Chapter Focus
Section 1 Election Campaigns
Section 2 Expanding Voting Rights
Section 3 Influences on Voters
Chapter Assessment
Chapter Objectives
•
Election Campaigns Examine the role
campaign financing and political parties play in
electing candidates for public office.
•
Expanding Voting Rights Summarize the
historical expansion of voting rights.
•
Influences on Voters Evaluate the factors that
influence voters and nonvoters.
Election Campaigns
Key Terms
campaign manager, image, political action
committee, soft money
Find Out
• What are the basic elements of a
presidential campaign?
• Why were the Federal Election Campaign
Acts passed?
Election Campaigns
Understanding Concepts
Political Processes What strategic decisions
must political parties and candidates make during
each campaign?
Section Objective
Examine the role campaign financing and political
parties play in electing candidates for public office.
In the 1952 presidential election, total
spending by the major political parties was
$140 million. By the 2000 election, that
amount had increased to $1.2 billion. Most
of the money in presidential campaigns is
spent for television and mass media
advertising. The major political parties
know that people are likely to form their
opinions about candidates from the way
they appear on television.
I. Electing the President (pages 475–476)
A. Serious candidates for president begin
organizing over a year before the election to
compete in spring primaries; after the
nominating convention, the candidate runs
an intensive campaign from early September
until the November election.
B. To win a presidential election, a candidate
must receive a majority of the electoral
votes, so candidates compete hardest in
high-population states.
C. The candidate must decide on the kind of
strategy most likely to achieve victory.
I. Electing the President (pages 475–476)
D. A strong organization, headed by an
experienced campaign manager, is
essential in running a presidential campaign.
E. Television and the Internet are important
tools for presidential candidates; television
conveys the candidate’s image, while Web
sites can be used to raise money and inform
the public about the candidate.
I. Electing the President (pages 475–476)
I. Electing the President (pages 475–476)
Do you agree or disagree that the “winnertake-all” electoral system in presidential
elections should be changed? What changes
would you support?
Answers will vary. Students should consider
the logical outcomes of suggested changes.
II. Financing Campaigns (pages 477–479)
A. Running for office is very expensive; for
example, presidential and congressional
candidates spent a total of $3 billion dollars
in the 2002 elections.
B. In the 1970s, a new campaign financing
system was set up based on public disclosure
of spending, public funding of presidential
elections, and limiting or prohibiting the
contributions of certain groups.
C. Created in 1974, the Federal Election
Commission (FEC) is an independent agency
that administers federal election laws and
keeps records of campaign contributions.
II. Financing Campaigns (pages 477–479)
D. The majority of campaign funding comes from
private sources, including individual citizens,
party organizations, corporations, and
special-interest groups.
E. Political Action Committees, or PACs, are
established by interest groups to support
candidates, but they are limited in the
donations they can make.
II. Financing Campaigns (pages 477–479)
F. Two methods are used to get around
campaign spending limits: soft-money
donations, which are contributions given
directly to a political party for general
purposes such as voter registration drives;
and issue-advocacy advertisements, which
support an issue rather than a particular
candidate.
G. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act,
passed in 2002, bans soft-money donations
to national political parties, but its
constitutionality remains in question.
II. Financing Campaigns (pages 477–479)
H. The FEC regulates campaigns online; for
example, all campaign Web sites that cost
$250 dollars or more must be registered with
the FEC.
II. Financing Campaigns (pages 477–479)
What reforms of the campaign financing laws
would you like to see enacted? Explain.
Answers will vary. Students should consider
the logical outcomes of proposed reforms.
Checking for Understanding
1. Main Idea Use a graphic organizer like the one
below to show the effects the Federal Election
Campaign Acts had on campaign financing.
Effects—prohibited business organizations and
unions from contributing directly to campaigns;
individuals could contribute up to $1000 to any
candidate or general election campaign;
encouraged the growth of PACs
Checking for Understanding
Match the term with the correct definition.
___
C campaign manager
A. mental picture
___
A image
B. an organization formed
to collect money and
provide financial support
for political candidates
___
B political action
committee
___
D soft money
C. the person responsible
for the overall strategy
and planning of a
campaign
D. money raised by a
political party for
general purposes, not
designated for a
candidate
Checking for Understanding
3. Identify Federal Election Commission.
The Federal Election Commission is an
independent agency in the executive branch
that administers federal election laws.
Checking for Understanding
4. How can third-party candidates qualify for
federal funds for a presidential campaign?
They can qualify by winning more than 5
percent of the popular vote in the current or
previous presidential election.
Critical Thinking
5. Synthesizing Information PACs can
contribute to as many political candidates as
they wish. Why might they contribute to all
major candidates in a presidential campaign?
They might think that contributing to all
candidates will assure a friendly reception to
their positions.
Political Processes Imagine that you
are running for political office. Prepare a
campaign strategy for your election.
Explain what campaign tools you would
use and how you would finance your
campaign. Create an illustrated poster
outlining your strategy.
Expanding Voting Rights
Key Terms
suffrage, grandfather clause, poll tax
Find Out
• Why did it take so long for African Americans and
for women to win voting rights?
• What did each of the voting rights acts achieve?
Expanding Voting Rights
Understanding Concepts
Growth of Democracy What were the steps in
the process of extending the right to vote to all
adult citizens?
Section Objective
Summarize the historical expansion of voting rights.
American citizens living in the nation’s
capital, Washington, D.C., could not vote
in presidential elections until 1961.
Adoption of the Twenty-third Amendment
finally granted residents of Washington,
D.C., the right to take part in national
politics. However, they still cannot vote for
senators or representatives.
I. Early Limitations on Voting (page 481)
A. Before the American Revolution, women and
African Americans, white males who did not
own property, and persons who were not
members of dominant religious groups were
excluded from voting.
B. During the early 1800s, states gradually
abolished property and religious requirements
for voting, and by the mid-1800s, the nation
had achieved universal white male suffrage.
I. Early Limitations on Voting (page 481)
Agree or disagree with the statement,
“Voting is not just a right, it is a
responsibility.”
You should note that a democracy cannot
force a person to vote, but responsible
citizens vote.
II. Woman Suffrage (page 482)
A. By 1914 women had won the right to vote
in 11 states.
B. The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified after
World War I, granted women in all states the
right to vote.
II. Woman Suffrage (page 482)
Why do you think it took so long for women
to win the right to vote?
Answers will vary but should note that women
were denied equal status in many other areas
of society during this time, and they therefore
lacked political and economic power.
III. African American Suffrage (pages 482–484)
A. Enslaved African Americans were not
allowed to vote, and free African Americans
could vote in only a few states, until 1870.
B. The Fifteenth Amendment, passed
after the Civil War, granted the vote to
African Americans in both state and
national elections.
C. The Fifteenth Amendment did not result
in full voting rights for African Americans;
southern states set up restrictive voting
qualifications.
III. African American Suffrage (pages 482–484)
D. Some southern states used literacy tests to
disqualify African Americans from voting; the
Voting Rights Acts of 1965 and 1970
outlawed these tests.
E. Poll taxes, or money payments required
before voting, and grandfather clauses,
excusing white voters from paying the tax,
were devices used to discourage African
Americans from voting; the Twenty-fourth
Amendment banned poll taxes.
III. African American Suffrage (pages 482–484)
F. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and later
voting rights laws brought the federal
government directly into the electoral
process in the states, ending official
discrimination against African Americans and
increasing their political strength and
participation in government.
III. African American Suffrage (pages 482–484)
If the Fifteenth Amendment was supposed to
give African Americans the right to vote, why
were Voting Rights Acts necessary?
Many states used literacy tests and poll taxes to
keep most African Americans from voting.
IV. Twenty-sixth Amendment (page 484)
A. This amendment lowered the voting age to
18 throughout the nation.
B. The amendment helped satisfy those young
people who could be drafted into the military
but could not vote.
IV. Twenty-sixth Amendment (page 484)
Do you agree or disagree with the provisions
of the Twenty-sixth Amendment? Explain
your reasoning.
Few will disagree. However, those who do may
point out the lowest percentage of voters are in
the youngest age category.
Checking for Understanding
1. Main Idea Use a chart to explain the changes
brought about by the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and
Twenty-sixth Amendments.
fifteenth: African Americans were given right to
vote nationwide, first time that the national
government set rules for voting;
nineteenth: women were given right to vote
nationwide;
twenty-sixth: voting age lowered from 21 to 18
Checking for Understanding
2. Define suffrage, grandfather clause, poll tax.
Suffrage is the right to vote.
A grandfather clause is an exemption in a law
for a certain group based on previous
conditions.
A poll tax is money paid in order to vote.
Checking for Understanding
3. Identify Voting Rights Act.
The Voting Rights Act is a law that empowered
the federal government to register voters in any
district where less than 50 percent of African
American adults were on the voting lists or
where it appeared that local officials were
discriminating against African Americans.
Checking for Understanding
4. What did the Twenty-fourth Amendment outlaw?
It outlawed poll taxes in national elections.
Checking for Understanding
5. Why were the provisions of the Voting Rights
Acts important?
They empowered the federal government to
prevent voting rights discrimination at the state
level and resulted in an increased number of
minority voters and African Americans’
participation in the political process.
Critical Thinking
6. Making Inferences John Jay said, “The people
who own the country ought to govern it.”
Analyze the impact of the extension of voting
rights on the meaning of Jay’s statement.
Answers should point out that Jay believed, like
many others of his time, that only property
owners should have the right to vote. The
extension of voting rights allowed all Americans
to participate and “own” their country.
Growth of Democracy Create an
illustrated time line that focuses on
major events in the extension of voting
rights in the United States. Include
events between 1791 and the present.
Influences on Voters
Key Terms
cross-pressured voter, straight party ticket,
propaganda
Find Out
• What personal background factors do you believe
will influence your decision as a voter?
• What outside influences affect how a
person votes?
Influences on Voters
Understanding Concepts
Civic Participation How does a citizen overcome
obstacles to voting and voter apathy?
Section Objective
Evaluate the factors that influence voters
and nonvoters.
In a periodic Gallup poll to determine which
president Americans consider to be the
greatest, President John F. Kennedy headed
the list until 1991 when President Abraham
Lincoln was ranked first. Even then, the
public placed Kennedy second. Historians
generally believe that Kennedy’s great
popularity is based in part on the image he
projected on television—a young, handsome,
and energetic leader, assassinated in 1963,
who gave his life for his country.
I. Personal Background of Voters
(pages 492–493)
A. Voters’ ages may affect their views and
determine their voting decisions.
B. Education, religion, and racial or ethnic
background affect voters’ attitudes, but
voters do not always vote in keeping with
their backgrounds.
C. Cross-pressured voters, those caught
between conflicting elements in their
lives, may vote based on the issues
and candidates.
I. Personal Background of Voters
(pages 492–493)
I. Personal Background of Voters
(pages 492–493)
Which of the following do you think will
most influence your own voting decisions:
age, education level, religion, occupation,
income level, race, family or ethnic
background? Explain.
Answers will vary. You may want to rank the
categories from most to least important.
II. Loyalty to Political Parties (pages 493–494)
A. Because the majority of American voters
consider themselves either Republicans
or Democrats, most vote for their
party’s candidates.
B. Not all party members vote for all their
party’s candidates; some are strong party
voters; others are weak party voters.
C. Independent voters, who have increased in
numbers, do not belong to either major
party but are an important element in
presidential elections.
II. Loyalty to Political Parties (pages 493–494)
Explain why you think you will become a
strong party voter, a weak party voter, or
an independent.
Answers will vary. See Loyalty to Political
Parties on text page 493.
III. Issues in Election Campaigns (pages 494–495)
A. Many current voters are better informed
than past voters because they are better
educated, current issues have a greater
impact on their personal lives, and
television imparts information on issues;
still, most voters are not fully informed on
campaign issues.
B. The 1980 presidential election demonstrated
the importance of issues: The high rate of
inflation, the high cost of living, and the high
rate of unemployment were issues debated
by the candidates that clearly helped
Reagan win the election.
III. Issues in Election Campaigns (pages 494–495)
What are some issues that you would like
the candidates to address in the next
presidential campaign?
Answers will vary but may include: budget,
campaign finance, health care, education.
IV. The Candidate’s Image (page 495)
A. Americans want someone they can trust as
a national leader.
B. Voters often select candidates for the image
they project.
IV. The Candidate’s Image (page 495)
Do you think the emphasis on image in
modern political campaigns is a positive
or negative development? Explain.
Answers will vary. You should support your
opinions with examples.
V. Propaganda (pages 495–496)
A. Political parties and candidates use ideas,
information, and rumors to influence voters
with propaganda techniques.
B. Name calling, testimonials, bandwagon,
transfer, plain folks, and card stacking help
to win votes.
V. Propaganda (pages 495–496)
How can voters protect themselves
against being manipulated by campaign
propaganda?
By recognizing the techniques and by
keeping informed about the choices.
VI.Profile of Regular Voters (page 496)
A. Regular voters have positive attitudes
toward government and citizenship.
B. Generally, regular voters have more
education and a higher than average
income; middle-aged citizens have the
highest voter turnout.
VI.Profile of Regular Voters (page 496)
Why do you think the highest voter turnout
is among middle-aged, educated, higher
income persons?
Answers will vary but should be well reasoned.
VII. Profile of Nonvoters (page 496—497)
A. They may not meet citizenship, residency,
and registration requirements.
B. The percentage of voters among those who
are eligible has declined.
VII. Profile of Nonvoters (page 496—497)
What steps do you think might be
effective in increasing voter turnout?
Answers will vary. Students may mention
shifting elections to Sunday or instituting
national registration systems.
Checking for Understanding
1. Main Idea Use a graphic organizer like the
one below to show how parties try to
influence voters.
appealing to members’ loyalty, addressing
issues, building candidate’s image, using
propaganda techniques
Checking for Understanding
2. Define cross-pressured voter, straight party
ticket, propaganda.
A cross-pressured voter is one who is caught
between conflicting elements in his or her own
life that may affect voting patterns.
A straight party ticket is one where a voter has
selected candidates of his or her party only.
Propaganda is the use of ideas, information, or
rumors to influence opinion.
Checking for Understanding
3. Identify independent voter.
An independent voter is a voter who does not
support any particular party.
Checking for Understanding
4. Identify factors in a voter’s personal background
that influence that individual’s vote.
Students should identify any or all of the
following factors: upbringing, family, age,
occupation, income level, general outlook
on life, education, religion, and racial or
ethnic background.
Critical Thinking
5. Demonstrating Reasoned Judgment What
qualities of competence and leadership would
you think are important for a presidential
candidate to have?
Answers will vary, but students should identify
personal qualities and leadership skills worthy
of presidential candidates.
Civic Participation Voter apathy is an
issue in the United States today. Draw a
political cartoon that depicts a reason
people give for not voting.
Reviewing Key Terms
Write the term that best completes each sentence.
political action committees
soft money
straight-party ticket
cross-pressured voter
suffrage
grandfather clause
1. Political candidates often receive campaign
contributions and support from
________________________.
political action committees
2. Women in the United States gained
__________________________
in 1920.
suffrage
3. Most independent voters do not vote a
__________________________.
straight-party ticket
Reviewing Key Terms
Write the term that best completes each sentence.
political action committees
soft money
straight-party ticket
cross-pressured voter
suffrage
grandfather clause
4. Political parties can raise unlimited amounts of
money for general purposes, not designated to
particular candidates, through
__________________________.
soft money
grandfather clause
5. The __________________________
was a
roadblock to voting for most African American
Southerners.
6. One cannot be sure how a
cross-pressured voter
__________________________
will vote
because that person has conflicting interests.
Recalling Facts
1. How does the number of electoral votes of a
state affect presidential campaigning?
Larger states with more electoral votes get
more attention from candidates.
2. What were the three devices used after 1870 to
prevent African Americans from voting?
The three devices were the grandfather clause,
literacy test, and poll tax.
Recalling Facts
3. Which group of Americans gained the right to
vote under the Twenty-sixth Amendment?
Americans between 18 and 21 years old
gained the right to vote under the Twentysixth Amendment.
4. What effects has television had on
presidential elections?
Television has brought the issues into almost
every home. It has also increased the
importance of a candidate’s image.
Recalling Facts
5. Describe the current voter registration system.
The National Voter Registration law, which took
effect in 1995, requires states to make
registration forms available not only at motor
vehicle departments but also at numerous state
offices, welfare offices, and agencies that serve
the disabled. It also requires states to allow
mail-in registration.
Understanding Concepts
1. Political Processes Individuals have
suggested extending public financing of election
campaigns to include congressional campaigns.
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of
this idea.
Possible advantages: enable more people to
run for office, diminish candidates’ “selling”
themselves for campaign contributions, diminish
the power wealth has on candidates;
Possible disadvantages: more taxpayer
dollars spent on campaigning, congressional
candidates should not be responsible to federal
influence but to state influence, Congress might
vote themselves more money
Understanding Concepts
2. Growth of Democracy Why were the Voting
Rights Acts necessary?
Although the Fifteenth Amendment granted
voting rights, Southern states set up many
roadblocks designed to limit and discourage
African American voters. The acts empowered
the federal government to extend voting rights
to all eligible African Americans.
Understanding Concepts
3. Civic Participation The right to vote belongs to
every United States citizen. In your opinion,
what do citizens forfeit if they do not exercise
their right to vote?
Answers will vary but may include that
nonvoters lose their chance to influence the
political process, to voice their opinions, and to
affect society.
Critical Thinking
1. Predicting Consequences Identify at least
three consequences that could result from
limiting the amount of money any individual
could give to a political campaign.
Possible consequences may include: diminish
the influence of wealthy individuals in
government, force political parties to find funds
elsewhere such as from PACs, federal funding
may become more important, individuals may
lose interest if they cannot contribute, other
PAC-type organizations may form, soft money
may play an even greater role, and so on.
Critical Thinking
2. Making Inferences In terms of percentage, far
fewer members of the 18–21 age bracket
actually exercise their right to vote than is the
case with any other age group. How might you
explain this?
Answers may indicate that younger voters have
a more parochial viewpoint, are not as
concerned with national issues, are more
involved in their daily lives, have not been
influenced by either major party, and so on.
Critical Thinking
3. Making Inferences Use a graphic organizer
like the one below to list three ways of
increasing voter turnout.
Answers might include: shift election day from
Tuesday to Sunday; national registration rather
than state or local; allow voters to register on
election day
Interpreting Political Cartoons Activity
1. According to the cartoonist, why don’t some
people vote?
Americans are discouraged by negative
campaign advertisements that criticize
candidates.
Interpreting Political Cartoons Activity
2. How does the cartoonist exaggerate campaign
advertising?
The cartoonist portrays campaign advertising as
only negative. Candidates criticize opponents
without noting their own accomplishments,
talents, or goals.
Interpreting Political Cartoons Activity
3. Should Americans rely on television
advertisements to gather information on
candidates? Why or why not?
Answers will vary. Students may note that voters should
try to become informed by examining newspaper and
magazine articles and political party brochures, listening
to TV or radio news programs, or consulting other local
organizations to gain reliable information on candidates.
Which presidential candidate scored
the biggest landslide victory in
presidential history?
Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson, in 1964,
took 61.1 percent of the vote with his
challenger, Barry Goldwater, taking only
38.5 percent.
1) spending increased through 2) No, spending in House dropped
2000, then decreased
in 1997-98, then increased
3) all House reps faced re-election
1) the 15th Amendment
2) low income citizens
who could not pay
these taxes were not
permitted to vote
3) Answers will vary.
1) Brazil with 100%
participation
2) all except Mexico
3) Answers will vary.
Polling the Community Poll 10 people in the
community as to whether or not they voted in the
last election. If the person did not vote, ask for the
reason why. Make a list of the reasons people gave
for not voting and then share the information with
the class. Make a class list to tally the main reason
why people do not vote.
In 1996 only 5 percent of Americans polled believed
that politicians do not grant special favors to large
campaign contributors.
More About Conservatives and Liberals A
person can be a political conservative and an
economic liberal—and vice versa. Economic
conservatives believe that the government should
keep its hands off the economy. Economic liberals
support government intervention in the economy to
fulfill a social responsibility.
Crossing the Line
Suffragists used strong tactics for their cause—the
right of women to vote. In 1913, thousands of
women marched in a suffrage parade through
Washington, D.C. In 1917, suffragists set up a
daily picket line outside the White House. It was the
first time this form of protest had occurred in
American history. The picketers continued even
after the nation entered World War I and, as a
result, were accused of being traitors. In one of
their most radical statements, the women referred
to President Wilson as “Kaiser.”
Image or Issues Debate the following questions:
Which is more important in elections, image or
issues? Can a candidate with a strong public image
but a poor grasp of important issues win a
presidential or congressional election over a
candidate with an unappealing image but a
thorough grasp of issues? Discuss these questions
and support your opinions with examples.
Volunteerism is an important part of the American
democratic system. Discuss former President
George Bush’s attempt to rally Americans to
volunteer through his “Thousand Points of Light”
program and his later attempt with President
Clinton to get people, especially young people, to
commit to volunteer service through the President’s
Summit for America’s Future.
Activity: Choose an organization you believe
supports an important cause. Find out how to
volunteer for this organization and what types of
volunteers are needed.
Analyzing Political and Economic Views
Brainstorm 10 current political issues and 10
economic ones. Create a continuum ranging from
liberal on the far left to conservative on the far right
and label the top economic and the bottom political.
Mark your beliefs on the continuum for each of the
issues. Analyze your continuums to decide where
you stand on the political and economic
conservative/liberal continuum.
Economics The top 10 overall campaign
contributors in the 2000 elections were (listed from
first to tenth): American Federation of State, County,
and Municipal Employees; Service Employees
International Union; AT&T; Carpenters and Joiners
Union; Microsoft Corp.; International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers; Goldman Sachs Group;
Citigroup, Inc.; United Food and Commercial
Workers Union; National Association of Realtors.
Condoleeza Rice
Under President George H.W. Bush, Condoleezza
Rice drew on her political-science background as
senior director for Soviet affairs at the National
Security Council. In that role she helped to bring
democratic reforms to Poland and to develop many of
the Bush administration’s policies toward the former
Soviet Union.
Activity: Research the history of the National
Security Council. Work in groups to compile a time
line of significant events and noteworthy
appointments.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was a master at image making.
With years of experience on the radio, as a
television host, and in movies, Reagan used the
media to his advantage as a candidate and during
his presidency. Candidate Reagan portrayed a
youthful image, which helped him get elected and
become—at age 69—the oldest American ever to
be elected to the presidency.
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