AP GOVERNMENT Political Participation Chapter 6
Dec 25, 2015
AP GOVERNMENT
Political Participation
Chapter 6
Nonvoting
Problem: Low Voter Turnout
Only 2/3 of the voting age in the US register to vote
About 87% of the registered voters participated in the last electionTABLE 6.1
How to get people to register?
1993 Motor Voter LawStates must allow voter registration
when getting a driver’s licenseBy mailAt local govt offices (post offices and
welfare offices)
Not much of an impact on voting
Other factors…
Voting is only one way of participating in politics
Americans COULD participate in politics MORE than most Europeans
Low registration could also mean most people are satisfied with how the country is governed (SILENT MAJORITY?)
Late 1700’s - only white, male, property owners or taxpayersBy 1837 - all white males1870 – all men (15th)But not really until the 1960s b/c of
literacy tests, poll taxes, no primary elections (South)
Illiterate and/or poor whites were protected by the Grandfather clause
1920 – women (19th)1971 – 18 and older
Does voting patterns change with new members of the
electorate?AAs increased the number of voters after the Voting Rights Act of 1965TABLE 6.2Changed how white politicians campaigned
Women also increased the number of voters However, didn’t really change the voting
pattern
Voter TurnoutWith new members of the electorate, voting turnout should increase…
However, turnout has declinedFigure 6.2
Is the decline fact or fiction?Page 136 ( b/c of honest
counting today)
Voting Fraud
Australian BallotUniform and printed by the govt
Decreased voter fraud
Scholars see registration as the reason for voter turnout
Who participates in Politics?
Voting is the most common form
Giving $ and being a member of a political organization is the least common
People exaggerate their participation
Six Forms of Participation
1. 22% of the population are completely inactive (rarely vote and don’t get involved)
Little education, low income
2. 11% are activists (complete opposite)
High education, high income, older
3. Voting Specialists – only voteLower than average education and income, little older than average
4. Campaigners – vote and get involved
More educated than average, clear id with party, willingness to take strong position
5. Communalists – like campaigners but do not like conflict
Activities that are nonpartisan
Get involved/registration drives
6. Parochial Participants – do not vote and do not get involved in campaigns but will deal with specific problems
The Causes of Participation
SchoolingReligious involvementAgeNot really race (b/c of schooling and income but when equal, AAs vote more than whites)