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 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?

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

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.

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

Is it rational to vote? Rational Cost-Benefit Analysis: R= PB-C+D

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

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

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

Some Thoughts There are many forms of political participation The U.S. has much lower voter turnout than other democracies. Minnesota has higher turnout than other states It’s too simple to blame voter apathy and laziness It may not be rational to vote Barriers to voting have been removed but there are still differences between groups