Voting, Elections, and Media - Lecture Notes (Pages 1-7)

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms from Pages 1–7 of the lecture notes.

Franchise, Suffrage, and Enfranchisement

The right to vote; extending voting rights to more people.

Electorate

All eligible voters in a country or area.

15th Amendment

Ratified in 1870; prohibited voting discrimination based on race; led to enforcement and also to disenfranchisement tactics like poll taxes and literacy tests in practice.

17th Amendment

Ratified in 1913; allowed direct election of U.S. Senators by citizens.

19th Amendment

Ratified in 1920; granted women the right to vote.

23rd Amendment

Ratified in 1961; gave Washington, D.C. residents the right to vote in presidential elections.

24th Amendment

Ratified in 1964; banned poll taxes in federal elections.

26th Amendment

Ratified in 1971; lowered the voting age to 18.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; strengthened protections for voting rights.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests and strengthened federal enforcement of voting rights.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an election.

Voter Apathy

Lack of interest in voting; tied to low political efficacy (belief that one's vote matters).

Voting Blocs

Groups of voters that tend to vote similarly (e.g., women, minorities, youth, elderly).

Religious Influence on Voting

Religious groups influence voting: Evangelicals tend conservative; Catholics mixed; Jews tend liberal.

Voting Models

Strategies for voting: Rational-choice (self-interest), Party-line (vote for party), Retrospective (past performance), Prospective (future performance).

Motor Voter Act (NVRA)

National Voter Registration Act of 1993; allows voter registration when applying for a driver's license.

2000 Election & HAVA

Bush v. Gore controversy prompted Help America Vote Act to improve voting technology.

Ballots

Types include Australian (secret ballot), Provisional (eligibility pending), Absentee (vote by mail).

Voter ID Laws

Require identification to vote; debate over preventing fraud vs. potential discrimination.

Functions of Political Parties

Mobilize voters, develop platforms, campaign, and govern.

1st Amendment + Parties

Protects free speech and association, enabling political parties to exist.

RNC vs. DNC

Republican and Democratic National Committees; organize, set goals, fundraise.

History of Political Parties

Evolution from Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists to Democratic-Republicans, Democrats & Whigs, then Republicans.

Party Realignment

Major shifts in party dominance (e.g., 1800, 1860, 1896, 1932, 1968).

Dealignment

Decline in party affiliation; rise of independents.

Divided vs. Unified Government

Divided: different parties control different branches; Unified: same party controls all.

Straight vs. Split Ticket Voting

Straight: vote for same party for all offices; Split: vote for candidates from different parties.

Campaign Finance

Money in politics; hard money is regulated, soft money was unregulated; PACs and Super PACs fundraise.

FECA & BCRA

FECA and its amendments regulate campaign spending/donations; BCRA banned soft money.

Citizens United v. FEC

2010 Supreme Court case allowing unlimited corporate and union spending on independent political ads.

Minor/Third Parties

Single-issue, ideological, or splinter parties; impact elections but face barriers like winner-take-all.

Voting Wards, Precincts, Polling Place

Wards are districts; precincts are the smallest voting areas; polling place is where votes are cast.

Ballot Measures

Initiative: citizens propose laws; Referendum: voters approve laws; Recall: remove officials.

Primaries

Closed: party members only; Open: any voter; Blanket: cross-party; Caucus: meeting-based selection.

Presidential Race Terms

Invisible primary, front-loading, Iowa caucus, New Hampshire primary, delegates.

Incumbency Advantage

Sitting officials have name recognition, resources, and experience aiding re-election.

General Election

Swing states matter; Electoral College uses winner-take-all (except ME, NE).

Congressional Elections

Midterms; incumbency and coattail effects influence outcomes.

FEC

Federal Election Commission; regulates campaign finance.

Buckley v. Valeo

(1976) Upheld donation limits but allowed self-funding of campaigns; spending limits on individual contributions were maintained.

Pluralist Theory

Power is distributed among many groups that influence policy.

Interest Groups

Organizations advocating policy; protected by the 1st Amendment.

Types of Interest Groups

Labor, business, social movements, public interest, ideological, single-issue.

Incentives to Join

Material, purposive, solidary benefits; free rider problem.

Iron Triangle

Close relationship among Congress, bureaucracy, and interest groups.

Issue Networks

Looser alliances of policy experts and groups.

Lobbying

Influencing policy through expertise, money, or pressure; uses insider and outsider strategies.

Revolving Door

Officials move between government service and lobbying jobs.

Traditional vs. Modern Media

Shift from newspapers/radio to TV to online/social media.

Media Roles

Gatekeeper (sets agenda), Scorekeeper (tracks campaigns), Watchdog (investigates).

Fourth Estate

Media acts as a check on government.

Narrowcasting

Targeted media for niche audiences; can increase polarization.

Fairness Doctrine

Old policy requiring balanced coverage; repealed.

Confirmation Bias

People consume media that confirms their preexisting beliefs.