5.1 Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior

Expansion of Voting Rights

The 15th Amendment (1870) banned denying the vote based on race; the 19th Amendment (1920) extended suffrage to women; the 24th Amendment (1964) outlawed poll taxes; and the 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated literacy tests and enforced federal oversight to combat discriminatory state practices like grandfather clauses.

Models of Voting Behavior

Political scientists explain voter choice through several models: rational-choice voting (voters choose based on self-interest/policy benefits), retrospective voting (evaluating incumbent performance), prospective voting (predicting future performance), and party-line voting (choosing candidates who share one's party affiliation). Demographic factors like race, religion, education, and income also correlate with voting patterns.

Factors Affecting Turnout

Voter turnout is shaped by structural/institutional barriers (registration requirements, voter ID laws, early voting rules) and individual factors (age, education, income, civic duty). Higher turnout tends to correlate with higher education and income, while structural barriers like strict registration deadlines can suppress participation, especially among younger and lower-income voters.

Key terms

15th Amendment

Prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude (1870).

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests and provided federal oversight to end discriminatory voting practices against minorities.

Retrospective voting

Voting based on evaluation of an incumbent's past performance in office.

Prospective voting

Voting based on predictions of a candidate's future policy performance.

Structural barriers to voting

Institutional rules like registration deadlines, voter ID laws, and limited early voting that can suppress turnout.

Try an AP-style question

Which model of voting is this?

1. Rational choice only
2. Prospective
3. Retrospective
4. Party-line