Political Participation

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Political Participation

• AP Government
• Unit 2

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Political Participation

• Actions undertaken by citizens that are intended
  to influence the selection of government
  officials and policy

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What is considered political participation?

• Acts aimed at influencing policy, including
• voting
• protesting
• letter-writing
• volunteering for party/interest group

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• Most common form of participation
• Voting
• Affiliated w/ Political Organization
• 3. Contacting public official
• 4. Attend meetings of organizations
• 5. Campaign contributions
• 6. Informal community activity
• 7. Attend local board meeting
• 8. Campaign work
• 9. Protest
• 10. Board membership
• Least common form of participation

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All Forms of Political Participation
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Why Dont Americans Vote?

• Long, complex ballots
• Confusing to voters
• People poorly informed
• Disaffection
• Elections determined by and special interest
  support
• Loss of trust in government
• Alienation
• Legal barriers
• Some groups not allowed to vote
• Today Photo ID Rules
• 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th Amendments fixed
  many legal barriers

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Why Dont Americans Vote?

• 5. Other Legal Requirements
• Age and Citizenship Requirements
• Many elections not close and some voters feel
  its not necessary
• Population has greater percentage of young
  people/minorities less likely to vote.
• Political parties dont mobilize voters distant
  national bureaucracies.
• Some states still dont have easy universal voter
  registration.
• Voting requires effort (cost) without any cost
  for nonvoting.

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SoWho DOES Vote?

• Any hypotheses out there???

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SoWho DOES Vote?

• 1. Education
• Higher level higher participation. Pay more
  attention to current affairs, more likely to
  understand how it works
• 2. Income
• higher incomes higher voter turnout
• 3. Age
• Older people tend to vote more often than younger
  people (less than ½ eligible 18-24 year olds
  registered to vote).
• 4. Gender
• Women vote slightly higher rate than men, but
  varies. Since 1980, women have higher tendency to
  vote for Democrats than Republicans.
• 5. Race
• Generally, whites tend to vote more regularly
  than African-American, but blacks with high
  income and education vote more than whites of
  same SES. Overall, Asian-Americans vote at lower
  rate than blacks or whites.

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SoWho DOES Vote?

• Parental participation
• If your parents vote, you will likely vote
• Occupation
• White collar professionals vote more than blue
  collar workers/laborers
• Religion
• Those who attend church regularly vote more often
  than occasional or non-church goers
• Exposure to media
• Those who read and watch the news vote more often

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SoWho DOES Vote?

• 10. People who are affiliated with certain
  organizations
• What do they do??
• Attend meetings
• Give money
• Take political stand

Political Parties Civic Clubs Charitable
Groups Business Groups Educational Groups Hobby
Groups Neighborhood Associations Cultural
Groups Unions Religious Groups Seniors Youth
Groups
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Historically, Who Voted and When??

• Who was the first group of Americans to have the
  right to vote?
• Do you know when other groups were added to the
  electorate??

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Historically, Who Voted and When??

• Who was the first group of Americans to have the
  right to vote?
• White, male, landowners generally only voters
  until 1828
• FYI, states decided who to add to electorate and
  when to add them NOT federal government
• Do you know when other groups were added to
  electorate??
• Generally through federal amendments/laws but
  some states also broadened electorate

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Voting Rights Amendments

• African American males-
• 15th Amendment
• 1965 Voting Rights Act increased federal
  supervision and criminal penalties
• Women
• 19th Amendment immediately voted in large
  numbers without intimidation.
• No immediate change in elections or election
  results or policy changes
• Residents of DC
• 23rd Amendment ratified in 1963
• Poll Tax
• Not removed until 1964
• 24th Amendment
• 18-19-20-year-olds
• 26th Amendment
• No noticeable effect on elections.

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The youngest voters have the lowest participation
in presidential elections
Source Current Population Survey (CPS),
November Supplement, calculated using CIRCLE
method.
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(No Transcript)
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http//www.rockthevote.com/election-center/
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FactAmericans are less likely to vote than are
Europeans.

• Why????

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FactAmericans are less likely to vote than are
Europeans.

• Why?
• 1. Too many offices to fill
• US has estimated 521,000 positions.
• Voters' enthusiasm deflated by volume of names
  with which to familiarize themselves.
• In Europe, each voter confronted with only 1 or 2
  offices to fill per election
• Even in Europe voter apathy increases with number
  of elections.

It seems too much democracy, in terms of either
selecting government offices or making policy, is
exhausting
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FactAmericans are less likely to vote than are
Europeans.

• Why?
• 2. Voting procedures not mandatory
• Common in other countries for voting to be
  compulsory by law and for registration to be
  carried out automatically by government.

Mandatory voting would probably fail to survive
on 1st Amendment grounds people have right not
to speak (like refusing to salute flag), follow
they have right to refrain from voting.
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FactAmericans are less likely to vote than are
Europeans.

• Why?
• 3. Voting procedures too complicated
• Must register BEFORE Election Day in most states
• Must re-register every time move states
• Must notify election boards if move within state

Motor-Voter Act federal law that mandates all
states offer to register all citizens over 18
when they get/renew drivers license.
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Voter Turnout
Parliamentary/Legislative Elections, Differences
between regions 1945-97
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Voter Turnout
Parliamentary Elections, Differences between
regions over time
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FactAmericans more likely to participate in
other ways than Europeans.

• Other forms of participation, such as writing
  letters to public officials and engaging in
  demonstrations, have increased.
• Compared to citizens of other democracies,
  Americans vote less but engage more in other
  forms of political participation.

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So who must we turn to make sure these issues of
democracy get addressed?
The 18-25 year olds the Net generation
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Lack of Civic Understanding John S. and James L.
Knight Foundation Survey 112,003 high school
students in 2004

• On 1998 National Civics Tests (NAEP)
• Only 23 of 4th graders proficient
• Only 23 of 8th graders proficient
• Only 26 of 12th graders proficient
• 36 believed newspapers should get government
  approval of stories before publishing
• Less than 50 of 15-26 years old think
  communicating with elected officials,
  volunteering, or donating money to help others
  are qualities of good citizen

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Decline in Political Participation
The youngest generation of voters has the
greatest distrust of others
Source The Civic and Political Health of the
Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.