political ideologies and parties, voting rights, interest groups and lobbying

Political Ideologies

a set of ideas and beliefs of a group

Characteristics of Liberals

willing to discard traditions for new behavior, believes in individual freedom, gov't provide social welfare programs

Characteristics of Conservatives

believe in traditional american values less gov't regulation for business

Roles of Political Parties

nominate candidates, inform and activate supporters

Characteristics of Democratic Party

liberal, younger voters, African Americans and Hispanics, women, lower income, costal residents

Characteristics of Republican Party

conservatives, olde voters, white, men, higher income, and western residents

Pros of Third Parties

highlight major issues, serve as critics, provide new ideas

Cons of Third Parties

can make the difference in a election by directing votes away

Suffrage

right to vote

15th Amendment

granted all men the right to vote

19th Amendment

granted women the right to vote

26th Amendment

lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Voter Apathy

lack of interest in voting

Qualifications to Vote in Texas

proof of identification and vote in one assigned presience

Voting Barriers People Faced to 1965

pay a poll tax, literacy test in order to vote, arrests and beating by police, threats against family

Impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

increased voting among African American, abolished literacy tests, required ballots to be printed in other languages, allowed the federal gov't to regulate election procedures by registering voters

Voter Registering Act

make registering to vote easier by finding forms at post offices, motor vehicles, gov offices

Interest Groups

groups of people share a point of view about an issue and unite to promote beliefs

Lobbying

a way to influence and convince lawmakers to vote

Lobbyists

representative of interest groups who contacts officials directly

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

founded in 1929 and is the oldest civil rights organization for hispanics

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

founded in 1909 and is the oldest the largest civil rights interest group

National Rifle Association (NRA)

is a worldwide leader in firearm education, training, markmanship