Unit 5 Study Guide

suffrage

the right to vote

franchise

the right to vote

electorate

potential voters

what is a formal change to the constitution

an amendment

what is an informal change to the constitution

legislation or SCOTUS decisions

what is the 15th amendment

• came in the time of the reconstruction era

• voting can not be denied based on race or skin color

• universal male suffrage

what is the 17th amendment

• during the progressive era (millioner’s club)

• citizens directly elect senators

• originally elected by state legislatures

what is the 19th amendment

• women’s suffrage movement

• right to vote can not be denied based on sex

• universal suffrage

23th amendment

• civil rigths movement

• smith v. allwright ended white primaries

• citizens of washington d.c gained the right to vote for president

26th amendment

lowered voting age to 18 and was a response to draft of Vietnam

voter turnout

the percent of eligible voters who actually vote in an election about 70% of the population

rational choice

voting based on what is perceived to be in the voters best interests

retrospective voting

voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected based on the recent past

prospective voting

voting based on predications of how a party pr candidate will preform in future.

party line (straight ticket) voting

voting for candidates from one party for all offices in election

political parties

an independent organization that seeks to control gov. through winning elections & holding public office

functions of political parties

mobilization and educate voters , increase participation, statement of beliefs, campaign management

party system

where one political party dominates the gov.

critical elections

reveal sharp lastign changes in loyalities to poltical parties

party realignments

transtiitons from one political party tp mostly being run by another

what era are we currently in

era of divided gov.

regional realignment

northeast and west realigned from the republican party to democratic. southwest realigned from the democratic to the republican party

interest groups what?

independent organizations that try to influence gov. on their opions

• represent the pluralist model of democracy