40.3%

National voter turnout among the voting eligible population for the 20102010 midterm election. In 2006, this measure of turnout was 40.4%.

55.4%

Turnout among the voting eligible population (VEP) in Minnesota in the 20102010 election, making the Land of 10,000 Lakes the state with the highest voter turnout in the nation, repeating its 2008 victory when 77.7% of Minnesota’s voting eligible population cast a ballot.

3

States with no statewide race on the ballot in 2010:2010: New Jersey, Virginia, and Mississippi. In those states the average voting eligible population turnout was just 36.6% and none of the three states reached 40% VEP turnout.

32.1%

Voting eligible population turnout in New York, the worst showing of any of the 50 states. Most shockingly, the Empire State managed this feat despite having both Senate seats and the governorship up for election!

Here are the top 10 biggest decreases:

1. Missouri: -27.4% (44.5%-32.3%)2. Washington state: -27.3% (53.1%-38.6%)3. Delaware: -27% (47.5%- 34.5%)4. California: -25.5% (44%-32.8%)5. Indiana: -24.5% (37.1%-28.0%)6. Oklahoma: -23.2 (38.8%-29.8%)7. Nevada: -23% (41.3%-31.8%)8. Alabama: -22.1% (43%-33.5%)9. Utah: -20.7% (36.3%-28.8%)10. Mississippi: -19.7% (37%-29.7%)

10 Lowest VP States of 2014:

1. Indiana 28%2. Texas 28.5%3. Utah 28.8%4. Tennessee 29.1%5. New York 29.5%6. Mississippi 29.7%7. Oklahoma 29.8%8. DC 30.3%9. New Jersey 30.4%10. Tie-West Virginia/Nevada 31.8

2014 M-T election turnout lowest in 70 years

U.S. Voting Turnout Statistics

• 1996 General Election• 2000 General Election• 2004 General Election• 1970-2006 Midterm• 1996 18-24 yr old • 2008 General Election• 2012 General Election

• 49%• 50%• 60%• 34-40%• 32 %• 62.3 %• 57.5

1. What is the cause for low voter turnout? Brainstorm 3-4 reasons for the low VT showed above

2. Brainstorm 3 ideas that could be used to increase voter turnout. Give me 2 practical/rational ideas, and one far-out idea.

Alternative Solution

• Should the Government fine non-voters?– Brainstorm a list of pro’s and con’s– Take a stance

Chapter 6

Political Participation

ObjectivesUnit Topics:

1.Explain why the text believes that the description, the analysis,  and many of the proposed remedies for low voter turnout rates  in the United States are generally off base.

2. Compare the 2 ways that turnout statistics are tabulated for the  United States and explain the significance of these differences.

3. Civil Rights Movement Case Study: Achieving Change without the franchise. How can alternative forms of participation impact Public Policy?

4. Describe how control of the elections has shifted from the states  to the federal government, and explain what effect this shift has  had on blacks, women, and youth. (Textbook Comparison Matrix)

5. State both sides of the debate over whether voter turnout has  declined over the past century, and describe those factors that  tend to hold down voter turnout in the United States.

6. Voter Behavior vs Political Participation: List and explain Nie and Verba’s six categories of political  participation. & discuss the demographic factors that appear to  be associated with high or low political participation.

Low Voter Turnout: What's the Big Deal?Big Deal?Conventional Description1. Misleading data: US vs. Europe

VAP vs. VEP (Table 6.1) 2008 2012

2. Apathy; NO – Youth and Residential Mobility, Mistrust , Pol. Eff,, wk pp., non-voting = costless

Conventional Solutions1. Get-Out-Vote Drives2. Get-Out-Registration Drives (MV

Law and others to lessen burden)

Citizens DO Participate Table 6.5pg. 144… “Voter Fatigue”

One intriguing argument why potential voters aren’t going to the polls!

What is the Thesis?

What Evidence is used to Support the Thesis?

Source Link: New York Times

Which do you blame? Structural/Procedural Barriers or Motivation?

Voter ID Laws Scrutinized for Impact on Midterms

WHAT ARE VOTER ID LAWS?

WHAT ARE THE TWO SIDES OF THE DEBATE:REPUBLICAN VS DEMOCRAT?

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Source Link: New York Times

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.Figure 6.2: Voter Participation in Presidential Elections, 1860-2000

Argument 1: Real Decline a. Competitive Parties?

Post 1896

b. Decline in “meaningful elections?”

c. Decline in interest

Argument 2: Apparent Decline

Fraud leads to…

Registration restrictions leads to…

Decline in voter turnout

Voter Turnout Decline: Real or Apparent (superficial)?

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Textbook Comparison MatrixObjective 3Describe how control of the elections has shifted from the states to

the federal government, and explain what effect this shift has had on blacks, women, and youth.

What if we gave an election and EVERYONE showed up? Would universal turnout change NATIONAL PUBLIC POLICY?

Civil Rights Movement Case Study: Achieving Change without the franchise

The 15th Amendment: An Illusion of Freedom?

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Methods of Disenfranchisement

Alternative forms of participation Demonstrations Protest public rallies Organized interest-group activity

(NAACP, SNCC, CORE) Courts/ ligation

Policy Outcome: Brown 1964 CRA, 1965 VRA

Civil Rights Movement Case Study: Achieving Change without the franchise

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Forms of ParticipationObjective 5

Inactive

Activist

Parochial Participants

Campaigners

Communalists

Voting Specialist

List and explain Nie and Verba’s six categories of political  participation. & discuss the demographic factors that appear to  be associated with high or low political participation.

What factors are correlated with political participation?

COLLAGE GRADUATEHIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE

BLUE-COLLAR WORKERWHITE-COLLAR WORKER

YOUNG – 18-35MIDDLE AGE-40-55ELDERLY 55-110

POOR AF. AMPOOR WHITE

WELL TO DO AF. AMWELL TO DO WHITEOTHER MINORITYCHURCH GOER

• Education one has, the more likely one is to vote. (Pol. Info)

• No gender differences• Racial difference whites vs

minoriites• Churchgoers are more likely to

vote and take part in politics than non- churchgoers of same age, gender, income…)

• Young people (<35)vote less frequently than older people (>40).

• More affluent participate more often than the poor.

More likely to vote if have personal qualities that make “learning about politics easier and more gratifying”

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Figure 6.4: Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Age, Schooling, and Race, 1964-1996

What do you think accounts for the Hig

Figure 6.4: Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Age,

Schooling, and Race, 1964-1996

BACK

BACK

What is the difference between Voter Participation & Voter Behavior?