Participation

1
Participation

• There have been variations in participation over
  the years with several explanations for this

2
Motor-voter law only for background knowledge

• In 1995 Motor Voter Law ordered states to open
  voter registration sites e.g. drivers licence
  and public assistance offices to allow the public
  to register when picking up their welfare cheque

3
Motor-voter law

• This was hoped to increase registration among the
  ethnic minorities and benefit the Democrats
• However 9 of the 20 million were new voters or
  re-registering the rest updated their details

4
Motor-voter law

• The Republicans actually gained the most as it
  seemed to be middle-upper class car owners who
  registered
• Democrats generally have seen registration drop
  in the South

5
ParticipationUnity 04 African Americans

• This campaign was geared toward getting more
  Black American out to vote.
• It involved a drive to increase voting
  registration among Blacks
• P Diddy played a part in the campaign through
  media campaigns. Other celebrities took part also
  they sent home the message vote or die

6
ParticipationUnity 04 African Americans

• Other parts of the campaign involved voter
  registration at churches, barber shops and
  college campuses.
• Phone banking and direct mail info supplied by
  black businesses allowed Unity to target African
  American households

• Car rides to the polls and media campaigns on
  black radio and newspapers helped to get the
  voters out - almost 9 out of 10 for the Democrats

7
Participation

• African Americans
• The Democrats main problem is not winning the
  support of African Americans, but getting them
  out to vote. If Martin Luther King were alive
  today, you can only assume that he would weep..
• Pressure groups like NAACP,AA lobby, Nation of
  Islam, Rainbow coalition have led to an increase
  in participation however only 64.4 registered in
  2004

• After all the struggles to win the vote, when
  voting now can make a difference (only another
  538 votes for Al Gore in Florida would have been
  enough to win him the election in 2000), it was
  galling for him to see so many black voters pass
  up the opportunity.
• 2004 was a big election year

8
Participation Hispanics

• In recent years there has been a rise in Hispanic
  participation and representation
• More Hispanics have been able to vote because of
  changes in the law allowing them to apply for
  citizenship

• As a result there has been a rise in Hispanic
  American representatives

9
Participation Hispanics

• Republicans recently began Spanish lessons the
  launch of Spanish on the hill shows we are
  serious about the Spanish speaking America

10
Participation

• The Republicans have been punished in recent
  years by El Voto Castigo which has been a
  Hispanic rebellion against the anti-affirmative
  action and anti-immigration policies of
  Republican elected representatives.

• George W Bush however, turned this around.
• In 2000 he won 35 of their votes, a big
  increase.

11
Participation Hispanics

• Bush took Hispanics seriously. He even claimed to
  be part Hispanic himself!
• His so-called amnesty for illegal immigrants is
  geared towards winning Hispanic votes and he
  stepped this up in the 2004 election

12
Participation Hispanics

• In 2004 John Kerry had learned from Al Gores
  mistakes.
• He has a Spanish version of his website. There
  are bilingual tv, radio and print advertisements.
• He has policies designed to appeal to Hispanic
  voters, however it did not have the desired
  effect

13
Participation

• As the 2 main parties have cleverly tuned in to
  the Hispanic vote, it would seem that Hispanics
  can see more point in actually turning out to
  cast their vote

• The Hispanic vote will surely be the one to
  secure in the future, as not only do they become
  more politically attuned but the population
  grows.

14
Participation

• However there may be more Hispanics than blacks
  but there are twice as many black voters
• According to Suro 5 of non-Hispanic blacks were
  not citizens compared with 39 of Hispanics
• Only 34.3 registered to vote in 2004

15
Overall

• The increase in participation has led to progress
  (see figures and representatives on progress
  slideshow, give figures)
• The focus now in American political campaigns is
  less about the air war (getting out the
  floating voters) but on the ground war (getting
  out the core voters).