1. VOTING AND VOTERS INCREASING SUFFRAGE 15TH AMENDMENT=BLACKS
CH 8 SUM
VOTING AND VOTERS
INCREASING SUFFRAGE
15TH AMENDMENT=BLACKS
19TH AMENDMENT=WOMEN
24TH AMENDMENT=NON-TAXPAYERS
26TH AMENDMENT=18 TO 21 YEAR OLDS

2. VOTING AND VOTERS STATE QUALIFICATIONS
CH 8 SUM
VOTING AND VOTERS
STATE QUALIFICATIONS
18, CITIZEN, RESIDENT, REGISTERED
REASONS FOR NOT VOTING
CANNOT VOTERS
SUPPORTIVE NON-VOTERS
(Oakwood ?)
ALIENATED NON-VOTERS
(Jefferson ?)
LACK OF INTEREST / APATHY

3. AMERICANS…
LESS LIKELY TO VOTE THAN EUROPEANS
US HAS MORE ELECTIVE OFFICES
( ABOUT 52, 000+)
US HAS A COMPLEX REGISTRATION PROCESS
US POLITICAL PARTIES ARE WEAKER
US HAS LESS DAILY GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT

4. U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TURNOUT

6.     Japan
71%
    Estonia
69%
    Hungary
66%
    Russia
61%
    India
58%
    U. S.
54%
    Switz
    Poland
51%
    Brazil
83%
    Netherlands
    Costa Rica
81%
    Norway
    Romania
    Bulgaria
80%
    Israel
    Portugal
79%
    Finland
78%
    Canada
76%
    France
    U.K.
    Ireland
74%
    Spain
73%
    Japan
71%
    Australia
95%
    Malta
94%
    Austria
92%
    Belgium
91%
    Italy
90%
    Luxembourg
    Iceland
89%
    New Zealand
88%
    Denmark
87%
    Germany
86%
    Sweden
    Greece
    Venezuela
85%
    Czech Rep.
    Brazil
83%
    Switzerland
54%
    Poland
51%

10. TYPES OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ACCORDING TO VERBA AND NIE
INACTIVES (22%)
LITTLE PARTICIPATION IF ANY
PAROCHIAL PARTICIPANTS
NO VOTING OR CAMPAIGNING
CONTACT OFFICIALS ABOUT SPECIFIC PROBLEMS

11. TYPES OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ACCORDING TO VERBA AND NIE
COMMUNALISTS
ENGAGED W/ NONPARTISAN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
VOTING SPECIALISTS
REGULARLY VOTE
BUT VERY LITTLE ELSE

13. TYPES OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ACCORDING TO VERBA AND NIE
CAMPAIGNERS
VOTE
GET INVOLVED W/ CAMPAIGNS
COMPLETE ACTIVISTS (11%)
PARTICPATES IN ALL FORMS OF POLITICAL ACTIVITIES

14. CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO VOTE MORE OFTEN
MORE EDUCATED
(MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR)
HIGHER INCOME
UNION MEMBERSHIP
POLITICALLY AFFILIATED
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
OLDER
MARRIED
RELIGIOUS

29. WHY PEOPLE DON’T VOTE LACK OF POLITICAL EFFICACY
“INTERNAL” AND/OR “EXTERNAL”
LACK OF MOTIVATION
UNINSPIRING CANDIDATES
NO REALIGNING ISSUES
AKA “CRITICAL ELECTIONS”
“BUSY”

30. Figure 13.2- Why People Don’t Vote
Back

34. Voters lining up outside a Baghdad polling station during the 2005 Iraqi election. Voter turnout was considered high despite widespread concerns of violence.

37. WOMEN VOTING IN AFGHANISTAN

38. “BALLOT CONFUSION” ??

40. SOUTH AFRICANS WAITING TO VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME (1994)

41. 12 HOURS OF LATER

45. Ways to Improve Voter Turnout
Make registration and absentee voting easier.
Make Election Day a holiday.
Strengthen political parties.

46. Patterns in Vote Choice
Party members most dependable for party nominees.
Ticket-splitting has increased.
Race: minorities largely vote for Democrats.
Gender: women usually vote for Democrats.
Income: poor typically vote for Democrats.
Ideology: liberals largely vote for Democrats.
Issues: prospective and retrospective judgments.

47. AV- Turnout of Eligible Voters
Back

48. Figure 13.1- South v. Non-South
Back

49. Figure 13.3- Registered Voters
Back

50. Figure 13.5- Electoral College 2008
Back

54. ohio presidential results (by %)
2008
2000
McCain
47.2
Bush
49.9
Obama
51.2
Gore
46.4
2004
1996
50.8
Dole 41
Kerry
48.7
Clinton
47.3
ohio presidential results (by %)

55. 12 safe R
4 safe D
2 R competitive

56. Figure 13.6- Gerrymandering
Back

59. Gerrymander “art”

66. Figure 13.7- Electronic Voting Machines
Back

67. Elections and Voting Behavior
Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy
Fourteenth Edition
Chapter 10
Elections and Voting Behavior

68. How American Elections Work
Types of elections:
Primary elections: Select party nominees Select officeholders
General elections: Select options on specific policies
Referendum: state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve proposed legislation or constitutional amendment
Initiative : process permitted in some states whereby voters may put proposed changes in the state constitution to a vote, given a sufficient number of signatures

69. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice
Suffrage: the legal right to vote
Extended to African Americans by the 15th Amend
Extended to Women by the 19th Amendment
Extended to people over 18 by the 26th Amendment

70. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice
U.S. has low voter turnout
Political Efficacy: the belief that one’s political participation really matters
Civic Duty: the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote
Those who see clear differences between parties are likely to vote.
If indifferent, then one may rationally abstain from voting.

71. From Government in America, 13th edition.

72. Registering To Vote
Voter Registration: a system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of the election day
Registration procedures differ by state.
Motor Voter Act: passed in 1993, requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for their driver’s license

73. More education = more likely to vote. Most important factor
Who Votes?
More education = more likely to vote.
Most important factor
BUT connected to many other ‘traits’
Older = more likely to vote
UNTIL mobility becomes a problem
Caucasian = more likely to vote.
BUT, other ethnicities are higher with comparable education or higher income
Female = more likely to vote

74. Who Votes?
Married = more likely to vote
Union member = more likely to vote
Traits are cumulative
–possessing several adds up

75. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizens’ Decisions
Candidates want a good visual image.
Especially on dimensions of integrity, reliability, and competence
Personality plays a role in vote choice, especially if a candidate is perceived to be incompetent or dishonest. (Elite?) (Career Politician?)

76. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizens’ Decisions
Party Identification
People still generally vote for a party they agree with.
With the rise of candidate-centered politics, parties’ hold on voters declined in the 1960s and 1970s. (More split-ticket voting.)
Is this changing with increase ‘partisanship’?
Many more voters make an individual voting decision and are up for grabs each election, (so-called floating voters).

77. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizens’ Decisions
Mandate Theory of Elections*
The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics
*Politicians like the theory better than political scientists do.

78. Policy voting may occur if :
Basing your vote choice on issue preferences and where the candidates stand on policy issues
Policy voting may occur if :
Voters know where they and the candidates stand on issues and see differences between candidates
Unlikely to occur because:
Candidates can be ambiguous on the issues.
Media tend to focus on the “horse race” not issues.
Today candidates are forced to take a clear stand in the party primaries increasing chances for policy voting.

79. Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior
Candidates who vow to continue popular policies are more likely to win elections.
Retrospective voting: voters cast a vote based on what a candidate has done for them lately.
Those who feel worse-likely to vote against incumbents.
Bad economies make politicians nervous.

80. Start Here on
Thursday

81. The Last Battle: The Electoral College
Electoral college actually elects the president—founders wanted him chosen by the elite of the country
States (political parties) choose the electors
Winner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis to more populated states

82. How the Electoral College works
Each state has as many votes as it does Representatives and Senators.
Winner of popular vote typically gets all the Electoral College votes for that state
Electors meet in December, votes are reported by the vice president in January
If no candidate gets a majority (270 votes), the House of Representatives votes for president, with each state casting one vote.

83. A Tale of Three Elections

84. http://www. realclearpolitics

85. Elections and the Scope of Government
Federal Gov’t does more now because…
Elections generally support government policies and power.
Voters feel they are sending a message to government to accomplish something
Thus, the government expands to fill the needs of the voters.

86. Summary Voters make two basic decisions at election time:
1-Whether to vote
2-Who to vote for
Party identification, candidate evaluations, and policy positions drive vote choice.
How important are demographics ?
Voter Demographics = Stereotyping?
Does this influence campaigns? Policies?
Elections are fundamental to a democracy.

87. WILSON CH. 6 - POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT TERMS
ACTIVIST
AUSTRALIAN BALLOT
CAMPAIGNERS
COMMUNALISTS
COMPLETE ACTIVISTS
ELIGIBLE ELECTORATE
FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT

88. WILSON CH. 6 - POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT TERMS
GRANDFATHER CLAUSES
INACTIVES
LITERACY TEST
MOTOR-VOTER BILL
NINETEENTH AMENDMENT
PAROCHIAL PARTICIPANTS
POLL TAX
REGISTERED VOTERS

89. WILSON CH. 6 - POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT TERMS
TWENTY-SIXTH AMENDMENT
TWENTY-THIRD AMENDMENT
VOTER APATHY
VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1970
VOTING-AGE POPULATION
VOTING SPECIALISTS
WHITE PRIMARIES

90. WILSON CH. 6 - POLITICAL PARTICIPATION QUESTIONS
1-IS VOTER PARTICIPATION LOWER IN THE USA THAN IN EUROPEAN CONTRIES? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.
2-WHAT HAVE BEEN THE POLICY CONSEQUENCES OF A BROADER ELECTORATE.

91. WILSON CH. 6 - POLITICAL PARTICIPATION QUESTIONS
3-WHAT COULD BE DONE TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT?
4-WHAT SORTS OF PEOPLE ARE OVERREPRESENTED ANOUNG THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE A GREAT DEAL? DOE THIS BIAS THE POLICIES THE GOVERNMENT WILL ADOPT? IF SO, WHICH ONES?