Chapter 7. Democracy and Political Participation Democratic ideal is “government run by the people” Difficulty lies with definitions of how much and.
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Chapter 7
Democracy and Political Participation
Democratic ideal is “government run by the people”
Difficulty lies with definitions of how much and what kind of participation needed Direct democracy versus democracy
carried out by representatives Elections necessary for democracy,
but do not ensure democracy
Political Participation
All citizen activities that attempt to influence government’s structure, selection of officials, or policies Conventional participation Unconventional participation
Unconventional Participation
Can range from protest marches to terrorist activities “Bloody Sunday” March from Selma,
AL, to Montgomery, AL in 1965 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City’s
Federal Building by Timothy McVeigh
Terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001
Unconventional Participation
Support for Unconventional
Participation Boston Tea Party in 1773 first of
many violent protests Most Americans not willing to
participate in unconventional political activities
Sometimes difficult to define which activities fall under heading of “unconventional political participation”
Figure 7.1
What Americans Think Is Conventional Behavior
The Effectiveness of Unconventional
Participation Unconventional participation not
always successful, even when violent Direct action appeals most to
persons who distrust the political system and have a strong sense of political efficacy
Participation also depends on an individual’s group consciousness
Americans about as likely to participate as citizens of other nations
The Effectiveness of Unconventional
Participation
Conventional Participation
Practical test for democracy: can citizens influence policies by acting through its institutions?
Two major categories for conventional participation: Supportive behavior Influencing behavior
Supportive Behavior Actions that express allegiance
to country and government Require various levels of effort
Sometimes actions an individual sees as supportive actually suppress democracy
Influencing Behavior Some types of behavior seek benefits;
others have broad policy objectives Particular benefits - those that benefit
self, immediate family, or friends Very common at local level, especially
“contacting behavior;” may require little initiative
More common with those of higher socioeconomic status
Sometimes done quietly Viewed differently by majoritarian and
pluralist theories Campaign contributions also on this list
Influencing Behavior Broad Policy Objectives –
activities that influence selection of government officials and policies Also require different levels of
initiative Voting, running for office, holding
meetings, working on campaigns, attending hearings, or using the court system
The Twitter Revolution
Influencing Behavior
Conventional Participationin America
Usually only those with a stake in the outcome take initiative to participate in Congressional or administrative hearings
Most common form of political behavior is voting Rate of voting is voter turnout U.S. voter turnout low compared to
other industrialized democracies
Participating Through Voting
Electoral process heart of democratic government
Rules for suffrage, or franchise, and rules for counting ballots and electoral systems define process Who can vote How much each vote counts How many votes needed to win
No nation has universal suffrage
Expansion of Suffrage U.S. first to hold mass elections,
but suffrage limited by states Initially only landowners or
taxpayers By 1850s, all working-class males Suffrage for blacks and women took
longer
The Enfranchisement of Blacks
Even with passage of Fifteenth Amendment after Civil War, some states resisted Poll taxes, literacy tests, “white
primary,” and violence all deterrents Supreme Court rulings supporting
black suffrage began with Smith v. Allwright (1944); later Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966)
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Figure 7.2
Voter Registration in the South, 1960, 1980, and 2000
The Enfranchisement of Women
Women could not vote anywhere in world until 1869 First to grant women vote in U.S.:
Wyoming Territory in 1869 Equal Rights Party formed in 1884 Women gained national right to
vote in 1920 with Nineteenth Amendment
The Fight for Women’s Suffrage…and Against It
Evaluating the Expansion of Suffrage in America
Last major expansion was 26th Amendment in 1971 Lowered voting age to 18
Though process towards generally universal suffrage slow, U.S. still ahead of many other countries, including other democracies
Voting on Policies Political power comes with suffrage Progressivism flourished from 1900
to 1925; proposed several electoral changes: Direct primary Recall Referendum Initiative
Not clear if these opportunities improve policies made by elected representatives
Figure 7.3
Westward Ho!
Voting for Candidates Serves democratic government two
ways: Voters can choose candidate they think
will best represent their interests Voting allows citizens to re-elect
candidates or vote them out of office U.S. government has few elected
officials compared to state and local governments
U.S. has more frequent and varied elections than any other country in the world – but lower voter turnout than many
The Growth of Electoral Democracy
Explaining Political Participation
Political participation can be: Conventional or unconventional Require little or require much
initiative Serve to support government or
influence its decisions People who participate in one
way may not participate in others
Patterns of Political Participation Over Time
Generally, Americans’ participation stable over time
Socioeconomic status a good indicator of most types of participation Income Education (most important) Occupation Age, race, and gender also
important
Figure 7.4
Effects of Education on Political Participation
Low Voter Turnout in America
Difficult to explain decline in voter turnout in America 26th Amendment (younger voters
tend not to vote) Belief that government no longer
responsive to citizens Change in attitude about political
parties
Figure 7.5
The Decline of Voter Turnout: An Unsolved Puzzle
U.S. Turnout Versus Turnout
in Other Countries Differences in voting laws and
administrative machinery affect voter turnout in the U.S. Tuesday Election Day not a public holiday Burdensome registration procedures Political parties not tied to certain groups Most elections not particularly
competitive Large number of elections and
candidates means difficult for voters to educate selves
Participation and Freedom, Equality, and
Order Participation and freedom key in
normative theory Citizens free to participate when
and how they want (or not) Citizens free to use personal
resources to pursue any legal means to influence government decisions
Participation and Freedom, Equality, and
Order Participation and equality requires
that each citizen’s ability to influence government be equal to every other citizen Differences in resources should not
matter Elections serve ideal of equality best Groups can band together to
increase influence
Participation and Freedom, Equality, and
Order Relationship between
participation and order complicated Some types of participation
promote order; others, disorder Political system more threatened by
unconventional participation 26th Amendment effort to bring
order to Viet Nam War protests
Participation and Models of Democracy
Elections implement democracy by allowing citizens to choose among candidates and issues
Elections socialize political activity
Elections institutionalize access to political power
Elections bolster the state’s power and authority
Participation and Majoritarianism
Majoritarian theory views participation narrowly Favors conventional participation,
especially voting Bias towards equality in elections Some say goes hand in hand with
communitarianism Because majoritarian theory favors
formalized, collective decisions, little place for private influence
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