Political Participation Voting

Types of Participation 2000 Election participation 82% watched the campaign on television 73% voted in the election 34% tried to influence others how to vote 10% put a sticker on their car 9% gave money to help a campaign 5% attended a political meeting 3% worked for a party or candidate Is this true? 73% of people vote? – No

Who REALLY participates? Different factors can tell us who votes Education – MOST IMPORTANT, more education=more voting Religious involvement Race and Ethnicity – Whites higher than minorities (might be economic based) Age – 18-24 is the lowest, and 45 and up is the highest

Who REALLY participates? Gender – men traditionally voted more, now it is more equal Two-party competition – more competitive elections have higher turnout Cross-cutting cleavages – issues that engage different types of groups – overlapping interests amongst people who don’t fall into same category

Voting Trend of low voter turnout 1964 – 69.3% (Voting Age Population %) 1980 – 41.3% 1984 – 60.9% 1988 – 40.5% 1992 – 55.2% 1996 – 49.1% 2000 – 51.3% 2004 – 56.7% 2008 – 58.2%

Participation in the Political Process Voting Eligibility Elimination of property requirements in nearly all states (1830) Elimination of racial discrimination in 15th Amendment (1870) Elimination of sexual discrimination in 19th Amendment (1920) Elimination of poll taxes in 24th Amendment (1964) Elimination of literacy tests in Voting Rights Act (1965) Partial elimination of state registration laws in Voting Rights Act (1965) Reduction of voting age to 18 in 26th Amendment (1971) Potential further elimination of state registration laws in Motor Voter Act (1993) Reduction of residency requirement to 1 or 2 months in most states

Expanding Suffrage Lifting of property restrictions (1830) – “universal manhood suffrage” gave voting rights to all white males Suffrage for African-Americans (1863-1964) 1865 - 15th Amendment – Voting Rights to all 1954 - Brown v. Board – separate but equal is illegal, killed Jim Crow laws 1964 - 24th Amendment – banned poll tax 1965 – Voting Rights Act of 1965 – federal law prohibited (no literacy tests, fair elections etc.)

Expanding Suffrage Women’s Suffrage (1920) – 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote 18-year-olds (1971) given right to vote – 26th Amendment, sparked by Vietnam

Voter Turnout Registered Voter turnout vs. Eligible Voter turnout Voting-Age Population: All U.S. residents age 18 or older. Voting-Eligible Population: Excludes U.S. residents that are not legally permitted to cast a ballot (e.g. convicted felons and non-citizens) Voter Registration – blamed as one of the causes of low turnout “Motor-Voter” (1993) – National Voter Registration Act – allowed people to register to vote while they get license

A Closer Look at Voter Turnout Sources of low voter turnout relatively low percentage of the voting-age population is actually registered to vote. approximately one-half of all nonvoters are registered

Other reasons for low turnout Difficulty of Absentee Voting Number of Offices to Elect too high Too many influences/voter confusion Weekday, non-holiday voting Weak political parties – less “get-out-the-vote campaigns New Voter ID laws confusing – discourage people from getting required ID

A Closer Look at Voter Turnout Registered nonvoters gave three major reasons why they did not vote: Too busy or had scheduling conflicts Family chores or obligations Believed their vote would not make a difference

Reasons for Not Voting Lack of interest (Lacks Political Efficacy) Lack of faith in political system Lack of government responsiveness to the individual voter Lack of any real choice between candidates Difficulty and confusion around new voter laws

Reasons for Not Voting (Cont.) Indecision on merits and/or positions of candidates Domination of area by one party Illness on election day Lack of transportation (poor/elderly) Out of district on election day Failure to obtain an absentee ballot (young and old)

Voter turnout rAnalysis of Voter Turnout… Rates reached a long time low in the elections of 1996 and 2000 In 2004 extraordinary efforts by political parties, candidate campaigns, and interest groups increased the voter turnout to about 60%. The highest turnouts in American history happened around the turn of the 20th century, when higher voter fraud artificially elevated voter rates

Profile of individuals most likely to vote (Core Electorate) Middle aged or older Poor record for 18 to 24 year olds! (That is you!!!!) White Highly educated Living outside the south Male Married Employment in white collar job Long time resident of an area Wealthy Disappearance of racial factor with consideration of socioeconomic status

http://elections.gmu.edu, accessed May 8, 2009. Source: Updated from Michael P. McDonald and Samuel L. Popkin, “The Myth of the Vanishing Voter,” American Political Science Review 95 (December 2001): table 1, 966. Reprinted with permission of Cambridge University Press; Michael P. McDonald, “2008 General Election Turnout Rates,” updated April 26, 2009, at http://elections.gmu.edu, accessed May 8, 2009. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Source: Rafael Lopez Pintor, Maria Gratschew, and Kate Sullivan, “Voter Turnout Rates from a Comparative Perspective,” in Voter Turnout Since 1945: A Global Report (Stockholm, Sweden: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2002). Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Source: Adapted from U. S Source: Adapted from U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, June 2008, Table 400. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Figure 8.1 Voting and Registration Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, “Voting and Registration,” June 2008. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

The Rise of the American Electorate From State to Federal Control Literacy test Poll tax Grandfather clause White primary Department of Social History/Smithsonian Institution After Reconstruction ended in 1876, black voting shrank under the attacks of white supremacists, p. 188. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Copyright © 2013 Cengage

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, blacks and whites voted together in a small Alabama town. Flip Schulke/CORBIS The campaign to win the vote for women nationwide succeeded with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Library of Congress Copyright © 2013 Cengage

The Rise of the American Electorate Voter Turnout: Is the decline real? Yes: There is a decline of popular interest in elections and a weakening of the competitiveness of the two major parties. No: In the 1800’s and early 1900’s voting fraud was commonplace and there were few serious efforts to deter this behavior. Voting percentages were inflated. Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Figure 8.2 Voter Participation in Presidential Elections, 1860–2008 Replace with jpeg, p. 181 Note: Several southern states did not participate in the 1864 and 1868 elections. Sources: For 1860–1928: Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, part 2, 1071; 1932–1944: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1992, 517; 1948–2000: Michael P. McDonald and Samuel L. Popkin, “The Myth of the Vanishing Voter,” American Political Science Review 95 (December 2001): table 1, 966; 2004 and 2008 elections, American National Election Studies (ANES). Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Young women volunteers work rebuilding an area in Katrina-damaged In 2010 supporters of President Obama urged people to vote, but turnout fell and the Democrats suffered major losses. MIKE THEILER/EPA/Landov Young women volunteers work rebuilding an area in Katrina-damaged New Orleans, p. 192. Kayte Deioma/PhotoEdit Copyright © 2013 Cengage

Figure 8.3 Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections Source: Adapted from U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, June and November 2008. Copyright © 2013 Cengage