elections. political participation forms of political participation voting in elections is most...
Post on 13-Jan-2016
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ELECTIONS
Political Participation Forms of political participation
Voting in elections is most common form of political participation Is basis of democratic process According to democratic theory, everyone should be allowed
to vote, but in practice all nations have requirements for voting
Discussing politics and attending political meetings Forming interest groups and PACs Contacting public officials Campaigning for a candidate or political party Contributing $ to a candidate or political party Running for office
Most of these are considered conventional or routine
Less conventional methods are used when groups feel powerless or ineffective Americans are less approving, but can be
effective in influencing government Protesting government decisions
Can be violent – like protests against the Vietnam War convinced LBJ to not run for reelection in 1968
The Internet – a single gaffe can cause major problems for a candidate – especially things that can be posted by supporters of the opposing candidate
Expansion of Suffrage
Suffrage: right to vote Political right that belongs to all those who meet
certain requirements set by law The US was the first nation to provide for general
elections of representatives through mass suffrage
Issue of suffrage is left to the states Only stipulation: individuals who could vote for “the
most numerous branch of the state legislature” could also vote for their Congressional representatives
Composition of the electorate (eligible, registered voters) has changed throughout history 2 major trends:
Elimination of restrictive requirements Transfer of more authority from states
Changes in voting requirements include: Elimination of religious qualifications, property
ownership, and tax payments after 1800
Elimination of race disqualifications with the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870
Elimination of gender disqualifications with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920
Elimination of grandfather clauses, white primaries, literacy requirements w/ the passage offederal civil rights legislation and court decisions (Civil Rights Acts, Voting Rights Act of 1965)
Allowing DC residents to vote in presidential elections with the passage of the 23rd Amendment in 1961
Elimination of poll taxes in federal elections w/ the passage of the 24th Amendment in 1964 (all poll taxes were ruled unconstitutional in Harper v Virginia State Board of Elections, 1966)
Lowering the minimum age for voting in federal elections to 18 w/ the passage of the 26th Amendment in 1971
Issue or Policy Voting Thanks to the Progressive Movement of early 20th
century – mechanisms for increased direct participation Direct primary: allows citizens to nominate candidates
Recall: special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before a term expires
Referendum: allows citizens to vote directly on issues called propositions (proposed laws or state constitutional amendments)
Initiative: allows voters to petition to propose issues to be decided by qualified voters
Low Voter Turnout
Studies show voter turnout in US has decreased when compared w/ other nations and when compared w/ the US over time
Turnout is higher if: Election is
seen as important
It’s a presidential election, not an off-year
Reasons to account for low voter turnout: Expansion of electorate – increase in the
number of potential voters (26th Amendment)
Failure of political parties to mobilize voters – negative campaigning, numerous elections, frequent elections, lack of party identification
No perceived differences between the candidates or parties – both parties & their candidates are seen as virtually the same
Mistrust of gov’t – belief that all candidates are untrustworthy or unresponsive (partially due to Watergate, Iran-Contra scandals)
Apathy – lack of interest in politics; belief that voting is not important
Satisfaction with the way things are – belief that not voting will keep the status quo
Lack of political efficacy – people do not believe their vote out of millions cast will make a difference
Mobility of electorate – moving around leads to a lack of social belonging
Registration process – differences in registration procedures from state to state may create barriers; National Voter Registration Act of 1995 (Motor Voter Law) was designed to
make registration easier by allowing people to register at drivers’ license bureaus & some public offices
Who Votes?
Factors that affect likelihood of voting: Education – higher level of education, more likely a person to
vote Most important indicator of voting behavior
Occupation & income – often depend on education; white-collar jobs & higher levels of income are more likely to vote than those w/ blue-collar jobs or lower levels of income
Age – older people are more likely to vote than youth
Race – minorities are less likely to vote than whites, unless they have similar socioeconomic status
Gender – women more likely to vote than men At one time gender was not a major predictor
Religion – those who are more active w/in their religion are more likely to vote than those who rarely or do not attend services
Marital status – married people are more likely to vote than singles
Union membership – unions encourage participation, members tend to vote regularly
Community membership – those well integrated into community life are more likely to vote than those who have moved recently
Party identification – those w/ a strong sense of party identification are more likely to vote
Geography – residents of states w/ interparty competition & close elections may be more likely to vote than those who live in states w/ one-party identification
Partisanship in Elections
Maintaining elections: traditional majority power maintains power based on the party loyalty of voters
Deviating elections: minority party is able to win w/ support of majority-party members, independents, new voters; however, long-term party preferences of voters do not change
Critical elections: indicate sharp changes in existing party loyalty due to changing social/economic conditions
Realigning elections: minority party wins by building a new coalition that continues over successive elections
Dealigning elections: party loyalty becomes less important to voters, as may be seen w/ increase in independents & split-ticket voting
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