U.S. Voting Turnout Statistics Midterm yr old 49% 51% 50-54% 38-40% 32 % 1.What is the cause for low voter turnout? Brainstorm 3- 4 reasons for the low VT showed above 2.Brainstorm 3 ideas that could be used to increase voter turnout. Give me 2 practical/rational ideas, and one far-out idea.

Alternative Solution Should the Government fine non-voters? –Brainstorm a list of pro’s and con’s –Take a stance THE Ohio State University Pg. 147 What would you do?

Chapter 6 Political Participation

Objectives 1.Explain why the text believes that the description, the analysis, and many of the proposed remedies for low voter turnout rates in the United States are generally off base. 2.Compare the 2 ways that turnout statistics are tabulated for the United States and explain the significance of these differences. 3.Describe how control of the elections has shifted from the states to the federal government, and explain what effect this shift has had on blacks, women, and youth. 4.State both sides of the debate over whether voter turnout has declined over the past century, and describe those factors that tend to hold down voter turnout in the United States. 5.List and explain Nie and Verba’s six categories of political participation & discuss the demographic factors that appear to be associated with high or low political participation.

Low Voter Turnout: What's the Big Deal? Conventional Description 1.Misleading data: US vs. Europe  VAP vs. VEP (Table 6.1) VAP vs. VEP  Apathy Conventional Solutions 1.Get-Out-Vote Drives 2.Get-Out-Registration Drives Citizens DO Participate

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Figure 6.2: Voter Participation in Presidential Elections, Argument 1: Real Decline 19 th vs 20 th C Elections Argument 2: Apparent Decline

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Textbook Comparison Matrix Objective 3 Describe how control of the elections has shifted from the states to the federal government, and explain what effect this shift has had on blacks, women, and youth.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Forms of Participation Objective 5 Ning Word Doc HW Inactive Activist Parochial Participants Campaigners Communalists Voting Specialist

What factors are correlated with political participation? COLLAGE GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE BLUE-COLLAR WORKER WHITE-COLLAR WORKER YOUNG – MIDDLE AGE ELDERLY POOR AF. AM POOR WHITE WELL TO DO AF. AM WELL TO DO WHITE OTHER MINORITY CHURCH GOER Education one has, the more likely one is to vote. (Pol. Info) No gender differences Racial difference whites vs minoriites Churchgoers are more likely to vote and take part in politics than non- churchgoers of same age, gender, income…) Young people ( 40). More affluent participate more often than the poor. More likely to vote if have personal qualities that make “learning about politics easier and more gratifying”

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Figure 6.4: Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Age, Schooling, and Race, What do you think accounts for the Hig

Figure 6.4: Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Age, Schooling, and Race,

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