gov amendments

17th Amendment

Direct election of US senators

19th Amendment

Women can vote

22nd Amendment

Presidential two term limit

23rd Amendment

DC gets 3 Electoral College votes

24th Amendment

No poll taxes

26th Amendment

voting age lowered to 18

Voting Rights Act

protects minority voting rights and banned literacy tests (1965)

FECA

regulates donations and requires disclosure

Motor Voter Act

Register to vote at DMV to increase turnout (1993)

Help America Vote Act

Imporves voting machines, requires provisional ballots (2002)

BCRA 

limits soft money;regulates electioneering communications; leads to citizens united case.

Buckley v Valeo

Campaign spending= free speech; limits on candidates own spending unconstitutional (1976)

Citizens United v FEC

Corporations/unions can spend unlimited money on independent expenditures; creates SuperPACS. (2010)

Baker v Carr

Federal courts can review redistricting; “one person, one vote.”

Shaw v Reno

racial gerrymandering unconstitutional (1993)

SHelby County v Holder

Struck down preclearance formula of Voting RIghts Act (2013)

Bush v Gore

Stopped Florida recount; equal protection issue; bush wins presidency.