Chapter 8 Vocab

Voting-age population

Voting-age population

Citizens who are eligible to vote after meeting the minimum age requirement.

Registered voters

People who are registered to vote.

Australian ballot

A government printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted around 1890 to reduce voting fraud.

Activists

People who tend to participate in all forms of politics.

GOTV (Get Out the Vote)

Get out the Vote Drive tactics include door to door canvassing, radio ads, TV ads, and election day festivals.

Voting specialists

People who vote but do little else; typically not highly educated or have low income.

Communalists

Individuals who vote and engage in nonpartisan community activities.

Parochial participants

Individuals who don’t vote and stay out of election campaigns, but contact local officials about specific issues.

Campaigners

Individuals who vote and get involved in campaigns; typically better educated.

Linkage institutions

Channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policymakers.

Voter turnout

The level of participation in elections, influenced by state regulations and election types.

Structural barriers

Obstacles that affect voter participation, such as Voter ID laws and polling hours.

Political efficacy

The belief that an individual’s participation in the political process can make a difference.

Voter choice

Factors influencing how voters decide, including party identification and candidate characteristics.

Fourteenth Amendment

Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

Fifteenth Amendment

Granted African American men the right to vote.

Seventeenth Amendment

Established direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote.

Nineteenth Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Eliminated poll taxes as a barrier to voting.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18.

Rational choice theory

The idea that individuals make voting decisions based on perceived best interest.

Retrospective voting

Voting based on the recent past performance of a party or candidate.

Prospective voting

Voting based on predictions about future performance of a party or candidate.

Straight ticket voting

Voting for all candidates from one political party on the ballot.

Split-ticket voting

Voting for candidates from different political parties for different offices.