CHAPTER 7 Participation and Voting Define political participation and distinguish among types of participation Identify examples of unconventional participation in American history and evaluate their effectiveness ID: 707481
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The Challenge of Democracy
CHAPTER 7Participation and VotingSlide2
Define political participation and distinguish among types of participation. Identify examples of unconventional participation in American history and evaluate their effectiveness. Distinguish between supportive acts and influencing acts of political participation. Trace the expansion of suffrage in the United States and assess the impact of expanded suffrage on voting turnout.Identify the factors that affect political participation, especially voting.Evaluate the relationship between the values of freedom, equality, and order and political participation in American democracy.Identify the purposes elections serve and explain the relationship between elections and majoritarian and pluralist models of
democracy.Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.2Learning outcomesSlide3
Political ParticipationConventional participationRoutine behaviorsVotingLetter writingUnconventional participationUncommon behaviorsSit-down strikesExtreme behaviors—terrorismCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.3Democracy and political participationSlide4
Support for Unconventional ParticipationKnow less about unconventional participationEasier to collect data on conventional practicesPolitical scientists biased toward conventional politicsCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.4Unconventional participationSlide5
The Effectiveness of Unconventional ParticipationDirect actionMartin Luther King, Jr.Minorities pressured Congress to pass civil rights lawsAppeals to people who . . . Distrust political systemFeel they can change political decisionsCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.5Unconventional participationSlide6
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.6March for Freedom, Forty-Five Years LaterAP Images/Dave MartinSlide7
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.7What Americans think is conventional political behaviorA survey presented Americans with three forms of political participation outside the electoral process and asked whether they “have done,” “might do,” or “would never do” any of them.Slide8
Unconventional Participation Around the WorldU.S. citizens as likely to take direct action as citizens of European democraciesAmericans less likely to join demonstrationsCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.8Unconventional participationSlide9
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.9Antiwar Protest, 2013to face/ZUMA Press/NewscomSlide10
Supportive BehaviorAllegiance to country and governmentInfluencing BehaviorModify or reverse government policyUsually based on self-interestAmericans demand more of local than national governmentCampaign contributionsCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.10conventional participationSlide11
Broad Policy ObjectivesLow-initiative activities (voting)High-initiative activities (running for office)Class action suits (Brown v. Board of Education)Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.11conventional participationSlide12
Conventional Participation in AmericaVoting most common form of participationVoter turnoutU.S. ranks lower than 15 other countriesA paradoxCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.12conventional participationSlide13
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.13Compared with turnout rates in 15 established European nations, voter turnout for American presidential elections ranks below all but three countries and turnout for American congressional elections ranks below all of them.Slide14
Suffrage/FranchiseExpansion of SuffrageConstitution left enfranchisement to statesBased on taxpaying or property-holdingsThe Enfranchisement of BlacksFifteenth AmendmentSmith v. AllwrightVoting Rights Act of 1965Harper v. Virginia State Board of ElectionsCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.14Participating through votingSlide15
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.15Voter Registration in the South,1960, 1980, 2000, and 2008Slide16
The Enfranchisement of WomenSuffragettes began organizing in mid-1800sWyoming granted women right to vote in 1869Colorado next to grant right in 1893Nineteenth Amendment passed in 1919Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.16Participating through votingSlide17
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.17The Fight for Women’s Suffrage … and Against ItLibrary of Congress Prints and PhotographsDivision Washington, D.C[LC-USZ6-994]Library of Congress Prints and PhotographsDivision Washington, D.C[LC-USZ62-25338]Slide18
Evaluating the Expansion of Suffrage in AmericaLast major expansion in 1971 Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered voting age to 18U.S. ahead of other countries in political equalityCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.18Participating through votingSlide19
Voting on PoliciesProgressivismDirect primaryRecallReferendumInitiativeCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.19Participating through votingSlide20
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.20Slide21
Voting for CandidatesServes democratic government in two waysCitizens choose candidates who will best serve interestsCitizens able to reelect or kick-out candidatesU.S. citizens elect just two executive officers, but many state and local officialsNumber of regular and free elections around the world is on the riseCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.21Participating through votingSlide22
Patterns of Participation Over TimeVoter turnout in U.S. relatively low, but stableThe Standard Socioeconomic ExplanationSocioeconomic status good indicatorStandard socioeconomic model of participationOther social and economic variablesAge, race, gender, and educationCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.22Explaining political participationSlide23
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.23Data from a 2012 sample show that level of education is directly related to five different forms of conventional political participation.Slide24
Low Voter Turnout in AmericaThe decline in voting over timeTwenty-sixth Amendment expanded electorateU.S. has seen greater decline than other democraciesChange in attitude toward politics and political partiesGovernment needs to restore people’s faith in voting effectivenessCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.24Explaining political participationSlide25
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.25The Decline of Voter Turnout: An Unsolved PuzzleSlide26
Low Voter Turnout in AmericaU.S. turnout versus turnout in other countriesDifferences in voting laws and administrative machineryBurden of registration on the individual voterOregon – everyone votes by mail/turnout higherLack of a strong political partyNeed strong party to mobilize vote of social groups, especially low-income and less-educated peopleProcess of learning about candidatesRequires initiativeCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.26Explaining political participationSlide27
Participation and FreedomNormative theoryFree to participate or not participateParticipation and EqualityAbility to influence government equal among allParticipation and OrderMore complicated relationshipSome participation encouraged, some notCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.27Participation and freedom, equality and orderCritical Thinking Question?Slide28
Elections serve several purposesSocialize political activityInstitutionalize access to political powerBolster state’s power and authorityCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.28Participation and the models of democracySlide29
Elections serve several purposesParticipation and MajoritarianismMajoritarian theory views participation narrowlyFavors conventional behavior like votingParticipation and PluralismFavored by those who want government’s helpFavors many forms of conventional participation in addition to votingCopyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.29Participation and the models of democracySlide30
Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.30Pennsylvania Upholds Controversial Voter I.D. LawClick picture to view videoSlide31
Should laws regarding voter requirements and identification be nationalized?Which eligible voters are least likely to have photo identification? Do restrictive laws disenfranchise certain groups?What factors might increase voter participation in the U.S.? Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.31Video Discussion Questions