Exam 2 Review Sheet Flashcards
(39 cards)
How do most people participate in the political system?
Political participation includes voting, running for office, participating in marches or demonstrations, giving money, attending rallies, writing letter or emails, or discussing issues with friends
What is a rational voter
A “rational” voter is one who will vote only if the personal benefits outweigh the costs
Benefits: policy, civic duty, varies by individual
Costs: time, information/becoming informed, also varies by individual
It’s not rational to vote (cost outweighs benefits): individual vote doesn’t matter, especially in Texas and other non-battleground states
Who votes vs who does not vote
People with higher education tend to make more money and in turn, tend to vote more often
Women are more likely to vote than men
Socioeconomic: High education/income means more likely to vote. Partisan competition related explanations: High turnout in swing states
White, older, married, rich, and religious people are more likely to vote
Why do some states have higher voter turnout?
Voter registration differs significantly across states, same day registration (also election day registration) vs. 15-30 days in advance, Online, mail, ID, location, race, political ideology,
States that are more competitive politically (battleground states) usually have higher voter turnout because the individual votes is “worth more” than in states where the political party is historically set and not likely to change.
How could voter turnout be increased?
-Secure convenient locations
-Secure larger venues
-More voting machines (lines will be shorter),
-Shorter & better designed ballots
-Make registering to vote easier.
-Make voting easier.
-Online voting.
-Hire invested and engaged poll workers.
-Get people excited about politics between elections.
-Incentives to vote.
Who or what determines voter qualifications?
State determines voter qualifications. Generally includes voter eligibility and verification (IDs), voting locations and ease of voting, online Internet registration, ballot requests and voting.
Open primary
Any primary election in which a voter either does not have to formally affiliate with a political party in order to vote in its primary or can declare his or her affiliation with a party at the polls on the day of the primary even if the voter was previously affiliated with a different party.
Closed primary
A type of primary election in which a voter must affiliate formally with a political party in advance of the election date in order to participate in that party’s primary.
Closed primary in Texas: voter must vote with the same party throughout primary season (can’t change parties from primary to runoff), even if not registered with that party
Runoff primary
A second primary election conducted to determine which of the top vote-getters in the first primary will be awarded the party nomination for an office.
60 days after primary
Top two candidates by percentage go against each other
One of the two must have >50% of votes
Candidate can finish second in primary and win the runoff
Semi-closed primaries
Voters that are not affiliated with a political party may participate in the partisan primary election of their choice. Voters who are affiliated with a political party are only allowed to vote in that party’s primary.
Top-two primaries
All candidates are listed on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliations, Consequently, it is possible for two candidates belonging to the same political party to win in a top-two primary and face off in the general election
Blanket Primaries
All candidates are listed on the same ballot and voters choose one candidate per office regardless of party affiliation. In a blanket primary, the top vote-getter from each party advances to the general election. This ensures that candidates from the same party will not compete against each other in the general election
Primary Election
An election used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given elective office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election. “Selection not election”
General Elections
An election in which voters cast ballots to select public officials at any level, including city, county, congressional district, or state. General elections determine the final winner – the candidate to take office. The candidate obtaining the most votes (even if not necessarily a majority of votes) wins.
Special Elections
Used to ratify or reject Texas constitutional amendments, fill elected offices that have become vacant between general elections, or provide approval to borrow money. Special elections are called by the Texas Legislature.
Initiative Election
In civics, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a public vote in the legislature in what is called indirect initiative, or under direct initiative, where the proposition is put to a plebiscite or referendum
Recall Elections
The power of the voters to remove elected officials from office through a direct vote before their terms expire
Fifteenth amendment
Prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”.
Nineteenth amendment
Prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.
Twenty-fourth amendment
Prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax.
Twenty-sixth amendment
Prohibits the states and the federal government from using age as a reason for denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States who are at least eighteen years old.
Know the responsible party model
a party system in which each party offers clear policy alternatives and holds their elected officials responsible for enacting these policies in office
We expect parties to say what they mean and mean what they say
As per this model, the parties:
-Develop and clarify alternative policy positions for voters
-Educate people about issues and simplify choices
-Recruit candidates for office who agree with the party positions
-Organize and direct their candidates to win elections
-Hold their elected officials responsible for enacting the parties’ policy positions after they were elected
-Organize legislatures to ensure party control of policymaking
Problems with the responsible party model
Problems with this model:
-Parties generally do not offer voters clear policy alternatives
-Voter decisions are not motivated primarily by policy considerations
-American political parties have no way to bind their elected officials to party positions or even to their campaign pledges
What do the national party committees do?
keep the party operating in between elections
They have the greatest role in presidential election years when they are responsible for planning the nominating convention to formally select a party’s presidential candidate and also spend heavily in support of their party’s nominee (some of this spending is directly coordinated with the nominee’s campaign; the rest is in independent expenditures).