Suffrage & Civil Rights Chapter 6 Section 3

The 15th Amendment The purpose of the 15th Amendment (1870) was to grant suffrage to newly freed slaves. (federal government did not enforce) White supremacists in the South devised many ways to prevent African Americans from voting. IE. Gerrymandering Between the 1950s and the 1970s, Congress passed a number of civil rights laws designed to end disenfranchisement of African Americans.

Test Question Gerrymandering was unfair because a. no one has the right to divide electoral districts for elections. b. it set district lines to decrease one group’s voting strength. c. it made voter registration impossible for African Americans. d. it increased the voting power of minority groups.

Test Question The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, did not secure the right of African Americans to vote primarily because? a. it did not state voting rights could not be denied to African Americans. b. the Federal Government did not intervene to uphold the amendment. c. part of it did not apply to African American women as well as men. d. it prevented State leaders from acting on behalf of potential voters who were being discriminated against.

The Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960 The Civil Rights Act of 1957 set up a federal Civil Rights Commission and gave the attorney general the power to seek injunctions against any person or group that sought to interfere with the voting rights of qualified persons. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 provided for the appointment of federal voting referees, who could be sent anywhere a federal court found discrimination.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed job related discrimination. It also forbade States to use voter registration requirements in discriminatory manner.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Its Amendments The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a vigorous attempt to enforce the 15th Amendment by attacking discriminatory practices in the South and sending in federal officials to ensure that African Americans were allowed to vote. (applies to state, federal and local elections)

Test Question The provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and its amendments of 1970, 1975, and 1982, apply to a. all national, State, and local elections. b. federal elections only. c. State and local elections only. d. all federal and State elections, but not to all local elections.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Its Amendments The law has been extended three times, expanding it coverage to States and counties outside the South and to “language minorities”-Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Alaskan natives.

The expansion of Suffrage has been expanded through constitutional amendments and civil rights acts.

Voter Behavior Chapter 6 Section 4

Nonvoting The Size of the Problem Only about half of eligible voters turn out in presidential elections. Only about a third of eligible voters turn out in off-year elections.

Test Question A person who votes in the presidential election but does not vote for a gubernatorial candidate in the same election is known as a. a cannot-voter. b. a nonvoting voter. c. an independent voter. d. an actual nonvoter

Little-Recognized Aspects of the Problem More people vote in federal than in State and local elections. In general, the farther down the ballot office is, the fewer the number of votes that will be cast for it. This phenomenon is called “ballot fatigue”. Turnout is lower in off-year elections, primaries, and special elections than it is in presidential-year elections.

Test Question The phenomenon in which fewer votes are cast for offices farther down the ballot is called a. voter alienation. b. straight-ticket voting. c. split-ticket voting. d. ballot fatigue.

Why People Do Not Vote .”Cannot-Voters” Nearly 20 million Americans do not vote because they cannot. Cannot-Voters include aliens, the mentally or physically handicapped, and people in prison. Some people cannot vote because their religious beliefs forbid them to participate in government. Some are still prevented from voting because of discriminatory electoral practices.

Actual Nonvoters Many people do not vote because they are satisfied with the political system as it is and believe that the outcome of elections will not affect them. Many others do not vote because they distrust the political process and do not think that they have any effective political power. Bad weather, “time-zone fallout” and cumbersome election procedures keep some away from the polls

Test Question The most significant reason for nonvoting in United States elections today seems to be a. long-term mental or physical illness or illness on an election day. b. rules and regulation that make registration and voting cumbersome. c. lack of education about voting policies and procedures. d. apathy or distrust of politics.

Factors Affecting Turnout Voters are most likely to be people at the higher end of the social, economic, and educational ladder, active in their communities, and who experience few cross-pressures. Nonvoters are most likely to be under 35, unmarried and unskilled, and living in the South or in rural area.

People with a high sense of political efficacy do not vote no matter what their personal background. The greater the degree of candidate competition, the higher the voter turnout is likely to be.

The Study of Voting Behavior Observers learn about voter behavior through three main sources. They carefully study the results of particular elections. They conduct and study public opinion polls. They try to understand political socialization—all of the complex influences that go into how people see the political world and their role within it.

Sociological factors include a voter’s personal social characteristics, such as age, race, religion, and so on. Physiological factors include how a particular voter sees parties, candidates, and issues in an election.

The Sociological Factors Income, Occupation—Business and professional people and those from higher income groups tend to support the Republican party while manual workers and those from lower income groups tend to support the Democratic party. Education—The more education a voter has, the more likely he or she is to vote Republican.

Sexes, Age—in recent years, men and younger voters have been more likely to vote Republican. Religious, Ethnic Background—Jews, Catholics, and nonwhites tend to support the Democratic party. Geography—Traditionally, Southerners, and residents of northeastern cities have been strongly Democratic. Family, Other Group Affiliations—People in the same family or circle of friends tend to vote alike.

Test Question The policies of political socialization a. stifles individual initiative by promoting party politics. b. fosters the feeling that ones vote does not count. c. includes a variety of individual experiences. d. is the study of individual voting behavior.

The Psychological Factors Party Identification—A voter’s loyalty to one political party is the single most important predictor of how that person will vote. Candidates and Issues—Although many voters usually vote for one party or the other, they may switch allegiances in a given election based on the particular candidates or issues involved.

Test Question The single most significant predictor of a person’s partisan voting behavior is his or her ___. a. party identification. b. personal characteristics. c. political efficacy d. perceptions of politics.