suffrage
the right to vote
electorate
the total group of qualified voters
registration
a procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraudulent voting
poll tax
tax required before a person can vote
injunction
an authoritative command or order
off-year election
congressional election that occurs between presidential election years
political efficacy
one's own influence or effectiveness on politics
political socialization
the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions
straight-ticket voting
practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election
independents
people who have no party affiliation
Suffrage and----- mean approximately the same thing.
franchise
A ----- is a court order that can be used to compel a public official to carry out a law
injunction
Some people do not have a sense of ---- and therefore do not bother to vote
political efficacy
Voters with a strong allegiance to a party often engage in ------ when they go to the polls.
straight-ticket voting
What two long-term trends mark the expansion of the American electorate?
the elimination of several restrictions, a significant share of what was originally the states' power over the right to vote has gradually been assumed by the federal government
What are the five stages of the extension of suffrage?
1810- religious restrictions disapeared 1870- 15th amendment 1820- tax requirement ended 1920- voting restriction on women disapeared 1971- adaption of 26th amendment allowing citizens 18 years and older the right to vote
What are the constitutional restrictions on the power of the States to set voting rights?
1. Any person whom a state allows to vote for members of the "most numerous branch" of its own legislature must also be allowed to vote for representatives and senators in congress. 2. No state can deprive any person of the right to vote "on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude". 3. No state can deprive any person of the right to vote based on gender. 4. No state is allowed to administer poll tax. 5. No state can deprive any person the right to vote because of age if at least 18.
What are the universal requirements for voting int the United States?
Age, Citizenship, Residency
For what two reasons did the states adopt residence requirements for voting?
1. To prevent non-citizens from voting 2. Helps find out if a person is/was a criminal or mentally incompetent because they ARE NOT allowed to vote.
What is a literacy requirement for voting, and how was it used to deny suffrage to certain groups?
being able to read and write, they would ask blacks a really hard question on theology or something about the constitution and then ask the next guy in line to write the letter O
What is a grandfather clause, and what was its purpose?
A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867. so that all the white men could vote and the black men couldn't
How did Congress require states to ease their registration requirements in 1993?
All states (except North Dakota) must provide registration for eligible voters when they renew or apply for a new driver's license, through the mail, and at state social service agencies (state employment, welfare, ...).
What was the purpose of the 15th amendment?
citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude.
List three ways the South tried to circumvent the 15th amendment
gave harder literacy tests, whites would yell at them, made the poll taxes higher
What powers did the Civil Rights Commission have to prevent interference with African Americans' right to vote
set up by the Civil Rights Act and was made to investigate violations of civil rights and authorized federal injunctions to protect voting rights, To investigate complaints alleging that citizens are being deprived of their right to vote by reason of their race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or by reason of fraudulent practices. To issue public service announcements to discourage discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws.
Explain two key provisions of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965
Federal law that increased government supervision of local election practices, suspended the use of literacy tests to prevent people (usually African Americans) from voting, and expanded government efforts to register voters.
What is a nonvoting voter
Votes for somethings on a ballot but not everything
Give three differences between voters and nonvoters
voters: vote, they live up to the requirements, they usually have decided on a party nonvoters: reasons they don't vote are because they are lazy (just get a driver's license already :), don't care, think their vote won't matter, don't trust the government, are mentally insane
Explain how party identification develops and how it affects the way individuals vote
often voters will be influenced by their parents, friends, family members, society, their views on life, ex. pro-life or save the environment.