The Voting Rights Act

Read “The Voting Rights Act of 1965″ in COMMONLIT and answer this questions.

1. How does the author support her argument that some modern voting laws might be intended to prevent minorities from exercising their civil rights? Cite evidence from the text in your response.

2.Part A: Which two of the following best identify the central themes of this article?

A. While Congress has the right to overrule changes states make to their voting laws,members of Congress generally refrain from doing so out of respect for states’ rights.

B. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which followed on the heels of a deadly clash known as ” Bloody Sunday”, greatly increased the participation of African- Americans in elections.

C. The advances Lyndon B. Johnson made in terms of civil rights in the United States were only possible because of this control over a substantial military force.

D. Thought many of us take the right to vote for granted today, African- Americans went throught years of protests before their voting rights were secured E. Recent adjustments to the civil rights legislation of the 1960s, such as in the case of Shelby County v. Holder, has effectively undone President Johnson’s achievements F. Advocates of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 believed that American election system was rigged such that only a small minority of ” ruling elites”actually chose elected officials.

3. Part B: Which TWO phrases from the text best support the answers to Part A?

A. ” Throughout history,however,many American citizens have not been allowed to vote in local and national elections… Cultural and political barriers prrvented racial minorities from heading to the voting booth…” (Paragraph 5)

B. ” Wallace refused,so Johnson took charge of Alabama’s National Guard and sent one thousand military policemen and two thousand army troops to escort protesters on a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama( Paragraph 6)

C.” Proponents to the Voting Rights Act wanted everyone to be able to vote,and wanted everyone’s vote to matter equally.”( Paragraph 7)

D. ” The Voting Rights Act of 1965 had immediate positive effects for minority voters. Nearly 250,000 black citizens registered to vote in 1965 alone.” ( Paragraph 8)

E. ” A majority of the justices believed it was wrong to require certain states to check with the federal government every time they changed their voting laws.” ( Paragraph 9)

F. ” Technically, Congress can still override individual changes as they arise, but critics are skeptical that Congress will actually do thus.”( Paragraph 11)

4.PartA: What does the word ” inalinable” most closely mean as it is used in paragraph 1?

A. sacred; handed down by a higher power B. unable to be taken from the possessor C. expressing political power; influential D. transcendent of obstacles 5.

Part B:

Which phrase from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “voting” (Paragraph 1)

B. ” belongs to all Americans” ( Paragraph 1)C. “cannot be taken away” ( Paragraph 1) D. “cultural and political barriers” ( Paragraph 1)