Ch 7: Voting and Elections
Essential questions:
What brings voters to the polls? How do they make their voting decisions?
7.1|Voter Registration
1. What is one requirement that most states have before you are able to vote?
2. What is the government's goals associated with voter registration?
3. How many states now have online voting?
4. What's the concern with online voting?
5. What's your opinion on online voting? Should it be allowed? Why or why not?
6. True or false, states with easier registration laws have more registered citizens?
7. What populations (i.e., groups of people) are most affected by state registration laws?
8. What's a residency requirement regarding voting registration?
9. State laws vary on registration timeline. Do you think people should be able to register the day of an election, yes or no? Why?
10. Do you think the Democrats or Republicans are in favor of making voting more difficult to do? Why?
11. What's motor voter? What impact has it had on voter registration? Voter turnout? (note: just because people registered to vote, does not mean that they they turnout and vote)
12. In "Who is Allowed to Vote" what are some restrictions that some states have on who is NOT allowed to vote?
7.2|Voter Turnout
13. On p. 249 look at Figure 7.6 (in green). Of the total voting-eligible population, what percentage actually voted? (the answer is not 87%, you'll have to caluclate it).
14. Is the percentage of people who voted higher or lower than you thought it would be?
15. What's the relationship between someone's age and their likelihood to vote? What are at least four (4) reasons for low voter turnout in relations to age of voters?
16. How are age and government impact on your life related?
17. Looking at page 250, Figure 7.8 what age group has had the largest drop in voting rates?
18. What's the relationship between those who vote and educational attainment? Income? Race? Gender?
19. Describe, using race, income, gender and educational attainment, the person who would be MOST likely to vote?
20. What are at least six (6) factors that decrease (or may decrease) voter turnout?
21. What the for and what the are against arguments related to showing identification at polling places [where you go to vote]?
22. Do you think Californians might suffer "voter fatigue?" Why or why not?
23. Do you think the U.S. should have MANDATORY voting laws like they do in other countries? Why/why not?
24. Congratulations, you've been appointed to make sure more people come out and vote. What three (3) things (other than bribing people) would you do to increase voter turnout?
7.3|Elections
7.4|Campaigns and Voting
7.5|Direct Democracy
What is "direct democracy"? How is it different from a "representative democracy"?
What event is the main reason why some states have direct democracy and others do not
List and summarize, in your own words, the three forms of direct democracy
What's the difference between an initiative and a proposition?
What's the determination
What brings voters to the polls? How do they make their voting decisions?
7.1|Voter Registration
1. What is one requirement that most states have before you are able to vote?
2. What is the government's goals associated with voter registration?
3. How many states now have online voting?
4. What's the concern with online voting?
5. What's your opinion on online voting? Should it be allowed? Why or why not?
6. True or false, states with easier registration laws have more registered citizens?
7. What populations (i.e., groups of people) are most affected by state registration laws?
8. What's a residency requirement regarding voting registration?
9. State laws vary on registration timeline. Do you think people should be able to register the day of an election, yes or no? Why?
10. Do you think the Democrats or Republicans are in favor of making voting more difficult to do? Why?
11. What's motor voter? What impact has it had on voter registration? Voter turnout? (note: just because people registered to vote, does not mean that they they turnout and vote)
12. In "Who is Allowed to Vote" what are some restrictions that some states have on who is NOT allowed to vote?
7.2|Voter Turnout
13. On p. 249 look at Figure 7.6 (in green). Of the total voting-eligible population, what percentage actually voted? (the answer is not 87%, you'll have to caluclate it).
14. Is the percentage of people who voted higher or lower than you thought it would be?
15. What's the relationship between someone's age and their likelihood to vote? What are at least four (4) reasons for low voter turnout in relations to age of voters?
16. How are age and government impact on your life related?
17. Looking at page 250, Figure 7.8 what age group has had the largest drop in voting rates?
18. What's the relationship between those who vote and educational attainment? Income? Race? Gender?
19. Describe, using race, income, gender and educational attainment, the person who would be MOST likely to vote?
20. What are at least six (6) factors that decrease (or may decrease) voter turnout?
21. What the for and what the are against arguments related to showing identification at polling places [where you go to vote]?
22. Do you think Californians might suffer "voter fatigue?" Why or why not?
23. Do you think the U.S. should have MANDATORY voting laws like they do in other countries? Why/why not?
24. Congratulations, you've been appointed to make sure more people come out and vote. What three (3) things (other than bribing people) would you do to increase voter turnout?
7.3|Elections
7.4|Campaigns and Voting
7.5|Direct Democracy
What is "direct democracy"? How is it different from a "representative democracy"?
What event is the main reason why some states have direct democracy and others do not
List and summarize, in your own words, the three forms of direct democracy
What's the difference between an initiative and a proposition?
What's the determination