Who participates?• Political Participation: activities in which

citizens engage to influence the selection of leaders and/or the policies they pursue.

• Demographic characteristics:– Education: the single most important

characteristic of politically engaged people—a high level of education. Why?

– Age: highest percentages of voters are over 45– Gender: since 1992, women have voted, by a

small margin, in greater numbers than men

Who participates?- Race and ethnicity: Whites have higher voting rates

than do Blacks and Latinos; however, controlling for income and education differences, the rates are approximately the same

- Income: people with higher incomes participate at greater rates than low income individuals

- Religious involvement: as religious involvement increases, so does political involvement

- Describe a typical voter.

How do we participate?• Reported having done the following:

– 61.6% (VEP) voted in the 2008 election (actual #)– 56% have signed a petition– 55% have attended a city council or school board mtg.– 42% have given money to a campaign– 34% have attended a political meeting– 21% have put a sticker on their car, worn a button,

put a sign in yard, distributed political information– 19% have joined a rally or march– 3% have worked for a party or a candidateNational Election Studies, Center for Political Studies,University of Michigan

Voter Turnout

• Registered voters: 1996 – 2012, app. 75 – 80% of registered voters voted

• Eligible voters: 1996 – 2012, app. 50% of people eligible voted

• What’s the difference in the two groups?• What can account for the difference in turnout?

26th Amendment

(1971)

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Voter TurnoutBased on what you know about the groups of people that tend to have

lower turnout, generate a list of possible reasons to explain their

turnout level. Also, brainstorm some possible solutions to low voter turnout.

Institutional Barriers to Voting• Voter registration requirements—Where? How?– Motor-Voter bill (1993): allows people to register to

vote while at the DMV, and requires states to facilitate voter registration at various other commonly frequented places

– Deadlines to register prior to election day—some states have same-day registration

• Citizenship requirements• Institutionalized or a felon—some states reinstate voting

rights after fulfilling a judicially imposed sentence• ID requirements—many states offer free identification

cards

Institutional Barriers to Voting

• Difficulty of absentee voting—anyone can vote absentee now

• Workday, non-holiday voting—many states have early voting now

• Number of elections—many races are held on the same election day to cut down on costs and number of times we need to participate in an election

Voter Turnout• Putnam, “Bowling Alone”– What is social capital?– Explain the phenomenon of the decline in social

capital. Examples?– Why are Americans “bowling alone”?– Do you think a decline in “social capital” and a

related decline in voter turnout threatens American democracy? In other words, does low voter turnout matter?

Political Knowledge

Political Knowledge

Political Knowledge