Suffrage – the right to voteThe expression of political choice from the only segment of the population entitled to express it.

(democracy – the people are the source of governmental power)

Electorate – the potential voting populationFranchise – to empower to vote

Stages of Suffrage (Broadening the vote)

1. Early 1800’s – residency requirements began to replace property ownership, religious qualifications

and tax payments. By 1850 – white adult males

Stages of Suffrage

2. Post-Civil War- addition of the 15th Amendment (1870) –

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States

or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

-Increase of 4 million people-Disenfranchisement remained until the 1960s

1. Early 1800s

GTQ - The 14th Amendment granted the right to vote regardless of race. (T or F)

Stages of Suffrage

3. 19th Amendment (1920)“The right of citizens of the United States to vote

shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Increase of approx. 30 million but many didn’t want the vote due to conflicts in gender roles

1. Early 1800s2. Post-Civil War

GTQ - The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in America. (T or F)

Stages of Suffrage

4. Anti-discrimination legislation – Voting Rights Act 1965- prohibited state or local governments from

imposing any voting law that results in discrimination against racial or language minorities. Additionally, the

Act specifically outlaws literacy tests and similar devices that were historically used to disenfranchise

racial minorities. -24th Amendment (1964) eliminated the poll tax

1. Early 1800s2. Post-Civil War3. 19th Amendment

GTQ - The legislation that prohibited state or local governments from imposing any voting law that results in discrimination against racial or language minorities was The Voting Rights Act of 1956 (T or F)

Stages of Suffrage

5. 26th Amendment (1971) – 18 year-olds given the right to vote in national, state, and local elections

1. Early 1800s2. Post-Civil War3. 19th Amendment4. Anti-discrimination legislation

GTQ - The 22nd Amendment gave 18 year-olds the right to vote. (T or F)

Voter BehaviorIdiotes- Greek citizens who chose not to vote

In general, only one-third to one-half of registered voters turn out to vote

-More younger voters turn out to vote in Presidential elections than Congressional elections (OR and AK)

-State law affect turnout – TX voter ID law – photo ID to vote

GTQ - Younger voters turn out in greater numbers to vote in Presidential elections than in Congressional elections. (T or F)

Voter Behavior- Most states follow Texas’ requirements:

- A United States citizen;- A resident of the Texas county in which application for registration is made;

- At least 18 years old on Election Day;- Not serving time for a felony

Attitudes of Non-Voters: No Political efficacy: believing your vote has no impact or

doesn’t matterDoesn’t matter who wins, protest by not voting, apathy,

ignorance

GTQ - Political efficacy means believing your vote counts (T or F)

Voter Behavior

REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT

INCOME

EDUCATION

AGE

More / pay more in taxes / more critical of govt. spending / corporate and small business / white collar

Less / pay less in taxes / more likely to approve of govt. spending / working class / blue collar

College-grad / post-grad. / professional

High school grad. / some college / technical school

Older / more possessions and property = tough on crime / more pragmatic

Younger / more idealistic / fewer possessions and property

GTQ - In general, Democrats are usually younger than are Republicans. (T or F)

Voter BehaviorParty Identity: results in “voting the party ticket” regardless of the candidate or issue

Influences: Family, Teachers, Friends, Celebrities, Education

Media: Advertising AND News 1. Slants on stories 2. Choice of stories to run (Gatekeeping)

Ie. Depiction of the president by choice of photograph in Drudge Report (conservative) vs Huffington Post (liberal)

Incident: President Obama rescues cat from being run overDrudge Report: “Obama playing in the street again with strays instead of on the job.”HuffPost: “President rescues most vulnerable kitten from horrible fate.”

GTQ - Gatekeeping refers to candidates deciding which positions for which to run. (T or F)

A Cautionary Tale of Guerilla Campaigning on Computer or Cell Phone by Mr. Knox

Software bots performing meta analysis of browsing-behavior data identifies media viewer as liberal or conservative. Leads to …

Selective placement of stories in social media accounts and personalized news sites, which enhances or detracts from political belief. Leads to …

Direct email campaign reinforced with references placed on social media site that appeal for contributions. Leads to …

Shaming tactics whereby pop-ups provide viewer with data on how much $ others like him have donated to parties/candidates (closer to home the better) Leads to …

Exasperated voter breaks down and makes political contribution ($$$$). Contribution logged by bot

Pop-up, scrolling, and other unwanted forms of ads plague viewer’s Internet viewing experience reinforcing appeal for contributions. Leads to …

Software bot acquisition of contacts / friends information and repeats process for every contact of viewer. Leads to …

Poor Schmuck is thoroughly politically mined for money and vote

PrimariesClosed: You must be registered to vote with a party affiliation to vote in that election. Only candidates in your party run. Each party has a separate election and the two winners face each other in the general election

Open: One election held in one day, everyone votes for whomever regardless of affiliation. All candidates appear on the ballot. The candidate that receives a majority (>50%) wins. If no one candidate receives a majority then the two candidates who receive the greatest numbers of the vote (plurality) face each other in the general election.

In Louisiana:Last day to register to vote in November 4 Open Primary election: Oct. 6General election: December 6

When you go to the polls to cast your vote in an election, be sure to take one of the following:a driver's license,a Louisiana Special ID, orsome other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.

GTQ - In a closed primary you can vote for any candidate in either major political party without being a declared member of that party. (T or F)

PollsStraw polls - a small informal opinion survey – with its small sample size, not randomly chosen, it lacks validity and reliability.

Opinion polls - large populations randomly drawn, employs statistical analysis to generalize trends and establish validity (did the poll measure what it intended to measure) and reliability, (can the results be repeated) with margins of error.

Standard DeviationConfidence Interval

This formula establishes a plus or minus margin of error for the poll results

GTQ - Straw polls usually employ statistical analysis and include margins of error. (T or F)

COSTS and LIMITATIONSSources of money for elections-

- Individuals

- for-profit corporations

- non-profit organizations

- Political Action Committees (PAC) - political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests. Contributions limited by law

- Super PACs - no contributions to candidates or parties, but make unlimited independent expenditures on advertising in federal races

GTQ - There are legal limits on the amount of money that PACs can contribute directly to candidates. (T or F)

COSTS and LIMITATIONSSource: Federal Election Commission

COSTS and LIMITATIONS2010 – Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions have the same political speech rights as individuals under the First Amendment. They can spend unlimited amounts of money, not directly contributing to campaigns, but by expressing their political beliefs through advertising.

They used to be prohibited from doing so under the law, but are no longer. 2014 expenditures are expected to top $1-billion.GTQ – Media spending skyrocketed after the Citizens United case (Tor F)

COSTS and LIMITATIONSSource: National Conference of State Legislatures

Ind. To Candidate State Party to Candidate PAC to Candidate Corporate to Candidate Union to Candidate

COSTS and LIMITATIONS

GTQ - The most influential form of advertising is recommendations from people you know. (T or F)

Regulation of Elections

Federal elections (President, Senator, Representatives) are regulated by states, setting the time, place, and manner of election, but Congress can step in and regulate in order to protect voters. It seldom does, even though it has general supervisory power over the whole process.

In state elections, the state has total control over the process and Congress has no general power to regulate elections in regard to state or local officers.

GTQ - The states conduct elections for state and federal candidates according to state law (T or F).