Political Participation

First of all, who can vote?

1 – US citizens2 – resident of the state you’re voting in3 – you must be over 184 – you must register!!!

There are no literacy tests, poll taxes, but you can’t be in a mental institution or prison. Funny how that works…

Rise of the American electorate

• Electorate means the “potential voting population” – now over 205 million!!

• Early 1800s almost all white males could vote

• 15th Amendment extended voting rights to all males, regardless of color, over 21

• 19th Amendment allowed women to vote

• 24th Amendment and Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated poll taxes

• 26th Amendment allowed everyone over 18 to vote (Vietnam war!!!)

Low voter turnout - 2 theories• Theory one - real decline

• This may be due to voter registration difficulties

• The Florida vote in 2000 controversy

• Just a continuation of the drop since the early 1960s

The other theory

• An apparent decline in voting:

• Political parties once printed the ballots

• Ballots were cast in public

• Parties controlled the counting

• Voter eligibility was easily bypassed

• Political machines controlled everything

• The Australian ballot was adopted in 1910 (it’s a standard ballot for everyone printed by the government)

Voting• We used to think people didn’t vote out of

“apathy” or just a plain lack of desire

• In reality it’s more accurate to say people don’t vote because the US has low voter registration rates

• This is partly because you actually have to make an effort to register, unlike Europe

More voting…• Funny thing is, we may not vote as much as

Europeans, but we participate much more such as joining civic associations, supporting social movements, writing congressmen, and fighting city hall

• Another funny thing about us voting, our low turnout rate may actually indicate that we are reasonably satisfied with the governmental system, and if everyone voted it might be a sign of discontent????

Even more about voting

• Not everyone votes – can you believe it??

• “Idiotes” – a Greek word for people who don’t vote

• Non-voting voters – those who ONLY vote for the president OR only those names on the top of the ballot

• 100 Million just don’t vote at all, ever…

• Why???

Thanks for asking – here’s why

• 10 million are resident aliens

• 5-6 million are ill or physically unable to vote

• 2-3 million traveling suddenly

• 500,000 mentally ill

• 1 million in prison

• 100,000 don’t vote for religious reasons

• That still leaves 80 million people, what’s their story??

Twa-da#4 – “time zone fallout”#3 – it’s too complicated#2 – they’re vote doesn’t matter#1 reason

Lack of Interest !!!!!!!In other words, they just don’t care (but they’ll be

the first to complain if something doesn’t go their way!!)

- In the 2008 election, people did care (on both sides) so election turn out was much higher. It will be fun to see how the 2012 election turns out!

So who participates in government and why???

• Education plays a big role!!• Church goers vote more• Men and women vote at the same rate• Whites typically more than African-Americans• Older people more than younger

• Non-voters tend to be poor, minorities and uneducated but an increasing number of college students and white collar workers don’t vote

Any solutions??• Remember, Americans may not vote as much but they

are involved in other activities• Studies show no connection between distrust of

politicians and not voting• Registration barriers continue to be lowered to boost

voter turnout– Absentee Ballots,– Possible future- Email, Text message voting

• There are over 500,000 elected positions in America • Bottom line – efficacy and interest really determine

who will and won’t vote – SO VOTE ( But do your homework first, don’t end up as a non-voting voter!)