By: Asia Adona, Brynna Neufeld and Jace Reyes LOW VOTER TURNOUT DOES NOT THREATEN DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA

WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? A system of selection of policy-makers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to public preferences.

MAIN POINTS The perseverance of Democracy Hyperpluralism Electoral College continues to function

Our country’s founding fathers instituted voting requirements -- White -- Male -- Property owning This excluded all of the slave population and the white Americans that did not own land DEMOCRACY WON’T QUIT Leaving between 10% - 16% to vote in the 1792 presidential election The large majority of the American population could not vote until the 15 th amendment was passed in 1870

Infoplease.com

NATIONAL VOTER TURNOUT PERCENTAGE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE Protects election when there is a low voter turnout Majority of states’ votes determine which way electoral votes go Still functions if less people vote It was created to represent the people, and whether or not they vote, each person is represented 538 electoral votes in 2008 election, 270 needed for majority -- not affected by number of voters

Too many votes Too many opinions Weakened Central Government Less voting leaves campaigning open to ideas/arguments Letting the people have a say in their government is crucial in a healthy democracy However, too much say becomes detrimental HYPERPLURALISM

REBUTTAL The more voters there are, the more likely policy gridlock will occur -- Policy gridlock slows the federal government -- a slow federal government creates a lack of representation Thus, too many voters can decrease representation Less voters increase the balance of the minority and majority population 1 vote = 1 vote. No person has any more say than another.

WORKS CITED "National Voter Turnout in Federal Elections: " Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Family Education Network. Web. 19 Oct "U. S. Electoral College." National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 19 Oct "U.S. Voting Rights." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Family Education Network. Web. 19 Oct "African-American Population — Infoplease.com." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Family Education Network. Web. 19 Oct

WORKS CITED CONTINUED Schlimmer, Scott. "Low Voter Turnout - Paris Hilton Didn't Vote, Despite Wearing a Vote or Die Baby T-shirt." Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Yahoo! Inc, 31 Oct Web. 19 Oct