AP GOVERNMENT

Political Participation

Chapter 6

Nonvoting

Problem: Low Voter Turnout

Only 2/3 of the voting age in the US register to vote

About 87% of the registered voters participated in the last electionTABLE 6.1

How to get people to register?

1993 Motor Voter LawStates must allow voter registration

when getting a driver’s licenseBy mailAt local govt offices (post offices and

welfare offices)

Not much of an impact on voting

Other factors…

Voting is only one way of participating in politics

Americans COULD participate in politics MORE than most Europeans

Low registration could also mean most people are satisfied with how the country is governed (SILENT MAJORITY?)

Late 1700’s - only white, male, property owners or taxpayersBy 1837 - all white males1870 – all men (15th)But not really until the 1960s b/c of

literacy tests, poll taxes, no primary elections (South)

Illiterate and/or poor whites were protected by the Grandfather clause

1920 – women (19th)1971 – 18 and older

Does voting patterns change with new members of the

electorate?AAs increased the number of voters after the Voting Rights Act of 1965TABLE 6.2Changed how white politicians campaigned

Women also increased the number of voters However, didn’t really change the voting

pattern

Voter TurnoutWith new members of the electorate, voting turnout should increase…

However, turnout has declinedFigure 6.2

Is the decline fact or fiction?Page 136 ( b/c of honest

counting today)

Voting Fraud

Australian BallotUniform and printed by the govt

Decreased voter fraud

Scholars see registration as the reason for voter turnout

Who participates in Politics?

Voting is the most common form

Giving $ and being a member of a political organization is the least common

People exaggerate their participation

Six Forms of Participation

1. 22% of the population are completely inactive (rarely vote and don’t get involved)

Little education, low income

2. 11% are activists (complete opposite)

High education, high income, older

3. Voting Specialists – only voteLower than average education and income, little older than average

4. Campaigners – vote and get involved

More educated than average, clear id with party, willingness to take strong position

5. Communalists – like campaigners but do not like conflict

Activities that are nonpartisan

Get involved/registration drives

6. Parochial Participants – do not vote and do not get involved in campaigns but will deal with specific problems

The Causes of Participation

SchoolingReligious involvementAgeNot really race (b/c of schooling and income but when equal, AAs vote more than whites)