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Political Participation in the United States: Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

Explore American political participation, voting trends, demographic factors influencing turnout, and solutions to increase voter engagement. Discover the puzzles surrounding American turnout and the impact of institutional factors on participation levels.

christophercarroll
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Political Participation in the United States: Trends, Challenges, and Solutions

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  1. Political Participation: Voting and Non-voting Participation in the United States

  2. Three Puzzles About American Turnout • Do Americans participate in government? • What are the trends? • What explains levels of participation in the U.S.? • How do participation levels of Americans compare with citizens of other nations? • What can explain the differences? • What do those who participate look like? • Demographic factors and turnout • Should Americans participate? Does participation matter?

  3. Political Participation • Two Types of Political Participation: • Conventional Participation • Voting • Letter writing • Contact with Representatives • Working on Campaigns • Campaign Contributions • Joining Groups (social capital) • Running for Office • Unconventional Participation • Boycotts, Sit-ins, Marches, Demonstrations, Violence

  4. Expanding Suffrage Constitutional Amendments: • 15 (1870) = Race • 19 (1920) = Sex • 23 (1961) = Residents of DC can vote for President but not Congress • 24 (1964) = Poll tax • 26 (1971) = 18 years old, changes from 21

  5. Voting Trends • Initially, suffrage changes resulted in increased participation • Recently, voter turnout steadily on the decline = the vanishing electorate • High of around 60% in Presidential elections -- 50% in midterm -- even lower in local elections

  6. Various Explanations for Limited Participation • Why Americans Still Don’t Vote • Voter Registration • Not automatic • Requires foresight • Residency requirements • Mobile Electorate • Voting Percentage of Registered Voters rivals the voter turnout in other countries • Motor-Voter Legislation

  7. Various Explanations for Limited Participation • There are too many elections in the United States • High information costs • Election Day (Tuesday, work day) • Voter apathy • People believe they gain few personal benefits to themselves from voting

  8. Various Explanations for Limited Participation • Political parties are weaker • Opportunity costs • Generational Change • Civic duty has declined • Irrational to vote • Very little chance of affecting the outcome of an election • Weather

  9. Demographic Factors and Voter Turnout Graph • 2000 Election Exit Polls • http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/epolls/US/P000.html

  10. Increasing Voter Turnout • How could we increase voter turnout? • Should we increase voter turnout?

  11. Three Puzzles About American Turnout • Why is turnout in national elections lower than most other democracies? • Institutional factors • Why has turnout in the U.S. declined since 1960? • What caused turnout to go up slightly in 1992? And go back down in 1996? • Education levels have been rising • Registration has become much easier

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