Chapter 6 Voters & Voter Behavior



Government Chapter 6 Voters & Voter Behavior

The right to vote-suffrage

Originally the right to vote was limited to white male property owners. Only 1 in 15 qualified.

Ben Franklin told the story of the man whose only property was a jackass and noted that if the jackass died the man would lose his right to vote. So who has the right to vote? The man or the jackass?

Today’s electorate is more than 205 M people. Initially states could decide who could vote. Constitutional amendments & laws by Congress have reduced state control over who votes.

15th amendment–race

19th amendment-women

Voting Rights Act of 1965 (suspended literacy tests)

23rd amendment-voting for residents of DC

24th amendment- eliminated poll tax

26th amendment-18 year olds

Literacy tests, poll tax, put in place to disenfranchise blacks

Grandfather clause was added to help poor whites get around the literacy & poll requirements

Requirements to vote

1) citizenship-states choose this, not in the Constitution

2) residency-adopted to keep political machines from bringing in outsiders to vote and is now usually 30 days. Transients-temporary residents usually cannot vote-college students

3) age-26th amendment passed more quickly than any other amendment. Vietnam War-“Old enough to fight, old enough to vote.”

18-20 yr old in 1996-31.2% voted

65+ in 1996-67% voted

Registration- intended to prevent fraudulent voting. You stay registered until you move, die, commit a serious crime or are committed to a mental institution

Voter behavior

Greek word idiotes- means those citizens who did not vote

Why don’t people vote?

1. Makes no real difference

2. Satisfied with the status quo

3. Distrust politicians

4. Have no sense of political efficacy (no sense that they have any influence or effectiveness in politics)

5. Bad weather

6. Time-zone fallout

7. Long lines

Apathy on Election Day is not the source of lower voter turnout. Of those who are registered the overwhelming majority vote. The real source of the problem is that a relatively low % of the adult population is registered to vote.

In most European nations registration is done for you by the government. In the U.S. the burden of registering to vote falls on the individual. The U.S. is the only democratic country in which each person decides whether or not to register. Have to learn how, when & where to register & have to reregister every time you move.

1993 Congress passed motor-voter law-requires states to allow people to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license. This has allowed a lot of people to register but it has not had much of an impact on election results.

It is not clear whether low voter turnout is a symptom of political disease or a sign of political good health. Are people generally satisfied? If 100% registered & voted it could mean that people were deeply upset.

Most powerful determinants of participation are schooling & information; the next most powerful is age. Race makes a difference.

Who votes?

Higher education (this is the most important)

Over 44

Why higher education? -higher levels of political information

Religious involvement increases political participation

Voters Nonvoters

Higher levels of income younger than 35

Education unmarried

Occupational status unskilled

Believe voting is important south/rural

Women vote more than men

More competitive the race the higher the turnout

Politicians listen carefully to groups who vote-voting does matter

Elections are the centerpiece of democracy-Elections can influence public policy & policy outcomes can influence elections.

The future of democracy will be one of the great issues that America’s citizens must face as the nation enters its third century.

Government Chapter 6 Voters & Voter Behavior

The right to vote-____________

Originally the right to vote was limited to _________ male property owners. Only 1 in ____ qualified.

______________________ told the story of the man whose only property was a jackass and noted that if the jackass died the man would lose his right to vote. So who has the right to vote? The man or the jackass?

Today’s _____________ is more than _________ people. Initially _______ could decide who could vote. Constitutional ________________ & laws by ______________ have reduced state control over who votes.

15th amendment–___________

19th amendment- ___________

Voting Rights Act of ________ (suspended literacy tests)

23rd amendment-voting for __________________

24th amendment- ________________________

26th amendment-________________________

Literacy tests, poll tax, put in place to _____________________ blacks

Grandfather clause was added to help __________________ get around the literacy & poll requirements

Requirements to vote

1) _______________________-states choose this, not in the Constitution

2) ________________________-adopted to keep political machines from bringing in outsiders to vote and is now usually 30 days. Transients-temporary residents usually cannot vote-___________ students

3) age-26th amendment passed more quickly than any other amendment. Vietnam War-“Old enough to _______, old enough to _______.”

18-20 yr old in 1996- ______% voted

65+ in 1996-_____ % voted

________________- intended to prevent ______________ voting. You stay registered until you move, die, commit a serious crime or are committed to a mental institution

Voter behavior

Greek word _________- means those citizens who did not vote

Why don’t people vote?

8. Makes no real ____________

9. _______________ with the status quo

10. Distrust ________________

11. Have no sense of political efficacy (no sense that they have any influence or _______________ in politics)

12. Bad weather

13. Time-zone fallout

14. Long lines

____________ on Election Day is not the source of lower voter turnout. Of those who are registered the overwhelming majority vote. The real source of the problem is that a relatively low % of the __________ population is registered to vote.

In most _____________ nations registration is done for you by the government. In the U.S. the burden of _____________ to vote falls on the individual. The U.S. is the only democratic country in which each person decides whether or not to register. Have to learn how, when & where to register & have to reregister every time you move.

1993 ___________ passed motor-voter law-requires states to allow people to register to vote when they apply for a ____________. This has allowed a lot of people to register but it has not had much of an impact on ________ results.

It is not clear whether ____ voter turnout is a ___________ of political disease or a sign of political good health. Are people generally satisfied? If 100% registered & voted it could mean that people were deeply upset.

Most powerful ______________ of participation are __________ & ________________; the next most powerful is _______. Race makes a difference.

Who votes?

Higher education (_______________________________________)

Over 44

Why higher education? -higher levels of _____________ ____________-

Religious involvement increases ____________ participation

Voters Nonvoters

______ levels of income __________ than 35

Education unmarried

___________ status unskilled

Believe voting is ________ south/______

Women vote __________ than men

More competitive the race the ________ the turnout

Politicians listen carefully to groups who vote-voting does matter

Elections are the centerpiece of ____________-Elections can influence public policy & policy ______________ can influence elections.

The future of _______________ will be one of the great issues that America’s citizens must face as the nation enters its third century.

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