POLI 1200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Party System
22 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Institutional Influences on Behavior
Examples: 2 party system. Big constraint on political behavior.
Other examples: redistricting, disenfranchisement, voting requirements, minor party requirements,
election mode, order of primary elections
Gerrymandering: protect incumbency, makes less competitive districts. Changes the benefits of voting
so according to rational choice method, less likely for people to vote. Protects jobs of members of
congress. Number of competitive districts has dropped. Only about 40 ish competitive.
Disenfranchisement:
People who have historically been disenfranchised:
-immigrants
-women
-minorities (African americans)
-felons
-mass incarceration. Some states have huge difference in representation of
minority groups within felons. 20% of minorities in some states are not allowed to vote, where as 2% of
whites in some states are not allowed.
-young people (before 21)
Voting requirements:
Each state runs their own election
-each has different rules and requirements
Registration: what are the deadlines? Causes problems with mobile populations because the
deadlines are varied. Causes impact on if you can vote.
Voter ID laws: Iowa just recently passed voter ID law. Most research shows there is not much
voter fraud going on. Representation vs security of the voting.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Other examples: redistricting, disenfranchisement, voting requirements, minor party requirements, election mode, order of primary elections. Changes the benefits of voting so according to rational choice method, less likely for people to vote. Some states have huge difference in representation of minority groups within felons. 20% of minorities in some states are not allowed to vote, where as 2% of whites in some states are not allowed. Causes problems with mobile populations because the deadlines are varied. Voter id laws: iowa just recently passed voter id law. Most research shows there is not much voter fraud going on.
