U.S. Elections, Voting Systems, and Media Influence: Comprehensive Guide

What is a primary election?

An election where voters choose which candidate will represent a political party in the general election.

What is a general election?

An election where candidates compete to determine who will hold public office.

What years are presidential elections held?

Even-numbered years, occurring every four years.

What are midterm election years?

Even-numbered years between presidential elections.

What are runoff elections?

Elections held when no candidate receives the required majority of votes; the top two candidates compete again.

What is ranked-choice voting?

A voting system where people rank candidates in order of preference, eliminating the candidates with the fewest votes until someone receives majority support.

What is a referendum?

A proposal placed on the ballot by a legislative authority for voters to approve or reject.

What is a citizen ballot initiative?

A proposal citizens place on the ballot by collecting enough petition signatures.

What is convenience voting?

Voting methods that make voting easier by allowing people to vote before Election Day or without visiting a polling place on Election Day.

What is absentee voting?

Voting with a ballot received outside a polling location and returned through an approved method.

What is no-excuse absentee voting?

Voting by absentee ballot without needing to provide a special reason.

What is all-mail voting?

A system where every registered voter automatically receives a ballot in the mail.

What is early voting?

Voting in person at an approved polling location before Election Day.

Who has primary responsibility for regulating federal elections in the U.S.?

State government.

Are election laws the same across states? Why?

No, because states have authority to establish many of their own voting rules and procedures.

How are elections administered in Georgia?

Each county administers elections, with oversight from state election authorities.

When are Georgia Senate elections held?

In even-numbered years.

When are Georgia House of Representatives elections held?

In even-numbered years.

When are U.S. House of Representatives elections held?

In even-numbered years.

When are U.S. Presidential elections held?

In even-numbered years, every four years.

When are Georgia Governor elections held?

In even-numbered midterm election years.

When are Atlanta Mayor elections held?

In odd-numbered years.

Does Georgia have referendums, citizen ballot initiatives, or both?

Referendums.

What does Article X of the Georgia Constitution require to ratify an amendment?

The amendment must be submitted to voters at a general election in an even-numbered year and approved by a majority.

Does Georgia provide below-average, average, or above-average convenience voting options?

Above average.

Does Georgia have no-excuse absentee voting?

Yes.

How many weeks before Election Day does Georgia allow early voting?

About three weeks.

Can other states offer longer early-voting periods than Georgia?

Yes.

Is voter turnout higher during presidential or midterm elections?

Presidential elections.

Is voter turnout higher during federal or local elections?

Federal elections.

Since 2008, have African American citizens voted at higher, lower, or approximately the same rate as non-Hispanic White citizens in presidential elections?

Approximately the same overall.

Since 2008, have Hispanic citizens voted at higher, lower, or approximately the same rate as African Americans in midterm elections?

Lower.

Who tends to vote more: men or women?

Women.

Who tends to vote more: wealthier or poorer Americans?

Wealthier Americans.

Who tends to vote more: younger or older Americans?

Older Americans.

Who tends to vote more: highly educated or less-educated Americans?

Highly educated Americans.

What is epistocracy?

Government or rule by people who have political knowledge.

What is compulsory voting?

A system requiring eligible citizens to vote or face a penalty.

What does Jason Brennan argue about people with low political knowledge voting?

Uninformed voters can contribute to harmful political decisions.

Why do some people argue that everyone should vote regardless of political knowledge?

Voting promotes political equality and gives everyone representation.

What does 'If you are not at the table, you are on the menu' mean?

If people do not participate politically, they have less influence over decisions.

Is there evidence that governments serve voters better than nonvoters?

Yes, politicians have stronger incentives to respond to voters.

What is the Rational Choice Model of Voting?

The idea that people vote when the expected benefits are greater than the costs.

What is the Paradox of Voting?

The question of why people vote when their individual vote has almost no chance of determining an election's outcome.

What does the C-Term represent?

The costs of voting, such as time and effort.

What does the D-Term represent?

The direct personal benefits of voting.

Why are the D-Term and C-Term important?

People are more likely to vote when direct benefits are high and costs are low.

How are the rational choice model and resource model different?

Rational choice focuses on benefits vs. costs; resource model focuses on how resources influence participation.

What is the Resource Model of Voting?

The idea that differences in resources influence whether people participate in elections.

What effect does compulsory voting have on turnout?

It significantly increases voter turnout.

What effect does same-day registration have on turnout?

It generally increases turnout.

What is civil disobedience?

Deliberately breaking a law to protest injustice.

What is a strike?

A collective refusal to work to pressure an employer.

What is a boycott?

A collective refusal to purchase goods or services to pressure an organization.

What are examples of civil disobedience?

Peaceful sit-ins, refusing to obey discriminatory rules.

What is the difference between a strike and a boycott?

A strike means stopping work, while a boycott means refusing to buy.

What did Martin Luther King Jr. mean when he said 'A riot is the language of the unheard'?

Riots can indicate the democratic political system is operating poorly because people's concerns are not being heard or addressed.

What are forms of mass communication?

Newspapers, television, radio, and the Internet, and the organizations that use them to inform the public.

What is the Information Revolution?

The major increase in people's ability to access, share, and communicate information because of the Internet and modern technology.

What is Traditional Media?

Established forms of mass communication, such as newspapers, television, and radio.

What is Social Media?

Online platforms where people communicate, share information, and interact with others.

What is Unmediated Communication?

When politicians or other public figures communicate directly with citizens without traditional news organizations filtering their messages.

What is Freedom of the Press?

The right of journalists and news organizations to report information without government censorship or punishment.

What is the Watchdog Role of the Press?

The media's responsibility to investigate government actions and expose wrongdoing.

What is the Marketplace of Ideas?

The belief that different ideas should compete freely rather than being suppressed by the government.

What is the upside of unmediated communication?

Politicians can communicate directly with citizens without traditional media changing or filtering their message.

What is the downside of unmediated communication?

Politicians can avoid journalists who might fact-check their statements, challenge their claims, or expose wrongdoing.

Which amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of the press?

The First Amendment.

Which section of the Georgia Constitution protects freedom of the press?

Article I, Section I, Paragraph V.

Where does the term 'the press' come from?

Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, which helped make printed information widely available.

What is the first vital democratic function of a free press and independent media?

Free flow of information. Inform citizens about government and help government understand public concerns.

What is the second vital democratic function of a free press and independent media?

Public discussion and debate. Provide a place for people to discuss issues and develop informed opinions.

What third democratic function does social media provide?

Helping citizens coordinate collective political action, such as organizing campaigns, protests, and petitions.

What is the Informational Model of Journalism?

Journalism focused on reporting accurate information about events and issues in an objective or neutral manner.

What is Muckraking?

Journalism that investigates and exposes corruption in government and business.

What is Soft News?

News presented in an entertaining, interesting, or easy-to-understand way.

What is Citizen Journalism?

News and information shared by ordinary citizens rather than professional journalists.

What is happening to local newspapers?

Many local newspapers are closing, losing money, or reducing their reporting staff.

How does the decline of local newspapers affect the watchdog role?

Fewer journalists investigate local government, making it harder to expose corruption and hold officials accountable.

How have cable news and the information revolution increased the political knowledge gap?

People interested in politics can access more political news, while people uninterested in politics can choose entertainment instead.

What is Defamation?

A false statement that harms someone's reputation.

What is Slander?

Defamation that is spoken.

What is Libel?

Defamation that is written or published.

What is Net Neutrality?

The principle that Internet Service Providers should treat internet traffic equally rather than unfairly favoring certain websites or services.

What is the Equal-Time Rule?

An FCC rule requiring broadcasters to provide legally qualified political candidates with equal opportunities for airtime in covered circumstances.

What is Section 230?

A federal law that generally protects online platforms from being treated as the publisher of content created by their users.

Why do Internet Service Providers oppose net neutrality?

They argue it limits their ability to manage internet traffic, offer different service arrangements, and develop certain business models.

Why do consumer advocates support net neutrality?

It helps prevent internet providers from blocking, slowing, or unfairly prioritizing certain websites and services.

How did the Obama administration approach net neutrality?

The Obama-era FCC strengthened net-neutrality protections in 2015.

How did the Trump administration approach net neutrality?

The Trump-era FCC reversed those protections in 2017 and adopted a less restrictive approach.

Why is Section 230 controversial today?

People disagree about how much legal responsibility social media companies should have for harmful, misleading, or false content posted by users.

What is Agenda Setting?

The media's ability to influence WHAT people think about by giving certain issues more attention.

What is Framing?

The media's ability to influence HOW people think about an issue by emphasizing certain aspects.

What is Thematic Framing?

Presenting an issue in a broader context by discussing causes, patterns, and long-term trends.

What is Episodic Framing?

Presenting an issue as an individual event or isolated situation.

What is Priming?

When media coverage influences which considerations people use to evaluate a politician, event, or issue.

How does social media agenda setting differ from traditional media agenda setting?

Traditional media: journalists and editors decide which stories receive attention. Social media: users, influencers, trends, and algorithms help determine which stories receive attention.

How do thematic and episodic framing differ?

Thematic framing focuses on the bigger picture, including patterns and causes. Episodic framing focuses on one specific event.

What effect does polarized trust in information sources have on Republicans and Democrats?

They may trust and consume different news sources, leading them to receive different information or interpretations of political events and increasing polarization.

What is Ideological Bias?

Media coverage that systematically favors one political viewpoint over another.