Demographics of Liberals & ConservativesSept 13/14

Warm Up - Sit where you sat on Monday!

Make a list of at least three observations from your Voting Behavior Survey completed over the weekend. I will go around and check to see if this is completed!

*Also… pick up Current Event #2 from your folder in the milk crates. If you didn’t turn in Current Event #2, please place it in the green folder at front desk! (if absent, please see me for Current Event Article)

AND pick up notes & demographics checklist for today

Observations??

● Survey 4 people total1. Do they always vote in elections?

a. Why or why not?

2. What other ways do they participate in the political process?a. Lots of options… discuss with friends and family, volunteer for a campaign, run for office,

belong to an interest or advocacy group, donate money… even bumper stickers and yard signs!

3. Capture basic demographic data so we can compare to national trends → what we will be doing today

Why do we vote the way we vote… or not?

Review:

● Liberal, Conservative● What shapes our political beliefs?● How does that translate to voting behavior???

Party Identification - some more review

● Most people identify with one of the major political parties early in life○ Republican v. Democrat

● Loyalty to a party is the single most significant predictor of how a person will vote. A “shortcut” for ideology and positions on specific issues○ Conservatives tend to vote Republican○ Liberals tend to vote Democratic○ A growing % of the population identifies now as “Independent”○ Many independents “lean” left or right

Remember the factors that influence political affiliation… think to Four Corners activity!● Age● Gender● Region● Education● Income● Race ● Occupation

When the Constitution was ratified who could vote and who could not vote?

- Back in 1789…- Only white PROPERTY owning men could vote- Everyone else could not vote

- Who does that include?

What are the 5 stages of voter expansions? (who, where, what, how…)Work with your group and look at the textbook, pages 149-150

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

**What is an electorate?

5 Stages

1. Early 1800s - no religious qualifications, no need to own property or pay taxes to vote

2. Post Civil War a. 15th Amendment (1870): all citizens granted right to vote… but still prevented African

Americans from voting

3. 1920: 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote4. 1960s: securing African American right to vote

a. Voting Rights Act 1965b. DC voters could vote: 23rd Amendmentc. 1964, eliminate poll tax with 24th Amendment

5. 1971: 26th Amendment… minimum age to vote is 18

Why don’t people vote?

There are some barriers to participation...

How have states restricted voting in the past?

Talk with your group and include a short list of restrictions based on what we have learned in US History

● Race● Sex/Gender● Wealth/money you have● Owning land

Historical barrier - Louisiana Literacy Test

Current Barrier: Alabama DMV’s and Poverty

What 5 restrictions are placed on states when setting voting qualifications

1. Each State allows voters to vote in all elections within the state2. Cannot deprive vote based on race/color (15th Am.)3. Cannot deprive vote based on sex (19th Am.)4. Cannot require tax payment in order to vote (24th Am.)5. Cannot deprive vote if person is at least 18 yr old (26th Am.)

What 3 qualifications must you be able to satisfy if you want to vote?1. Citizenship2. Residence3. Age

Why would States require citizens to register to vote?Intended to prevent fraudulent voting (false voting)

Who is denied the right to vote?

- Aliens- Mentally/physically handicapped- Some prisoners

How People Vote

Can we generalize ideology by region? (2012 Election Results)

Can we generalize party affiliation by gender?

Can we generalize party affiliation by race and ethnicity?

Can we generalize ideology by religion?

Or do we have to look at more than one thing?

Or do we have to look at more than one thing?

Or do we have to look at more than one thing?

Voter Behavior Activity, pt. 1

How People Vote:

With your partner (or group of 3), look at the graphs and fill out the first column of the table.

Please check Remind 101! → download the app

2016 Election

Add polling data here

Compare to 2012 - CNN Article

Voter Behavior, Pt. 2Voter Turnout: Do we even vote?

Voter Turnout

Factors that influence voter turnout:

● Demographics!

PLUS…

● Election Interest (candidates, issues, etc)● Election type (president, state, local)● Efficacy (the belief that your vote actually matters)● Attitudes towards government

Why don’t people vote? We can categorize them:

● Cannot Voters○ Aliens○ Mentally/physically handicapped○ Some people in prison

● Nonvoters○ People who do NOT vote

● Political Efficacy○ The belief that your individual vote counts/matters/makes a difference○ So if people don’t vote do they have high or low political efficacy?

Some more factors affecting turnout...

● Off Year Elections - Congressional elections that don’t take place during a Presidential Election year

● Ballot Fatigue - as a vote ballot increases in length, voters tend to run out of patience and may not be sure what they are voting on

● Inconvenient registration● “Time Zone Fallout” - East coast time zone can ruin the vote for the west

coast

Voter Behavior Activity, pt. 2

Do People Vote:

With your partner (or group of 3), look at the graphs and fill out the second column of the table

Complete the questions on your own please! Turn in the questions at the end of class or complete them for HW!

Warm Up

- Continue working on Demographics of Voting Behavior worksheet/study for quiz

- The worksheet will be turned in by the end of class today!

Quiz 1 - Introduction

● Introduction Quiz: GREEN side of scantron!!● Diagnostic Quiz: BLUE/Grey side of scantron!!● When you are done with your introduction quiz, come up and take the

Diagnostic Quiz (NOT FOR A GRADE)○ Complete the Diagnostic on the back of Quiz 1 Scantron… please label the sides with the quiz

name!

● When you are done with both quizzes…○ Continue working on the demographic worksheet silently (until the entire class is complete)○ Really focus on the questions on the back: complete the questions in complete sentences