Ch. 6 Government Vocabulary

Suffrage

the legal right to vote

franchise

A business established or operated under an authorization to sell or distribute a company's goods or services in a particular area

Electorate

All of the people entitled to vote in a given election

transient

persons living in the state for only a short time, without legal residence

Registration

a procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraudulent voting

purge

removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another organization, their team leaders, or society as a whole

Poll books

the official lists of qualified voters in each precinct

literacy

a person's ability to read or write

Poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Injunction

an authoritative command or order

preclearance

mandated by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the prior approval by the Justice Department of changes to or new election laws by certain States

Off-year elections

the congressional elections held in the even-numbered years between presidential elections

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

Political socialization

the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

gender gap myths

the discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc., between men and women

Party identification

a citizen's self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other

straight-ticket voting

practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election

Split-ticket voting

voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election

independent

A voter or candidate who does not identify with a political party.

Crossover Voting

Voting by member of one party for a candidate of another party.