Government

Ch. 6-9  Outline

Ch.6:  The Constitution and the Right to Vote

Section 1: 

A.  History of Voting Rights

            1.

            2.

            3.

            4.

            5.

Section 2:  Voter Qualifications among the States

A.  Citizenship and Residence

            1.  Citizenship

                        -

                        -

2.      Residence

-

-

-

3.      Age

-

-

B.  Other Qualifications

            1.

            2.

            3.

            4.

Section 3:  Suffrage and Civil Rights

A.  The 15^th amendment

B.  Civil Rights Act of 1957 and 1960

C.  The Civil Rights Act of 1964

D.  The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its Amendments

Section 4:Nonvoting

A.  The size of the problem

B.  Why people do not vote

1.      Cannot-Voters

2.  Actual Nonvoters

3.  Factors affecting turnout

Section 5:  Voter Behavior

A.  Sociological Factors

            1.

            2.

            3.

            4.

            5.

            6.

2. Psychological Factors

Chapter 6 Activity:  Write the text of a dialogue between two people, one a veteran of the civil rights movement and the other a non-voter.  Your dialogue should explore the reasons why some people made great sacrifices to vote, while others do not bother to vote.  Then, with a partner, read your dialogue to the class.

Chapter 7-THE ELECTORAL PROCESS

Section 1:  The Nominating Process

Nomination-

General Elections-

5 categories that nominations are grouped in

            1.  Self-announcement-

            2.  caucus-

            3.  convention-

4.      direct primary-

a.

                   b.

            favor-

            critique-

            open opponents-

5.      petition-

Section 2:  Elections

Coattail Effect-

Precincts-

Polling place-

Ballot-

Secret ballot-

Australian Ballot-

            1.

            2.

            3.

            4.

Office-Group Ballot

Party Column Ballot

Sample Ballots

“The Long and Short of it”

bedsheet ballot-

Section 3:  Money and the Election Process

Campaign Spending Amounts-

2 sources

            1.

                        a.

                        b.

                        c.

                        d.

                        e.

            2.

Why people give-

Federal Election Commission-

                        1.

                        2.

                        3.

                        4.

Limits on contributions

Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns

            1.

            2.

            3.

Minor candidates

Chapter 7 activity-Select one of the topics in this chapter and draw a political cartoon that comments on it. 

Chapter 8:  The Formation of Public Opinion

Section 1

A.  What is public opinion?

B.  5 factors that shape public opinion

            a.

            b.

            c.

            d.

            e.

Section 2:  Measure of public opinion

A.  4 ways of measuring public opinion

1.      Elections:

2.  Interest Groups:

3.  Media:

4.  Personal Contacts:

B.  Polls:

Section 3:  Mass Media and Politics

A.  Mass Media

            1. 

            2.

            3.

            4.

Ch. 8 activity:  Form a group of three students.  Review the five steps in the polling process, as outlined on pages 192-194.  Use these steps to create and conduct your own poll on an issue in the news.  They must be approved by the teacher before you begin interviewing.  After your group has assembled and interpreted its findings, report them to the class.  Include a graph or table in the report.

 Chapter 9:  Nature of Interest Groups

A.  What is an interest group?

                Interest group-

            Political Parties and Interest groups-

B.  Interest Groups:  Good or Bad?

1.      Functions (good)-

            2.  Criticisms(bad)-

Section 2:  Types of Interest Groups

A.  American Tradition:

B.  Groups based on economic interest:

            1.

            2.

            3.

            4.

C.  Other groups:

            1.

            2.

            3.

            4.

Section 3:  Interest Groups at work

Interest Groups, parties, and elections:

PAC’s:

Lobbying:

Chapter 9 activity:  Interest group activity and PAC commercials:  We will do this in class when we get here.