CHAPTER 7: Voting & Political Participation

CHAPTER 7: Voting & Political Participation

Outline

Political Participation is more than just voting.

Define Political Participation: Those actions of private citizens by which they seek to

influence or to support government and politics

Direct Democracy = citizens participating directly NEW ENGLAND TOWNS

(no representatives doing the lawmaking work)

Indirect Democracy = __Reliance on ELECTIONS______

As the formal mechanism of citizen participation

U.S. - REPUBLIC

Define:1) Conventional Participation

Is relatively routine, nonthreatening behavior that uses the channels of

representative government.

2)Unconventional Participation- Tends to interrupt your daily life

_UNCOMMON____ behavior that threatens or defies government or the dominant culture. Usually personally stressful for both participants and their opponents.

List examples of Unconventional Participation

1) Bombing Abortion Clinics5) Linking Arms to stop someone

from entering a building

2) Sit down strikes6) Protests

3) Sit ins

4) Attending protests that turn into violence

List two examples of effective Unconventional Participation in American History

1)BOSTON TEA PARTY1773

2)Minute Men 1775

3)American _College Students___1968

4)Bloody Sunday 1965 Selma, Alabama1965

5) Montgomery Bus Boycott1950’s

Define: 1) Direct Action unconventional participation that involves assembling

crowds to CONFRONT business and local governments

to demand a hearing.

Sit ins- at Southern Lunch Counters

Direct Action appeals most to those who:

1) have a __DISTRUST______of the political system

2) have a strong sense of ___POLITICAL ______EFFICACY______

3) have a highly developed sense of group consciousness

What are Supportive Behaviors?

Purely ceremonial acts expressing allegiance to government and country

Site one example of a supportive behavior: Celebrate the 4th of July

Flying the Flag, Saying the Pledge, Voting, Putting up “Support the Troops” posters

What are Influencing Behaviors?

Behaviors that seek to _Modify______or _Reverse______

Government Policy.

List examples of influencing behaviors

* trying to derive particular benefits from government

* Government Contracts--Halliburton

* giving $ to campaigns

* demanding more from the government

What does NIMBY stand for? NOT IN MY BACKYARD

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Political Behaviors that require little initiative:

1) VOTING5) Writing _letters to Congress_____

2) Saying the __PLEDGE______6) Wearing a _political t-shirt______

3) Putting a _Bumper Sticker______on your car

4) Putting a _Political Sign____ in your yard

Political Behaviors that require high initiative (TAKES A LOT OF YOUR TIME)

1) Running for _a political Office______4) Working on a _Campaign____

2) Attending _a political mtg(Auburn Twshp)___5) Starting a __Class Action Suit_____

3) Registering to _Vote___6) __Testifying____ at a

Congressional Hearing

Americans are more likely to engage in conventional and unconventional participation

except in the case of voting. Example: Paris Hilton

Participation through elections lies at the heart of the democratic process.

Electoral procedures specify three rules for making collective decisions

1) ___WHO__ is allowed to vote?- U.S. men, women over age of 18

2) _HOW MUCH____ each person’s vote will count (One person-One Vote)

3) _How MANY____ votes are needed to win the election

Plurality???? , Majority?????---270 ECvotes to win presidential election

Suffrage and franchise mean the same- that is _the RIGHT TO VOTE___

Initially the framers left enfranchisement to the __STATES!!!!!______.

EXPANSION OF VOTING:

Initially, who could vote? White Males with a STAKE in society (LAND)

By 1850 who could vote? MOST White Males

How did the southern states work around the 15th Amendment which was supposed

to allow all males to vote?

__PRIMARIES____ were held ONLY for Private Organizations/Political Parties

__POLL TAXES_ , LITERACY TESTS__

What else kept blacks away from the polls? FEAR, Job loss, Eviction etc…

The extension of voting rights came to AFRICAN AMERICANS in 2 phases.

1) 1944 Smith v. Allwright COURT CASES

Laws preventing blacks from voting in “Private” Primaries were Unconstitutional

2) Voting Rights Act of 1965 - LAW/ACT

Suspended voting tests and _sent in officials____ to monitor voting precincts.

3) 24th Amendment—abolished the poll tax (but was the executive enforcing this?)

3) 1966 Harper v. VirginiaState Board of Elections

STATE _Poll TAXES___ are unconstitutional.

The extension of voting rights for Women

Until _1869___ women could not vote anywhere in the world!

What state was the first to allow women to vote? __WYOMING______

In what year? __1869___

Between 1896 and 1918 12 other states gave women the vote.

Where were they located? __Out West_____

1919 Congress passes the ___19th___ Amendment which was ratified in 1920.

The last major expansion of voting rights in America

In ____1971_ the 26th Amendment: Now 18 yr. olds can vote!

How does America compare to other countries in the voting rights arena? Pg. 217

We look pretty democratic—we are the 1st country to all Mass Suffrage!

Women couldn’t vote in France until 1944

Women couldn’t vote in Italy until 1946

Women couldn’t vote in Switzerland until 1971

Minorities couldn’t vote in South Africa until 1994!

Voting for candidates serves our democratic government (7.2)

1) allows citizens to choose the candidates they think would best serve their _interests__

2) makes public officials accountable for their actions, as long as voters know what the

candidates have accomplished ( _94__% of House of Representatives

are re-elected)

3) Voters choose many more state and local officials than National officials.

4) Americans elect more officials than any other _Nation__!!!!!

We also have more ELECTIONS!!!

What ideas did the Progressives ( 3rd Party) champion that have taken hold and exist today?

1)DIRECT PRIMARY3) INITIATIVE

2)RECALL4) REFERENDUM

What was the verdict on term limits for our national legislatures? There are NONE

How does the Ohio General Assembly stand on term limits?

__1992____ an initiative was put on the ballot and passed

Representatives can only serve _8__ years in any one office

House members- 2 year terms for a total of only 4 terms

Senate members -4yr terms for a total of only 2 terms

Do you think these policies are effective?

Or do you think our representatives should only make policy?

What initiatives have been on the ballot in Ohio recently?

1992 Term Limits

2002 Treatment of drug users instead of Jail time

2004 Issue One

2005 _Reform Ohio Now_____

2006 Issue 5 No Smoking in public places

2008 Issue 6 - Legalizing _Gambling in Ohio___

In America we expect the voters to intelligently select most of our school boards, judges, and local politicians. The U.S. is the undisputed champion at holding elections!

However, we rank at the bottom of 27 countries at voter participation! (figure 7.2)

Page 231

Voter turnout has basically __declined___over time in the United States.

However, we participate more in politics as much today as we did in the 1960’s.

WHO VOTES?

1. __SOCIOECONOMIC______Explanation

People with-*more education- __the strongest single factor______!!!!

*higher incomes

*white collar jobs

they are all more likely to vote and participate in politics

1. As you ___AGE____ you tend to vote more

1. College students tend to participate in _Unconventional____ methods than vote

VOTING BLOC---- A group of voters who show up to vote b/c of an important issue

Amish in Middlefield against school levies

Decline in Voting over Time:

*the largest drop was right after the 26th amendment was passed because those in the age

group of 18-21 didn’t vote

*Today we try to get the young to vote through “Rock the Vote” and

P.Diddy’s, “____VOTE or DIE______”

* Why has voter turnout declined while the level of education has increased

- voters attitudes about the government

- disappointment with political parties

How can we improve voter turnout?

• Change the date to the weekends or declare a __HOLIDAY____ on voting day

• Provide a _TWO___ day voting period

• Make absentee voting easier

• Place the burden of voter registration on the government not the individual

• Let people register and vote _on the same day______

• Mobilize Get out the Vote Drives by Political Parties (2004)

• Give adequate information about all candidates and offices that are up for election

• Send out Selective Service notice with voter registration form

What have we done to increase voting turnout?

__MOTOR VOTER LAW______by 1998 over half of all voter registration

Occurred at your BMV’s