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Political Participation

Political Participation. To Vote or not to Vote (among many other types of participation) This presentation is the property of Dr. Kevin Parsneau for use by him and his current students. No other person may use or reprint without his permission. Political Participation.

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Political Participation

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  1. Political Participation To Vote or not to Vote (among many other types of participation) This presentation is the property of Dr. Kevin Parsneau for use by him and his current students. No other person may use or reprint without his permission.

  2. Political Participation • How does the U.S. compare to other democracies in voter turnout? • Why do some political scientists say it is not rational to vote? • How can we reduce the “cost” of voting? • What are some trends in political participation? • Compared to other types of political participation, where does voting fit into different ideas of how democracies work?

  3. Types of political participation • Terrorism • Protesting • Boycotts • Strikes • Answering Surveys • Writing Letters • Contributing Money • Meeting • Lobbying • Public Relations • Litigating • Voting

  4. Why Don’t Americans Vote? • Apathy? • Presidential Years/ Midterm Elections • Weak Party Ties • Two-Party System • Irrationality?

  5. Why Do Minnesotans Vote? • Good citizens? • History • Competitive Parties • State Political Culture • Same-Day Voter Registration

  6. Is it rational to vote? • What do I mean by “rational”? • “Rational” in this discussion is based upon whether the “benefits” of voting outweigh the “costs” of voting. • Rational does not necessarily mean smart, wise, clever, sane, etc.

  7. Is it rational to vote? Rational Cost-Benefit Analysis: R= PB-C R = rationality of an action P = probability of success B = benefit of success C = cost of acting

  8. The “D” Term • The “D” term in R=PB-C+D

  9. Reducing the “Cost” of voting •  Australian Ballot (1858) • Motor Voter (1995) • State Laws • Other

  10. Determinants of Participation Levels • Political Efficacy • Social Class • Income • Education  • Race • Gender • 19th Amendment • Age • 26th Amendment

  11. Political Efficacy • Political Efficacy: the confidence that people have that their opinions and actions influence the government. (From the First Day Quiz) Please indicate with a number between 1 and 5 for how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements.  … F. Your opinions and actions can affect American government (1-5) ________ 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Agree Strongly Disagree nor Disagree Agree People who have higher levels of political efficacy are more likely to vote and participate in other ways

  12. Mobilization • Involvement and Turnout • Churches, unions, tax payer groups, other interest groups • Political Parties • GOTV • Demobilization

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