AP GOV Unit 5 Campaigns, Elections, and Voting

Direct primary

allows citizens to nominate candidate

Suffrage

1. After 1800 no more religious, property, or tax qualifications

2. 15th Amendment ended racial disqualifications 1870

3. 17th Amendment allows the PEOPLE to vote directly for their two senators

4. 19th granted women suffrage

5. Elimination of grandfather clauses, white primaries, and literacy requirements through legislation and court decisions

   1. Civil Rights Acts

   2. Voting Rights Act of 1965

6. Residents of D.C. can vote in presidential elections with the passage of the 23rd Amendment in 1961

7. 24th Amendment ended poll taxes

8. 26th Amendment lowered voting age to 18

Recall

Special election that is intiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before a term expires

Referendum

Allows citizens to directly vote on issues called propositions (legislators/governors put on ballot)

• Proposed laws

• State constitutional amendments

Initiative

Allows voters to petition to propose issues to be decided by qualified voters (representatives/senators)

Rational-choice voting

Voting based on rationale

• Economic benefits of a party

Retrospective voting

voting based on past performance

Prospective voting

looking at their agendas and party agendas (furture)

Party-line voting

Voting for your party (loyalty)

Sociological voting

Voting based on what group you’re in:

• race

• culture

• economic class

• Ex: minorities are prone to vote democraticly

General elections

Any election where people vote candidates into office

• Voters choose among all nominated candidates by political parties or running as independents

Mid-term elections

Happens in the middle of a presidential election (year 2)

Lower voter turnout

• People view candidates and their party as the same

• Lack of satisfaction/or satisfaction

• A lack of interest

• POLITICAL EFFICACY= People don’t think their vote in millions of votes will make a difference

• Differences in procedures in states

  • The National Voter Registation Act of 1995 (Motot Voter Law) created to make voter registration easier

Political Efficacy

People don’t think their vote out of millions of votes is impactful

Voter demographics

• People with HIGHER education are more likely to vote

• People with HIGHER incomes are more likely to vote

• Older people more likely to vote

• Minorities are more less likely to vote

• Women are more likely to vote

• Religious ppl are more likey to vote

• Married ppl more likely to vote

• Union membership encourages voting

• People who are more involved in community

• People who are more connected with their party identity more likely vote

• State with more heavy majorities are less likely to vote

Influences on votes

1. Party identification

2. Characteristics of candidates

   1. personal/professional characteristics

3. Issues at the time

4. Demographic

   1. minorities

   2. gender

   3. age

Primary elections

Choose candidates from each party who will run in general election

Closed primary

Only for party members

• Vote for which candidate

Open primary

Voters may vote to choose candidates from any party (not just the one they’re registered with)

• A person who is Democrat can vote for the Republican party

Blanket primary (only used in three states)

Voters may vote for either party

• Democrat in one office and Republican in another (ticket split)

Runoff primary

When no candidate receives a majority of votes

• top two face each other in a runoff

Special elections

Whenever an issue must be decided by voters before a primary or general election is held

• Fill a vacancy in Senate

Coattail effect

Allows lesser known candidates from the PRESIDENTIAL candidate’s party to win by riding “coattails” of a nominee

Caucus (Not many states use)

1. Discuss (local gathering), reach a compromise “Let’s vote for”

2. Vote

   • Fewer people go than in primaries

Similar to a primary, but have less people and there is discussion and debate (primaries just collect votes)

Presidential preference primary

Determine whom the state delegates to the national party convention will support

• Party delegates vote for the winner of the primary election at the national convention

Front-loading

Choosing earlier dates to hold their primaries

Superdelegates

Elected party officials

• Unpledged delegates

Electoral college

1. Popular vote= votes cast by citizens (electorates)

2. Electors use the vote (electors= # of reps in house and senate of a state)

3. 538 electors= electoral college

4. The candidate who wins the majority votes in the general election wins all the votes of that state (winner takes all)

5. 270= winner

Maintaining elections

LOYALTY of party members maintains the traditional majority power

Deviating elections

MINORITY party WINS with the support of MAJORITY party members

Critical Elections

Sharp changes in patterns of party loyalty

• Social and economic changes

• Realignment

• FDR gained Republican votes bc The Great Depression influences change in ideology

Realigning Elections

Minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters

• Great Depression

• Critical Elections

Dealigning Elections

Party loyalty is less important to voters

• More independents

• Split-ticket voting

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

• Banned use of Soft Money in FEDERAL campaigns (indirect money to candidates… ex: ads or meetings)

• Increased limits on individual and group spending for contributions to candidates

Citizens United v FEC

SCOTUS ruled that limiting the ability of groups that make contributions to political candidates is UNCONSTITUTIONAL

• First Amendment—> Freedom of Religious Speech/Freedom of Expression