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Increasing Voter Participation: Challenges and Solutions

This chapter explores the problem of low voter turnout in the U.S. and examines various factors influencing political participation. It discusses historical changes in voter eligibility, the impact of new electorate members, voting fraud, and different forms of political participation.

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Increasing Voter Participation: Challenges and Solutions

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  1. AP GOVERNMENT Political Participation Chapter 6

  2. 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 election • TABLE 6.1

  3. How to get people to register? • 1993 Motor Voter Law • States must allow voter registration when getting a driver’s license • By mail • At local govt offices (post offices and welfare offices) • Not much of an impact on voting

  4. 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?)

  5. Late 1700’s - only white, male, property owners or taxpayers • By 1837 - all white males • 1870 – 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

  6. Does voting patterns change with new members of the electorate? • AAs increased the number of voters after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 • TABLE 6.2 • Changed how white politicians campaigned • Women also increased the number of voters • However, didn’t really change the voting pattern

  7. Voter Turnout • With new members of the electorate, voting turnout should increase… • However, turnout has declined • Figure 6.2 • Is the decline fact or fiction? • Page 136 ( b/c of honest counting today)

  8. Voting Fraud • Australian Ballot • Uniform and printed by the govt • Decreased voter fraud • Scholars see registration as the reason for voter turnout

  9. 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

  10. Six Forms of Participation • 22% of the population are completely inactive (rarely vote and don’t get involved) • Little education, low income • 11% are activists (complete opposite) • High education, high income, older

  11. Voting Specialists – only vote • Lower than average education and income, little older than average • Campaigners – vote and get involved • More educated than average, clear id with party, willingness to take strong position

  12. 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

  13. The Causes of Participation • Schooling • Religious involvement • Age • Not really race (b/c of schooling and income but when equal, AAs vote more than whites)

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