Voting Behavior

When are federal elections held?

The first Tuesday in November of every even numbered year

14th amendment

Grants citizenship t former slaves

15th amendment

Gave African-Americans the right to vote

17th amendment

Changed election of senators from a vote by state legislature to the people

19th amendment

Women’s suffrage

23rd amendment

Gave D.C 3 electoral votes

24th amendment

Eliminated poll tax

25th amendment

Lowered voting age to 18

Rational choice voting

Individuals who base their decisions on wat is perceived to be in their best interest

Retrospective voting

Individuals who decide whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected

Prospective voting

People who vote based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Straight ticket voting

People who vote for all the candidates from one political party on a ballot

Split ticket voting

People who vote for one party for president and opposite party for house and senate

Voting turnout

The number of voters that cast ballots as a percentage of voting age populations

Voter apathy

My vote doesn’t make a difference

Political efficacy

Sense that your vote makes a difference

Structural barriers

Polling hours, registration requirements, age requirements , citizenship

Turnout can be impacted by

Instate laws, variations in registration laws, election type

Electorate

All eligible voters

Absentee voting

If you are out of are and need to vote

The incumbency Advantage

Support from a paid staff

Why incumbents lose?

Scandals, midterms, redistricting, presidential coat tails

Political Parities

An organized group with similar ideologies and goals that seeks to elect candidates to public office by supplying them with a label by which they are known to electorate

Linkage Institution

Channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policymakers: Political parities, Interest groups, Elections

Functions of political parities

1) Mobilize and educate voters

2) Create platforms that define their ideas and goals

3) Recruit candidates and manage their campaign

4) Decide committee assignments and party leader

Role of parties in the nominating process has become

Weaker recently

Party platform

Written list of beliefs and political goals

Republicans (Elephants)

• Strong national defense

• Reduction in wasteful government spending

• Limited regulation on business

Democrats (Donkeys)

• Support minority rights

• Stronger positions on environmental protection

• Government services to solve public problems

How parties impact the government?

1) Writing public policy

2) electing candidates who transform preferences to policies

3) maintain power in the various chambers and branches

Third party agendas are sometimes incorporated into

The platforms of major parties

Electoral systems

Winner takes all , Pluraity system

Opinions of voters

If one party is failing, we try the other for a while

Hard money

Contributions subject to regulation, donations from individuals, candidates control how money is spent

Soft money

Contributions not regulated, party building activities not given to Candidates, no control

Super pacs

Soft money

PAC

Hard money

Interest groups cannot give money directly to

Canadidates and have to give through PACS

Federal election campaign act

Tracks hard money, limited individuals contributions to 1000$ per election

Bipartisan campaign reform act

Banned soft money to national parties, increased limits on hard money to $2000 from individuals. 5000 for PACS

Citizens united v FEC

Overturned the bipartisan campaign reform act saying that it violated the 1st amendment free speech