Ch. 10 Civic Responsibilities and Duties Voting Ch. 10 Civic Responsibilities and Duties

Vocabulary Civic Duties – things you are legally required to do Civic Responsibilities – things you should do but are not required to do Political Party – association of voters who want to influence government by getting their candidates elected to office Apathy – general feeling of not caring Electorate – people eligible to vote Incumbent – person who already holds the office they are running for Canvassing – going door to door to get voters

People from a representative’s district are called his/her: Lobbyists Constituents Representees Electors

Civic Duties Civic Responsibilities Obey the law Pay taxes Defend the nation – Selective Service Jury Duty Attend school Be informed Vote Respect others Tolerate diversity Contribute to the common good

Volunteering Government doesn’t have time or money to cover everything that everyone needs so people must volunteer Helps reduce the cost of government Volunteers can give time or money Benefits Community is uplifted Deductions from taxes Intrinsic value

What amendment gave 18 years olds the ability to vote? 23rd amendment 24th amendment 25th amendment 26th amendment

Eligibility to Vote 18 years old Resident of the state for a specific time Citizen of the U.S. No felonies

Voting Process Gather information Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, and internet Websites of candidates & political parties Political parties Go to polling place & receive a ballot Cast your ballot – fill out your choices Wait for returns – reporting of election results Absentee Ballot – a way to vote if you will be unable to vote on election day Exit Poll – way of predicting the winner before all of the votes are counted by asking people as they leave who they voted for

Voting Process

North Carolina Sample Ballot

Not Voting Apathy - #1 reason why people don’t vote Following can’t vote Felons Those in mental hospitals People who do not meet state requirements Registration is not a problem Presidential elections – 50% of electorate vote Elections without Presidential candidates – between 7% and 20% vote

What is the election on the first Tuesday of November called? Primary Election General Election Presidential Election Campaign Election

Special Elections Initiative – a petition is signed with enough signatures to put an issue on the ballot Proposition – once an initiative is on the ballot Referendum – people can gather signatures to review a law passed by the state legislatures Usually with very controversial issues Recall – special election where voters can vote an official out of office before their term is up

Campaigning Creation of a positive image for a candidate Television is the most common means of campaigning 2 types Mass Campaigning – TV, Rally & Mail – less time consuming but more expensive Grass Roots – small level – Canvassing or making phone calls – cheap but time consuming – the voters get to personally know the candidate and the candidate gets to know the voters Incumbents – win 80% of the time Name recognition Franking privilege Endorsements – a famous or popular person supports a candidate

Obama’s Endorsements People Newspapers Examples Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter Senator Ted Kennedy Newspapers Examples: Charlotte Observer, The Boston Globe Others include and not limited to labor organizations, scientists, other political figures, entertainers, athletes, and Native American tribes

Financing Campaigns The Federal Election & Campaign Finance Act of 1971 Established rules for campaign finance Public disclosure of spending Established federal funding of presidential elections Limits how much individuals & groups could spend Created the FEC (Federal Election Committee)

Private Funding Soft Money Donations Donations given to political parties & not designated for a particular candidate Most goes to TV ads for the parties’ candidates Elaborate dinners with individual donations Political Action Committees (PACs) Organized by special interest groups Funds candidates who favor their position on issues Hard money vs. Soft money Hard money – directly to a candidate Soft money – general purpose McCain-Feingold Act

Public Funding Presidential Election Campaign Fund Taxpayers check a box on their federal income tax returns to designate $3 of their taxes to the fund Candidates can get the money for primary elections if they have raised $100,000 on their own Barack Obama did not take any public money for the 2008 Presidential Election