Please note...Please note...

class will be cancelled on Thursday, class will be cancelled on Thursday, November 21...November 21...

please conceal your disappointment.please conceal your disappointment.

VOTING AND ELECTIONSVOTING AND ELECTIONS

VOTING VOTING AND AND

ELECTIONSELECTIONS

Explaining Voter Turnout – Explaining Voter Turnout – Voter DisaffectionVoter Disaffection

hypotheses for declining voter turnouthypotheses for declining voter turnout– changing demographicschanging demographics

» minoritiesminorities

» ageage

– fewer differences between partyfewer differences between party» electoral strategyelectoral strategy

» less interest in who winsless interest in who wins

– less effort at voter mobilization by partiesless effort at voter mobilization by parties

Explaining Voter Turnout – Explaining Voter Turnout – Voter DisaffectionVoter Disaffection

how much do elections matter?how much do elections matter?– importance of incumbencyimportance of incumbency

» elections are referedums on incumbentselections are referedums on incumbents

» incumbent has to do something to loseincumbent has to do something to lose

» challenger finds it hard to get money, hard to break cyclechallenger finds it hard to get money, hard to break cycle

– importance of primariesimportance of primaries– winner-take-all systemwinner-take-all system– effect of the economyeffect of the economy

Explaining Voter Turnout – Explaining Voter Turnout – Some ObservationsSome Observations

voter turnout and September 11voter turnout and September 11 thth

voter turnout and split Congressvoter turnout and split Congress– split Congress leads to high competitionsplit Congress leads to high competition– high competition leads to negative campaigninghigh competition leads to negative campaigning– negative campaigning leads to depressed voter negative campaigning leads to depressed voter

turnoutturnout

Referendums and Initiatives – Referendums and Initiatives – What are They?What are They?

What are They?What are They?– initiative – proposal to put some issue to a initiative – proposal to put some issue to a

referendumreferendum» requires 3%-15% of voters to signrequires 3%-15% of voters to sign

– propositionproposition» referendum question put directly on the ballotreferendum question put directly on the ballot

Referendums and Initiatives – Referendums and Initiatives – How and When Are They How and When Are They

Used?Used? examplesexamples

– OklahomaOklahoma» banning cockfightingbanning cockfighting

– NevadaNevada» marijuana legalization (3 ozs.!)marijuana legalization (3 ozs.!)

– CaliforniaCalifornia» after-school programsafter-school programs

– OregonOregon» denturesdentures

Referendums and Initiatives – Referendums and Initiatives – How and When Are They Used?How and When Are They Used?

allowed by 24 statesallowed by 24 states– half of all initiatives take place in five stateshalf of all initiatives take place in five states

» Oregon, California, North Dakota, Colorado, Oregon, California, North Dakota, Colorado, ArizonaArizona

success ratesuccess rate» 50% once they are on the ballot50% once they are on the ballot

CaliforniaCalifornia» 8-12 propositions on EACH ballot8-12 propositions on EACH ballot

» some propositions of VERY considerable importancesome propositions of VERY considerable importance

Referendums and Initiatives – Referendums and Initiatives – How and When Are They Used?How and When Are They Used?

CaliforniaCalifornia» 8-12 propositions on EACH ballot8-12 propositions on EACH ballot

» some propositions of VERY considerable importancesome propositions of VERY considerable importance

– Proposition 13 (1978)Proposition 13 (1978)» referendum to reduce local property taxreferendum to reduce local property tax

– Proposition 209 (1996)Proposition 209 (1996)» referendum to ban affirmative action programs in referendum to ban affirmative action programs in

governmentgovernment

Election 2002 – Some Final Election 2002 – Some Final ObservationsObservations

White House legislative initiatives (January)White House legislative initiatives (January)» judicial nomineesjudicial nominees

» patients bill of rightspatients bill of rights

» energy billenergy bill

» permanent tax cutpermanent tax cut

– there is no safety net – “no excuses administration”there is no safety net – “no excuses administration”» White House bipartisanship – why??White House bipartisanship – why??

» who needs who?who needs who?

AMERICAN POLITICAL AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIESPARTIES

JUST HOW DIFFERENT ARE THEY?JUST HOW DIFFERENT ARE THEY?

Parties -- Why Have Them?Parties -- Why Have Them?

what do parties do?what do parties do?– aggregate interestsaggregate interests– simplify voting choicessimplify voting choices

how important are parties?how important are parties?– are parties different?are parties different?

Why Two Parties?Why Two Parties? legal barriers to entry of third partieslegal barriers to entry of third parties

– getting on the ballotgetting on the ballot» established parties typically have automatic accessestablished parties typically have automatic access

– campaign financingcampaign financing» federal grants paid after election depending on outcome of federal grants paid after election depending on outcome of

electionelection 5% of the vote required5% of the vote required proportional to voteproportional to vote

dominant pattern of socializationdominant pattern of socialization parties and the legislative systemparties and the legislative system

– flexibility of parties to co-opt other political viewpointsflexibility of parties to co-opt other political viewpoints

Are Parties Different?Are Parties Different?

How to Measure Differences Between How to Measure Differences Between PartiesParties– the ideological spectrumthe ideological spectrum

The American Ideological SpectrumThe American Ideological Spectrum

The Left -- The Left -- LiberalLiberal

The Right -- The Right -- ConservativeConservative

•government regulation of government regulation of the economythe economy

•policies to help policies to help disadvantaged groupsdisadvantaged groups

•policies to redistribute policies to redistribute incomeincome

•fewer government fewer government regulationsregulations

•no special treatment for no special treatment for special interest groupsspecial interest groups

•lower taxeslower taxes

More Gov’tMore Gov’t Less Gov’tLess Gov’t

Are Parties Different?Are Parties Different?

How to Measure Differences Between How to Measure Differences Between PartiesParties– the ideological spectrumthe ideological spectrum– parties on the spectrumparties on the spectrum

» what people thinkwhat people think

» who parties attractwho parties attract

– the issue of perspectivethe issue of perspective

Are Parties Different?Are Parties Different?

How to Measure Differences Between How to Measure Differences Between PartiesParties– the ideological spectrumthe ideological spectrum– parties on the spectrumparties on the spectrum

» what people thinkwhat people think

» who parties attractwho parties attract

– the issue of perspectivethe issue of perspective» a comparative perspectivea comparative perspective

Are Parties Different?Are Parties Different?

How to Measure Differences Between How to Measure Differences Between PartiesParties– the ideological spectrumthe ideological spectrum– parties on the spectrumparties on the spectrum

» what people thinkwhat people think» who parties attractwho parties attract

– the issue of perspectivethe issue of perspective» a comparative perspectivea comparative perspective» the American perspectivethe American perspective

Forces Determining Party Forces Determining Party IdeologyIdeology

centrifugal forcescentrifugal forces– forces pulling parties away from the political forces pulling parties away from the political

centrecentre centripetal forcescentripetal forces

– forces pulling parties toward the political centreforces pulling parties toward the political centre

Parties and Democratic Parties and Democratic ParticipationParticipation

act as gatekeepers of public debateact as gatekeepers of public debate– goodgood

» structure the votestructure the vote

» filters out political “noise”filters out political “noise”

» ensure that debate takes place within the bounds of a public ensure that debate takes place within the bounds of a public consensusconsensus

– badbad» parties limit the range of public debateparties limit the range of public debate

» offer no real “choices” -- only give the illusion of choiceoffer no real “choices” -- only give the illusion of choice

» leads to trivialization of politicsleads to trivialization of politics

Americans and their Views of Americans and their Views of PartiesParties American constitutional designAmerican constitutional design

– no provision for political partiesno provision for political parties

American political practiceAmerican political practice– arose to fill a need in the American political systemarose to fill a need in the American political system

» how do you maintain levels of political participationhow do you maintain levels of political participation

» how do you manage high levels of participationhow do you manage high levels of participation

the Conundrum of American Partiesthe Conundrum of American Parties– crucial element of the American systemcrucial element of the American system

– Americans are suspicious of partiesAmericans are suspicious of parties