AP GOVERNMENT CHAPTER 12 VOCAB

Absentee Ballot (p. 442)

A ballot cast by a voter who cannot be physically present at a polling place on Election Day, often due to travel, illness, or military service.

Apathy (p. 432)

A lack of interest or concern about politics, which often results in low voter turnout.

Fifteenth Amendment

Prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude; gave former slaves and free Black men the right to vote.

Franchise

The right to vote.

Gender Gap (p. 433)

The difference in political views and voting behavior between men and women, particularly noticeable in party preference.

Grandfather Clause

A discriminatory law that allowed individuals to vote only if their grandfathers had voted, effectively disenfranchising Black voters.

Help America Vote Act (HAVA) (p. 440)

A 2002 law designed to improve voting systems and voter access, including updated voting machines and provisional ballots.

Linkage Institutions

Political parties, interest groups, and the media that connect citizens to the government by shaping public opinion and influencing policy.

Literacy Test

A test historically used to prevent Black citizens from voting, especially in the South, often unfair and difficult.

National Voter Registration Act (p. 440)

Also called the “Motor Voter Act,” it requires states to allow voter registration when applying for or renewing a driver’s license.

Nineteenth Amendment (p. 429)

Granted women the right to vote.

Party Identification (p. 439)

A voter’s long-term psychological attachment to a political party.

Political Efficacy (p. 432)

A person’s belief that their participation in politics matters and can influence government actions.

Poll Tax

A fee charged to vote, historically used to prevent poor and minority citizens from voting.

Preclearance (p. 429)

A requirement that certain states receive federal approval before changing voting laws, established by the Voting Rights Act.

Prospective Voting (p. 438)

Voting based on a candidate’s promises and plans for the future.

Provisional Ballots (p. 442)

Ballots cast when a voter’s eligibility is uncertain; counted after eligibility is verified.

Rational Choice Voting (p. 438)

Voting based on a calculation of which candidate or party will provide the greatest personal benefit.

Retrospective Voting (p. 438)

Voting based on the performance of the current officeholder or party in power.

Seventeenth Amendment

Established the direct election of U.S. senators by voters.

Suffrage

The right to vote and the process by which citizens are qualified to vote.

Twenty-Fourth Amendment (p. 428)

Abolished poll taxes in federal elections.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment (p. 431)

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Twenty-Third Amendment (p. 430)

Granted residents of Washington, D.C., the right to vote in presidential elections.

Voter Registration (p. 441)

The process by which eligible citizens sign up to vote before participating in an election.

Voter Turnout (p. 431)

The percentage of eligible voters who actually cast a ballot in an election.

Voting Blocs (p. 433)

Groups of voters who share common characteristics and tend to vote similarly.