Participation, Voting, and Elections Chapters 8 and 10
Participation, Voting, and Elections
Chapters 8 and 10
Clicker Question
How many blog comments have you posted?
a. 10+ b. 7-9
c. 4-6d. 1-3
Clicker Question
New Blog Requirements:ONLY 10 POST NEEDED (NOT 20)10 posts = 100%
Up to 5 post = Extra Credit (1 pt each)ALL POSTS DUE: June 24th by 5pm
Clicker Question
Do you believe it is right to participate in a political protest if you are dissatisfied with the policies of our government?
a. Yes b. No
Clicker Question
Do you believe it is a problem that citizens with lower incomes and less education are significantly less likely to participate in politics?
a. Yesb. No
Clicker Question
Do you think the policies enacted by our elected representatives would be different if EVERYONE voted?
a. Yesb. No
Clicker Question
The Constitution was amended to allow women the right to vote in all public elections in:
a. 1870b. 1885c. 1920d. 1948
Clicker Question
Do you support women’s suffrage?
a. YESb. NO
Key Terms
Suffrage – The right to vote. USAGE: Women were extended suffrage in _____.
Franchise – ALSO, the right to vote…or the group of people who have the right to vote. USAGE: In America the franchise includes all adults _____ or older.
Political Participation
Political participation refers to a wide range of activities designed to
influence government.
Today, voting is the typical form of participation, although political participation also includes activities like petitioning, protesting, and campaigning.
Types of ParticipationVoting – Casting a vote, campaign contributions,
sign posting, etc.Lobbying - Exerting direct pressure on elected
officials.Public Relations – An effort to sway public opinion
on behalf of an issue or cause.Litigation – Using the courts to seek relief or effect
some type of changeProtest – Assembling crowds to confront a
government or other official organization.
Frequency of Participation
Clicker Question
The most recent expansion of the franchise in the United States took place in 1971, when the:
a. Motor Voter Act was passedb. poll tax was abolishedc. Supreme Court struck down white
primariesd. voting age was reduced from twenty-
one to eighteen
Historical Turnout
Clicker Question
Which country has higher voter turnout than the United States?
a. Mexicob. Germanyc. Italyd. All of the above
Voter Turnout Around the World
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Denmark
Domican Republic
Ecuador
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Peru
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Average = 70%
Clicker Question
Would you be more likely to vote if election day were a holiday?
a. Yesb. No
Clicker Question
Would you be more likely to vote if you could vote at any polling location?
a. Yesb. No
Clicker Question
Would you be more likely to vote if we had more parties on the ballot?
a. Yesb. No
The Calculus of Voting (Why is Turnout so HIGH?)
R = pB − C + D R = the reward gained from voting in a given election p = probability of vote “mattering” B = Benefit of voting--differential benefit of one candidate winning over the other C = Costs of voting (time/effort spent)D = citizen duty, goodwill feeling, psychological and civic benefit of voting
Clicker Question
The “Calculus of Voting” suggests that people will only vote if the ___________ outweigh the __________.
a. Democrats, Republicansb. Issues, Lazinessc. Benefits, Costsd. Costs, Benefits
Who Does Vote?Both the decision to vote and particular voting
behavior is associated with a number of demographic factors.
What factors predict voting behavior?IncomeEducationAgeRace/EthnicityGenderStrength of Partisanship
Voting and Demographics
Voting and Demographics
Why is Turnout So Low?Demographics – Expansion of groups traditionally associated
with low voting rates – Young, African Americans, Latinos.
Barriers to Voting – Only 2/3 of eligible voters were registered during the past 3 decades. (Motor Voter 1993)
Lack of Attractive Choices – Because we only have 2 parties it becomes an either/or situation.
Too Much Complexity – Too much time and effort is involved in being informed because we vote on almost everything.
Voter Fatigue – Americans vote far more often than people in parliamentary regimes – The only country that votes more than the US is Switzerland.
Citizen Disaffection – Poor candidates and contentious or negative campaigning may have kept people away from the polling booths – Apathy, Cynicism, Alienation.
Clicker Question
Would you support expanding the electorate to those between the ages of 16 and 18?
a. YESb. NO
Why or Why Not?
Reasons:Easily Persuaded by parents – not independentToo immature – May not understand the complexityWon’t take it seriously – no vested interestNot informed; Politics doesn’t affect themWon’t vote anyway
Clicker Question
Reasons:-Can’t join the military; not legal adults-Not mature enough -Uneducated-Not sophisticated enough to make reasonable decisions-No jobs-They wouldn’t vote anyway-Would vote frivolously -Not enough “at stake” – Too dependent on parents
Clicker Question
Do you believe that POOR/WORKING CLASS people are sometimes PURPOSEFULLY disenfranchised?
a. YESb. NO
Types of ElectionsPrimary Election – Elections held to select a party’s
candidate for the general election.
OPEN primary – A primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election.
CLOSED primary – A primary election in which voters can only participate in the nomination of candidates if they are formally enrolled as a member of that party for a period of time prior to the primary day.
Clicker Question
Do you believe that OPEN PRIMARIES are FAIR?
a. YESb. NO
Clicker QuestionJoe walks into his voting station and the
election judge asks him which party's ballot he would like to vote on today. Joe is in
a)a closed primary state. b)an open primary state. c)a caucus state. d)a dictatorship.
Clicker Question
Except in rare occasions, boundaries for congressional and state legislative districts in the United States are redrawn by the states every _______ years.
a. twob. tenc. twentyd. twenty-five
Reapportionment and Redistricting
Reapportionment – Every 10 years the census is used to tell us where people have moved (within and across states).
Redistricting – Usually, in response to reapportionment (but not always), states redraw district lines so that their districts achieve basic equality.
Gerrymandering – Redistricting with PURPOSE. Partisan and Incumbent usually OKAY, racial is a NO.
Shaw v. Reno, 1993 – Districts based exclusively on racial criteria are unlawful.
Districts Gone WildIllinois’ 4th District
North Carolina’s 12th District
Gerrymandering Techniques• Packing: Places the opposing party's voters in the
fewest possible districts, to minimize their influence on other districts
• Cracking: Spreading voters of one type over many districts where they will comprise minorities that are unable to influence elections.
• Hijacking: Separating an incumbent candidate from his constituents and placing him or her in a district where he or she has no name recognition.
• Kidnapping: Drawing two incumbent candidates into the same district so they must run against each other.
Cracking and Packing
Fig. 4 portrays an example of cracking, where voters have been divided among a number of districts, so that the RED party holds a 9-7 advantage in three districts and BLUE wins just a single district
Fig. 3 portrays an extreme example of packing, where a single district is composed solely of RED voters, throwing the advantage to the BLUE party in the remaining three districts.
Fig. 2 represents an incumbent protection or "sweetheart" gerrymandering plan, in which district boundaries are draw to split the number of seats evenly between the parties and to insure a strongly partisan voting base in every district.
Fig. 1 creates 4 competitive districts, where there are an equal number of voters from each party in every district.
Cracking2005 – Georgia’s 12th District• Oho
Columbus, Ohio
PackingCalifornia’s 23rd District
DemocraticPacked District
Hijacking2005 – Georgia’s 12th District
John Barrowwas drawn out
of his districtAnd placed in
the 10th Dbut moved back
to the 12th andwon anyway.
KidnappingGeorgia’s 7th and 11th Districts
Bob Barr and John Linder were placed in the same district…had to face off in the Republican primary.
2000 – Census gives GA +2 districts
Democratic controlled Assembly map
11th was an attempt to create a majority-minority district
2002 – Republicans win control of Gen. Assembly
Argue that 2001 map splits too many communities/counties; creates districts that are irregularly shaped; too partisan in nature
2005 – New Map…
Redistricting in Georgia
2001 Map 2005 Map
2010 Census
Seat Change
District Size
Clicker Question
Would you vote to change the redistricting process in Georgia?
a. Yesb. No
Campaigns - Median Voter Theory• Rather than differentiate themselves,
there are clear incentives for candidates to “go to the middle” because that’s where the voters are.
• Electoral competition drives parties together…
• So, the reason candidates appear to be so centrist is because they are both competing for “Bob’s” vote in order to win.
Median Voter Theory
BOB
Obama McCain
How Do Voters Decide?Social Characteristics – SES, Religion,
Ethnicity
Party Loyalties – Strength of Partisan Identification
Candidates – experience, decisiveness, personal warmth, etc.
Issues
The Economy – Bush I vs. Clinton
(“It’s the Economy Stupid”)
Foreign Policy – Wars, International Crises
Clicker Question
Which step comes last?
a. Reapportionmentb. Censusc. Redistricting
Clicker Question
Which step comes first?
a. Reapportionmentb. Censusc. Redistricting
Clicker Question
Which step comes second?
a. Reapportionmentb. Censusc. Redistricting
Clicker QuestionThe number of a state’s electoral votes
is determined bya. Number of members in the House of
Representativesb. Percentage of registered voted that voted
during the last election.c. Number of members it has in both chambers
of Congress.d. state’s proportionate share of the overall
national population
Clicker Question In the 2000 presidential race, George Bush
won Missouri 50 percent to 47 percent. How many of Missouri's eleven electoral votes did Bush get in 2000?
a)six b)seven c)nine d)eleven
Electoral College Important NumbersThe Electoral College
538
55House + Senate
+ 3
Article II
3
Why do we have the Electoral College?
Options for Electing a President1. Indirectly By “Experts” –
Let Congress or State Legislatures choose the President. REJECTED! – NOT ENOUGH DEMOCRACY
2. Directly by Citizens – Let citizens vote directly for the president. REJECTED! – NOT ENOUGH QUALITY
Solution: Involve both “Experts” and Citizens.
Legitimacy and Quality
The Electoral College
How does the System Work? (OVERVIEW)1. Prior to election day, each party within a state chooses a slate of electors that are important figures within their political party.
2. On Election Day, we vote for a party’s slate of electors that have pledged to vote for the presidential candidate we prefer.
3. The Popular Vote is then CONVERTED into the Electoral Vote. (Maine and Nebraska are Different)
4. In December, the electors gather in their respective state capitols to cast ballots for president and vice president.
In January, Congress convenes, opens the ballots received from each state, and announces the official outcome.
How does the System Work?
1. Prior to election day, each party within a state chooses a slate of electors that are important figures within their political party.
Required to Pledge? Not in Georgia…
26 States and the District of Columbia (3) have some form of law or binding pledge to vote for the candidate with which they are affiliated. Georgia, however, does not.
“Faithless Electors” • Electors who do not vote for their party’s designated candidate.
• Since the founding of the Electoral College, there have been 156 faithless Electors.
• 71 of these votes were changed because the original candidate died before the day on which the Electoral College cast their votes.
• Three of the votes were not cast at all as three Electors chose to abstain from casting their Electoral vote for any candidate.
• The other 82 Electoral votes were changed on the personal initiative of the Elector.
The Electoral College
The Electors… Number Given to Each State = Size of Congressional Delegation
GEORGIA, with 14 House districts, has 16 Electoral College votes.
(Remember, you add 2 for the Senate)
Largest State = California with 55 electors
Smallest States = 7 states +D.C. have 3 electors
How are they Chosen?
•Electors are typically long-time party activists who are selected by their state party organization as a reward for their loyalty to the party.
The Electoral CollegeAll the electors from ALL of the states make up the Electoral College
•The Electoral College consists of 538 members
435 (House) + 100 (Senate) + 3 (D.C.)
= 538
CONSTITUTIONALLY, to win a presidential election, a candidate must receive a MAJORITY of the Electoral Vote.
538/2 = 269 (Majority = 270)
The Electoral College
2. On Election Day, we vote for a party’s slate of electors that have pledged to vote for the presidential candidate we prefer.
This is the
POPULAR
VOTE
3. The Popular Vote is then CONVERTED into the Electoral Vote.
The Electoral College
How’d that happen?
From Popular Vote to Electoral Vote48 states award electors based on the
Winner-Take-All System.
Thus, 50% +1 Vote = 100% of Electors
Popular Vote (National = 53% to 46% Obama)
In the 2008 election, 52% of Georgia voters chose McCain while 47% of Georgia voters chose Obama.
Electoral Vote (National = 68% to 32% Obama)
ALL 15 of Georgia’s electoral college seats were then awarded to John McCain.
The Electoral College
Maine (4) and Nebraska (5)
Maine and Nebraska award electors through a more proportional process.
HOW? Each state selects electors at the congressional district level and then awards the 2 “extra” electors to the statewide popular vote winner.
The Electoral College
Clicker QuestionWhat do you think about the Nebraska/
Maine system? a)I love it, lets do it!b)Might Work here.c)No way, never!
2008 Electoral College Vote
What’s misleading about this map? Hint: Should McCain have won?
The Electoral College
2008 Electoral College Vote (Scaled to # of Electoral College Votes)
2000 – Bush vs. GoreSo, how is it possible that Al Gore won the popular vote (by almost 544k votes) and yet lost the electoral college vote (271 to 266)?
A Winner-Take-All system means that any extra votes (those beyond what is necessary to win) are “SURPLUS” in the sense that they do not affect the winner’s electoral vote result for that state.
Example: Gore only needed 3.2M votes to win New York but he received 4.1M…That’s 900,000 “extra” votes that increased his popular vote total but did not change his electoral vote total.
The Electoral College
Clicker Question
Had the entire country used the Nebraska/ Maine system in 2000, Al Gore would have been president.
a) TRUEb) FALSE
Concerns about the Electoral College
1. Does everyone’s vote count the same?
Wyoming – 71,242 votes per elector
California – 199,378 votes per elector
2. How does this process affect voter turnout?
Battleground States vs. Safe States
3. Reinforces 2-party system
Democracy = Choice
The Electoral College
Number of Presidential Candidate Visits (September 26th to November 2nd, 2004)
Advertising Money Spent ($ =1 million)(September 26th to November 2nd, 2004)
Other Ways?Congressional District Approach?
We could all change to the Maine/Nebraska model – Strangely, if this had been done in 2000, Bush would have won by a larger electoral margin (Small states tend to be Republican + large states like CA and NY would be split)
Proportional Voting?
In 2008, Georgia would have awarded 8 electors to McCain and 7 electors to Obama.
Had this been used in 2008 (in TX, CA, GA, FL, OH, PA, and WI), McCain would have picked up an additional 45 electoral college votes.
The Electoral College
Georgia 2008
Had Georgia used the Maine approach, Obama would have picked up between 3 and 5 of our electoral college votes.
Clicker Question
What does the Constitution require to be elected President?
a. A Plurality of the Popular Voteb. A Majority of the Electoral Votec. A Plurality of the Electoral Voted. A Majority of the Popular Vote
Clicker QuestionWould you approve or disapprove of an amendment to the Constitution which would do away with the electoral college and base the election of a President on the total vote cast throughout the nation?
a. YESb. NO
Historical Support
APPROVE DISAPPROVE NO OPINIONJune 1944 65% 23% 13%
January 1977 73% 15% 12%Nov. 1980 67% 19% 15%June 2008 74% 21% 5%