AP GOV PUBLIC OPINION, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, VOTING (quiz 2)

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What is the most simplest form of political participation?

Voting

What are some other forms of conventional participation?

Attending campaign speeches, running for office, or working on campaigns

Things that have a powerful effect or political participation?

• Education: The more education someone attains, the more likely they participate in politics

• Political ideology/partisanship: An individuals identification towards a political party impacts political participation as well.

• Age: Voter turnout increases by age.

• Gender: Women vote at a higher rate than men. Has increased as women passed men in obtaining college degrees.

• Income: Wealthy and middle class Americans vote at a higher rate than those who make less money

Data of eligible/registered votes?

2/3rds of the US that’s eligible is registered to vote, meaning that 1/3 of the US that’s eligible to vote does not register because they don’t know how or because it takes time.

Cures for lack of registered eligible voters?

• Registration drives

• Automatic registration

• Fines for those who don’t register and vote

What is the Motor Voter Law?

Law that allows people the ability to register to vote when applying or renewing a driver’s license or other state issued identification. Aimed to increase voter registration and participation.

What is the best way to know the public’s opinion?

Voting

Instances where voting rights were denied to groups of people?

1. White males who didn’t own property. Fixed with ‘Universal White Male Suffrage” (1830s)

2. Africans Americans. Attempted to be fixed with 15th Amendment (African American women weren’t included), solved issues of intimidation with the Voting Rights Act of 1965

3. Women. Fixed with the 19th Amendment (1920)

4. Residents of Washington D.C. Fixed with 23rd Amendment (1961), gives 3 electoral votes in electoral college.

5. Young adults. Fixed with 26th Amendment (1971)

Barriers to Voting?

• Voter registration

• Early Voting

• Photo ID

• Felons

• Each state allows for absentee voting

• Precinct - Where you were assigned to vote

Models of Voting Behaviors

• Retrospective Voting: Voting based on how someone or a party has done something in the past

• Prospective voting: Voting looking to the future of what you hope a candidate does in office.

• Party line model: Voting based primarily on someone’s political party affiliation rather than on individuals candidates or specific issues.

What has increased voter turnout?

• During the Glided age, where bribery and intimidations tactics were used to force people to vote a certain way. Ballot boxes were tampered as well.

• Voter registration laws. Voters now have to prove identity and are assigned to a precinct. 

• State adoption of the “Australian Ballot”. Ballots were printed uniformly by the National Government, required all candidates names to appear, and required completion in private.

What political ideology are most Americans?

Moderates (Neither left nor right, around the middle)