Transcript Gov Chapter 10 - Perry Local Schools

Chapter Introduction
Section 1: Who Can Vote?
Section 2: Election
Campaigns
Section 3: Paying for
Election
Campaigns
Visual Summary
The right to vote is a major
responsibility of citizenship.
By voting, citizens can
influence all levels of
government as well as the
laws under which we live. Yet
many Americans do not
exercise this fundamental
right and responsibility of our
democratic way of life.
Qualifying to Vote (cont.)
• Voting is both a right and a responsibility.
• People previously barred from voting in the
United States:
– White adult males who did not own property
– Women
– African American males
– Native American males
– People under 21 years of age
Qualifying to Vote (cont.)
• Voting rights today:
– Right to vote not denied because of
race, color, gender, or age (if at least 18
years old) (26th amendment)
– Right to vote denied to people convicted
of serious crimes
Extending the Right to Vote
Qualifying to Vote (cont.)
• Voter registration:
– Required 25 days before an
election in most states
– State requirements vary
– Information needed for voter
registration forms
– Identity proof needed to register for
first-time voters
Extending the Right to Vote
Steps in Voting (cont.)
• On Election Day, citizens cast their votes
at a polling place in their precinct.
− Sample ballot at the entrance
− Clerks and challengers have certain
responsibilities
− Election judges are also present
Steps in Voting (cont.)
• After voting:
– Election workers take returns to election
board
– Election board sends returns to state
canvassing authority
– Exit Polls used to predict election results
– Media projections may influence on
voters
Why Your Vote Matters (cont.)
• Why some people do not vote:
– Not meeting state requirements
– Not registering
– Views not represented by candidates
– Vote won’t make a difference
– Apathy
Why Your Vote Matters (cont.)
• Why some people do vote:
– Positive attitudes towards government
and citizenship
– Education, age, and income
– Gives a chance to choose government
leaders
– Gives a chance to voice opinions
Types of Elections (cont.)
• General elections:
– Held after primary elections
– Always on the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November
– All seats in House and one-third of seats in
Senate at stake every even-numbered year
– Presidential elections every four years
– State and local elections
– Disputed elections
Presidential Elections
Presidential elections have three major
steps: (1) nomination of the candidates,
(2) the campaign, and (3) the vote.
Presidential Elections (cont.)
• Electors:
– Part of the Electoral College system
– List of electors pledged to each
candidate
– Winner-take-all system
– Elector votes sent to Congress to be
counted
– Candidate with majority of votes wins
The Electoral College
• Presidents are not chosen
by direct popular vote but
by a body known as the
Electoral College.
• While the presidential
candidates’ names are
printed on the ballot, the
voters are not actually
voting directly for president
and vice president.
Rather, they are voting for
all of their party’s electors
in their state.
Guide to Reading
Content Vocabulary
• soft money
• political action
committee
(PAC)
• incumbent
Running for Office (cont.)
• Money plays a major role in the election
process.
• The purpose of campaigns is to convince the
public to vote for a particular candidate.
Running for Office (cont.)
• Campaign techniques:
– Canvassing to find out public opinion
– Endorsements as propaganda
– Advertising to create the right image and
to attack opponents
– Campaign expenses and high levels of
spending in recent elections
Financing a Campaign (cont.)
• Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of
1971:
– Required public disclosure of
candidates’ spending
– Limited amount of hard money donated
directly to a candidate or party
– Tried to limit campaign spending
Financing a Campaign (cont.)
• Federal Election Commission (FEC):
– Created by the 1974 amendment to
FECA
– Administers all federal election laws
– Monitors campaign spending
Financing a Campaign (cont.)
• Presidential Election Campaign Fund:
– Created to establish public funding for
presidential elections
– Money comes from annual taxes
– Two major-party candidates can receive
equal shares of money from fund
– Third-party candidates can also qualify
for funding
Financing a Campaign (cont.)
• Private funding from various sources:
– Individual citizens
– Corporations
– Labor unions
– Interest groups
– Political action committees (PACs)
– Soft money – unlimited amounts of
money for general purposes, not
designated to particular candidates