Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior Ms. A. Boland.

Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior Ms. A. Boland

Objectives The history of voting rights in the United States. The diversity of voter qualifications among the States. The necessity for and effects of civil rights laws on suffrage. Voter turnout and nonvoting in American elections. The factors that affect the way people vote.

Chapter 6 Section 1: The Constitution and the Right to Vote Objectives: SWBAT 1. Identify who was able to vote following the Ratification of the Constitution. 2. Explain the reasons for major expansion of voting rights in the U.S.

Vocabulary Suffrage right to vote Franchise - right to vote Disenfranchisement the act of depriving someone of the right to vote Abridge - to deprive; to limit

Intro Questions When the country was established, who had the right to vote? How have voting rights changed over the course of U.S. history? FAQ: Voting in the Early Republic Opposing Views Slide Next

Opposing Views Today a man owns a jackass worth fifty dollars and he is entitled to vote; but before the next election the jackass dies. The man in the mean time has become more experienced, his knowledge of the principles of government, and his acquaintance with mankind, are more extensive, and he is therefore better qualified to make a proper selection of rulersBut the jackass is dead and the man cannot vote. Now gentlemen, pray inform me, in whom is the right of suffrage? In the man or in the jackass? Benjamin Franklin

Brainstorm Reasons why each group wanted more to people to have the right to vote. Men who owned no property Immigrants Territories eager for statehood Political Parties Free African Americans White Southerners

Reasons for each Group Men who owned no property wanted the right to vote. Their numbers increased as the country urbanized and industrialized. Territories eager for statehood wanted to encourage settlement, raise land values and income from taxes. Free African Americans wanted full political participation, as did immigrants. White Southerners wanted more white voters, both to enhance white solidarity and to ensure that there would be more whites to put down possible slave rebellions. Political parties wanted to increase their membership, and expanding suffrage rights could help them do so. Property Requirements and Race Exclusions Worksheet

Womens Suffrage 1. Why Women Couldnt Vote 2. Strategists Change Tactics Video 3. Strategy Cards 1. Moral Persuasion 1. Read Women in the Home 2. Constitutional Amendment 1. Sandra Day OConner Video 3. State-by-State 1. Votes for Women/The Womens Reason 4. Map of Woman Suffrage before 1920 5. 19 th Amendment Slide

19 th Amendment 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. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Voting Rights Act Voting Rights Act Description Question: Explain what barriers to voting the new law banned. Question: Why the law was necessary? President Johnson Signing Video The Right to Vote Video Worksheets Percentage of Registered Voters in Black Voting Age Population Number of Black Legislators in the South Video - Supreme Court Revisits Voting Rights Act Questions Comparing Government IDs charts and questions

26 th Amendment and the Impact of the Youth What does the Right to Vote mean to you? 26 th Amendment Impact of Youth VIDEO Nations Race and Ethnicity in 2011 Questions then discuss Young-Old Voting Gap Four Generations

Create a Timeline Using both your packets from yesterday and today, plus textbook pages 152-154, create a timeline of the History of Voting Rights in America Include: Amendments Important events in U.S. History Definitions of poll tax, suffrage and disenfranchisement

History of Voting Rights Framers of the Constitution left the power to set voting qualifications to each State. Suffrage / Franchise: right to vote. In 1789, suffrage restricted to white male property owners. Ridiculed by many, including Thomas Paine. Electorate: potential voting population. Today nearly 200 million voters.

History of Voting Rights History of suffrage marked by 2 trends since 1789: 1) gradual elimination of restrictions on suffrage, including: property ownership, religious beliefs, tax payment, race, and sex. 2) Federal government has assumed much of the power over suffrage qualifications. These 2 trends have occurred during 5 stages.

History of Voting Rights 1 st Stage: early 1800s, religious qualifications began to disappear. Property ownership and tax payment qualifications began to disappear. By mid-century all white adult males could vote. 2 nd Stage: followed the Civil War, 15 th Amendment was ratified in 1870 and protected any citizen from being denied suffrage because of race or color. However, many African Americans were still disfranchised.

History of Voting Rights 3 rd Stage: 1920, 19 th Amendment prohibited the denial of suffrage because of sex. It gave women the right to vote. Wyoming was the first territory to grant womens suffrage in 1869. 4 th Stage: 1960s, federal legislation and court decisions secured African Americans a full role in the electoral process in all States. Civil rights acts were passed, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and several later extensions, made racial equality possible. 24 th Amendment eliminated poll taxes.

History of Voting Rights 5 th Stage: 1971, adoption of the 26 th Amendment. No State can set any age above 18 as the minimum age at which a person can qualify to vote. The Constitution does not give the Federal Government the power to set suffrage qualifications. Rather, that matter is reserved to the States. The Constitution does, however, place restrictions on the States in the use of that power.

Chapter 6 Section 2: Voter Qualifications Among The States Who may vote in the United States? How have States restricted voting rights in the past?

Citizenship, Residence, and Age Citizenship: Aliens are generally denied the right to vote in the U.S. However, nothing in the Constitution says that aliens cannot vote, and any State could allow them to do so if they chose. Residence: Most States require that a person live within the State for at least some period of time in order to qualify to vote.

Citizenship, Residence, and Age 2 reasons for residency requirements: 1) eliminate importing or bribing in local elections, 2) residents need time to learn about the candidates and key issues. Years ago, States required a lengthy residency requirement. Today there are much shorter requirements. Most States prohibit transients: persons living in the State for only a short period of time. Ex) college students, military, traveling salesperson, etc.

Citizenship, Residence, and Age Age: 26 th Amendment sets 18 as the minimum age for voting in any election. Fact: Up to 1970, only four States had put the voting age at under 21: Alaska, Hawaii, Georgia, Kentucky. Fact: Some States are allowing persons 17 years of age to vote in local elections, often depending upon the date of their 18 th birthday. Ex) Nebraska

Other Qualifications Registration (Enrollment): required by all States, except North Dakota. Procedure of voter identification, intended to prevent fraudulent voting. It gives election officials a list of those persons who are qualified to vote in an election. Sometimes only those living in urban areas are required to register to vote. Ex) Wisconsin

Other Qualifications Registration includes: age, place of birth, present address, length of residence, etc. Every State except North Dakota now has some form of permanent registration. Registered until you move, die, commit a serious crime, committed to a mental institution, or fail to vote for a certain # of years.

Other Qualifications Controversy: Voter registration requirements - people argue they should be done away with, viewed as a bar to voter turnout. But helps to eliminate fraud. Motor Voter Law: effective in 1995; 1) allows eligible citizens to register to vote when they apply or renew drivers license; 2) provide for voter registration by mail; 3) registration forms available at local offices, State agencies, welfare, and other social service agencies.

Other Qualifications Literacy: Today no State has suffrage qualification based on a persons ability to read or write. Used unfairly in many places to prevent or discourage certain groups from voting. Ex) Connecticut, Massachusetts (Irish Catholic immigrants), and southern States( African Americans).

Other Qualifications Tax Payment: Poll Tax tax payment required by some States before a person was allowed to vote. Used to discourage voting Women, non- property owners, and African Americans Limited effectiveness 24 th Amendment: outlawed the poll tax or any other tax as a condition for voting.

Other Qualifications Who May Not Vote: every State does purposely deny the vote to certain persons. 50 States DO NOT allow people in mental institutions, or any other person legally found to be mentally incompetent to vote. Also disqualify those who have been convicted of serious crimes. Some States disqualify those dishonorably discharged from the armed forces.

Chapter 6 Section 3: Suffrage and Civil Rights For what reasons were civil rights laws necessary to secure the right to vote for African Americans? What have been the effects of civil rights laws on voting qualifications?

15 th Amendment Ratified in 1870. Declared that the right to vote cannot be denied to any citizen of the United States because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. For 90 years, the Federal Government paid little attention to voting rights of African Americans. They were kept from the polls in much of the South through violence, threats, and social pressures. Literacy tests used to manipulate and disenfranchise.

15 th Amendment Gerrymandering: used to limit the right to vote. The practice of drawing the lines of electoral districts in order to limit the voting strength of a particular group or party. Shot due through case-by-case methods. Congress passed civil rights laws in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Civil Rights Act of 1957 Civil Rights Act of 1957: set up Civil Rights Commission Inquire into claims over voter discrimination. Report findings to Congress and the President. Injunctions: power given to attorney general, federal court order given to prevent interference with a persons right to vote.

Civil Rights Act of 1960 Provided for the appointment of federal voting referees. Had to serve anywhere a federal court found voter discrimination. Had the power to help qualified persons to register to vote in federal elections.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 Outlawed discrimination, especially in job- related matters. Forbids the use of registration requirement in an unfair or discriminatory manner. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. mounted a voter registration drive in Alabama in 1965. It was met with great opposition through violence by city, county, and State police. Most of this violence was shown on TV.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Its Amendments Voting Rights Act of 1965 made the 15 th Amendment a truly effective part of the Constitution. Applies to ALL elections held anywhere in the country. Has been extended three times through Voting Rights Act Amendments: 1970, 1975, 1982.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Its Amendments Suspended the use of any literacy tests or similar devices in any State or county where less than half of the electorate had been registered or had voted in the 1964 elections. No new election laws can go into effect unless approved by the Department of Justice.

Chapter 6 Section 4: Nonvoting What is the scope of the nonvoter problem? For what reasons do people not vote?

Nonvoters Effects federal elections, but more common in State and local elections. Ballot fatigue voter gets exhausted after looking at so many candidates running for office. They quit making selections. Cannot Voters do not vote, but cannot vote. Resident aliens, physically disabled, mentally incompetent, prisoners, religious beliefs, etc.

Nonvoters Actual nonvoters: able to vote, but do not. Reasons: Choose to not go to the polls, makes no real difference, no matter the outcome they will do well and so will the country, distrust politics and politicians, inconvenience factors, lack of interest, etc. Political efficacy: lack any sense of their own influence or effectiveness in politics.

Nonvoters Nonvoters: likely to be under the age of 35, unmarried, and unskilled. More nonvoters live in the South and in rural, rather than urban areas. Voters: high levels of income, education, occupation, long-time residents, party identification, and believe voting is important. However the greater degree of competition among candidates, the higher voter turnout will be.

Chapter 6 Section 5: Voter Behavior How do sociological and psychological factors work to determine how a person will vote? How much does party identification affect voter behavior?

Factors That Influence Voters Sociological Factors: personal characteristics (age, gender, race, income, occupation, education, religion, ethnic background, etc); group affiliations (family, co-w0rkers, friends, etc.); and geography. Psychological Factors: perceptions of politics; how the voter sees the parties, candidates and issues. Two factors constantly interact with one another.

Factors That Influence Voters Since 1980, women are less likely to vote Republican. Middle and upper income brackets are more likely to vote Republican. Lower income tend to vote Democrat. College graduates higher % of voting Republican than high school graduates. Younger voters tend to vote Democrat. Catholics and Jews tend to vote Democrat, while Protestants vote Republican.

Factors That Influence Voters Party identification: loyalty of people to a political party. Independents: voters who have no party affiliation. Straight-ticket voting: practice of voting for candidates of but one party in an election. Split-ticket voting: practice of voting for the candidates of more than one party in an election.

Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior Ms. A. Boland.

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior Ms. A. Boland.