What is the franchise (suffrage)? | The right to vote. |
What is the Help America Vote Act of 2002? | A federal law meant to reduce barriers to participation in elections. |
What is the paradox of voting? | The notion that people still vote despite the fact that individual costs of voting often outweigh the individual benefits. |
What is political knowledge? | A general understanding of how the political system works, and who runs the government. |
What is political participation? | Activities citizens undertake to influence government behavior. |
What is popular sovereignty? | The principle that the authority to make decisions on behalf of society belongs to the people. |
What is socioeconomic status (SES)? | A measure of the way that individuals are regarded within a society by virtue of their wealth, income, education, and profession. |
What is vote by mail? | A program in many states that allows voters to mail in their ballots rather than appearing in person at a polling place. |
What is voter mobilization? | Efforts by organizations to facilitate or encourage voting. |
What is voter registration? | A process by which citizens enroll themselves with the government to gain permission to vote in an election. |
What is voter turnout? | The proportion of potential voters who vote in a given election. |
What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965? | A federal law that made it a priority of the national government to enforce provisions of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, leading to major improvements in voting rights for blacks, other minorities, and the poor. |