Pols 207: Ch.6 TAMU-Lim

US practices ______ democracy at all gov't levels

representative

which democracy has practical limitations?

direct democracy

how is the american gov't and most participation organized?

by geography

will technology ever allow direct democracy to replace representative democracy?

no

town meetings are an example of:

representative democracy

what plays a direct role in governing and making policies?

political acts

what indirectly shapes policies?

voting

what percent in the us will experience running for office?

7.5%

do nonpartisan elections differ the most or least from constituents

least

what are examples of direct forms of participation?

-protests

-assassinations

-insurrections

-rebellions

participation that affects policy less directly involves _____ people

more

what is a disadvantage of official public hearings by standing committees

unlikely to be heard

what is an advantage of city council/schoolboard business meetings?

audience may be allowed to speak

what percent claimed to attend political meetings in the nat'l election studies?

8%

what fraction of people attend schoolboard meetings?

1/10

what fraction of people are present at public hearing/meetings?

1/4

what is a less direct, more common act to communicate with representatives?

writing letters

what fraction of people claim to have written letters to elected officials?

3/10

what are some individual efforts to influence public policy?

-communicating with representatives

-attend public meetings

-seeking public office

what is an aggregate action that is supposed to influence public policy?

voting

aggregate

an individual vote and more that accumulate to a plurality/majority to accomplish anything

which state lets the public vote on constitutional/statutory law and budgets?

NY

referendum

allows citizens to approve/disapprove proposals passed by the state legislature (rare)

how many states require mandatory legislative referendums?

23 (in the west)

in a referendum, who has the final say?

voters

optional legislative referendums

legislative bodies reassign decisions to voters

when do optional legislative referendums occur?

when empowered by representative democracy and the decisions preferred are made by direct democracy

initiative

allow citizens to enact proposal that's placed on a ballot by petition

how many states permit citizen-initiated lawmaking?

24

signature collecting for initiatives

collect signatures of 3-10% of registered voters withing a specific time

qualified initiatives

automatically up for popular vote

qualified indirect initiatives

legislative approval before scheduled for popular vote

which two options are on a qualified indirect initiative ballot?

for + against

ballot order of election candidates?

-presidency

-federal offices

-state/county offices

when are initiatives and referendums placed on a ballot?

when they are decided at the same

define roll off?

declining vote from the top to the bottom of a ballot

what happens with low turnout?

the few who do vote are less like the general public

straw polls

unofficial ballots (test of opinion)

decisions made by _____ reflect ideological preferences of majority

initiatives

which two states established the growth of the initiative industry?

CA and WA

are initiatives a viable form of direct democracy?

no

when you vote for public office holders...

you attract a majority

indirect democracy is a form of which type of gov't

republican

what is an example of voters affecting policy indirectly?

by supporting candidates they agree with

what is the simplest choice at the polls

single issue with..

-2 positions

-2 candidates

-opposing stances

when does complexity grow at the polls?

when additional candidates and issues are added

T/F a typical election is more complex than a single issue?

true

when you become informed, what do you form?

a personal opinion

what are the goals of making a choice at the polls?

-being informed

-active involvement

-rationally supporting candidate

standards for voters in a democracy are apart of which model?

rational activist

what is an example of unanticipated issues?

additional voting requirements

-shortfall in budget

-ratify nat'l constitutional amendment

is the process of american presidents receiving more votes and the majority of popular votes necessary to win?

no

-bush had < popular vote but > EC votes than gore

during most presidential years, which office has the greatest voter participation?

governor

off year election

president is not on the ballot, low turnout

which level of gov't has the lowest turnout?

level closest to the people

T/F voters vote in the contests for office at the top of the ballots and skip the policy elections at the bottom?

true

what are the voting eligible restrictions?

-felons (probation, parole)

-no competent (mentally ill)

which two states allow felon prisons to vote?

ME and VT

who can vote?

-18+

- both US and state resident

which two states deny convicted felons right to vote even after their sentences are serves?

KT and VA, unconstitutional

what factor partly explains low turnout?

turnout rate measurements

how is turnout measured?

# voters/ voting age pop'l (18+)

which is turnout measurement inaccurate?

# of non citizens has increased

-part of VAP but not VEP

# of ineligible felons has increased

how is VEP estimated?

by subtracting non citizens and felons from VAP

Is TX a low turnout state?

yes

in 2014 which states VAP was the lowest in the nation?

TX

which two states had a lower VEP than TX

IN and NY due to low proportions of non voters and ineligible felons

did TX total VAP not included in VEP increase or decrease?

increase

what group is the largest excluded from VEP in most states?

non citizens

-highest: CA, TX, NV

- lowest: WV, MT, ME

highest and lowest% VAP turnout in elections among different countries

highest:

- Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Singapore

lowest

- Haiti, Liberia, Slovenia

US has 54% with Nigeria, Zambia and Austria

what are the 4 factors for voting less?

-lack of party group linkage

-registration restrictions

-lack of penalties for failure to vote

-voter exhaustion

how did party group linkages strengthen?

by abandoning winner take all system and change to proportional representation

which state does not require voter registration?

ND

which state created auto voter registration thru DMV?

Oregon

-easier registration increased turnout by 14%

nat/l voter registration act

motor voter law, increase registration

-states have registration info available at state offices with the highest citizen traffic

The SC ruled that AZ could not require applicants to use state registration forms that required...?

proof of citizenship

which country gives citations for not voting?

Australia

-increase turnout

why do americans participate at lower levels?

they are fatigued by the number of times they must go to the polls

what 4 strikes do americans have against participating in elections?

-result of reform movement

-governmental format

-history election institutions

-partisan gerrymandering guarantees victory

convenience voting

attempt to increase turnout

-procedures to make voting easier

examples of convenience voting?

-mail voting

-election day registration

-no excuse absentee voting

-early voting

does mail voting increase turnout?

no

cumulative voting

give more than 1 vote to single candidate

-improve minority chances on gaining one seat on council in peoria, IL

if a candidate has no chance of winning...

there are little incentives to vote

which other two states have used cumulative voting

AL and TX to elect schoolboards

what are some efforts to discourage voting?

-photo id

-electoral district maps to discriminate against minority

Republicans think high turnout puts them in greater jeopardy of....

losing elections

non partisan elections make up what percent of local elections?

more than 90%

what is an important fact about nonpartisan elections?

doesn't list candidates political party so less inclined to vote for all D or all R

nonpartisan elections were part of the reform efforts to overcome...

machine politics in the late 1800s

T/F there is an inverse relationship b/w the level of gov't and turnout in American elections?

true

trend of turnout in elections

-presidential

-state elections in non presidential years

-local gov't elections (held when no state/nat'l offices are on ballot)

what is essential for a true democracy?

citizen participation

T/F VAP turnout in both presidential and non presidential years are highly correlated with turnout in other presidential and non presidential elect years?

true

turnout in state elections are most strongly related to ...

some demographic characteristics of residents:

-high school completion

-voter registration

T/F voter turnout is related to matching party preferences in surveys and seats in lower chambers?

false

what is voter turnout positively related to?

- > HS completion

-% registered

-white turnout

what is voter turnout negatively related to?

-poverty

-% AA and Hispanic pop'l

T/F there is a relationship v/w turnout and taxing + spending policies or generosity of welfare payments?

false

T/F there is a relationship b/w turnout and accurate representation of partisan preferences?

false