#AP US Government: Voting Rights & Voter Behavior - The Ultimate Study Guide 🚀

Hey there, future AP Gov rockstar! Let's get you prepped and confident for the big exam. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource, especially the night before the test. We'll break down complex topics, highlight key points, and make sure you're feeling ready to crush it! 💪

#Foundations of Voting Rights

#State Control & Early Restrictions

Initially, states had broad power to set voting rules, leading to:

• Exclusion of many Americans, particularly women, Black Americans, and immigrants.
• Discriminatory tactics in the South:
  • Literacy tests 📝
  • Poll taxes 💰
  • Grandfather clauses 👴
  • White primaries ⚪
• These tactics aimed to limit the political power of Black Americans. 🚫

#Constitutional Amendments Expanding Suffrage

Here's how the Constitution was amended to expand voting rights:

#Fifteenth Amendment (1870)

• Prohibited denying the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." ✊🏾
• Aimed to enfranchise Black men after the Civil War.
• Women were still excluded. 🚺

#Seventeenth Amendment (1913)

• Established the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people. 🗳️
• Prior to this, state legislatures chose senators, which was seen as corrupt. 🏛️
• Increased accountability and representation.
• Women were still excluded. 🚺

#Nineteenth Amendment (1920)

• Prohibited denying the right to vote based on sex. ♀️
• Result of decades of activism by suffragists. 📣
• Led by figures like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. 🦸‍♀️

#Twenty-Third Amendment (1961)

• Granted citizens of Washington, D.C., the right to vote in presidential elections. 🏛️
• D.C. residents were previously unrepresented in the Electoral College.

#Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964)

• Prohibited poll taxes in federal elections. 🚫💰
• A response to discriminatory practices aimed at poor and minority citizens.

#Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971)

• Lowered the voting age to 18. 🔞
• A response to the Vietnam War, where 18-year-olds could be drafted but not vote. 🪖

#Voting Rights Act of 1965

• Landmark legislation that further expanded political power.
• Targeted states with discriminatory voting policies. 🎯
• Eliminated racist literacy tests. 📝❌
• Allowed federal monitoring of states with low voter turnout among underrepresented groups. 👀
• Passed with strong bipartisan support.🤝

#Overview of Suffrage Expansion

#Models of Voting Behavior

Understanding why people vote the way they do is key. Here are the main models:

#Rational-Choice Voting

• Voters support candidates who they believe will benefit their personal interests. 🤔
• Considers policy positions, likelihood of winning, and efficacy of voting.
• Example: Young adults supporting candidates who advocate for free college tuition. 🎓

#Retrospective Voting

• Voters analyze past performance of candidates or parties. 🧐
• Holds incumbents accountable for their actions.
• Example: Voters may not reelect a president during an economic downturn. 📉

#Prospective Voting

• Voters focus on candidates' promises and future plans. 🔮
• Concerned with the direction the country is heading.
• Example: Voters chose Joe Biden in 2020 based partly on his promise to address the COVID-19 pandemic. 😷

#Party-Line Voting

• Voters support candidates based solely on their party affiliation. 🟦🟥
• Often involves straight-ticket voting.
• Many voters will vote for candidates from their preferred party regardless of the candidate or party's policies, qualifications, or performance. 🤷

#Final Exam Focus 🎯

#High-Priority Topics

• Voting Rights Amendments: Know the specifics of each amendment and its impact on suffrage.
• Voting Rights Act of 1965: Understand its purpose and significance in expanding voting rights.
• Models of Voting Behavior: Be able to define and apply each model to real-world scenarios.

#Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Expect questions testing your knowledge of specific amendments and their effects.
• Short Answer: Be prepared to explain the significance of landmark legislation like the Voting Rights Act.
• Free Response: You might be asked to analyze the impact of voting rights expansions or apply voting behavior models to a given scenario.

#Last-Minute Tips

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on any one question. Move on and come back if you have time.
• Common Pitfalls: Avoid vague answers. Always provide specific examples and evidence.
• Strategies: For FRQs, start with a clear thesis statement and support it with relevant facts and arguments.

#

Practice Question

Practice Questions

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following amendments to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote? (A) Fifteenth Amendment (B) Seventeenth Amendment (C) Nineteenth Amendment (D) Twenty-Fourth Amendment

2. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was primarily designed to: (A) Lower the voting age to 18. (B) Eliminate poll taxes and literacy tests. (C) Establish the direct election of senators. (D) Grant voting rights to residents of Washington, D.C.

3. A voter who supports a candidate based on their past performance in office is engaging in what type of voting? (A) Rational-choice voting (B) Retrospective voting (C) Prospective voting (D) Party-line voting

#Free Response Question

Prompt:

Explain how two constitutional amendments and one piece of legislation have expanded voting rights in the United States. In your response, be sure to:

(A) Identify two specific constitutional amendments that expanded voting rights. (B) Explain how each of the amendments identified in (A) expanded voting rights. (C) Identify one specific piece of legislation that expanded voting rights. (D) Explain how the legislation identified in (C) expanded voting rights.

Scoring Rubric:

• (A) Identification of two amendments (1 point each, 2 points total):
  • One point for correctly identifying the Fifteenth Amendment.
  • One point for correctly identifying the Nineteenth Amendment.
• (B) Explanation of how each amendment expanded voting rights (1 point each, 2 points total):
  • One point for explaining that the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited denying the right to vote based on race.
  • One point for explaining that the Nineteenth Amendment prohibited denying the right to vote based on sex.
• (C) Identification of a piece of legislation (1 point):
  • One point for correctly identifying the Voting Rights Act of 1965. * (D) Explanation of how the legislation expanded voting rights (1 point):
  • One point for explaining that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated discriminatory practices like literacy tests and allowed federal monitoring of states with low voter turnout among underrepresented groups.

You've got this! Go ace that exam! 🌟