Political Participation:

Voting and Non-voting Participation in the United States

Political Participation

Do Americans participate in government? What are the trends? What explains levels of participation in the U.S.?

How do participation levels of Americans compare with citizens of other nations? What can explain the differences?

What do those who participate look like? Demographic factors and turnout

Should Americans participate? Does participation matter?

Political Participation

Two Types of Political Participation: Conventional Participation

Voting Letter writing Contact with Representatives Working on Campaigns Campaign Contributions Joining Groups (social capital) Running for Office

Unconventional Participation Boycotts, Sit-ins, Marches, Demonstrations, Violence

Expanding Suffrage

Constitutional Amendments: 15 (1870) = Race 19 (1920) = Sex 23 (1961) = Residents of DC can vote for

President but not Congress 24 (1964) = Poll tax 26 (1971) = 18 years old, changes from 21

Voting Trends

Initially, suffrage changes resulted in increased participation

Recently, voter turnout steadily on the decline = the vanishing electorate

High of around 60% in Presidential elections -- 50% in midterm -- even lower in local elections

Various Explanations for Limited Participation Why Americans Still Don’t Vote Voter Registration

Not automaticRequires foresightResidency requirements

Mobile Electorate

Voting Percentage of Registered Voters rivals the voter turnout in other countries

Motor-Voter Legislation

Various Explanations for Limited Participation There are too many elections in the United

StatesHigh information costs

Election Day (Tuesday, work day) Voter apathy People believe they gain few personal

benefits to themselves from voting

Various Explanations for Limited Participation Political parties are weaker Opportunity costs Generational Change

Civic duty has declined Irrational to vote

Very little chance of affecting the outcome of an election

Weather

Demographic Factors and Voter Turnout Graph 2000 Election Exit Polls http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/epoll

s/US/P000.html

Increasing Voter Turnout

How could we increase voter turnout?

Should we increase voter turnout?

Three Puzzles About American Turnout

Why is turnout in national elections lower than most other democracies?

Institutional factors

Why has turnout in the U.S. declined since 1960?

What caused turnout to go up slightly in 1992? And go back down in 1996?

Education levels have been rising Registration has become much easier