Govt Ch 10

• 1. institutionalize political activity
• 2. provide regular access to political power

elections are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders

• 1. primary elections
• 2. general elections
• 3. elections on specific policy questions

• 1. referendum
• 2. initiative petition

voters are given the chance to approve or disapprove some legislative act, bond issue, or constitutional amendment

requires gaining signatures on a proposed law equal to 10% of the # of votes in the previous election

the legal right to vote

• 15th: extended to African Americans
• 19th: extended to women
• 23rd: extended to DC citizens
• 24th: elimination of poll tax
• 26th: voting age = 18

• 1. Downs' model of democracy: people vote if they believe that the policies of one party will bring more benefits than the policies of the other party
• 2. political efficacy
• 3. civic duty

belief that ordinary people can influence govt

doing something because it is a long term contribution made toward preserving democracy

system adopted by states that requires voters to register in advance of election day; often discourages people from voting at all

requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for their driver's license

• Education: more educated
• Age: older
• Race: nonminority
• Gender: women
• Marital status: married
• Mobility: living at the same address
• Union Membership: union member

the idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his/her platforms and politics

• 1. voters' party identification
• 2. voters' evaluation of the candidates
• 3. the match between voters' policy positions and those of the candidates and parties

occurs when people base their choices in an election on their own issue preferences

• 1. voters must have a clear view of their own policy positions
• 2. voters must know where the candidates stand on policy issues
• 3. they must see differences in the candidates on these issues
• 4. must cast a vote for the candidate whose policy position coincides with their own

• 1. party voting
• 2. candidate evaluations
• 3. policy voting

provides for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties

electors in each state are chosen --> electors vote as a bloc for the winner in their state --> electors mail votes to VP who announces winner in Jan --> if there is a tie the top three winning candidates are debated in the House

• 1. introduces bias into the campaign and electoral process
• 2. gives extra "clout" to big states

• 1. select policymakers
• 2. shape public policy

theory of voting in which voters ask of a candidate: "What have you done for me lately?"