1. Political Participation Wilson 8A

2. Objective Questions Who Governs? Who votes, who doesn’t? Why do some people participate at higher rates than others? To What Ends? How did the Framers of the Constitution think average citizens should participate in America’s representative democracy? Should today’s college- age citizens participate more in politics?

3. Nonvoting Voting age population (VAP) Low turn-out in US Get-out-the-vote campaigns Will not help lack of registration (good/bad?) Registered voters (VEP) More like Europe Cost of registration Not automatic but easier since 1995 (motor voter) American participate in other ways than voting. Europeans don’t.

4. Rise of American Electorate Limits Property owners Taxpayers White Male Free Slave Son of slave Incarcerated State Control At-large representatives Odd years Majority/plurality No popular vote Ineligibility Amendments Federal laws

5. Changes in the Electorate By Law 1842 House districts Set dates 1910 Standard, secret ballot 1965 Voting Rights Act 2000 Registration Identification Uniformity Amendment 15th - race 19th - gender 23rd - DC 24 th - poll tax 26th - age

6. Voter turnout Real Decline Less popular interest Decrease in party mobilization Registration is more difficult Alternative participation Apparent Decline More honest accounting Parties printed ballots Parties counted ballots Loose rules Public voting Calculation methods

7. Free Response Elections in the United States are characterized by low voter turnout. Discuss TWO demographic characteristics associated with nonvoting. Discuss THREE institutional obstacles associated with nonvoting.