Chapter 10
Elections and Voting Behavior
I. How
American
Elections Work
Question #1

1. Three types of elections:
– Select party nominees (primary elections)
– Select officeholders (general elections)
– Select options on specific policies
 Referendum: state-level method of direct
legislation that gives voters a chance to approve
proposed legislation or constitutional
amendment
 Initiative petition: process permitted in some
states whereby voters may put proposed
changes in the state constitution to a vote, given
a sufficient number of signatures
II. THE
EXPANSION OF
VOTING
RIGHTS
A. Two Long Trends
Question #1
1. Federal laws and constitutional amendments have eliminated restrictions on the right to vote, thus
dramatically expanding the American electorate.
2. Federal laws and constitutional amendments have significantly reduced the power of individual states
over a citizen's right to vote.
B. The Original
Electorate
Question #2
1. In 1789, property and tax qualifications restricted the electorate to white male property owners.
2. Only about one in fifteen adult white males had the right to vote.
C. Jacksonian
Democracy
Question #3
1. Andrew Jackson and his supporters had great respect for the common sense and abilities of the common
man. As a result, the Jacksonians eliminated property ownership and tax payments as qualifications for
voting.
2. By 1850, almost all white adult males had the right to vote.
D. The 15th
Amendment, 1870
1. The Fifteenth Amendment prohibited voting restrictions based on "race, color, or previous condition of
servitude."
Question #4
2. Despite the Fifteenth Amendment, a combination of literary tests, poll taxes, white primaries, and the
grandfather clause systematically disenfranchised African Americans.
E. The 19th
Amendment, 1920
1. Prior to 1920, women had full voting rights in New York and a number of Western states.
2. The Nineteenth Amendment removed voting restrictions based on gender.
Question #5
F. The 23rd
Amendment, 1961
Question #6
1. Prior to 1961, residents of the District of Columbia could not vote in presidential elections.
2. The Twenty-Third Amendment added voters of the District of Columbia to the presidential electorate.
G. The 24th
Amendment, 1964
1. Prior to 1964, a number of states used poll taxes as a means of discouraging citizens from voting.
2. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment outlawed the poll tax "or any tax" as a qualification for voting.
Question #7
H. The Voting Act of
1965
Question #8
1. Prohibited any government from using voting procedures that denied a person the vote on the basis of
race or color.
2. Abolished the use of literacy requirements for anyone who completed the sixth grade.
3. Authorized federal registrars to protect African Americans' right to vote in Southern states and counties
with histories of discrimination.
I. The 26th
Amendment, 1971
1. The 26th Amendment provides that the minimum age for voting in any election cannot be less than 18
years.
2. Note that a state may set a minimum voting age of less than 18.
Question #9
Summary #1
III. Whether to
Vote: A
Citizen’s First
Choice




1. Suffrage: the legal right to vote
– Extended to African-Americans by the Fifteenth Amendment
– Extended to Women by the Nineteenth Amendment
– Extended to people over 18 years of age by the Twenty-Sixth Amendment
2. Deciding Whether to Vote
– U.S. has low voter turnout
– Downs: it is rational to not vote
 Those who see clear differences between parties are likely to vote.
 If indifferent, then one may rationally abstain from voting.
– Political Efficacy: the belief that one’s political participation really matters
– Civic Duty: the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should
always vote
3. Registering To Vote
– Voter Registration: a system adopted by the
states that requires voters to register well in
advance of the election day
– Registration procedures differ by state.
– Motor Voter Act: passed in 1993, requires states
to permit people to register to vote when they
apply for their driver’s license
4. Who Votes?
– Education: More education = more likely to
vote. Most important factor
– Age: Older = more likely to vote
– Race: Caucasian = more likely to vote. BUT, other ethnicities are higher with
comparable education
– Gender: Female = more likely to vote
– Marital Status: Married = more likely to vote
– Union Membership: Union member = more likely to vote
– Traits are cumulative - possessing several adds up
D. How
Americans
Vote:
Explaining
Citizens’
Decisions




1. Mandate Theory of Elections
– The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate
from the people to carry out his or her platforms and
politics
– Politicians like the theory better than political
scientists do.
2. Party Identification
– People still generally vote for a party they agree
with.
– With the rise of candidate-centered politics, parties’
hold on voters declined in the 1960s and 1970s.
– Many more voters make an individual voting decision and are up for grabs each election,
(so-called floating voters).
3. Candidate Evaluations: How Americans See the Candidates
– Candidates want a good visual image.
 Especially on dimensions of integrity, reliability, and competence
– Personality plays a role in vote choice, especially if a candidate is perceived to be
incompetent or dishonest.
4. Policy Voting
– Basing your vote choice on issue preferences and where the candidates stand on policy
issues
– Policy voting may occur if :
 Voters know where they and the candidates stand on issues and see differences
between candidates
– Unlikely to occur because:
 Candidates can be ambiguous on the issues.
 Media tend to focus on the “horse race” not issues.
– Today candidates are forced to take a clear stand in the party primaries increasing chances
for policy voting.
E. Electoral
College
Question #10
Question #11
Question #12

1. Electoral college actually elects the president—founders wanted him chosen by the elite of the
country
 2. States choose the electors
Article II
Section 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold
his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term,
be elected, as follows
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal
to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress:
but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States,
shall be appointed an Elector.
Electors are often chosen to recognize service and dedication to their political party. They may be Stateelected officials, party leaders, or persons who have a personal or political affiliation with the Presidential
candidate.
 3. Winner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis to more populated states
 . How it works today:
 On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential
candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name
of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning
candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of
the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors. In Nebraska and Maine, the state winner
receives two Electors and the winner of each congressional district receives one Elector. This
system permits the Electors from Nebraska and Maine to be awarded to more than one candidate.
 Each state has as many votes as it does Representatives and Senators.
 Winner of popular vote typically gets all the Electoral College votes for that state AZ List
of Electors
 Electors meet in December, votes are reported by the vice president in January
 If no candidate gets a majority (270 votes), the House of Representatives votes for
president, with each state casting one vote.
 Video #1

 This 7 minute clip discusses the pros and cons of the Electoral College system, as well as focusing
on alternatives, such as the national popular vote, district, and proportional plans.

 Video #2

 In this 9 minute clip, U.S. Senate Associate Historian Don Ritchie discusses faithless electors, the
district plan, and the pros and cons of the Electoral College with historical examples to help
illustrate his points.

 Video #3

 In this 3 minute clip, Birch Bayh discusses the negative aspects of the Electoral College and his
alternative, the National Popular Vote Plan.
2012 Election Scenarios
1. Swing state- In politics, a "swing state" is a state in which neither party (Republican or Democrat) can
claim a decisive historical advantage. For this reason, a "swing state" could vote either way, which makes
integral states to campaign in.
Some examples of swing states: Ohio, Florida
Summary #2
F.
Understanding
Elections and
Voting
Behavior

1. Democracy and Elections
– The greater the policy differences between candidates, the more likely voters will be able
to steer government policy by their choices.
 Unlikely—candidates do not always clarify issues positions
– Candidates who vow to continue popular policies are more likely to win elections.
– Retrospective voting: voters cast a vote based on what a candidate has done for them
lately
 Those who feel worse off are likely to vote against incumbents.
 Bad economies make politicians nervous.
 2. Elections and the Scope of Government
– Elections generally support government policies and power.
– Voters feel they are sending a message to government to accomplish something
– Thus, the government expands to fill the needs of the voters.
Summary
 Voters make two basic decisions at election time:
– Whether to vote
– Who to vote for
 Party identification, candidate evaluations, and policy positions drive vote choice.
 Elections are fundamental to a democracy.