Voting Behavior, Elections, and Political Parties Unit

Political Efficacy

belief that your vote matters and will make a difference

Motor Voter Act (1993)

required states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license, also to improve voter turnout

Who is more likely to vote?

• college-educated people

• senior citizens

• women

• married couples

Pocketbook voting

voters’ personal choice of vote based on their financial status

Two factors that drive voter turnout

• education

• income levels

Most reliable demographic group for Democratic party/candidates

African Americans

How many electoral votes are needed to capture presidency?

270

What each state has a number of electoral votes equal to?

Number of its house members and 2 senators

Name of religious group that often votes Republican?

WASPs (White christian protestants)

What region of the US is “solidly blue”

Northeast

Idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to implement their promises and policy agendas as they were campaigned

Mandate Theory of Elections.

The number of electoral votes assigned to DC?

3.

What type of primary election does Maryland have?

A closed primary.

Process that allows citizens to petition for issues that will be decided by a direct ballot (and not by legislature)

Ballot initiative

A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or reject a proposed legislation (or a constitutional amendment)

A referendum.

Electoral choices made on basis of voters’ preferences as well as candidates’ platforms

Policy voting

Theory of voting where one asks: “What have you done for me lately?”

Retrospective voting.

What citizens may not vote in the November presidential elections?

U.S Teritory residents.

System of selecting convention delegates in which voters must attend an open meeting to express their presidential preference 

A caucus

Election in which a state’s voters go to the polls to endorse a party’s nominee for president 

Presidential primary election

Which group of voters are the largest when filling out political affiliation in poll?

Independents

Elections to select party nominees can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests 

Open primaries

Voting w/ one party for one office and w/ another party for another office (or offices)

Ticket-splitting

Voting where someone checks off all D’s or R’s on a ballot

Straight-ticket voting

A person votes only for the most important race and leaves down ballot contests blank

Ballot fatigue

Key battleground (or swing) states:

• Pennsylvania

• Michigan

• Wisconsin

• North Carolina

• Georgia

• Nevada

• Arizona

Where presidential race is decided if no candidate captures majority of electoral votes

The House of Representatives

Where vice president is elected if no presidential candidate captures majority of electoral votes

US Senate

the most reliable, consistent voting group (age)

senior citizens

Racial/Ethnic minority group with lowest collective voter turnout 

Asian Americans