Mr. Baumann s Study Guide Chap. 6 Political Participation

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1 Mr. Baumann s Study Guide Chap. 6 Political Participation OBJECTIVE: IN TIS CAPTER WE EXAMINE WY AMERICANS DO NOT VOTE AND PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS AS MUC AS CITIZENS TO IN OTER COUNTRIES. KEY QUESTIONS TO 1. WAT ROLE DID TE FRAMERS OF TE CONSTITUTION BELIEVE AVERAGE CITIZENS SOULD PLAY IN AMERICA S REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT? 2. WO VOTES, WO DOESN T, AND WY? 3. WY DO SOME PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS AT IGER RATES TAN OTERS? 4. OW, IF AT ALL, DO DIFFERENCES IN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AFFECT WAT GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY DOES? A CLOSER LOOK AT NONVOTING DESCRIBE TE REAL SOURCE OF TE VOTER PARTICIPATION PROBLEM IN TE USA (130). TE SOURCE OF TE PROBLEM IS TE RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF TE AMERICAN POPULATION WO ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE. DEFINE: VOTING-AGE POPULATION CITIZENS WO ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE AFTER REACING A MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT. IN TE USA, TE MINIMUM AGE IS 18. DEFINE: REGISTERED VOTERS CITIZENS WO AVE SUBMITTING INFORMATION TO TEIR STATE IN ORDER TO SOW TAT TEY MEET TE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO VOTE. IN TE USA, TESE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ARE MEETING TE MINIMUM AGE AND SOWING PROOF OF USA CITIZENSIP. DESCRIBE WAT EFFORTS AVE BEEN MADE TO INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION. IN CONTRAST TO EUROPE WERE CITIZENS ARE AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED BY TEIR GOVERNMENT, AMERICAN CITIZENS PREPARE REGISTRATION DOCUMENTATION ON TEIR OWN. RECENTLY, CONGRESS AS ENACTED LAWS TO MAKE TE PROCESS EASIER AND MORE CONVENIENT, BY ENABLING CITIZENS TO REGISTER WEN TEY APPLY FOR DRIVER S LICENSES OR APPLY FOR WELFARE. DEFINE: MOTOR VOTER LAW TIS IS A LAW ENACTED BY CONGRESS REQUIRING STATES TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO REGISTER WEN APPLYING FOR DRIVER S LICENSES AND WEN APPLYING FOR OTER GOVERNMENT SERVICES. IDENTIFY AT LEAST TREE FORMS OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OTER TAN VOTING.

2 1. JOINING CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS SUC AS TE AMERICAN LEGION OR TE ROTARY. 2. SUPPORTING SOCIAL MOVEMENTS SUC AS TE TEA PARTY 3. WRITING TO LEGISLATORS 4. BECOMING AN ACTIVIST IN A POLITICAL PARTY TE RISE OF TE AMERICAN ELECTORATE FROM STATE TO FEDERAL CONTROL IDENTIFY WO WAS PERMITTED TO VOTE IN TE USA IN 1787 AND EXPLAIN TE GRADUAL CANGES TAT CULMINATED CURRENTLY TO WERE VITUALLY ALL ADULT CITIZENS AVE TE RIGT TO VOTE. (132) IN 1787, ONLY WITE PROPERTY OWNERS OR TAXPAYERS AD TE RIGT TO VOTE, BUT BY 1837, VITUALLY ALL WITE MEN COULD VOTE. AFRICAN AMERICANS COULD NOT VOTE UNTIL TE ENACTMENT OF TE 15 T AMENDMENT IN WOMEN GAINED SUFFRAGE IN 1920 WIT TE PASSAGE OF TE 19 ND AMENDMENT AND TE ENACTMENT OF TE 26 T AMENDMENT 1971 REDUCED TE VOTING AGE FROM 21 TO 18. AT TE PRESENT TIME, CITIZENS WIT TWO OR MORE FELONIES ARE PERMANENTLY DENIED TE RIGT TO VOTE. DEFINE: LITERACY TEST A STATE STRATEGY TO PREVENT BLACKS FROM VOTING BY REQUIRING TE POTENTIAL VOTER TO PASS A LITERACY TEST TO REGISTER TO VOTE. DEFINE: POLL TAX A STATE STRATEGY TO PREVENT BLACKS FROM VOTING BY REQUIRING TE POTENTIAL VOTER TO PAY A TAX TO REGISTER TO VOTE. DEFINE: GRANDFATER CLAUSE A STATE STRATEGY TO PREVENT BLACKS FROM VOTING, BUT ALLOW POOR AND ILLITERATE WITES MALES TO VOTE (SEE LITERACY AND POLL TAX) IF E OR IS ANCESTORS VOTED BEFORE DEFINE: WITE PRIMARY A STATE STRATEGY TO PREVENT BLACKS FROM VOTING IN PRIMARY ELECTIONS (PARTY ELECTIONS WERE SOMEONE IS SELECTED TO RUN IN TE GENERAL ELECTION). DEFINE: PRIMARY ELECTION AN ELECTION PRIOR TO TE GENERAL ELECTION WERE VOTERS SELECT TE CANDIDATES TO RUN ON EAC PARTY S TICKET. DEFINE: GENERAL ELECTION AN ELECTION USED TO FILL AN ELECTIVE OFFICE USUALLY AFTER A PRIMARY ELECTION. DEFINE: RUN-OFF ELECTION A SECOND PRIMARY OR GENERAL ELECTION WEN NO CANDIDATE RECEIVES A MAJORITY OF VOTES IN TE FIRST ELECTION. IN SUC INSTANCE, USUALLY (BUT NOT ALWAYS) ONLY TE TWO TOP VOTER-GETTERS RUN IN TE RUN-OFF ASSURING TAT ONE RECEIVES A MAJORITY OF VOTES.

3 DEFINE: MAJORITY VOTE AN ELECTION WON BY A CANDIDATE WO RECEIVES 50% OR MORE OF TE VOTE. DEFINE: PLURALITY VOTE AN ELECTION WON (BUT SEE RUN-OFF ELECTION) BY A CANDIDATE WO RECEIVES LESS TAN 50% OF TE VOTE. IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE AT LEAST TREE STRATEGIES USED IN TE SOUT AFTER TE ENACTMENT OF TE 14 T AMENDMENT TO DENY BLACKS TE RIGT TO VOTE. 1. LITERACY TEST 2. POLL TAX 3. WITE PRIMARY IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE TE FEDERAL LEGISLATION TAT ELIMINATED TESE PRACTICES. TE VOTING RIGTS ACT OF 1965 SUSPENDED TE USE OF LITERACY TESTS AND AUTORIZED TE APPOINTMENT OF FEDEAL EXAMINERS WO COULD ORDER TE REGISTRATION OF BLACKS IN STATES AND COUNTIES WERE FEWER TAN 50% OF TE VOTING AGE POPULATION WERE REGISTERED OR AD VOTED IN TE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. VOTER TURNOUT DESPITE TE INCREASE IN VOTER ELIGIBILITY WIT TE PASSAGE OF TE VOTERS RIGTS ACT OF 1965 AND TE 14 T, 19 T AND 26 T AMENDMENTS, VOTER TURNOUT ASN T SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, IN FACT IT AS DECREASED. SINCE 1900, NOT A SINGLE PRESIDENTIAL TURNOUT (OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS) AS REACED 70%. IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN TE REASONS OFFERED TO ACCOUNT FOR TIS. 1. TE POOR TURNOUT IS TE RESULT OF A DECLINE IN POPULAR INTEREST IN ELECTIONS AND A WEAKENING OF TE COMPETITIVENESS OF TE TWO MAJOR PARTIES. DURING TE 18 T CENTURY, TE PARTIES WORKED ARD TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE TO TE POLLS AS POSSIBLE AND AD FREQUENT AND INTERESTING CAUCUSES AND CONVENTIONS. OWEVER, AFTER 1896, WEN TE SOUT BECAME A ONE-PARTY REGION, BOT PARTIES BECAME MORE CONSERVATIVE AND PEOPLE BEGAN TO LOSE INTEREST BECAUSE VOTING NO LONGER SEEMED RELEVANT TO TEIR NEEDS. 2. TIS TEORY ARGUES TAT VOTER PARTICIPATION PRIOR TO 1896 WAS NOT DIFFERENT TAN IT IS NOW TE STATISTICS ARE MISLEADING. VOTERS WERE EASILY MANIPULATED AND VOTER FRAUD WAS COMMON AND TESE

4 CAUSES CONTRIBUTED TO A IGER VOTE COUNT. VOTE EARLY AND VOTE OFTEN, WAS NOT A JOKE, BUT A REALITY IN PART BECAUSE POLITICAL PARTIES WERE IN CARGE OF VOTING AND PREPARED TE BALLOTS. AS A RESULT, IF TE VOTES AD BEEN LEGALLY CAST AND ONESTLY COUNTED IN TE 19 T CENTURY, TERE MAY NOT AVE BEEN A DECLINE IN VOTER PARTICIPATION AS CLAIMED. NOTWITSTANDING TE FOREGOING EXPLANATIONS, EXPERTS STILL BELIEVE TAT TERE WAS A DECLINE IN VOTER PARTICIPATION IN TE 20 T CENTURY. IDENTIFY AT LEAST SEVEN REASONS TO EXPLAIN FOR TE DECLINE. 1. STATES BEGAN TO ADOPT TE AUSTRALIAN BALLOT 2. VOTER REGISTRATION AS BECOME MORE BURDENSOME 3. TERE WERE LONGER RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS 4. ALIENS WO AD NOT COMPLETED TE CITIZENSIP PROCESS WERE DENIED TE RIGT TO VOTE 5. IT WAS ARDER FOR BLACKS TO VOTE (UNTIL RECENTLY) 6. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS (LITERACY TESTS WERE ESTABLISED) 7. REGISTRATION AD TO TAKE PLACE LONG IN ADVANCE OF TE ELECTION DEFINE: AUSTRALIAN BALLOT A GOVERNMENT PRINTED BALLOT OF UNIFORM SIZE AND SAPE TO BE CAST IN SECRET AND ADOPTED BY MANY STATES IN TE 1890 S TO REDUCE VOTER FRAUD. IDENTIFY TE TWO DEMOGRAPIC GROUPS TAT ARE REPRESENTED TE MOST AMONG TE NON-VOTERS. 1. CITIZENS UNDER TE AGE OF CITIZENS WO AD MOVED WITIN TWO YEARS OF AN ELECTION EVEN IF VOTER TURNOUT WERE IGER, WOULD TE OUTCOME OF ELECTIONS BE ANY DIFFERENT? ACCORDING TO A STUDY, EVEN IF NON-VOTERS VOTE, ELECTION OUTCOMES PROBABLY WOULDN T BE DIFFERENT. IDENTIFY FIVE MYTS AND REALITIES OF VOTER TURNOUT. MYTS:

5 1. TE POOR ARE DROPPING OUT OF POLITICS 2. TERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS 3. NONVOTERS BELIEVE TAT TEIR POLICIES WILL NOT BE DEBATED OR ADOPTED 4. VOTER TURNOUT DECIDES ELECTIONS 5. REGISTRATION REFORM ELPS DEMOCRATS AND URTS REPUBLICANS REALITIES: 1. TURNOUT IS DECLINING IN ALL SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPIC GROUPS 2. VOTERS SEE MORE DIFFERENCES IN TE PARTIES TODAY 3. VOTERS AND NONVOTERS DIFFER VERY LITTLE IN TEIR POLICY PREFERENCES 4. LEVELS OF VOTER TURNOUT DO NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN TE OUTCOME 5. TE POLITICAL LEANINGS OF VOTERS AND NONVOTERS ARE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT WO PARTICIPATES IN POLITICS? FORMS OF PARTICIPATION (137) DO CITIZENS TEND TO MISREPRESENT TEIR VOTING ABITS? IF SO, TEN IDENTIFY WO TEY ARE. YES. 8 TO 10% OF TE CITIZENS TEND TO LIE ABOUT TEIR VOTING ABITS, CLAIMING TO AVE VOTED WEN TEY AD NOT. TESE PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO BE YOUNG, LOW-INCOME, LESS EDUCATED AND NONWITE. IS POLITICS AT TE EART OF AMERICAN LIFE? IF NOT, WAT ARE IGER PRIORITIES? NO. WORK, FAMILY, CURC AND OTER VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES COME FIRST. IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE SIX FORMS OF PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS. 1. NON-PARTICIPANTS. 2. ACTIVISTS TEY ARE IGLY EDUCATED, AVE IG INCOMES AND TEND TO BE MIDDLE AGE. 3. VOTING SPECIALISTS TEY VOTE, BUT DO LITTLE ELSE, TENDING TO AVE LITTLE SCOOLING, INCOME AND TO OLDER. 4. CAMPAIGNERS TEY VOTE AND ALSO GET INVOLVED IN CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES. TEY AVE IGER EDUCATIONS, BUT ARE INTERESTED IN TE PASSION, CONFLICTS AND STRUGGLE OF POLITICS. 5. COMMUNALISTS TEY ARE SIMILAR TO CAMPAIGNERS, BUT RESERVE TEIR ACTIVISM TO NON-PARTISAN MATTERS AND DEALING WIT LOCAL PROBLEMS.

6 6. PAROCIAL PARTICIPANTS NONVOTERS WO ARE NOT INVOLVED IN CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WO WILL CONTACT LOCAL OFFICIALS ABOUT A SPECIFIC PROBLEM. TE CAUSES OF PARTICIPATION (138) IDENTIFY TE RATES OF PARTICIPATION BY RACE, GENDER, RELIGION AND EDUCATION AS IGER () OR LOWER (L) TAN 50%. LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION WITE BLACK ISPANIC MEN WOMEN RELIGIOUS (CURC GOING) NON-CURC GOING IG SCOOL DIPLOMA SOME COLLEGE L L EVEN TOUG VOTER REGISTRATION AS GOTTEN EASIER, TE LEVEL OF VOTER PARTICIPATION AS NOT INCREASED. IF NOT, TEN WAT MAY ACCOUNT FOR LOW VOTER PARTICIPATION? IDENTIFY AT LEAST TREE REASONS TO EXPLAIN TIS PENOMENON. 1. TE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN POPULATION OF YOUNGER AMERICANS 2. TE GROWING NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND OTER MINORITIES 3. TE INEFFECTIVENESS OF POLITICAL PARTIES AS TEY AVE BECOME MORE NATIONAL BUREAUCRACIES. 4. SOME LINGERING IMPEDIMENTS TO REGISTRATION 5. TE LACK OF COMPULSORY VOTING IN TE FORM OF A FINE OR SOME OTER COST OR CONSEQUENCE FOR NONVOTING. 6. AN INCREASE IN TE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WOM TINK TAT PARTICIPATION DOES NOT MATTER. DESCRIBE TE POSITION OF DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS CONCERNING VOTER REGISTRATION. DEMOCRATS BELIEVE TAT EASIER REGISTRATION METODS WILL INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT AND ELP TEM, WEREAS REPUBLICANS FEAR TAT IGER TURNOUT WILL URT TEM; OWEVER, NO ONE REALLY KNOWS IF TIS IS ACCURATE. TE MEANING OF PARTICIPATION RATES

7 ARE PARTICIPATION RATES MISLEADING? EXPLAIN. WILE IT IS CLEAR TAT AMERICANS ARE VOTING LESS, TEY SEEM TO BE PARTICIPATING MORE BY CAMPAIGNING, CONTACTING TEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND BY TAKING ACTION LOCALLY ON A POLITICAL LEVEL. IS AN AMERICAN VOTE LESS IMPORTANT TAN IT IS ELSEWERE? EXPLAIN. NOT REALLY, BUT AMERICANS DO AVE MANY MORE ELECTIONS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TAN TERE ARE IN MOST OTER COUNTRIES. WE AVE ELECTIONS AT TE NATIONAL, STATE, COUNTY, LOCAL AND EVEN LOWER LEVELS NEARLY EVERY YEAR, WEREAS IN SOME FOREIGN COUNTRIES, VOTES ARE OFTEN CAST ONLY ON TE NATIONAL LEVEL. DOES TE LACK OF VOTER TURNOUT CREATE TE POSSIBILITY TAT TE ELECTED OFFICIALS DO NOT REFLECT TE COUNTRY? POSSIBLY. SOME STUDIES INDICATE TAT TURNOUT IN TE USA IS SO EAVILY SKEWED TOWARDS TE EDUCATED, WITE, PROFESSIONALS AND TE MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASSES, TAT ELECTIONS DO NOT REFLECT TE SOCIAL COMPOSITION OR VIEWS OF TE COUNTRY. TIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR LATINOS WO DO NOT AVE TE SAME COMMAND OF ENGLIS AND ALSO AVE LESS INVOLVEMENT IN NON- POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS TAT WOULD EDUCATE TEM ON TE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION. CONCLUSION: IT IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN TE USA. WILE AMERICANS DO NOT VOTE AS FREQUENTLY AS CITIZENS OF OTER COUNTRIES, WE PARTICIPATE IN MANY OTER WAYS IN GREATER NUMBERS. TUS, WILE APATY MAY EXPLAIN SOME OF TE REASON FOR A LACK OF PARTICIPATION, OUR COMPLEX AND UNIQUE BLEND OF RACIAL AND ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES ARE PROBABLY SIGNIFICANT FACTORS AS WELL AS BECAUSE WE DO NOT AVE COMPULSARY VOTING LAWS AND AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION.

Political Participation

Political Participation Objective: SWBAT describe how American turnout compares to other democracies, the expansion of suffrage in the U.S., and what factors explain who participates in politics. Who can