1. Unit 3: Political Beliefs & Behaviors
Lecture & Discussion 2: Political Participation

2. Objective
To assess political participation by understanding the concept and factors related to voter turnout.

3. Do Now Complete the test and respond to the prompts.
What is this test?
Who administered this test?
What was the purpose of this test?

4. Perception of Voter Turnout
What does the data suggest about Americans participation in national elections? What reason is given for the turnout?

5. A. Perception of Voter Turnout
Low rate of participation in national elections (50% as opposed to over 80% in Europe)
Most observers blame low voter turnout in the United States on the apathy of the American electorate

6. A National Embarassment!
“Voter Turnout at 20-Year Low in 2016” - CNN ( ) “Worst Voter Turnout in 72 Years” - New York Times ( ) “US Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout” - Pew Research ( )

7. A Look at Voter Turnout
But according to this data, what factors must be considered when determining voter turnout in the U.S.?

8. B. A Look at Voter Turnout
voting-age population (VAP): the amount of people who can vote because they meet the minimum age requirement of 18 years
voting-eligible population (VEP): the amount of people over 18 who can vote because they are citizens, mentally competent, and not imprisoned or convicted felons
registered voters: people who have signed up to vote

9. C. Source of Participation Problem
voter registration: a relatively low percentage of the adult population is registered to vote in the United States (2/3 of VAP)
NOT mandatory (as in Belgium and Turkey)
NOT automatic (as in Sweden and Germany)
Motor Voter Act (1993): a law that allows people to register to vote while applying for drivers license has had mixed results

10. C. Source of Participation Problem
Voter ID laws: requirement to provide photo identification such as drivers license to register to vote
supporters say photo IDs are readily available and a relatively minor inconvenience when weighed against the possibility of voter fraud
critics argue there is no evidence of massive voter fraud and photo IDs target minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged who do not normally maintain a license (new Jim Crow)

11. Source of Participation Problem
What does the graph suggest in terms of the trend in the number of registered voters as compared to VAP and VEP?

12. Source of Participation Problem
So, what are two different ways the data could be interpreted in regards to voter turnout in the U.S.?

13. U.S. Democracy or Demockery?
those who believe that only informed and active citizens should vote point to registered voter turnout numbers
those who argue a healthy democracy needs higher turnout use VAP and VEP as proof there is a problem

14. D. Growth of American Electorate

15. The 1800’s
ban on religious and property restrictions expanded electorate from rich white men in 1789 to nearly all white men in 1800’s

16. Civil War Era
15th Amendment eliminated restrictions based on race in 1870, though in practice Jim Crow laws disenfranchised African-American voters in Southern states (Ie. literacy test, poll tax, grandfather clause, white primary)

17. Turn of the Century
19th Amendment eliminated restrictions based on gender in 1920

18. Civil Rights Era
24th Amendment in 1964 (poll tax) and Voting Rights Act of 1965 (literacy test) eliminated barriers denying suffrage to African-Americans

19. Post War Era
the 26th Amendment established the right to vote for anyone 18 or over in 1971

20. D. Growth of American Electorate
State to Federal Control
initially authority over who could vote left entirely to the states
restrictions on suffrage gradually eliminated
federal government steadily gained control over voting and elections through legislation and constitutional amendment