Download Voting - Civic Responsibilities and Duties

Voting - Civic Responsibilities and Duties
Vocabulary
 Civic Duties – things you are legally required to do
 Civic Responsibilities – things you should do but are not required to do
 Political Party – association of voters who want to influence government by getting their candidates elected to
office
 Apathy – general feeling of not caring
 Electorate – people eligible to vote
 Incumbent – person who already holds the office they are running for
 Canvassing – going door to door to get voters
Civic Duties
 Obey the law
 Pay taxes
 Defend the nation – Selective Service
 Jury Duty
 Attend school
Civic Responsibilities
 Be informed
 Vote
 Respect others
 Tolerate diversity
 Contribute to the common good
Volunteering
 Government doesn’t have time or money to cover everything that everyone needs so people must volunteer
 Helps reduce the cost of government
 Volunteers can give time or money
 Benefits
o Community is uplifted
o Deductions from taxes
o Intrinsic value
Eligibility to Vote
 18 years old
 Resident of the state for a specific time
 Citizen of the U.S.
 No felonies
Voting Process
 Gather information
o Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV
o Websites of candidates & political parties
o Political parties
 Go to polling place & receive a ballot
 Cast your ballot – fill out your choices
 Wait for returns – reporting of election results
 Absentee Ballot – a way to vote if you will be unable to vote on election day
 Exit Poll – way of predicting the winner before all of the votes are counted by asking people as they leave who
they voted for
Not Voting
 Apathy - #1 reason why people don’t vote
 Following can’t vote
o Felons
o Those in mental hospitals
o People who do not meet state requirements
 Registration is not a problem
 Presidential elections – 50% of electorate vote
 Elections without Presidential candidates – between 7% and 20% vote
Special Elections
 Initiative – a petition is signed with enough signatures to put an issue on the ballot
 Proposition – once an initiative is on the ballot
 Referendum – people can gather signatures to review a law passed by the state legislatures
o Usually with very controversial issues
 Recall – special election where voters can vote an official out of office before their term is up
Campaigning
 Creation of a positive image for a candidate
 Television is the most common means of campaigning
 2 types
o Mass Campaigning – TV, Rally & Mail – less time consuming but more expensive
o Grass Roots – small level – Canvassing or making phone calls – cheap but time consuming – the
voters get to personally know the candidate and the candidate gets to know the voters
 Incumbents – win 80% of the time
o Name recognition
o Franking privilege
 Endorsements – a famous or popular person supports a candidate
Financing Campaigns
 The Federal Election & Campaign Finance Act of 1971
o Established rules for campaign finance
o Public disclosure of spending
o Established federal funding of presidential elections
o Limits how much individuals & groups could spend
o Created the FEC (Federal Election Committee)
Private Funding
 Soft Money Donations
o Donations given to political parties & not designated for a particular candidate
o Most goes to TV ads for the parties’ candidates
o Elaborate dinners with individual donations
 Political Action Committees (PACs)
o Organized by special interest groups
o Funds candidates who favor their position on issues
Public Funding
 Presidential Election Campaign Fund
o Taxpayers check a box on their federal income tax returns to designate $3 of their taxes to the fund
o Candidates can get the money for primary elections if they have raised $100,000 on their own
Public Opinion - Chapter 11
Public Opinion
 The ideas & attitudes people have about candidates
 Influenced by age, gender, income, hobbies, race, religion & occupation
 Mass media is a strong influence
 Politicians must be responsive to public opinion if they are going to get reelected
Determining Public Opinion
 Public Opinion Polls – survey – most accurate way to determine public opinion
 Pollsters – people trained to take polls & measure public opinion
 Public Opinion Poll – use random samples
 Push Polls – used to push public opinion one way or another
o Have loaded questions – biased to get a certain response
 Presidential Approval Rating
 Gallup Poll
Media
 Print – newspapers, mailings, magazines
 Electronic – TV, radio, internet
 Main purpose – to keep us informed
 Independent media is most desirable
 Literacy is important
 Bias – one-sided point of view
Biased Media
 Fox – Republican biased news
 MSNBC – Democratic biased news
Interest Groups
 People attempting to influence government with their shared views
 Pressure groups
 Functions:
o Bring issues to the public & lawmakers
o Support candidates who favor their goals
Types of Interest Groups
 Economic – most common
o Business organizations – interested in trade
o Industrial & Trade – represent certain types of business
o Labor Unions – rights of workers
o Professional Associations – represent different professions
 Group
o Ethnicity (NAACP)
o Age (AARP)
o Gender (NOW)
 Public – focus on specific causes (PETA)
 Can form PACs also
Ways Special Interest Groups Influence Politics
 Election Activities – backing a candidate
 Lobbying – persuading officials
 Provide expert testimony or help write laws in committees
 Go to court to fight a cause
 Fund elections
Lobbyists
 Lobby – try to get officials to support a group’s goals
 Responsible for getting PAC money to the right politicians
 Speak in congressional committees
Regulation
 Lobbyists can’t pay a candidates living expenses
 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946)
o All lobbies must register with federal & state governments & report all expenditures
Propaganda
 Attempt to influence people with biased information
 Always get both sides of a story from reliable sources
 Good way to determine what a candidate really supports is to see which PAC gives them money for
campaigning
Types of Propaganda
 Endorsements – famous or admirable person supports a candidate
 Stacked Cards – presenting only 1 side of the issue – distorting the facts
 Name-Calling – turning people against an opponent by giving them an unpleasant label or description
 Glittering Generality – statement that sounds good but is meaningless
 Symbols – use and misuse of symbols
 Just Plain Folks – make people think that the candidate is just like them
 Bandwagon – convincing people that everyone else agrees with a certain candidate
Voting - Civic Responsibilities and Duties
Vocabulary

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Civic Responsibilities – things you should do but are not required to do

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________ – general feeling of not caring

___________________________________________________ – people eligible to vote

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________ – going door to door to get voters
Civic Duties

______________________________________________________________________________________

Pay ______________________________

Defend the nation – __________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Civic Responsibilities


______________________________________________________________________________________
Vote


______________________________________________________________________________________
Tolerate diversity
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Volunteering

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Helps reduce the cost of government


______________________________________________________________________________________
Benefits
o ______________________________________________________________________________
o Deductions from taxes
o Intrinsic value
Eligibility to Vote
 _______________ years old


______________________________________________________________________________________
Citizen of the U.S.
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
Voting Process
 Gather information
o Newspapers, magazines, radio, ____________________________________________________________

o _______________________________________________________________________________
o Political parties
Go to polling place & receive a ballot


______________________________________________________________________________________
Wait for returns – reporting of election results

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________ – way of predicting the winner before all of the votes are counted by asking people
as they leave who they voted for
Not Voting


______________________________________________________________________________________
Following can’t vote


o _________________________________________________________________________
o Those in mental hospitals
o People who do not meet state requirements
Registration is not a problem
Presidential elections – 50% of electorate vote

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Special Elections

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________ – once an initiative is on the ballot

____________________________________ – people can gather signatures to review a law passed by the state legislatures
o Usually with very controversial issues

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Campaigning
 Creation of a positive image for a candidate

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 types
o Mass Campaigning – TV, Rally & Mail – less time consuming but more expensive
o
_____________________________________ – small level – Canvassing or making phone calls – cheap but time
consuming – __________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
o Name recognition
o Franking privilege
 __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Financing Campaigns
 The Federal Election & Campaign Finance Act of _____________________________________________
o
______________________________________________________________________________________________
o
o
o
Public disclosure of spending
Established federal funding of presidential elections
Limits how much individuals & groups could spend
o
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Private Funding
 Soft Money Donations
o
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

o
Most goes to TV ads for the parties’ candidates
o
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
o Organized by special interest groups
o

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Hard money vs. Soft money
o
______________________________________________________________________________________________
o
____________________________________________________________________________________
o
McCain - __________________________________________
Public Funding

______________________________________________________________________________________
o Taxpayers check a box on their federal income tax returns to designate $3 of their taxes to the fund
o
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Public Opinion - Chapter 11
Public Opinion
 ______________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________ is a strong influence
 Politicians must be responsive to public opinion if they are going to get reelected
Determining Public Opinion

__________________________________________ Polls – _________________________ – most accurate way to determine
public opinion

______________________________________ – people trained to take polls & measure public opinion

Public Opinion Poll – use _____________________________________________________

___________________________________ – used to push public opinion one way or another


Have loaded questions – _________________________________________________________________________________
Presidential Approval Rating
 __________________________________________________
Media
 _______________________________________– newspapers, mailings, magazines

Electronic – ____________________________________________________________________________


Main purpose – to keep us ________________________________________
Independent media is most desirable

_______________________________ is important
 _______________________ – ______________________________________________________________
Biased Media
 ________________________ – Republican biased news
 MSNBC – _____________________________________________________________________________
Interest Groups
 People attempting to influence government with _______________________________________________


___________________________________________________________________
Functions:
o Bring issues to the public & ________________________________________________
 Support candidates who favor their goals
Types of Interest Groups
 Economic – _______________________________________________________
o
Business organizations – __________________________________________________________
o
_____________________________________________________________ – represent certain types of business

o
o
Group
o
_______________________________________________________________________________
Professional Associations – represent different professions
_____________________________________________________________________________
o _____________________________________________________________________________
o Gender (NOW)
 Public – _______________________________________________________________________________
 Can form PACs also
Ways Special Interest Groups Influence Politics
 Election Activities – ___________________________________________________________________



______________________________________________ – persuading officials
Provide _________________________________________________________________ or help write laws in committees
Go to court to fight a cause
 ___________________________________________________________
Lobbyists
 ______________________________________________________________________________________

Responsible for getting PAC money to the right politicians

______________________________________________________________________________________
Regulation
 ______________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________ (1946)
o All lobbies must register with federal & state governments & report all _____________________
Propaganda
 ______________________________________________________________________________________
 Always get ___________________________________________________ of a story from reliable sources
 Good way to determine what a candidate really supports is to see which PAC gives them money for campaigning
Types of Propaganda

______________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________ – presenting only 1 side of the issue – distorting the facts

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________ – statement that sounds good but is meaningless

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________
o
Examples