Participation & Voting  Forms of participation  Brief History of Suffrage  Participation Rates & Purposes  Models of Voting Behavior  Voter Choice & the Political System  Tradeoffs

Forms of Participation  Conventional –voting –writing letters, answering surveys –jury service –campaign contributions –lobbying, organizing –studying issues –political campaigns

Forms of Participation  Conventional (continued) –public sector employment (including military service) –other?  Unconventional –demonstrations, marches –protests, violent action –graffiti, defacing property, other?

Forms of Participation  New Forms of Participation –participation in talk-shows (call-in) –internet networks, electronic bulletin boards –electronic town meetings –other?

Brief History of Suffrage  Suffrage: the right to vote  Franchise: Constitutional or statutory right to vote  1789 Constitution stipulates that states should determine; mostly white male property owners  new “western” states don’t require property ownership to vote  1869 Wyoming grants women the right to vote

Brief History of Suffrage  th Amendment prohibits discrimina- tion in voting based on race, color, or prior servitude  th Amendment provides for direct election of Senators  th Amendment extends suffrage to women  th Amendment prohibits poll tax

Brief History of Suffrage  1965 Voting Rights Act opens up registration  1968 Parties open nomination process to direct primaries  th Amendment extends suffrage to 18 year olds  1993 Motor Voter Law passes  States still determine eligibility (e.g. 15 states permanently deny privileges to felons)

Purposes of Participation  Personal –elect “friend” in government--assistance  Public Policy –Social policy  abortion  equal opportunity  homosexual marriages  student loans  other? water policy?

Purposes of Participation  Public Policy (cont.) –Economic policy  consumer protection  tax policy (e.g. capital gains tax)  other? water policy? How do these relate to different ideologies?

Models of Voting Behavior  Voter participation –Turnout: # Voting/# Eligible –19th century: around 80% –As increase number who can vote, rates of participation actually decline –As of 1997: 87,504 separate government units in the United States; 4,608 in California alone

Models of Voting Behavior  Sociological Model –Strong correlation (association, not causality) of SES qualities with party identification –High SES, caucasian with Republican Party –Lower SES, African American, Hispanic with Democratic Party –More recently see gender differences emerging

Models of Voting Behavior  Social-Psychological Model –Based on exit polls (self-reported) –Focus on party identification, opinions about candidates, orientation toward issues –Includes SES, religion, gender, race  Rational Choice Model (economics) –Decision to vote based on cost-benefit calculus; will decide on candidate only if first cost effective – Candidate choice based on proximity to own views

Voter Choice & the Political System  Party identification –Most enduring variable –Change as more indicate Independent preference  Candidate Image –Competence, integrity, empathetic –Especially important for TV campaigns  Issues

Voter Choice & the Political System  Issues –Prospective voting (candidate promises) –Retrospective voting (past performance) –Requires information on issue(s) and candidates’ positions –Issue(s) must be personally important –Candidates must demonstrate difference –2 party system may reduce differences or apparent choice

Voter Choice & the Political System  Congressional Campaigns –435 Representatives elected every 2 years –Local candidates are better known –Personal attributes are most important –67% of voters like their representatives; only 24% like Congress in general –Issues are less important –Incumbents lose because something goes wrong

Voter Choice & the Political System  Present 2 party system has shown great stability  Present party alignment in effect since 1932  Critical or realigning election brings about major change in party support  Deviating election reflects short term change  Maintaining election retains party in power  Reinstating election returns dominant party to power

TradeoffsTradeoffs  freedom not to vote  2 party system reduces differences  conventional forms of participation are orderly  votes are equal; other forms of partici- pation may not be