Chapters in On-Line Book 10, 12 Voting & Elections 13 Interest Groups 11 Political Parties   Readings in Lanahan Reader 57, 62, 69, 72 April 26 NO CLASS MEETING

Testing Political Knowledge Name the 5 1st Amendment rights 1 in 1000 Name these 5 Simpsons: 1 in 5

“The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.” Winston Churchill

Voting & Elections Voting Behavior: Turnout & Choice Types of Elections Presidential Elections Electoral College Congressional Elections Mid-Term Elections

Terms for voting Suffrage: the legal right to vote Disenfranchisement: to deprive people of the right to vote

Turnout Proportion of Voting Age Population (VAP) that votes And VEP Voting eligible population- ELECTORATE Predictors Education Income Gender Race/Ethnicity Age Region Type of Election Marriage status

Figure 1: Voting Rates Plummeted in the 1970s and 1980s, but Have Risen in Last Three Elections Fig. 8-1, p. 217

Figure 3: Age Differences in Turnout Fig. 8-3, p. 219

Year Voting-age pop. Voter reg. Voter turnout Turnout of VAP 2010** 235,809,266 NA 90,682,968 37.8% 2008* 231,229,580 NA 132,618,580* 56.8 2006 220,600,000 135,889,600 80,588,000 37.1 2004 221,256,931 174,800,000 122,294,978 55.3 2002 215,473,000 150,990,598 79,830,119 37.0 2000 205,815,000 156,421,311 105,586,274 51.3 1998 200,929,000 141,850,558 73,117,022 36.4 1996 196,511,000 146,211,960 96,456,345 49.1 1994 193,650,000 130,292,822 75,105,860 38.8 1992 189,529,000 133,821,178 104,405,155 55.1 1990 185,812,000 121,105,630 67,859,189 36.5 1988 182,778,000 126,379,628 91,594,693 50.1 1986 178,566,000 118,399,984 64,991,128 36.4 1984 174,466,000 124,150,614 92,652,680 53.1

Other Turnout Depressants Apathy Difficulty in Absentee Voting Vote doesn’t matter Family Obligations Registration # of Elections Alienation Scheduling Conflict Work School

Analyzing Visuals: Why people Don’t Vote

15th Amendment-1870

Restrictions on Voting Literacy Test Poll tax Grandfather Clause White primary Smith vs. Allwright 1944

19th Amendment- 1920

23rd Amendment-1961

Voting Rights Act of 1965 “No voting qualifications or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the US to vote on account of race or color.”

26th Amendment-1971

Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Registering To Vote Voter Registration: a system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of the election day Registration procedures differ by state. Motor Voter Act: passed in 1993, requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for their driver’s license

Types of Elections Primaries General Elections Voting for the leaders Open Closed Runoff

Presidential Selection Primaries v. Caucuses Frontloading Electoral College

Congressional Elections Incumbency Advantage Staff Media/Travel Intimidation Gerrymandering Mid-term Elections

Congressional Elections Threats to Incumbency Advantage Redistricting Scandal Presidential Coattails