Political Participation
Low voting rates
2/3 of voting-age population is registered; 87% voted in 1984
Real Problem: low percentage of registered voters
Solution? Wilson claims we should make registering easier! (in the US, registration burden falls on individuals, vs. state)
1993 Motor-voter bill
Expansion of voting franchise
US was most democratic state in the world, yet was still akin to Ancient Greece
Who Votes?
"Why have people who put nothing into the community have a say in the governing of the community?"
Yet new concept is prevalent: before individuals can be bound by the law, they must give consent; hence universal suffrage
Expansion
Property – 1800s began disappearing
Gender – 19th amendment. Western states were first. Why? 1. Advertising gimmick to get women into the states; 2. At the time, there was the east-coast distinction between gender-based work. There really wasn’t that type of distinction in the west, however, due to farming. Hence there is no difference, and they can vote.
Taxes – fell by wayside in 1800s; Poll tax abolishment in the 1960s by Constitutional Amendment
Race – 15th amendment; still used literacy taxes, grandfather clause, poll taxes, and white primaries to keep the minorities down.
We allow more people to vote; and fewer people vote
Every time the franchise is expanded, not all that many more people vote. Why does this seem to be the case?
Voter Fraud
The first group of people who were allowed to vote were the most interested; people granted franchise later had less interest
Forms of political participation
Completely inactive
(1/5)– rarely votes, don’t even talk about politics. Little education, low incomes, younger. Vote more as they get older because they depend on social securityActivists (1/10) – work on campaigns, run for office, etc. Tend to be middle-aged, high-incomes, well educated.
Voting Specialists – vote, do little else with politics. Elderly, not much income or education. Would have been an inactive when younger
Parochial participant – Don’t vote, but do voice opinions to government officials. Not young, motivated via personal problems (don’t get involved until they see something going wrong). When they do vote, they vote anti-incumbent.
Campaigners – Different from activists in that they are more episodic; outside of campaigns they have little participation.
Communalists – same social background as Campaigners, yet prefer community activities and show disdain for the conflict of Campaigners.
Remainder are fairly well balanced as a portion of the population
Factors that influence participation: youthfullness, minorities ß income, socio-economic status, education & information, Religion ("that nasty moral bent to American politics"), party importance, registration difficulties.
Other forms of participation
Campaigning, contacting government officials, tackling community issues, publicly demonstrating.
Ethnic and Racial participation
Once we eliminate socio-economic differences, the difference between race voting is much less.
Relevant amendments
Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
19th amendment
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
26th amendment
Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.
Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Eric Jonas's
1998-1999 AP American Government Notes
This material
copyright Eric Jonas, 1999.
These
notes have been taken from American Government, 7th edition, by Wilson
and DiIulio, and from in-class lecture by Mr. Greg Sandmeyer at Timberline High
School.