Political Participation

1
Political Participation

• AP Government
• Chapter 8

2
Non-Voting

• Voting Age Population vs. Registered Voters
• Is it apathy or a registration problem?
• Participate in other ways

VAP
3
Voting Amendments

• 15-race
• 19-women/gender
• 23-DC gets electoral college votes
• 24-no more poll tax
• 26-age

4
Get out and Vote?

• 50-60 since 1920s
• Vote early and often
• Laws prevent fraud, lower turnout
• Registration limits, secret ballots

5
Forms of Participation

• Activists
• Campaigners
• Voting specialists
• Communalists
• Parochial Participants
• Inactives

6
Checking Ideologies

• Participation linked to ideology
• Psychological characteristics are linked to
  participation

7
Theories of Non-voting..

• Younger population
• Weaker parties
• Registration constraints
• Costless-no penalty for not voting
• Apathy-My vote does not matter

8
Reality of Non-voting

• Ease registration
• Make the government more responsive
• How is it measured? (handout)

9
Participation w/out voting

• Can volunteer for a candidate or issue
• Protest
• Contact officials
• Give campaign contributions

10
Who votes? Who doesnt?

• Educated
• Older
• Wealthier
• Married
• Party ID
• Professionals

• Minorities
• Young
• Poorer
• Blue collar
• Movers