Voter
Qualifications
Suffrage
And
Civil Rights
Voter
Behavior
Elections
Money in Campaigns
100

What are the universal requirements for voting in the United State?

1)American Citizenship

2)Legal State Residency

3) Age (minimum of 18 years old)

100

What was the purpose of the 15th Amendment?

To ensure that voting rights cannot be denied to a citizen because of race, color, or previous condition.

100

What is a non-voting voter?

A voter who votes in some elections, particularly national ones, but does not vote for local elections.

100

What is the overall purpose and importance of election law in the American political process?

To ensure fair elections, which are the foundation or democracy.

100

Briefly describe the role and importance of money in the election process.

Candidates require money to manage their campaigns and pay for advertising and other ways to get their messages to the public.

200

For what 2 reasons did States adopt residence requirements for voting?

1)To keep political machines from bribing outsiders

2)To ensure that all voters are familiar with the candidates and issues in an election.

200

List three ways that some southern States tried to circumvent the 15th Amendment?

By violence or social pressure, literacy tests and poll taxes, and gerrymandering.

200

How is the nonvoting voter phenomenon related to so-called "ballot fatigue"?

Voters usually fail to vote for local elections because they have lost patience and/or do not feel they have the knowledge to participate.

200

To what extent are the States involved in governing elections?

Most elections take place at the State level, therefore most election law is State law.

200

Identify five types of private donor to political campaigns.

Small contributors, individuals and families, candidates, nonparty groups and PACs, and temporary campaign organizations.

300

What is a literacy requirement for voting, and how was it used to deny suffrage to certain groups?

Literacy requirements mean that a voter must be able to read and write; they were used to keep various ethnic groups from voting.

300

To whom does the Civil Rights Commission report its findings?

It reports to Congress and the President and, through the media, to the public.

300

Describe three difference between voters and nonvoters.

Differences Include:

1) Income

2) education

3) occupation

4) community status

5) age

6) geography

7) party affiliation

300

To what extent is the Federal Government involved in governing elections?

It sets some of the basic rules governing elections

300

outline the limitations placed on individual and PAC contributions to federal candidates and political parties.

Individuals are limited to set amounts, not to exceed $25,000 per year.  PACs have similar kinds of limitations and may not contribute over $15,000 a year to any one political party.

400

What is a grandfather clause, and what was its purpose in literacy tests?

Grandfather clauses were intended to allow white males to vote who otherwise would have been restricted by the poll taxes or other requirements meant to keep African Americans from voting.

400

How did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s voter registration drive affect the passage of national civil rights legislation?

The drive met with violence by local whites, including police; when the nation saw this violence on television, Congress moved quickly to pass new legislation.

400

Explain how income, education, and age usually affect party affiliation.

Those who vote Democratic are typically younger, with lower incomes, and with less education than those who vote Republican.

400

Describe the basic difference between the office-group ballot and the party-column ballot.

In the office-group ballot, candidates for an office are grouped together by office; in a party-column ballot, candidates are listed by party.

400

How does a candidate for President qualify for public funding?

They must raise at least $100,000 from individuals, in at least 20 states, in donations of not more the $250.

500

How did Congress require States to ease their registration requirements in 1993?

It passed the Motor Voter Law.

500

Explain two key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

It challenged and overturned State poll taxes, and suspended the use of literacy tests or other discriminatory devices.
500

Explain how party identification develops, and how it affects the way individuals vote.

It develops as a result of social and psychological factors; it usually predicts how people will vote, through recently it has lost some impact. 

500

Describe recent technological advances and changes that make it easier for Americans to vote.

Voting machines are fast and accurate; online voting is convenient.

500

What was the major purpose of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

To limit the use of soft money in political campaigns.

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