Unit 5 – political participation FACTORS THAT AFFECT VOTER TURNOUT (MPA-3.C)

Identify 2 factors that affect voter turnout Individual choice State laws

State voter registration laws Procedures on how, when, & where to vote When it comes to state laws, there are several structural barriers that affect voter turnout (mpa-3.c.1) State voter registration laws Procedures on how, when, & where to vote

Mid-term (Congressional) General POTUS elections Which type of election below typically enjoys a greater voter turnout & why? (mpa-3.c.1) More prestige for the POTUS, only 1/3 of the members of both Houses are up for reelection during any one midterm election; it is more difficult to find out where all of the national, state, & local candidates stand on the issues than having to figure out who to vote for for POTUS, many voters are not knowledgeable and/or aware of who is running in midterm elections Mid-term (Congressional) General POTUS elections

What is political efficacy & how does it impact voter turnout. (mpa-3 What is political efficacy & how does it impact voter turnout? (mpa-3.c.2) Our faith/trust in gov’t. The greater the political efficacy… The higher the voter turnout

What demographic trends affect voter turnout? (mpa-3.c.2) These demographic characteristics tend to exhibit lower voter turnout (explain why) Minority Americans (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans) Lower socioeconomic classes (working class, poor) Younger Americans (under 30) Males

What factors influence who we vote for? (mpa-3.c.3) Party identification & ideological orientation Candidate characteristics Contemporary political issues Religious beliefs/affiliation Gender Race & ethnicity

(mpa-3.c.3) in-class activity (5pts.) Directions – individually or in pairs, complete the following questions on the same notebook paper that you completed these ppt. notes

(mpa-3.c.3) in-class activity 1. Which of the following best describes a trend in the line graph above? a.) The ‘White, Non-Hispanics’ demographic has maintained a higher voter turnout in POTUS elections than any other demographic from 1972 to 2012 b.) Every demographic illustrated above has shown a steady rise in voter turnout for POTUS elections from 1972 to 2012 c.) ‘Asian, Non-Hispanics’ have a higher voter turnout in POTUS elections from 1972 to 2012, than any other demographic d.) The ‘Black, Non-Hispanics’ & ‘Latinos’ Demographics both saw similar spikes & drops in voter turnout for POTUS elections from 1972 to 2012

(mpa-3.c.3) in-class activity 2. Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the line graph above & your knowledge of voter behavior? a.) Minority Americans, on average, have shown higher voter turnout than ‘White, Non-Hispanics’ in POTUS elections from 1972 to 2012 b.) ‘Asian, Non-Hispanics’ tend to have a higher voter turnout for POTUS elections during years where a Republican wins the presidency c.) More Americans are voting today for POTUS elections than in the last 40 years d.) Regardless of demographic, younger voters (18-29) turned out in higher numbers for the POTUS election to vote for a Democratic president in 1992 & 2008

(mpa-3.c.3) in-class activity 3. Based on the infographic, which of the following claims would an opponent of state voter-ID laws most likely make? a.) Voter-ID laws are likely to decrease turnout among African American voters because they are less likely to have gov’t.-issued IDs. b.) Voter turnout will likely decrease by 10% if voters are required to present a gov’t.- issued ID to vote c.) Voter-ID laws will likely decrease election fraud, which will increase voter confidence in institutions & thereby increase turnout d.) African American voters who don’t have gov’t.-issued IDs are likely to participate at the grassroots level & exert influence through channels other than turning out to vote