Elections and Voting Behavior (Ch. 10)
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12 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 legitimacy | characterization of elections by political scientists meaning that they are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders; when it is high, even those who lost the election accept the results peacefully |
| referendum | state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment |
| initiative petition | process permitted in some states whereby voters may put proposed changes in the state constitution to a vote if sufficient signatures are obtained on petitions calling for such a referendum |
| suffrage | the legal right to vote; extended to African Americans (15th Amendment), women (19th Amendment), people over the age of 18 (26th Amendment) |
| political efficacy | belief that one's political participation really matters--that one's vote can actually make a difference |
| civic duty | belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote |
| voter registration | system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of Election Day; a few states allow this to occur on Election Day |
| Motor Voter Act | requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for their driver's license; passed in 1993, going into effect for the 1996 election |
| mandate theory of elections | idea that the winning candidate has been given "command or authorization" from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics; politicians like the theory better than political scientists |
| policy voting | electoral choices that are made on the basis of the voters' policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues |
| electoral college | created by the Constitution, provides for the selection of the (American) president by electors chosen by the state parties; usually this vote reflects a popular majority; the winner-take-all rule gives clout to big states |
| retrospective voting | theory of voting in which voters essentially ask this simple question: "What have you done for me lately?" |
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