Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Chapter 5 Political Participation American Government: Policy & Politics, Eighth Edition TANNAHILL

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 In This Chapter We Will Cover: Forms of participation Explaining participation Patterns of participation Trends in voter turnout Nonvoters Participation rates in comparative perspective Participation bias

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Forms of Participation Political participation is activity that has the intent or effect of influencing government action. –Voting is the most common form of political participation. (Turnout in the 2004 presidential race was 56 percent of voting age population.)

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Forms of Participation –Contacting elected officials is another form of political participation. –Some Americans try to influence the policy process by joining interest groups. –Unconventional political acts like marching and demonstrating provide another avenue for political participation.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Explaining Participation Personal Resources –Time, money, and civic skills Psychological Engagement –People take part in the policy process when they have a strong sense of political efficacy (belief they can influence the policymaking process).

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Explaining Participation Voter mobilization is the process of motivating citizens to vote. Community involvement leads people to see voting and other forms of political participation as a civic duty.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Patterns of Participation Income –Affluence and activity go together for every form of political participation. Age –The American electorate is relatively old and getting older. In 2002, the number of voters age 65 and older outnumbered younger voters below 30 by a two-to-one margin.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Voter Turnout by Age Group, 2000

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Patterns of Participation Race/Ethnicity –Turnout in 2000 varied by group: –Whites at 60% –African Americans at 54% –Latinos at 28% –Asian Americans at 25%

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Patterns of Participation Gender –Women are more likely to vote, but men are more likely to engage in other forms of participation.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Voter Turnout,

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Trends in Voter Turnout Explaining the Decline in Voter Turnout –The electorate is younger. –Party ties are weaker. –Election campaigns are fought over small issues that fail to excite the electorate.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Trends in Voter Turnout –Negative campaign advertising causes people to stay home. –External political efficacy has fallen. –People are less connected to their communities.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Trends in Voter Turnout –Interest in politics has decreased. –Many Americans believe that election outcomes have little impact on policy. –Modern campaign techniques focus on likely voters, ignoring everyone else.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Nonvoters People don’t vote for a variety of reasons. –Doers (29 percent of nonvoters) are too busy to register and vote. –Unpluggeds (27 percent) do not believe the policy process affects their lives.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Nonvoters –Irritables (18 percent of nonvoters) know what government is doing and don’t like it. –Don’t knows (14 percent) are indifferent to government, and focus instead on jobs and family. –Alienateds (12 percent) are very pessimistic, they dislike candidates, parties, and institutions of government.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Increasing Voter Turnout The 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the “Motor Voter Act” increased the number of registered voters but not the number of actual voters.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Participation Rates in Comparative Perspective Voting turnout in the U.S. is relatively low compared to other industrialized democracies. Three possible reasons: 1)American election procedures are more cumbersome. 2)U.S. national parties are weak. 3)Separation of powers leads some to think elections don’t impact policy.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Participation Bias Because participation rates in the U.S. are so low, some speculate how increased participation might impact the two major parties or public policy outcomes.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Concluding Review Questions What is the most common form of political participation? What are the other ways in which people can participate in the policy process? How do participation rates vary based on such factors as income, age, race/ethnicity, and gender?

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Concluding Review Questions How is voter turnout measured and why do political scientists disagree about the validity of the measure? What reasons do political scientists give to explain the decline in voter participation rates? What reforms could be adopted to increase voter participation?