Chapter 6 Voters and Voter Behavior American Government Chapter 6 Voters and Voter Behavior

Section 1 The Right to Vote Main Idea: Democratic government can succeed only if its citizens are willing to vote. The history of the United States has been marked by a steady expansion of the electorate through the elimination of restrictions on voting qualifications.

Section 1 The Right to Vote Voting Suffrage/Franchise: The right to vote 1789: Only white, male, property owners may vote 1870s: 15th Amendment eliminated restrictions based on race 1920: 19th Amendment added women to the electorate 1971: 26th Amendment dropped voting age to 18 Today: The electorate (those eligible to vote) include nearly all citizens 18+ years of age

Section 2 Voter Qualifications Main Idea: All states have citizenship, residence, and age requirements for voting. Other voting qualifications differ from State to State. Some requirements – especially those that were used to disenfranchise certain groups – have been eliminated over time.

Section 2 Voter Qualifications States determine voter qualifications All require voters to be legal citizens and legal residents Most forbid transients Transient: Person living in a state for only a short time Age requirement set by 26th Amendment Must be 18

Section 2 Voter Qualifications Registration 49 states require voter registration Gives officials a list of registered voters, called poll books Officials are to review these periodically and purge them Purging: Removing names from those no longer eligible to vote

Section 2 Voter Qualifications Restrictions? No Literacy Test: Proof of ability to read or write No Poll tax: A tax paid for voting All states deny the right to vote to people in mental institutions Most states deny the right to vote to people convicted of a serious crime

Section 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights Main Idea: The 15th Amendment declared that the right to vote cannot be denied on account of race. Nevertheless, a variety of tactics were used in Southern States to disenfranchise African Americans. The Supreme Court struck down a number of these efforts, and, beginning in the 1950s, Congress passed laws to protect minority voting rights.

Section 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights Discrimination 1870, 15th Amendment said right to vote could not be denied based on race Southern states used many tactics to deny African Americans the right to vote Violence Threats Literacy tests Gerrymandering: Drawing district lines that limits a particular group’s political strength

Section 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights Discrimination (cont.) Civil Rights Movement pressured Congress to ensure African American Voting rights Civil Rights Act 1957 Set up a commission to investigate voter discrimination Civil Rights Act 1960 Set up federal referees to help eligible voters register and vote in federal elections Civil Rights Act 1964 Emphasized injunctions (orders from courts to do or stop doing something bad)

Section 4 Voter Behavior Main Idea: Low voter turnout is a serious problem in this country. Among those who do vote, sociological and psychological factors work together to influence voter behavior over time and in particular elections.

Section 4 Voter Behavior Problems Millions of Americans who are qualified to vote, don’t Voter turn-out is low in presidential election years Even lower in off-year elections (congressional elections held between presidential elections)

Section 4 Voter Behavior Problems (cont.) Those who choose not to vote lack a feeling of political efficacy Efficacy: Feeling that their vote will make a difference Political socialization Process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions Sociological factors influence each person’s voting choices Include: income, occupation, education, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, region of residency, and family

Section 4 Voter Behavior Problems (cont.) Gender gap Measurable differences between the electoral choices of men and women Psychological factors also affect voter behavior Party identification Loyalty to a political party Straight ticket voting Voting only for members of your political party Split-ticket voting Voting for candidates of both major parties Most often done by independents