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Please note. class will be cancelled on Thursday, November 21... please conceal your disappointment. VOTING AND ELECTIONS. VOTING AND ELECTIONS. Explaining Voter Turnout – Voter Disaffection. hypotheses for declining voter turnout changing demographics minorities

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  1. Please note... • class will be cancelled on Thursday, November 21... • please conceal your disappointment.

  2. VOTING AND ELECTIONS VOTING AND ELECTIONS

  3. Explaining Voter Turnout – Voter Disaffection • hypotheses for declining voter turnout • changing demographics • minorities • age • fewer differences between party • electoral strategy • less interest in who wins • less effort at voter mobilization by parties

  4. Explaining Voter Turnout – Voter Disaffection • how much do elections matter? • importance of incumbency • elections are referedums on incumbents • incumbent has to do something to lose • challenger finds it hard to get money, hard to break cycle • importance of primaries • winner-take-all system • effect of the economy

  5. Explaining Voter Turnout – Some Observations • voter turnout and September 11th • voter turnout and split Congress • split Congress leads to high competition • high competition leads to negative campaigning • negative campaigning leads to depressed voter turnout

  6. Referendums and Initiatives – What are They? • What are They? • initiative – proposal to put some issue to a referendum • requires 3%-15% of voters to sign • proposition • referendum question put directly on the ballot

  7. Referendums and Initiatives – How and When Are They Used? • examples • Oklahoma • banning cockfighting • Nevada • marijuana legalization (3 ozs.!) • California • after-school programs • Oregon • dentures

  8. Referendums and Initiatives – How and When Are They Used? • allowed by 24 states • half of all initiatives take place in five states • Oregon, California, North Dakota, Colorado, Arizona • success rate • 50% once they are on the ballot • California • 8-12 propositions on EACH ballot • some propositions of VERY considerable importance

  9. Referendums and Initiatives – How and When Are They Used? • California • 8-12 propositions on EACH ballot • some propositions of VERY considerable importance • Proposition 13 (1978) • referendum to reduce local property tax • Proposition 209 (1996) • referendum to ban affirmative action programs in government

  10. Election 2002 – Some Final Observations • White House legislative initiatives (January) • judicial nominees • patients bill of rights • energy bill • permanent tax cut • there is no safety net – “no excuses administration” • White House bipartisanship – why?? • who needs who?

  11. AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES JUST HOW DIFFERENT ARE THEY?

  12. Parties -- Why Have Them? • what do parties do? • aggregate interests • simplify voting choices • how important are parties? • are parties different?

  13. Why Two Parties? • legal barriers to entry of third parties • getting on the ballot • established parties typically have automatic access • campaign financing • federal grants paid after election depending on outcome of election • 5% of the vote required • proportional to vote • dominant pattern of socialization • parties and the legislative system • flexibility of parties to co-opt other political viewpoints

  14. Are Parties Different? • How to Measure Differences Between Parties • the ideological spectrum

  15. The American Ideological Spectrum The Left -- Liberal The Right -- Conservative More Gov’t Less Gov’t • government regulation of the economy • policies to help disadvantaged groups • policies to redistribute income • fewer government regulations • no special treatment for special interest groups • lower taxes

  16. Are Parties Different? • How to Measure Differences Between Parties • the ideological spectrum • parties on the spectrum • what people think • who parties attract • the issue of perspective

  17. Are Parties Different? • How to Measure Differences Between Parties • the ideological spectrum • parties on the spectrum • what people think • who parties attract • the issue of perspective • a comparative perspective

  18. Are Parties Different? • How to Measure Differences Between Parties • the ideological spectrum • parties on the spectrum • what people think • who parties attract • the issue of perspective • a comparative perspective • the American perspective

  19. Forces Determining Party Ideology • centrifugal forces • forces pulling parties away from the political centre • centripetal forces • forces pulling parties toward the political centre

  20. Parties and Democratic Participation • act as gatekeepers of public debate • good • structure the vote • filters out political “noise” • ensure that debate takes place within the bounds of a public consensus • bad • parties limit the range of public debate • offer no real “choices” -- only give the illusion of choice • leads to trivialization of politics

  21. Americans and their Views of Parties • American constitutional design • no provision for political parties • American political practice • arose to fill a need in the American political system • how do you maintain levels of political participation • how do you manage high levels of participation • the Conundrum of American Parties • crucial element of the American system • Americans are suspicious of parties

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