American Government Chapter 6 Voters and Voter Behavior. Look for the flag and the chimes. I. The Constitution and the Right to Vote: Understanding the historical development of the right to vote in the United States. A. The History of Voting Rights
Voters and Voter Behavior
A. The History of Voting Rights Understanding the historical development of the right to vote in the United States
1. In the early 1800s religious, property-ownership, and tax-payment qualifications were removed, and almost all white males could vote.
2. After the Civil War, the 15th Amendment removed racial barriers, though AfricanAmericans remained largely disenfranchised.
3. In 1920 the 19th Amendment granted women suffrage
4. In the 1960s Congress Understanding the historical development of the right to vote in the United States
banned poll taxes, passed the
Voting Rights Act, and granted the vote to residents of Washington, D.C., all of which expanded voting rights for African Americans.
5. In 1971 the 26th Amendment
granted suffrage to 18-year-olds.
Jennings Randolph"Father of the 26th Amendment"
Jennings Randolph was a warrior for peace and had great faith in young people:
"They possess a great social conscience, are perplexed by the injustices in the world, and are anxious to rectify those ills."
"The Father of the 26th Amendment" introduced legislation eleven times -- in the U.S. House of Representatives and later in the United States Senate -- to lower the voting age, beginning in 1942 until its passage in 1971. Due to his persistence, 18-20-year-olds have had the opportunity to vote in eight presidential elections.
Jennings Randolph"Father of the 26th Amendment"
B. The Power to Set Voting Qualifications Understanding the historical development of the right to vote in the United States
1. The Constitution reserves to the States the right to set suffrage requirements, but restricts the States' use of that power.
2. These restrictions prohibit the States from withholding suffrage from groups protected by the Constitution—African Americans, women, and persons 18 years old and above.
3. They also forbid the use of poll taxes and require the States to allow all persons qualified to vote for the lower house of the State legislature to vote for members of Congress.
II. Voter Qualifications Among the States: Understanding the diversity of voter qualifications among the States
A. Citizenship and Residence
a. Aliens are generally not allowed to vote,
although it is not prohibited by the Constitution.
b. Only one State constitution, that of Minnesota,
draws a distinction
between native-born and
2. Residence diversity of voter qualifications among the States
a. All States have residence requirements in order to prevent election fraud and ensure that citizens have had time to familiarize themselves with relevant political issuesbefore voting.
b. In 1972 the Supreme Court ruled that no State can require a waiting period of longer than 30 days.
c. Almost all States deny the vote to transients.
a. The 26th Amendment sets 18 as
the cap on the minimum age for
voting in any election.
b. A growing number of States
allow many 17-year-olds to cast
ballots in primary elections if they
will turn 18 before the general election.
B. Other Qualifications diversity of voter qualifications among the States
a. States require voters to prove their identity when they register to vote in order to avoid election fraud.
b. There is a growing trend toward easing voter registration laws, which discriminate against the poor and less-educated.
2. Literacy a. Literacy tests were used to ensure that voters had the capacity to cast an informed ballot, but they were also used to discriminate against African Americans.
b. As a result, Congress banned
the use of literacy tests in 1970.
his office, who assumes them?______________________ "Involuntary servitude" is permitted in the United States upon conviction of a crime. (True or False)___________ If a state is a party to a case, the Constitution provides that original jurisdiction shall be in_________________ Congress passes laws regulating cases which are included in those over which the United States Supreme Court has____________________________ jurisdiction. I hereby certify that I have received no assistance in the completion of this citizenship and literacy test, that I was allowed the time I desired to complete it, and that I waive any right existing to demand a copy of same. (If for any reason the applicant does not wish to sign this, he must discuss the matter with the board of registrars.) Signed:___________________________________________
3. Tax Payment diversity of voter qualifications among the States
a. Poll taxes were once common in the South.
b. Congress and the Supreme Court banned all taxes as a condition for voting duringthe 1960s.
4. Who May Not Vote
a. In a democracy, suffrage must be widely distributed.
b. Every State denies suffrage to those who are mentally incompetent, and most also disenfranchise those convicted of serious crimes.
III. Suffrage and Civil Rights: Understanding the necessity for civil rights laws and the effects of those laws on suffrage
A. The 15th Amendment
1. The purpose of the 15th Amendment (1870) was to grant suffrage to newly freed slaves.
2. White supremacists in the South devised many ways to prevent African Americans from voting.
3. Between the 1950s and the 1970s, Congress passed a number of civil rights lawsdesigned to end the disenfranchisement of African Americans.
Ronald Martin, Robert Patterson, and Mark Martin stage sit-down strike after being refused service at an F.W. Woolworth luncheon counter, Greensboro, N.C. 1960.
B. The Civil Rights Acts of 1957 for civil rights laws and the effects of those laws on suffrage
1. 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.
2. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 provided for the appointment of federal voting referees, who could be sent anywhere a federal court found discrimination.
C. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
1. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed job discrimination.
2. It also forbade States to use voter registration requirements in a discriminatory manner.
D. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Its Amendments for civil rights laws and the effects of those laws on suffrage
1. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a vigorous attempt to enforce the 15thAmendment by attacking discriminatory practices in the South and sending in federal officials to ensure that African Americans were allowed to vote.
2. The law has been extended three times, expanding its coverage to States and counties outside the South and to "language minorities"— Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Alaskan natives.
IV: Nonvoting: Understand voter turnout and nonvoting in American elections
A. The Size of the Problem
1. Only about half of eligible voters turn out in presidential elections.
2. Only about a third of eligible voters turn out in off-year elections.
3. Little-Recognized Aspects of the Problem American elections
a. More people vote in federal than in State and local elections.
b. In general, the farther down the ballot an office is, the fewer the number of votes that will be cast for it. This phenomenon is called "ballot fatigue."
c. Turnout is lower in off-year elections,
primaries, and special elections than it is
in presidential-year elections.
With 26 different measures facing Oregon voters - 18 initiatives put on the ballot by petition, seven measures referred by the Legislature and one law enacted by the Legislature put on the ballot by popular referendum - trying to make informed decisions will take more time than many people are willing to give it
B. Why People Do Not Vote American elections
a. Nearly 20 million Americans do not vote because they cannot.
b. Cannot-voters include aliens, the mentally or physically handicapped, and people in prison.
c. Some people cannot vote because their religious beliefs forbid them to participate in government.
d. Some are still prevented from voting because of discriminatory electoral practices.
2. Actual Nonvoters American elections
a. 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.
b. Many others do not vote because they distrust the political process and do not think that they have any effective political power.
c. Bad weather, "time-zone fallout," and cumbersome election procedures keep some away from the polls.
3. Factors Affecting Turnout American elections
a. 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.
b. Nonvoters are most likely to be
under 35, unmarried and unskilled,
and living in the South
or in a rural area.
c. People with a high sense of political efficacy vote no matter what their personal background.
d. The greater the degree of candidate competition, the higher voter turnout is
likely to be.
V: Voter Behavior: Understanding the factors that affect the behavior of the American voter
A. The Study of Voting Behavior behavior of the American voter
1. Observers learn about voter behavior through three main sources.
a. They carefully study the results of particular elections.
b. They conduct and study public opinion polls.
c. 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.
2. Sociological factors include a voter's personal social characteristics, such as age, race, religion, and so on.
3. Psychological factors include how a particular voter sees parties, candidates, and issues in an election.
B. The Sociological Factors behavior of the American voter
1. Income, Occupation—Business and professional people and those from higherincome groups tend to support the Republican party while manual workers and those from lower income groups tend to support the Democratic party.
2. Education—The more education a voter has, the more likely he or she is to vote.
3. Sex, Age—In recent years, men and younger voters have been more likely to vote Republican.
4. Religious, Ethnic Background—Jews, Catholics, and nonwhites tend to support the Democratic party.
5. Geography—Traditionally, Southerners and residents of large northeastern cities have been strongly Democratic.
6. Family, Other Group Affiliations—People in the same family or circle of friends tend to vote alike.
C. The Psychological Factors behavior of the American voter
1. Party Identification—A voter's loyalty to one political party is the single most important predictor of how that person will vote.
2. Candidates and Issues—Although many voters usually vote for one party or theother, they may switch allegiances in a given election based on the particular candidates or issues involved.