Chapter 7

Democracy and Political Participation

Democratic ideal is “government run by the people”

Difficulty lies with definitions of how much and what kind of participation needed Direct democracy versus democracy

carried out by representatives Elections necessary for democracy,

but do not ensure democracy

Political Participation

All citizen activities that attempt to influence government’s structure, selection of officials, or policies Conventional participation Unconventional participation

Unconventional Participation

Can range from protest marches to terrorist activities “Bloody Sunday” March from Selma,

AL, to Montgomery, AL in 1965 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City’s

Federal Building by Timothy McVeigh

Terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001

Unconventional Participation

Support for Unconventional

Participation Boston Tea Party in 1773 first of

many violent protests Most Americans not willing to

participate in unconventional political activities

Sometimes difficult to define which activities fall under heading of “unconventional political participation”

Figure 7.1

What Americans Think Is Conventional Behavior

The Effectiveness of Unconventional

Participation Unconventional participation not

always successful, even when violent Direct action appeals most to

persons who distrust the political system and have a strong sense of political efficacy

Participation also depends on an individual’s group consciousness

Americans about as likely to participate as citizens of other nations

The Effectiveness of Unconventional

Participation

Conventional Participation

Practical test for democracy: can citizens influence policies by acting through its institutions?

Two major categories for conventional participation: Supportive behavior Influencing behavior

Supportive Behavior Actions that express allegiance

to country and government Require various levels of effort

Sometimes actions an individual sees as supportive actually suppress democracy

Influencing Behavior Some types of behavior seek benefits;

others have broad policy objectives Particular benefits - those that benefit

self, immediate family, or friends Very common at local level, especially

“contacting behavior;” may require little initiative

More common with those of higher socioeconomic status

Sometimes done quietly Viewed differently by majoritarian and

pluralist theories Campaign contributions also on this list

Influencing Behavior Broad Policy Objectives –

activities that influence selection of government officials and policies Also require different levels of

initiative Voting, running for office, holding

meetings, working on campaigns, attending hearings, or using the court system

The Twitter Revolution

Influencing Behavior

Conventional Participationin America

Usually only those with a stake in the outcome take initiative to participate in Congressional or administrative hearings

Most common form of political behavior is voting Rate of voting is voter turnout U.S. voter turnout low compared to

other industrialized democracies

Participating Through Voting

Electoral process heart of democratic government

Rules for suffrage, or franchise, and rules for counting ballots and electoral systems define process Who can vote How much each vote counts How many votes needed to win

No nation has universal suffrage

Expansion of Suffrage U.S. first to hold mass elections,

but suffrage limited by states Initially only landowners or

taxpayers By 1850s, all working-class males Suffrage for blacks and women took

longer

The Enfranchisement of Blacks

Even with passage of Fifteenth Amendment after Civil War, some states resisted Poll taxes, literacy tests, “white

primary,” and violence all deterrents Supreme Court rulings supporting

black suffrage began with Smith v. Allwright (1944); later Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966)

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Figure 7.2

Voter Registration in the South, 1960, 1980, and 2000

The Enfranchisement of Women

Women could not vote anywhere in world until 1869 First to grant women vote in U.S.:

Wyoming Territory in 1869 Equal Rights Party formed in 1884 Women gained national right to

vote in 1920 with Nineteenth Amendment

The Fight for Women’s Suffrage…and Against It

Evaluating the Expansion of Suffrage in America

Last major expansion was 26th Amendment in 1971 Lowered voting age to 18

Though process towards generally universal suffrage slow, U.S. still ahead of many other countries, including other democracies

Voting on Policies Political power comes with suffrage Progressivism flourished from 1900

to 1925; proposed several electoral changes: Direct primary Recall Referendum Initiative

Not clear if these opportunities improve policies made by elected representatives

Figure 7.3

Westward Ho!

Voting for Candidates Serves democratic government two

ways: Voters can choose candidate they think

will best represent their interests Voting allows citizens to re-elect

candidates or vote them out of office U.S. government has few elected

officials compared to state and local governments

U.S. has more frequent and varied elections than any other country in the world – but lower voter turnout than many

The Growth of Electoral Democracy

Explaining Political Participation

Political participation can be: Conventional or unconventional Require little or require much

initiative Serve to support government or

influence its decisions People who participate in one

way may not participate in others

Patterns of Political Participation Over Time

Generally, Americans’ participation stable over time

Socioeconomic status a good indicator of most types of participation Income Education (most important) Occupation Age, race, and gender also

important

Figure 7.4

Effects of Education on Political Participation

Low Voter Turnout in America

Difficult to explain decline in voter turnout in America 26th Amendment (younger voters

tend not to vote) Belief that government no longer

responsive to citizens Change in attitude about political

parties

Figure 7.5

The Decline of Voter Turnout: An Unsolved Puzzle

U.S. Turnout Versus Turnout

in Other Countries Differences in voting laws and

administrative machinery affect voter turnout in the U.S. Tuesday Election Day not a public holiday Burdensome registration procedures Political parties not tied to certain groups Most elections not particularly

competitive Large number of elections and

candidates means difficult for voters to educate selves

Participation and Freedom, Equality, and

Order Participation and freedom key in

normative theory Citizens free to participate when

and how they want (or not) Citizens free to use personal

resources to pursue any legal means to influence government decisions

Participation and Freedom, Equality, and

Order Participation and equality requires

that each citizen’s ability to influence government be equal to every other citizen Differences in resources should not

matter Elections serve ideal of equality best Groups can band together to

increase influence

Participation and Freedom, Equality, and

Order Relationship between

participation and order complicated Some types of participation

promote order; others, disorder Political system more threatened by

unconventional participation 26th Amendment effort to bring

order to Viet Nam War protests

Participation and Models of Democracy

Elections implement democracy by allowing citizens to choose among candidates and issues

Elections socialize political activity

Elections institutionalize access to political power

Elections bolster the state’s power and authority

Participation and Majoritarianism

Majoritarian theory views participation narrowly Favors conventional participation,

especially voting Bias towards equality in elections Some say goes hand in hand with

communitarianism Because majoritarian theory favors

formalized, collective decisions, little place for private influence