Mastering Political Participation: Voting and Elections

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

15th Amendment

Prohibits denying voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote.

19th Amendment

Prohibits denying the right to vote based on sex; granted women the vote.

24th Amendment

Eliminated the poll tax in federal elections.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal legislation that enforced the 15th Amendment and outlawed literacy tests.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on perceived individual best interest and weighing costs and benefits.

Retrospective Voting

Voting to decide whether to re-elect the party or candidate in power based on the recent past.

Prospective Voting

Voting based on predictions of future performance of a party or candidate.

Party-Line Voting

Supporting candidates from one political party across all public offices.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election.

Photo ID Laws

State laws requiring government-issued ID to vote, aimed at preventing fraud.

Political Efficacy

A citizen's belief that their vote matters and they can influence politics.

Primary Elections

Elections where voters choose candidates from their party for the general election.

Caucuses

Meetings of local party members to register their preference among candidates.

Electoral College

System established to elect the President through a slate of electors pledged to candidates.

Incumbency Advantage

The tendency for those already in office to win re-election.

Franking Privilege

The ability of members of Congress to mail letters to constituents free of charge.

Pork Barrel Spending

Federal money/projects brought back to a district for local benefit.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1974

Established the FEC to enforce campaign laws and required donor disclosure.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002

Banned soft money contributions to parties and limited spending on attack ads.

Citizens United v. FEC

Supreme Court ruling stating that political spending is protected speech under the First Amendment.

Super PACs

Political committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money independently of candidates.

Dark Money

Funds contributed to non-profit groups that do not disclose their donors.

Voter Registration

The process by which U.S. citizens must sign up to be eligible to vote.

Election Scheduling

The choice of when elections are held; in the U.S., typically on Tuesdays.

Demographic Trends in Voting

Patterns that influence voter turnout, such as education, age, race, and gender.