1 / 17

The Importance of Voting

The Importance of Voting. The Right to Vote. History of Suffrage in U.S. (Who could vote at the time and how did suffrage change?) 1789 - 1800’s - Mid 1800’s- After Civil War- 1920 - 1960’s - 1971 -. The Right to Vote.

jemima-bowman
Download Presentation

The Importance of Voting

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Importance of Voting

  2. The Right to Vote • History of Suffrage in U.S. (Who could vote at the time and how did suffrage change?) • 1789- • 1800’s- • Mid 1800’s- • After Civil War- • 1920- • 1960’s- • 1971-

  3. The Right to Vote • Power to Set Voting Qualifications Power “reserved” to States (5 Restrictions of set by the Constitution) • Anyone allowed to vote for _______________ office of state legislature allowed to vote for representatives of Congress • States can’t deny a voter because of __________________________________ • Can’t be deprived right to vote because______ • Can’t be required to pay a _________ • Can’t be denied the right to vote as long as ______________

  4. Voter Qualifications Among the States • Citizenship-nothing in ______________ denies aliens the right to vote • Minnesota is the only state that requires that you can be a citizen for 3 months • Confused aliens about their status may register and vote • Residence-usually required to _________ a state for a certain period of time • Stops political machines from …….. • Gives people time to become familiar ……. • Length of residency requirement-average residence is _______, some shorter/ S.C. prohibited transients (armed forces, students, traveling salesman) from gaining legal residence

  5. Voter Qualifications Among the States • Age-26th amendment • 1. • 2. • Other Qualifications • Registration- • Must give name, address, and length of residency • Computers (Electronic Voting Machines-still could produce fraud if no written notification is given) • Registration • Motor-voter Law (1993) • Register by mail • Forms are made available at employment, welfare, and social services offices

  6. Voter Qualifications Among the States • Literacy requirement • Used to determine … • Used to prevent ….. • Voting Rights Act (1970)-S.C. literacy test in which blacks interpret the constitution in Oregon v Mitchell • Tax Payment • Poll ….. • 24th amendment outlawed __________

  7. Voter Qualifications Among the States • Who Can’t Vote? • Those in _________________ • Mentally ________________ • Those convicted of serious ___________ • Dishonorable __________ • homeless

  8. Participation • Inactive • 1/5 th of the population does not participate in any way • They do not vote or talk about politics • Typically have….. • Voting Specialists • These individuals vote but _______ participate in any other manner • Typically older and have little education • Campaigners • They vote and get and _________ political campaigns • Have ____________ education, tend to engage in political controversy, and have a strong identification with a particular political party

  9. Participation • Communalists • Have more than average education, tend to engage in political controversy, feel strongly connected to the community and _____________ and contact local officials • Parochials • Do not participate in _______but contact officials with problems or issues • Activists • Consists of 1/9th of the population • Are highly educated, have high incomes, and a tendency to be ___________ • They participate in all forms of politics

  10. Conventional Widely accepted modes of action Voting Trying to persuade others Petitioning Money to campaigns Running for office Although voting trends have swung back and forth and recently have been on the decline these other conventional forms are on the rise Unconventional Dramatic activities Protesting Civil disobedience More violent acts Although often controversial forms it often attracts media attention and has been successfully used to influence gov’t policy especially during the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s (civil disobedience) Groups of Participation

  11. Nonvoting • Size of Problem • 196 million eligible to vote (1996), only 96 million voted in that Presidential election • 81 million cast vote in “off year” election for House of representatives/state representatives • Even more common in local elections • More people vote in _________ elections than in primaries

  12. Nonvoting • Why People Don’t Vote • Cannot Vote • 6 million are resident aliens • Illness/physically impaired • Traveling unexpectedly • Mental condition • Jailed • Religious reasons • Race • Actual Nonvoters-purposely refrain from voting • Satisfied with system and don't want to change • Distrust of politicians (political efficacy) • Squeezed out of process/poor • Cumbersome process of registration • Time zone fallout (media announces winner on east coast) • Lack of interest

  13. Nonvoting • Factors Affecting Turnout • Income • Education • Occupation • Integration into community • Political identification • Believe voting is an important act

  14. Voter Behavior • Study of Voter Behavior • 3 sources that have been studied • 1. • 2. • 3. • Factors that influence • Personal characteristics - • Affiliation- • Voter’s ___________ of politics

  15. Voter Behavior • Sociological Factors • Income/occupation middle to upper class (Rep)/lower income (Dem) • Education-close relationship between education and voting (college grads vote more republican than H.S. grads, while H.S. grads vote more Rep than those who don’t finish • Age & gender-these groups differ on response to war, gender gap created in 1980’s, younger the voter the more they vote Democratic usually

  16. Voter Behavior • Geography • After Civil War-south became the solid south and voted Dem. (radical Republicans/Blacks-Republican until FDR • In past 30 years South votes more rep. • Rep. get more support from Northeast (main & Vermont), as does Midwest (Kansas, Nebraska, an Dakotas) • Dem. Hold more of the cities of Northeast & rep. Hold more Dem. Of the suburban vote • Religion Protestants vote more Rep., while Catholics vote more Dem. • Ethnic interests-until 1930’s African Americans voter rep. in northern cities, after that they tended to vote more Dem. (Hispanics tend to vote more Dem., but Cubans vote more Rep.-Professionals (Conservative) left Cuba

  17. Voter Behavior • Psychological factors-voter’s perception of politics • Party Identification • Identify with one party in every election (straight ticket voting) • Split-ticket voting (vote for candidates of more than one party in same election) • Independent-no party affiliation • Short-term Factors issues and candidates • Most voters identify with one party or another • Don’t always vote that way • One issue may sway the change for that election • Issue or candidate

More Related