Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet", and figuratively "right to vote", and originally a term for the pastern bone used to cast votes) is the civil right to vote, or the exercise of that right. In that context, it is also called political franchise or simply the franchise. Suffrage is very valuable to the extent that there are opportunities to vote (e.g., initiatives, referendums, or elections). Therefore, suffrage varies on 2 independent dimensions: who is eligible to vote and voting opportunities. Suffrage was also a part of the Jacksonian democracy. In simpler words, suffrage means the right to vote.