Participation

What are all of the ways you can participate in politics?

Why is participation important?

Why don’t some people participate?

Probability of voting = Benefit - Cost

Voter Turnout, 2004 & 2008

What makes a person more likely to vote? Higher Education Higher Education Why? Why? More interest in politics (higher benefit) More interest in politics (higher benefit) More background information to understand politics, and skills to get through the registration and voting process (lower costs) More background information to understand politics, and skills to get through the registration and voting process (lower costs)

Effect of education on turnout (2008 data)

What makes a person more likely to vote? Higher Education Higher Education Higher Income Higher Income Why? Why? Free time (lower costs) Free time (lower costs) Stake in community (taxes etc.— higher benefit) Stake in community (taxes etc.— higher benefit)

Effect of income on turnout, 2008

Effect of race on turnout? (2008)

What makes a person more likely to vote? Higher Education Higher Education Higher Income / more resources Higher Income / more resources Lack of language/cultural barriers Lack of language/cultural barriers

Effect of citizenship on turnout

What makes a person more likely to vote? Higher Education Higher Education Higher Income / more resources Higher Income / more resources Lack of language/cultural barriers Lack of language/cultural barriers Easy registration Easy registration

Effect of Registration laws on turnout (2004 data)

So why don’t young people vote? 2004 and 2008 turnout rates

Newspaper readership, 2004

Newspaper readership, by age

What makes a person more likely to vote? Higher Education Higher Education Higher Income / more resources Higher Income / more resources Lack of language/cultural barriers Lack of language/cultural barriers Easy registration Easy registration Interest Interest Social Connectedness Social Connectedness

What makes a person more likely to vote? Social connectedness Social connectedness Why? Why? Learn civic skills in a group (lower costs) Learn civic skills in a group (lower costs) Feel responsibility to a particular community (higher benefit) Feel responsibility to a particular community (higher benefit) Group norms (higher social benefit) Group norms (higher social benefit)

Effect of marriage on turnout, 2008

Effect of residency on turnout

Effect of home ownership on turnout

What does a healthy democracy really need? Do you think the system will be biased against people who don’t participate? Do you think the system will be biased against people who don’t participate? So who might the system be biased against? So who might the system be biased against? Does that make for a healthy democracy? Does that make for a healthy democracy? Or maybe democracy can be enhanced through other kinds of participation… Or maybe democracy can be enhanced through other kinds of participation…

What is social capital? The norms and trust that develop from interpersonal social relationships The norms and trust that develop from interpersonal social relationships A byproduct of other activities, not something created on its own A byproduct of other activities, not something created on its own

Putnam’s evidence for declining social capital Membership in PTA, League of Women Voters, Elks Clubs and the like have declined 25-50% in the last 25 years. Membership in PTA, League of Women Voters, Elks Clubs and the like have declined 25-50% in the last 25 years. Bowling leagues and sports leagues have less participation Bowling leagues and sports leagues have less participation People spend up to 25% less time socializing with friends than they did in People spend up to 25% less time socializing with friends than they did in Church attendance is down 15-30%. Church attendance is down 15-30%. Attending Club Meetings down 58% Attending Club Meetings down 58% Family dinners down 33% Family dinners down 33% Having friends over down 45% Having friends over down 45%

Why the decline of social capital?

What are ways we can build social capital?

What do we really need if we want more people to participate? Do we want more people to participate??