1. Voting and participation
Chapter 11

2. Copyright © 2018 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
11.1 Explain why there are battles over ballot access 11.2 Outline how the right to vote has expanded 11.3 Identify who tends to turn out in American elections 11.4 Articulate the main theoretical approaches that explain voting 11.5 Evaluate how low turnout is in American elections 11.6 Analyze how changes in voting laws have affected participation rates 11.7 Describe other important forms of participation
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3. The Practice and Theory of Voting
The Constitution and Voting
Left choices to the states
Led to a complicated system
Inequalities among the states
Competing Views of Participation
Suffrage
Hamiltonian model of participation
Jeffersonian model of participation
L.O Explain why there are battles over ballot access.
suffrage:
Right to vote; also called franchise.
Key Questions
Why does the Constitution say so little about voting?
Can you think of any reason why a citizen should not be allowed to vote?
Do you lean toward the Hamiltonian or the Jeffersonian model of participation?
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4. Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian Models of Participation
Figure 11.1
This figure shows two ways of thinking about how citizens’ participation in government affects various aspects of politics and governance. The two models offer contrasting viewpoints about the value and consequences of political participation.
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5. The History of Voting in America 1 of 5
Expansion of Voting, 1790s to 1870
First nine elections popular votes not recorded
State legislators chose Electoral College
Jacksonian democracy and franchise
Fifteenth Amendment gave African American males right to vote
L.O. 11.2: Outline how the right to vote has expanded.
franchise:
Right to vote; also called suffrage.
Key Question:
Why has Jackson been called ”the people’s president”?
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6. Constitutional Amendments that Pertain to the Right to Vote
1870
Prohibits states from denying the right to vote on account of race
17th
1913
Gives the people (instead of state legislatures) the right to choose U.S. senators
19th
1920
Guarantees women the right to vote
23rd
1961
Grants residents of the District of Columbia votes in the Electoral College
24th
1964
Prohibits poll taxes
26th
1971
Guarantees 18-year-olds the right to vote
Figure 11.2
These six amendments to the Constitution were designed to increase the role of citizens in governance. They removed obstacles from voting and expanded suffrage, and the 17th amendment provided for direct election of U.S. senators.
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7. The History of Voting in America 2 of 5
The Road to Women’s Suffrage,
Grew stronger after Civil War
Susan B. Anthony
Wyoming first to grant women right to vote
Nineteenth Amendment ratified in 1920
Overall voter turnout dropped in the short term
turnout:
Share of all eligible voters who actually cast ballots.
Key Questions
Describe theories of representation that could have been used to justify denying women the right to vote.
Why were women able to vote in some states but not in others?
How did suffrage for women affect the responsiveness of government?
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8. The History of Voting in America 3 of 5
Denial of African American Suffrage, to 1965
Jim Crow laws
Literacy Tests
Poll Tax
Grandfather Clauses
The White Primary
Jim Crow laws:
Southern laws that established strict segregation of the races and gave their name to the segregation era.
literacy tests:
Tests requiring reading and interpretation skills in order to vote.
poll taxes:
Tax on voting; prohibited by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964).
grandfather clauses:
Election rules that exempted people from difficult literacy and interpretation tests for voting if their grandfathers had been eligible to vote.
white primary:
Election rules that prohibited blacks from voting in Democratic primaries.
Key Questions:
What was the justification for denying African Americans the right to vote?
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9. Louisiana Literacy Test
Figure 11.3
These questions, excerpted from a three-page test, make it clear that the test was not intended to test literacy but to deny African Americans the right to vote.
Source: Rethinking Schools,
Key Questions
Should people have to be able to read before they can vote? Should people have to be able to read English before they can vote?
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10. The History of Voting in America 4 of 5
The Civil Rights Movement and African American Voting, 1950s and 1960s
Boycotts, sit-ins, marches
1964 Civil Rights Act
1965 Voting Rights Act
Voter registration
Voter apathy
voter registration:
Enrollment required prior to voting to establish eligibility.
voter apathy:
Lack of interest in voting and in politics generally.
Key Question
Using African Americans as an example, describe how voting affects government responsiveness.
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11. The History of Voting in America 5 of 5
The Latino Vote
Poll taxes and language barriers
Literacy tests were English-based
Language Assistance Amendments in 1975
The Vote for 18-Year-Olds, 1971
Until 1971, voting age was 21
Key Question
How did the votes of 18-year-olds affect the responsiveness of government?
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12. Percent of Eligible Voters in Texas Who Lack an Accepted Photo ID
Figure 11.4
This figure shows recent data from Texas about who is affected by voter identification laws. It is clear from the data that Blacks and Latinos are least likely to hold an acceptable form of photo identification that would allow them to vote.
Source: Matt A. Barreto, and Gabriel R. Sanchez, “Rates of Possession of Accepted Photo Identification,
Among Different Subgroups in the Eligible Voter Population, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin,”
Expert Report Submitted on Behalf of Plaintiffs in Frank v. Walker, Civil Action No. 2:11-cv-
01128(LA), April 23, 2012,
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13. Copyright © 2018 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Who Votes?
Turnout
Highest for presidential elections
The Demographics of Turnout
Sex
Age
Race and Ethnicity
Income
Education
L.O. 11.3: Identify who tends to turn out in American elections.
Women turnout at a slightly higher rate than men
Turnout peaks once voters are about 60 years old.
There is a clear increase in the turnout of African American voters, most notably since Latino and Asian Americans continue to lag behind.
The higher one’s income, the more likely one is to vote.
Number of years of education seems to be most important influence.
Key Questions
When some groups vote less frequently than other groups, what is the effect on government?
Why do better-educated, better paid, and older people vote at higher rates than less educated, more poorly paid, and younger people? What is the effect on government?
What can you do to get young people in your community to vote? Why is it important?
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14. Turnout by Education in Recent Presidential Elections
Years of Education
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
8 years or fewer
37%
35%
30%
27%
24%
23%
22%
Less than high school
41%
34%
32%
High school
55%
58%
49%
50%
Less than college
65%
69%
61%
60%
66%
College or more
78%
81%
73%
72%
74%
Table 11.2
Source: Harold Stanley and Richard Niemi, Vital Statistics on American Politics (Washington, D.C. CQ Press 2013)
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Why Citizens Vote 1 of 2
Economic Model of Voting
Self-interest
Rational voting
Civic duty
Psychological Model of Voting
Civic interest
Efficacy
L.O Articulate the main theoretical approaches that explain voting.
self-interest:
Concern for one’s own advantage and well-being.
rational voting:
Economic model of voting wherein citizens weigh the benefits of voting against the costs in order to take the most personally beneficial course of action.
civic duty:
Social force that binds a person to actively participate in public and political life.
civic interest:
Concern for the well-being of society and the nation as a whole.
efficacy:
Extent to which people believe their actions can affect public affairs and the actions of government.
Key Questions
Did you vote in the 2014 midterm elections? Why or why not?
Should the government adopt laws that advance the Jeffersonian or Hamiltonian approach to participation?
Do you feel like you have a civic duty to vote? If so, where did you get that sense of duty?
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Why Citizens Vote 2 of 2
Institutional Model of Voting
Shaped by . . .
Rules of the system
Political party behavior
Ways candidates run campaigns
Context of the election
Is Voting in Your Genes?
Weather
institutional model:
Model of voting that focuses on the context of the election, including whether it is close and whether the rules encourage or discourage participation.
Key Questions
Have you participated in or been contacted by a get-out the-vote program? How did it affect you?
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Assessing Turnout 1 of 2
Is Turnout Low?
The United States Compared to Other Democracies
Compulsory voting; convenience
Trends in Turnout
Voting-age population
Generational replacement
Decline of party organizations
Harsh tone of political campaigns
L.O. 11.5: Evaluate how low turnout is in American elections.
compulsory voting:
Practice that requires citizens to vote in elections or face punitive measures such as community service, fines, or imprisonment.
voting-age population (VAP):
Used to calculate the rate of participation by dividing the number of voters by the number of people in the country who are 18 and over.
generational replacement:
Cycle whereby younger generations replace older generations in the electorate.
voting-eligible population (VEP):
Used to calculate the rate of participation by dividing the number of voters by the number of people in the country who are eligible to vote rather than just of voting age.
Key Questions
What does it mean for democracy when only 41 percent of Americans vote in midterm elections?
Should the United States adopt compulsory voting?
Should the United States vote on Saturday or Sunday instead of a weekday?
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Assessing Turnout 2 of 2
A New Way to Measure Voting
Voting-eligible population
Do Turnout Rates Create Inequality?
Individuals with more resources participate more
Education
Wealth
voting-eligible population (VEP):
Used to calculate the rate of participation by dividing the number of voters by the number of people in the country who are eligible to vote rather than just of voting age.
Key Questions:
What effect do negative ads have on you?
Do Americans have equality in voting? Explain.
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19. Presidential Turnout Rates 1948-2012
Figure 11.8
The VAP measure is the traditional approach to assessing turnout, dividing the number of voters by the voting-age population. The VAP seeks to correct for overcounting in the voting-age population by removing noncitizens and people in jail who are not eligible to vote. Until 1972, this correction made only a modest difference. But given the surge of immigration and the growth in the number of convicted felons since then, the VAP measure is more accurate. Turnout in the 2004 and 2008 elections is actually comparable to turnout in the 1950s and 1960s, but dropped in 2012.
Source: Source: “Presidential Turnout Rates, 1948–2012,” United States Elections Project, accessed January 28, 2014, Copyright © 2012 by Michael McDonald. Reproduced by permission.
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20. Voting Laws and Regulations 1 of 2
Reforms to Voting Laws in the 1890s
Graveyard voting
Progressives called for voter registration
Prevented immigrants from voting
Australian ballot/secret ballot
The National Voter Registration Act
Motor Voter law
L.O. 11.6: Analyze how changes in voting laws have affected rates of participation.
graveyard voting:
Corrupt practice of using a dead person’s name to cast a ballot in an election.
Key Questions
If you are a registered voter, what was your experience with registration? Was it a gate or a gateway?
How can the government prevent fraud and still encourage citizens to vote?
Should the government take steps to increase voting? Why?
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21. Voting Laws and Regulations 2 of 2
New Forms of Voting
Early voting
Vote-by-mail system
Some states reducing availability of early voting
In-person voting enhances political efficacy
vote-by-mail (VBM) system:
Method of voting in an election whereby ballots are distributed to voters by mail, and voters complete and return the ballots by mail.
Key Question
What are the risks and benefits of early voting? Of voting by mail?
Aside from voting, how have you participated in politics and civic life?
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22. Absentee and Early Voting by State
Figure 11.9
States determine most of the rules about forms of voting. This map shows which states have embraced new forms of voting such as early voting, no-excuse absentee votng, and vote-by-mail – all of which are designed to ease the voting process.
Source:
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23. Participation beyond Voting 1 of 2
Involvement in Political Campaigns
Protest Politics
The Boston Tea Party
Vietnam antiwar protests
The Tea Party
E-Participation
Transformed fundraising
L.O. 11.7: Describe other forms of participation.
Key Questions:
Have you ever contributed time or money to a political campaign? Why or why not?
Why is the right to protest important for democracy?
What does today’s Tea Party movement have in common with the Boston Tea Party?
What is the effect of new technologies on voting and participation?
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24. Nonvoting Measures of Political Participation
Tried to Influence Others’ Votes
Attended a Political Meeting
Worked for a Party or Candidate
Wore a Button or Displayed a Bumper Sticker
Gave Money to a Campaign
1980
36% 8% 4% 7%
1984
32% 9%
1988
29% 3%
1992
37%
11%
1996
28% 5% 2%
10%
2000
34%
2004
48%
21%
13%
2008
45%
18%
14%
2012
Table 11.3
Source: American National Election Study,
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25. Participation beyond Voting 2 of 2
Residents of Murrieta, California, protest the immigration policy and call for the impeachment of President Obama at a U.S. Border Patrol station in July 2014.
ZUMAPress,Inc./Alamy
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26. Voting, Participation, and Democracy
Danger to democracy from turnout distortion
A disparity in government responsiveness
The Influence of the Internet
Wealthier citizens have greater access
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