GVPT 170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Voting Rights Act Of 1965, Jim Crow Laws, Fifteenth Amendment To The United States Constitution

• School: University of Maryland
• Department: Government and Politics
• Course: GVPT 170
• Professor: All

Document Summary

Key question: is it rational to vote? (downs) Outside mobilization affects both perceived costs and benefits. Must not be currently in prison (48 states + dc); must not be a convicted felon (9 states, but 41 states + dc automatically restore voting rights) 1870: 15th amendment extended voting rights to african-american men. But jim crow laws until the 1950s. 1924: congress granted citizenship (and voting rights) to native americans. Reforms intended to make voting less costly. Age (early voting, absentee voting, voting by mail, etc. ) In the u. s. , voting is a two-step process (motor voter laws, calls for same-day registration) The choice of who to vote for. Factors that help determine who you vote for. How shortcuts are used in deciding how to vote. Retrospective evaluations (of issues, overall performance, character, etc. ) Voter turnout is much lower in the u. s. than other countries.