1. AGENDA: Tues 10/25 & Wed 10/26 Voter Behavior
Assignment #9: Economics of Voting
HW: Party Platform Part 1 & 2: Due Mon 10/31 1

2. The Economics of Voting: Assignment #9
Read the article “The Economics of Voting.” Take notes about your response to the argument being presented by the author.
Do you agree or disagree w/ the author’s perspective?
Whether or not you agree that low voter turnout is a serious problem, it seems clear that our government would be more representative if more people voted. Furthermore, low turnout is especially common among young voters.
Would you be more likely to vote if voting were no longer voluntary? Why/why not?
What about if you would be fined or even jailed for not voting? Why/why not?
Should all eligible voters vote? 2

3. Voters and Voter Behavior3

4. The right to vote Suffrage & Franchise - the right to vote
By 1800s religious qualifications were eliminated
15th Amendment
19th Amendment
Voting Rights Act of 1965
23rd Amendment
24th Amendment
26th Amendment 4

5. Universal Universal requirements
Citizenship
Nothing in the Constitution says that an alien should not be able to vote
Residency
State’s requirement to live in the state need to be < than 31 days in a Presidential election
Age
Limit cannot be higher than 18 5

6. Registration
Every state but North Dakota requires you to register to vote 6

7. Persons denied the vote
No state allows anyone living in a mental institution to vote.
¼ of the states denies voting to felons.
A few states do not allow anyone who is dishonorably discharged from the military to vote. 7

8. Why people do not vote
Over 100 million did not vote in the last Presidential election
See Voter turnout chart on pg 165
Cannot voters
10 million resident aliens
5-6 million ill, disabled
500,00 in mental institutions
2-3 million traveling unexpectedly
2 million in jail
100,000 who do not vote based on religious reasons 8

9. Sociological factors of voting
Income, occupation
Lower income groups vote Democrat
Education
Higher percentages of college graduates vote Republican
Gender
Before 2004 women more likely to vote Democrat.
Age
Younger people tend to vote Democrat

10. Sociological factors of voting
Religion
Protestants=Republican
Catholics & Jews= Democrat
Ethnic Background
African Americans typically vote Democrat
Mexican Americans & Puerto Ricans usually vote Democrat
Cubans usually vote Republican
Family
9/10 married couples share partisan leanings (the same political views)
2/3 people vote like their parents

11. HW: Party Platform: Part 1 Due: Mon 10/31
Write an overview Write an overview of the specific political party from your “I side with Quiz” (6-8 sentences)
Write a response to your match with the candidate (4- 6 sentences)
Research parties/ideologies of two other political parties (one that is VERY different and another that is SIMILAR to your match/placement on the spectrum)
Write an overview of the parties, specifically focusing on 2 areas of most interest to you (6-8 sentences for each party) 11

12. Voters Straight ticket Split-ticket Independent
Who decides who will vote? Pg 173

13. 13

14. 14

15. History of electoral votes by state
History of electoral votes by state 15

16. HW: Party Platform: Part 2 DUE: Mon 10/31
Create your own political platform
Must have a minimum of 5 issues from the following list:
Social, Environmental, Economic, Domestic Policy, Health Care, Foreign Policy, Education, Electoral, Immigration, Science, Other
Clearly explain your perspective and plan for how you would want your party to deal w/ each issue (2-3 sentences per issue) 16