Political Participation

Voter Participation History of suffrage Turnout 15th Amendment Averages 55% since 1960s in presidential Midterms rarely top 40% Local elections are around 20% Bottom among world’s democracies Belgium—90%

Why Low Turnout? Registration requirements Frequency elections Must register Residency requirement Motor voter Identification cards Frequency elections More often than any other nation Primaries Separate state/local from federal Scheduled on Tuesday Party differences Two parties v. European style Will not substantially affect future or the nation

Why Don’t Individual Americans Vote? Civic Attitudes Civic duty v. apathy v. alienation Age Education Income We lack socialist or labor parties like Europe

Beyond Voting… Campaigning and lobbying Virtual participation Working or attending rallies More here than in Europe More opportunities More likely to lobby as well Virtual participation E-mails MoveOn Future of internet? Community activities Social capital

More Controversial? The vote gives citizens the right to choose their leaders BUT ALSO gives government control over citizens. Social movements Protest Calculated act Less common today in US than many Western democracies despite our history Public support is also low

Influence Why do we participate? Do we think we are supposed to or do we actually care? Big divide between personal lives and national life Properly public v. properly private Should we want everyone to vote?