Notes Chap 4 Participation actions through which ordinary members of a political system attempt to influence decisions. Voting is the most common form of participation Voting is an example of loyalty a passive but constructive response to government action Voice is an active constructive response to government There are two types of reactions to government 1. Constructive a. Active i. Voice b. Passive i. Loyalty 2. Destructive a. Active i. Exit b. Passive i. Neglect Socioeconomic status is one explanation for nonparticipation in government Institutional Features may suppress participationEx. Partisan vs. non partisan elections Free-rider a person who enjoys the benefit of a public good without bearing the cost Social Capital a dense network of reciprocal social relations that promotes greater civic engagement The 19th amendment allowed women to vote Smith v. Allwright outlawed white primaries The voting rights act of 1965 - the law that effectively enfranchised racial minorities by giving the national government the power to decide whether individuals are qualified to vote and to intercede in state and local electoral operations when necessary Factors that affect <a href="/keyword/voter-turnout/" >voter turnout</a> 1. varies according to the type of election 2. popular candidates running a close race can increase voter interest 3. Partisan competitition and party ideology 4. States with moralistic cultures typically experience a high <a href="/keyword/voter-turnout/" >voter turnout</a> that do states with traditionalistic political cultures 5. States with competitive political parties have higher election participation 6. Registration can affect <a href="/keyword/voter-turnout/" >voter turnout</a> The progressive era made an effort to open up the nomination process and make it more democratic. Primary System - the electoral mechanism for selecting party nominees to compete in the general election Primaries have diminished the organization power of political parties Closed Primary - a primary in which only voters registered in the party are allowed to participate Open Primary a primary in which voters decide which parties process they will participate in Blanket Primary a primary in which a voter is allowed to vote for candidates of both parties in a single election Single Non-partisan primary voters choose one candidate regardless of the party Runoff Election- a second election pitting the top two vote-getters from a first election in which no candidate received a majority of the votes cast Plurality the number of votes cast for the winning candidate in an election with more than two candidates Fusion a state election provision that allows candidates to run on more than one party ticket Coattail effect the tendency of a winning presidential candidate to carry state candidate of the same party into office Nonpartisan election an election without party labels -usually done with judges Under a nonpartisan election system, all candidates for an office compete in a first election; if theres no majority winner, the top two vote getters run in a second election -this depresses <a href="/keyword/voter-turnout/" >voter turnout</a> Recent research has shown that lower turnout results in lessened representation of Latinos and Asian Americas on city council and in the mayors office Slating Groups nonpartisan political organizations that endorse and promote a slate of candidates Initiates are proposed laws or <a href="/keyword/constitutional-amendment/" >constitutional amendment</a> s that are placed on the ballot by citizen petition Popular Referendum allows citizens to petition to vote on actions take by legislative bodies a special type of referendum whereby citizens can petition to vote on actions taken by legislative bodies Referendum a procedure whereby a governing body submits proposed laws, <a href="/keyword/constitutional-amendment/" >constitutional amendment</a> s, or bond issues to the voters for ratification. Recall a procedure that allows citizens to vote elected officials out of office before their time has expired Initiative 1. the first step in the process is the petition The increased popularity of initiative has two reasons 1. Some observes believe that wavering public confidence in government has led citizens to take matters into their own hands 2. new methods of signature collection have brought the initiative process within reach of almost any well financed group with a concern By resorting to initiative, citizens can bypass the obstructive legislature Florida Created Open Meeting Laws Open Meeting Laws - statutes that open the meetings of government bodies to the public Administrative procedure acts acts that standardize administrative agency operations as a means of safe guarding clients and the general public Advisory Committee - an organization created by government to involve members of the public in studying and recommending solutions to public problems Adopt-a-highway = volunteerism