All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Which model explains voting based on benefits vs. costs?
Answer: Rational choice model. Predicts people vote when expected benefits exceed voting costs.
Flashcard 2: What is 'split-ticket voting'?
Answer: Voting for candidates from different parties in the same election. Indicates voter independence from strict party loyalty.
Flashcard 3: What is 'partisan gerrymandering'?
Answer: Drawing district lines to favor one political party. Creates electoral advantages by concentrating opposition voters.
Flashcard 4: What is a 'swing state'?
Answer: A state where both major political parties have similar support. Competitive states that could vote for either major party candidate.
Flashcard 5: What is the 'paradox of voting'?
Answer: The question of why people vote when the cost outweighs the benefits. Individual votes rarely determine outcomes, yet millions still vote.
Flashcard 6: What did the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) address?
Answer: Reformed voting systems and voter access post-2000 election. Required modern voting equipment and improved accessibility standards.
Flashcard 7: What is a 'political machine'?
Answer: A political organization that influences elections through patronage. Historically controlled urban politics through jobs and favors.
Flashcard 8: What is meant by 'voter fatigue'?
Answer: Decreased voter turnout due to frequent elections. Too many elections can overwhelm and discourage voter participation.
Flashcard 9: What is a 'political action committee' (PAC)?
Answer: An organization that raises money for candidates or legislation. Subject to contribution limits and disclosure requirements.
Flashcard 10: Define 'political efficacy.'
Answer: The belief that one's political participation makes a difference. Higher efficacy correlates with increased political participation.
Flashcard 11: What is the 'socioeconomic model' of voting behavior?
Answer: Voting influenced by individual economic and social status. Higher income and education typically correlate with increased voting.
Flashcard 12: Identify one institutional factor affecting voter turnout.
Answer: Voter registration requirements. Barriers like complex procedures can reduce voter participation.
Flashcard 13: What is 'suffrage'?
Answer: The right to vote in political elections. Fundamental democratic right that has expanded throughout U.S. history.
Flashcard 14: Which amendment abolished poll taxes?
Answer: The 24th Amendment. Eliminated economic barriers to voting that disproportionately affected minorities.
Flashcard 15: What is the 'motor voter' law?
Answer: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Allows voter registration when obtaining or renewing a driver's license.
Flashcard 16: Identify one model of voting behavior.
Answer: Rational choice model. Assumes voters weigh costs and benefits when deciding whether to vote.
Flashcard 17: What is meant by 'electoral participation'?
Answer: The various ways citizens engage in the electoral process. Includes voting, campaigning, donating, and other political activities.
Flashcard 18: What is the 'Australian ballot'?
Answer: A secret ballot printed by the government. Replaced party-printed ballots and reduced vote buying and intimidation.
Flashcard 19: What is 'early voting'?
Answer: Casting a vote before the official election day. Increases convenience and may boost turnout in elections.
Flashcard 20: Which demographic factors affect voting behavior?
Answer: Age, income, education, race, and gender. These characteristics strongly predict voting patterns and turnout rates.
Flashcard 21: Which amendment ensures voting rights cannot be denied by gender?
Answer: The 19th Amendment. Prohibits sex-based voting discrimination, passed in 1920.
Flashcard 22: What does 'voter registration' mean?
Answer: The process of signing up to vote in elections. Required in most states before being allowed to cast a ballot.
Flashcard 23: Define 'disenfranchisement.'
Answer: The revocation of the right to vote. Can result from legal barriers, intimidation, or systemic discrimination.
Flashcard 24: What is the purpose of a voter ID law?
Answer: To require identification to vote and prevent fraud. Controversial policy that may reduce fraud but can suppress legitimate votes.
Flashcard 25: What is 'prospective voting'?
Answer: Voting based on future policy promises of a candidate. Focuses on candidates' proposed future policies and agenda.
Flashcard 26: What is the 'gender gap' in voting?
Answer: Differences in political views and voting behavior between genders. Women typically vote more Democratic while men vote more Republican.
Flashcard 27: What is 'retrospective voting'?
Answer: Voting based on past performance of a candidate or party. Evaluates whether incumbents deserve reelection based on results.
Flashcard 28: What is 'political mobilization'?
Answer: Efforts to encourage people to participate in the political process. Campaigns and organizations work to increase voter registration and turnout.
Flashcard 29: Define 'felony disenfranchisement.'
Answer: The exclusion from voting due to a criminal conviction. Varies by state, affecting millions of Americans' voting rights.
Flashcard 30: What is the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
Answer: Prohibits voting denial based on race, color, or previous servitude. Passed after the Civil War to protect voting rights of freed slaves.