vote
ballots are competitive and therefore more interesting, community pressure, they have a sense of political efficacy, white
28
Why was the 15th amendment ignored for 90 years
The Supreme Court said it didn't apply to voting in states
29
What is the voting rights act
It ended the use of Jim Crow laws
30
What were Jim Crow laws
Laws designed to prevent blacks from voting
31
How did the voting rights act change voting
The number of people who voted substantially increased
32
What are split ticket voters
Those who don't identify with the party
33
What party is rapidly growing and has one third of all three party votes
Independent
34
What are demographic factors of those who vote
They are millennials, single women, minorities
35
What are millennials
People born since 1980
36
What don't you need to win an election anymore
A white man's vote, because that minorities and single women are growing rapidly and voting more
37
What is a vote to the future
Mandate
38
What is the vote on the past
Verdict
39
What are most elections about
Money and the economy
40
What are the three types of elections
The party primary, general election, referendum
41
What type of election is for nominees
Party primary
42
What is an election for officeholders
A general election, the winner will take the office
43
What type of election is for legislation
Referendum
44
What is a referendum
People, not legislators voting on a bill
45
What is the initiative
Voters, through petition, propose a law for referendum
46
What is a caucus
Where leaders of a party cheese nominees
47
What are primary elections
When the party selects nominees for an election
48
What are the three types of primary elections
Closed primary, open primary, blanket primary
49
What is a closed primary
It can only be voted in by registered members of the party
50
What is an open primary
You don't have to be registered in a party to vote for that party
51
What is a blanket primary
When all parties are listed on one Ballot
52
Who runs against each other
All Republicans and all Democrats
53
Who votes in primaries
The largest supporters of a party
54
Why do blanket elections cost less Then other primaries
Because they only have one election
55
What showed that only a few people fund entire elections
Nixon and the Watergate scandal
56
What did the federal election campaign act of 1971 try to do
Regulate Hard money, set reporting requirements and limit donations, create the Federal election commission, give federal financing
57
What is hard money
Money given directly to a candidate or campaign
58
What is a reporting requirement
You must report transactions more than $100 pertaining to an election
59
What is the Federal election commission
An agency created to monitor elections
60
What is federal financing
Money given toward an election campaign, but only if your party has 5% or more of the vote in the previous election
61
What case said limting the amount of money spent or donated by a person in a campaign violated the First Amendment-free speech
Buckley versus Valeo
62
What is a loophole to hard money
Soft money
63
What is soft money
Money spent on behalf of a party or candidate without their knowledge and without going to them
64
What tried to eliminate soft money, raise limits for Hard money, and said corporations unions and interest groups can't run a political act within 60 days of the general election
McCain Finegold
65
What is a political action committee (pac)?
A group making a donation for more than $100 for each election. Usually formed out of existing groups
66
What is bundling
Sending lump donations. More money speaks louder in a campaign
67
What is a 527
A nonprofit charity. It is a loophole and you can have unlimited money for election
68
What case took limits from corporations, saying they can now donate infinite money to campaigns instead of being treated like people
Citizens United versus Federal election commission
69
What's a super PAC
A large group not incrimination with the campaign or candidate creating issues. The ads suggest but do not state to vent for a candidate
70
What is an interest group
A group trying to influence the government
71
What does the electoral college only apply to
The presidential election
72
Is the electoral college biased in favor of large or small states
Small
73
How many votes from the electoral college must you have to win
270
74
What do you need to win the electoral vote
To win the right states, not the popular vote
75
What is the electoral college a result of
Compromise between sovereign citizens versus sovereign states
76
What are three different arguments for the electoral college
If it ain't broke don't fix it,
The electoral college exists because federal system; states elect the president not voters,
preserves the two party system and third-party cannot win
77
What says all electors vote for a candidate with the most votes
Unit rule
78
What is political efficacy
If you feel your votes count
79
What is an Australian ballot
Government printed, private ballot
80
What is a red blue America
It's states being categorized as Republican or Democrat
81
What does dyed in the wool mean
You were strictly for one party
82
What does straight ticket mean
You only vote for one party
83
What is partisanship
You're partial towards one party
84
What are the five restrictions on the power that states have to set the right to vote
The 15th amendment, 19th amendment, 24th amendment, 26th amendment, you can vote for Congress if you vote for the largest party of state legislature
85
What is the coattail effect
People are more likely to be elected from the winning party
86
What is the turn out for midterm elections
Poor
87
What is an office group ballot
You do not have the option to vote for all of one party at the same time
88
What is the party column ballot
You have the option to vote for all of one party at once
89
What is a splinter party
A party that splits off from the main party
90
What is the campaign strategy in primaries?
Get well-known, and win early
91
What is a dark horse
The candidate who blindsides their competitors
92
What is an invisible primary
It's when you don't flat out say that she's going to run
93
What is frontloading
Pushing a primary earlier to get more publicity
94
What is super Tuesday
The day that most primaries of the south are held on
95
What case since money isn't limited take oneself in campaigns
Buckley versus Valeo
96
Why are conventions held
To decide nominees
97
What is a balanced ticket
When a ticket is balanced with one candidate having a running mate with a different demographic
98
What is the RNC
The Republican national committee
99
What is the DNC
Democratic national committee
100
What is a pac
It's what interest groups use to transfer hard money to candidates
101
What is political machine
It's a "get out the vote organization" for party
102
What is endorsement
When a race dropout endorses another candidate
103
What is fat cat
A wealthy political contributor
104
What is the coalition
When minorities join together to become a majority
105
What is bellwether
It's a state that predicts the national power
106
What is plurality
When you get the most, but not the majority vote
107
What is a runoff election
Extra election to determine the winner
108
What is the number one indicator of if a person will vote
There in a party
109
What is the number one indicator of how a person will vote
How their spouse votes
110
Why is the Democratic Party growing
Because the minority groups are growing
111
What is the bad part of primaries
Mostly political extremists vote in primaries, therefore political extremists win
