Chapter 8: Political Participation
A Close Look at Nonvoting
★
People who are able to vote are in the
voter age population
meaning they have reached
minimum age requirements
○
These exclude noncitizens, prisoners, and disenfranchised felons and are called
voter eligible population
★
USA elects more officials than many other countries and this could lead to why it has a
lower voter turnout
○
People also don’t vote because they may have conflict on that day or they fail to
register to vote
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Motor Voter Law (1993) makes it easier for someone to register when
they receive their license
○
Get out the vote efforts
increase participation like public record and informing
neighbors of participation
The Rise of the American Electorate
➔
When the constitution was ratified, only white property owners could vote but then
slowly other groups were able to vote
◆
Suffrage to women, African Americans, 18 year olds, and direct election of
senators
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15 Amendment
- people could not be discriminated because of their
race, color, servitude
➔
There were efforts to exclude African Americans like literacy tests, poll taxes, and the
grandfather clause
Who Participates in Politics?
➔
Participation comes in the form of involvement with a campaign or attending community
meeting but is costly requiring time, money, and interest in government
➔
Six Forms of Participation
1.
Inactive - 22% rarely vote, do not get involved or talk about politics, little
education, low incomes, and usually young
2.
Activists - 11% highly educated, high incomes, middle aged and participate in all
types of politics
3.
Voting Specialists - vote but do little else, decent schooling and income and
older than most
4.
Campaigners - vote and are involved in campaign activities, better educated with
clear identification with party and willingness to take positions
5.
Communalists - do not like tension or conflict with partisan campaigns, join local
organizations to solve problems
6.
Parochial Participants - don’t vote and stay out of elections but are willing to
contact officials on problems
➔
Factors that drive participation
◆
Citizens need resources to participate in politics like time, money, and civics skills
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Time to be politically active, money to donate, and civic skills like
communicating
◆
Those with more education have higher incomes and have better skills
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Education fosters civic norms in students and help them realize
participation matters
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Being mobilized helps get more people out the door
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Having a political party and campaigns help, some religious institutions
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Already voting before creates a habit that will be done again
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Deep concern about particular issues
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Community problems may influence someone to participate for their
community
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Experience with government programs
Chapter 9: Political Parties
What Is a Party?
