CH 6 + 7

The Voting Process

Former limits on voting

Franchise – the right to vote– Less than 1 in 15 people were able to vote in

1789

– 1. Had to own property Without property – what would you be voting to protect You lack independence

Limits on voting

2. Religious beliefs – Massachusetts required voters to be a member of

a church.

– Many colonies were started by other religious groups and made individuals swear that there was a higher power or Supreme Being

Limits on voting

3. Poll tax

– A tax on the right to vote

– Some states in the south used poll taxes until 1964

24th Amendment

Limits on voting

4. Sex Discrimination

– 1869 – Wyoming was the first to allow women the right to vote

States argued women were not interested in politics Women were poorly educated Married women would vote however their husbands told

them to

Limits on voting

5. Condition of servitude

– Prior to 1870 slaves (a condition of servitude) were not allowed to vote

– 14th and 15th Amendment changed this

Limits today

4 guarantees to voters today

– Equality – any one who can vote in a state election is allowed to vote in a federal election

– No racial discrimination

– No sex discrimination

– No poll taxes

Limits today

1. Citizenship– Every voter must be a citizen – native born or

naturalized

2. Residency– Must live with in the state you are voting in for a

certain amount of time Prevents politicians from “importing” votes Ensures individuals are familiar with issues within the area

Limits today

3. Age– 1971 – 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18– Has not had a major effect everywhere, but in some

small towns

4. Registration– Cannot vote until you name is formally added to the

registered voters list Keeps people from voting more than once

Limits today

5. Legal Disfranchisement

– You can be banned from voting and be ineligible until rights are restored by a pardon from the governor

Vermont and Maine – allow prisoners to vote

FL and VA – banned for life after committing a felony

The Secret Ballot

Early Americans called out their votes in public

Switched to using different sized and color paper– An observer would know which way you were

voting

Secret Ballot allows for no pressure in voting

Types of ballots

Uniform – every one is the same

Numbered – each polling place receives a certain number, when votes are cast, number have to match

Detachable – numbers are removed, no way to identify one from another

Write in – you can write in someone else’s name if they are not on the ticket

– Mickey Mouse gets votes every year

Bloc voting

People with similar values/characteristics usually vote the same way

– Parents– Region/residence – Religion – Race– Age– Income– Education – Occupation

Individuals who in these groups can have major impacts on election results.

Appealing to these groups can attract more votes and change the course of an election

Why don’t people vote

2004 – 216.5 Million were eligible

Only 122.3 Million actually voted – It only took 62 million votes to win the election

2008 - 231,229,580 eligible 132,618,580 voted About 125M in 2012

Why don’t people vote

1. Out of voters control– Sick, vacation, business trip

2. Difficult to register– Location may not be accessible, access to register

3. Complex issues– Not sure where they stand on certain issues

Why don’t people vote

4. One party domination– Don’t see any point in some areas because one

party always wins

5. Voter alienation– People may think that there will be no change in

their lives, so why bother

Who pays for campaigns?

Everyone pays for campaigns somewhat– Portion of Federal income tax goes towards party

campaigns

Cost of running continues to grow, only the wealthy can afford to

Sources of funds

1. Families and supporters 2. Officeholders and office seekers 3. Special interest groups 4. Fund raising events 5. Public financing (money from taxes)

Controls on Campaign Spending

1. Committees must file detailed reports about their spending

2. Limits on spending – You can spend all you want if you refuse to use

federal funding

3. Limits on the source of funds– Interest groups can only give so much– Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Attempts to reform Campaign Spending

Free advertising time for candidates

Govt funding for all candidates

Creating a non political agency that will equally distribute funds to candidates

CHAPTER 7 – How votes influence the Government

Public Opinion – public attitudes towards any and all aspects of life in the US– Three factors that affect understanding public

opinion 1. Shifting public interest

– War, Drugs, Economy, Environment, Education, Health Care

2. Lack of Consensus – Rarely does anyone agree about anything– Foreign Trade, Taxes, Capital Punishment

Public Opinion

– 3. Time lag Takes too much time for government to act

Vietnam War– People wanted out of the war well before it ended

Enduring Freedom– War on Terror

Measuring Public Opinion

Straw Polls– First attempts to get a public opinion– Send out a survey with a magazine

Ask individuals to return them completed

– Who is going to respond to this?

Measuring Public Opinion

Scientific Sampling

– Cross sampling Asking certain individuals questions, comparing to the

current census can give a reasonably accurate result across the population

Measuring Public Opinion

Improved techniques– Computers and follow up surveys– Cross Checks– Lag time reduced

with email/ technology – Reach more people

– No survey is 100%accurate

What creates public opinion?

Propaganda– Information designed to make people think a

certain way

– Can be good, can be bad

– Commercials

Propaganda

Mass Media– Broadcast TV/Radio , newspapers, magazines

– No broadcast is ever really fair Someone is paying for air time or print

– Surrounding yourself with slanted or skewed news reports can impact voter habits

Propaganda

Motion Pictures– TV and Movies

– Wizard of Oz?– Daily Show/ Colbert Report– Glen Beck

Propaganda

Advertising– Tries to sell you one point of view– Fios vs Cablevision– Political candidates

Government– Press conferences– Where you hold your rally can make a statement

Are Pressure Groups good for America?

Lobbyists – May work for a

single group or

for the publics

best interest

Are Pressure Groups good?

Lobbyists cannot pay for votes directly– Bribery– Campaign contributions/volunteers– Social contracts

Public officials need to disclose their wealth– Public can see if there has been monetary gain

since election– Lobbyists also need to file reports every 6 mos.

Are Pressure groups successful?

Depending on their goal, they can have great success

When all the groups are represented and listened to the best interest of all parties can be met

They also benefit specific groups at times

Initiatives/ propositions for new laws

1. Draft a proposal– Anyone can do this

2. Preliminary Filing– Sponsors file with the proper official

3. Circulate petitions – determines interest 4. Verify signatures 5. Educate the public 6. Decision by public – vote 7. Promulgation of new law

How can laws be rejected?

Mandatory Referendum – Changes to the Constitution have to be submitted

to the public for confirmation or rejection

Optional Referendum – If a new law is controversial enough, option to

vote Schools and social welfare

How can laws be rejected?

Petition (protest) referendum

– Takes 60-90 days for a law to go into effect

– If enough people protest the law before it goes into effect, it will be reevaluated

How can a politician be fired?

“High crimes and misdemeanors” convictions generally get them removed

Recall elections – loss of voter confidence can lead to a vote to remove them from office

How can you have an impact?

Personally written letters– Specific subject/concern

Visit elected officials– Work better than letters

Speak out to mass media– Newspapers often publish a variety of letters they receive

on different issues.