Political Participation Chapter 6

Non-Voting Voting-age population v. Registered Voters A relatively low percentage of the adult population is registered to vote One explanation for this could be the “difficult” voter registration procedure

Motor-Voter Law This was a law passed in 1993 and it required states to allow people to register to vote when applying for Drivers’ Licenses The results of this law have been mixed

Non-Voting Here are some other factors that limit voting in the U.S. –Age –Residency –Limited opportunity b/c of election times –Closed primaries –Education

The Rise of the American Electorate Constitution- vote limited to male property owners or taxpayers Jackson( )- all white male adults

From State to Federal Control In the beginning, the states decided who could vote and for what offices Because of this, early federal elections varied greatly Congress by Law and Amendments reduced state powers 1842-fed law required that all mem. of the House be elected by districts Law- all fed elections be held in even # years on the Tues. following the first Mon. in Nov.

Most Important Changes 15 th Amendment- African Americans given the right to vote 17 th Amendment-popular election of Senators 19 th Amendment- right to vote for women 23 rd Amendment- D.C. can vote for President 26 th Amendment-voting age lowered to 18

15 th Amendment In the 1870s the Supreme Court interpreted the 15 th Amendment to mean what? What did this interpretation lead to?

Alternative Forms of Political Participation Because these measures were taken to decrease African American voter turnout, this group participated in politics in different ways –Civil Disobedience –Interest Groups (NAACP) –Boycotts –Used the Courts

Voting Rights Act of 1965 Suspended the use of literacy tests Appointed federal examiners who could order the registration of blacks Provided criminal penalties for interfering with the right to vote B/c of this Mississippi reg. voters 5% to 70% in 10 years

Voting Rights for Women Women were kept from voting by law rather then intimidation By 1915, many western states allowed women to vote When voting laws for women changed, they almost immediately began to vote in large numbers

Voting Rights Act of 1970 Gave 18 year olds the right to vote in federal elections Also contained a provision to lower the voting age to 18 in state elections, but this was declared unconstitutional 26 th Amendment

Voter Turnout In every presidential election between at least 70% of the eligible population went to the polls Since 1900, not a single presidential election has reached 70%, and 1920 and 1924 didn’t even reach 50%

Why has Voter Turnout Declined? Decline in popular interest in elections and a weakening of the competitiveness of the 2 parties Another theory states that decline in voter turnout has been more apparent then real –1890- Australian Ballot

Forms of Participation Inactives Activists Voting Specialist Campaigners Communalists Parochial Participants

The Causes of Participation Voting is higher among people who have gone to college than among those who have not Voting is higher among people who are 44 years of age than among those who are under 35 Religious involvement increases political participation Blacks tend to vote more than whites

Why is Voter Turnout Going Down? The youthfulness of the population with the growing # of minorities has decreased the % of voters Political parties are not effective in mobilizing or registering voters Difficulties with registering Not voting is costless Some feel elections don’t matter

Other ways of Participating in Politics Writing to your representatives Signing a petition Discussing politics Volunteering for a campaign

Voting Age Population (VAP) This number comes from the census reports This number is inaccurate because it includes those who can not vote, ex. prisoners, aliens

Voting Eligible Population (VEP) This is a more accurate number when trying to establish voter turnout because this number removes those who cannot vote