To Accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, and Texas Editions American Government: Roots and Reform, 10th edition Karen O’Connor and Larry J. Sabato  Pearson Education, 2009  Chapter 13 Voting and Elections

Voting Behavior  Voting is a form of conventional political participation, participation that uses accepted forms.  Protest is a form of unconventional political participation.  Turnout is the proportion of electorate who votes.Turnout  States regulate voter eligibility. (Table 13.1)States regulate voter eligibility  Voters tend to be more educated and make more money.  Voters are likely to be middle-aged, women, and white.  The South traditionally has a lower turnout rate.The South traditionally has a lower turnout rate

AV- Turnout of Eligible Voters  Back

Table Voter Eligibility  Back Pg 449

Figure South v. Non-South  Back Pg 453

Voting Behavior  Minority groups vote at lower rates explained by income and education levels.  Hispanics have grown in importance due to becoming largest minority group.  People who belong to politically-minded organizations are more likely to vote.  Interest in political matters is key to someone being more likely to vote.

Figure Registered Voters  Back Pg 455

Table Women at Conventions  Back Pg 471

Why Is Turnout so Low?  In 2008, 62 percent of eligible voters turned out.  Most common reason for not voting is being too busy.Most common reason for not voting is being too busy  Registration can also be an unclear process.Registration  Absentee voting can be difficult.  There are a lot of elections.  People are alienated, apathetic or turned off by quality of campaigns.  Political parties have less influence than in earlier years.

Figure Why People Don’t Vote  Back Pg 454

Ways to Improve Voter Turnout 1.Make registration and absentee voting easier, or allow early voting. 2.A recent trend by some states is to require new identification, which some critics say will hurt turnout. 3.Make Election Day a holiday. 4.Strengthen political parties. 5.Use internet or weekend voting. 6.Use proportional representation.

Patterns in Vote Choice  Party: Democrats largely vote for Democrats & Republicans largely vote for Republicans; Biggest predictor.  Ticket-splitting has increased however.  Race: minorities largely vote for Democrats.  African Americans most reliable, Asian Americans more likely to split.  Gender: Women lean Democrat & Men lean Republican.  Income: poor largely vote for Democrats while the very wealthy largely vote for Republicans.  Ideology: Liberals vote Democrat & Conservatives vote Republican.

Patterns in Vote Choice  Religion: Jewish voters more often vote Democratic.  Majority of Catholics trend Republican, but often switch (Bush in 2004, Obama in 2008)  Evangelical Protestants more often Republican  Episcopalians/Presbyterians less reliable for Republicans  Issues: Prospective judgement: about pledges of party out of power and retrospective judgments: about the party in power

Purposes of Elections  Legitimize government, even in authoritarian systems.  Organize government.  Choose issue and policy priorities.  Electorate gives winners a mandate.

Types of Elections  Primary elections can be open or closed.  Crossover voting or raiding can occur in open primaries.  Runoff primaries held if no candidate wins a majority.  These use top 2 vote-getters from primary.  General elections determine who will fill public offices.  Ballot measures: initiative, referendum, and recall.

2012 General Election in Kentucky Initiative: House Bill 1 Are you in favor of amending the Kentucky Constitution to state that the citizens of Kentucky have the personal right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, subject to laws and regulations that promote conservation and preserve the future of hunting and fishing, and to state that public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife? Yes (85%) No (15%)

Nominating a President  Delegates to convention chosen by election or caucus.  Elections may be winner-take-all or proportional.  Democrats more likely to use proportional, Republicans using it more in  Caucuses are better for the party organization.  Elections allow for broader participation.  Trend toward front-loading.Trend toward front-loading

Figure Front-loading  Back Pg 470

Party Conventions  Each party has its own rules about delegates.  Democrats no longer subscribe to unit rule.  Delegates tied to candidate, except superdelegates.  Require representation of women and minorities.women  Republicans do not bind delegates to candidate.  Media no longer extensively cover happenings, but do show nomination speeches.

Democratic National Convention 2012

Republican National Convention 2012

Electoral College  Representatives from each state who select president.  Electors equivalent to senators plus representatives.  Framers favored system to remove power from people.  Originally president and vice president selected separately.  Changed after Twelfth Amendment.  1876 and 2000 elections demonstrate concerns.

Figure Electoral College 2008  Back Pg 476

Obama vs Romney 2012

Reforming the Electoral College  Three major proposals have been made: 1. Select the president by popular vote. 2. Each congressional district has a vote. 3. Keep the College, abolish the electors.

Congressional Elections  In Congress, incumbency has its advantages.  Support from a paid staff who work for constituent problems.  Media and travel budgets increase visibility.  “Scaring off” other challengers because of advantages.  Redistricting and gerrymandering to protect incumbents.gerrymandering Gerrymandering Explained

Figure Gerrymandering  Back

Why Incumbents Lose  Redistricting can pit incumbents against one another.  Scandals.  Presidential coattails.  Midterm elections; president’s party usually loses seats.president’s party usually loses seats

Table Congressional Elections  Back

2008 Congressional Elections  Democrats advantaged by momentum and money.  Used these to make gains in House and Senate.  Victories in South and West were particularly notable.

2010 Congressional Elections  Republicans tied into voter dissatisfaction with issues pursued by Democratic Party control of Executive and Legislative branches.  Health Care Reform was major issue.  Influence of TEA Party in Republican primaries.  Led to Republican takeover of House, less Democratic advantage in Senate.

Reforming the Electoral Process  End front-loading with regional primaries.  Even the playing field with new campaign finance laws.  Increase turnout with online voting or voting by mail.  Make voting more accessible with a modern ballot.modern ballot

Figure Electronic Voting Machines  Back