Political Participation

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American GovernmentAmerican Government

Chapter 6Chapter 6

Political Participation Political Participation


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VOTING! VIEW THAT AMERICANS DON’T VOTE DUE TO

APATHY IS WRONG: ONCE REGISTERED, AMERICANS DO VOTE TURNOUT : 50% in Prez; 30%-40% in Midterms; Lower in

state and local elections FACTORS TO VOTING INCLUDE:

AGE RACE PARTY ORGANIZATION BARRIERS TO REGISTRATION POPULAR VIEWS OF SIGNIFICANCE OF ELECTION


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Reasons for non-voting are complex:

Apathy is wrong because…. 1. Misleading description of problem 2. Incorrect explanation 3. Proposes a remedy that won’t work

Remember….real problem is registration to vote! OR…..

VOTERS MAY BE HAPPY!?


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Americans vs. Europeans Comparatively, Amer.

Vote less than other countries But voting for more offices

in more elections Other nations penalize for

nonvoting

Americans engage in other forms of political participation: Writing letters Attending meetings Attending a rally Protesting Joining civic associations


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American vs. Europeans Voting registration

In U.S. must actively register, in Europe, automatic

Motor Voter law passedin 1993 had taken effectby 1995

--increased voter turnout

The two party system not adversely affected although independents increased


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Figure 6.1: Sources of Voter Registration Application, 1995-1996

Source: Federal Election Commission, Executive Summary--Report to Congress, June 1997.


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How do different How do different

forms of forms of participation affect participation affect the government?the government?


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Most powerful determinant of participation:

Schooling and information: more educated vote most

Age: largest voting turn-out = 40-70 yr.olds

least = 18 - 25 year olds Race: African-Americans vote in about the same

rates as whites when comparing socio-economics


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Factors Affecting Voter Preference

Geography ; Rep. South; Dem. West Strong Candidates Time: Realigning or Critical elections = long term change

in politics (1932; 1994) Party Affiliations (strongest predictor); more split-ticket

voting; more independents (young, college-educated with above avg. incomes)

Demographics: Sex; Race; Social Class; Religion Issues : Retrospective (have things gotten better) vs.

Prospective Voting (looking ahead at what will be done)


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Factors Affecting Voter Turnout

Level of Education Income Age Race


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Figure 6.4: Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Age, Schooling, and Race,

1964-1996

Source: Updated from Gary R. Orren, “The Linkage of Policy to Participation,” in Presidential Selection, ed. Alexander Heard and Michael Nelson (Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1987). Data for 1996 are from Statistical Abstract of the United States 1998, 296, as supplied by Christopher Blunt.


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Verba and Nye: Six Forms of Political Participation

(1) Completely Inactive (22%=1/5 of pop.) Rarely votes no organization involvement Rarely, if ever, talks about politics and issue

•(2) Voting Specialists (21%)

--votes but does little else

--tends not to have much schooling or income

--substantially older than the average person


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(3) Campaigners (15%) Votes Campaigns activists: works phones, walks precincts,

etc Better educated than average Distinguishing features: interested in conflicts, passions

and struggles of politics Clearly identified with a party Willingness to take strong positions on issues


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(4) Communalists (20%) Much like Campaigners for social background but

different temperament: doesn’t like conflict, tension of partisan campaign.

Reserves energies for community activities of a nonpar-tisan nature--forming/joining non-political local organizations to deal with local problems and contacting local officials.


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(5) Parochial Participants (4%) Don’t vote Stays out of election campaigns and civic associations Willing to contact public officials about specific, often

personal, problems

•(6) Complete Activists (11%--1/9th of population) Highly educated/high income Participates in all forms of politics Tends to be middle aged.


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Historically, voting in hands of white males:

By Andrew Jackson’s administration (1829-1837), voting rights broadened to include virtually all white adult males. Some states still restricted on owning property

New Jersey 1844, North Carolina 1856 Black males, women and Chinese Americans all get the vote

after white males.


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Quick Quiz: Name the Amendment, Act or legislation

that provided voting rights and abolished restrictions on the following: Black males Women Poll Taxes, Grandfather Clauses, Literacy Tests District of Columbia residents can vote for

President 18 year olds


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Quick Quiz: Name the Amendment, Act or legislation

that provided voting rights and abolished restrictions on the following: Black males: 15th Amend. (1870) Women: 19th Amend. (1920) Poll Taxes, Grandfather Clauses, Literacy Tests

Civil Rights Act of 1965 District of Columbia residents can vote for

President: 23rd. Amend. (1961) 18 year olds: Voting Rights Act (1970)


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Supreme Court didn’t see it that way

15th Amend. didn’t nec. give black males right to vote, said if voting denied, could not be on grounds of race.

Burden of proving discrimination was on the backs of blacks…..this led to

•literacy tests

•poll taxes

•grandfather clauses to exclude blacks.

Black Males right to vote: 15th Amendment (1870)


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Voting Rights Act: 1965

Suspended use of literacy tests Authorized appts. of fed. Examiners who

could order reg. of blacks in states


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19th Amendment: 1920

Gave women the right to vote in federal elections. No significant change in voting outcomes


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Voting Rights Act: 1970

Gave 18 year olds the right to vote in both state and federal elections beginning in 1/1/71.

Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional the “state” part thus requiring 26th Amendment.

Added and ratified in 1971.


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Election 1972

First election 18 year olds could vote Nixon (R ) vs. McGovern (D)

Turn out lower than expected

• No party or candidate got a huge “boost”


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District of Columbia votes: 23rd Amendment (1961)

District of Columbia was left out of Electoral College in Article II thus until 1961 never had their Presidential vote counted.


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Voting now…

National standards now govern voting No literacy, property, nor residency requirement Ballots printed multi-lingually Federal voter registrars and poll workers sent in

where 50% or less of voting-age pop. participated in last Presidential election.


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Voter turn-out is still low

Two views Decline is real and result in population decline in

election interest. Two major parties so close--no real differences

Decline is more apparent than real Voting fraud- people voted “early and often” Party machines Parties no more democratic and voters easier to manipulate


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Voting reforms:

Australian Ballot (1890) Government printed ballots, not parties Uniform in size and shape Secret and secure

What were allegations from election 2000??? - let’s pause to laugh at Florida for a bit…1000 voted for all 10 candidates3600 voted for all but Bush700 voted for all but Gore7000 voted for Bush AND Gore


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Voter drop after 1890:

Most scholars agree there was a drop: Longer residency requirement Aliens no longer vote until actual citizen Harder for blacks to vote Education qualification for voting instituted Voters must register far in advance of election


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Progressive reforms:

Hurt honest voters Those with little education People who recently move


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Voter turnout: 1960-1980

Dropped about 10% for no apparent reason Cannot be explained by previous examples Nor can the 5% increase in 1988 (50%) or the 1992

increase either (55%).


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Figure 6.2: Voter Participation in Presidential Elections, 1860-1996

Source: For 1860-1928: Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics for the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, part 2, 1071; 1932-1992: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1992, 517.

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