Mr. Ishmael-AP Government
By the end of this lesson, I will be
able to…
 Identify what political culture is.
 Identify what political ideology is.
 Understand the important elements associated with
the political system.
Intro
 Survival of U.S. Constitution rare
 Copied in other countries, have had lapses in success
 Tocqueville-Country flourished b/c “soil were fertile in
which roots could grow”
 Constitution, plus opportunities for people to control
own life, made Democracy possible

Also, “moral and intellectual characteristics” of people and
political culture play role as well.
Political Culture v.
Political Ideology
Political culture:
Patterned set of ways of thinking
about how political and
economic activities ought to be
carried out
Ex:
We believe those who win
elections should take office
Don’t condone political
violence
“Ballots, not bullets”
Nobody should have claim
to political authority simply
due to wealth or family
history
Political Culture v. Political Ideology
 Political Ideology:
 Refers to more or less
consistent views concerning
policies government ought to
pursue


Liberal v. Conservative
For the most part, people
disagree on ideology

Could still share similar feelings
on political culture…
 Unless so critical of existing
govt. policies and practices
that they require a
fundamental change in way
govt. functions
Political System
 Five important elements in American view of political
system:
 Liberty
 Equality
 Democracy
 Civic Duty
 Individual Responsibility
Liberty
 Americans preoccupied
with rights
 Should be free to do as
please

As long as we don’t hurt
others
Equality
 Everyone should have an
equal vote, equal chance
to participate
Democracy
 Govt. should be
accountable to the
people
Civic Duty
 People ought to take
govt. affairs seriously
 Help out when they can
Individual Responsibility
 Individuals responsible
for their own actions and
well-being
A patterned set of ways of thinking about how political and
economic activities ought to be carried out
0%
1.
0%
2.
0%
3.
0%
4.
0%
5.
Political ideas
Political culture
Political ideology
Political participation
Political power
Refers to more or less consistent views
concerning policies government ought to
pursue
1. Political thought
0%
2. Political culture
0%
3. Political ideology
0%
4. Political participation
0%
5. Political power
0%
Civic duty is an important element
of the American political system
True
2. False
1.
ls
e
0%
Fa
Tr
ue
0%
Government officials being accountable to
the people is known as
lit
y
Eq
ua
y
ra
c
ty
D
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iv
i
em
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Li
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ib
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0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
re
5.
al
4.
id
u
3.
di
v
2.
Individual
responsibility
Liberty
Civic duty
Democracy
Equality
In
1.
Equality of results is an important
part of American politics
True
2. False
1.
ls
e
0%
Fa
Tr
ue
0%
Americans are willing to tolerate political equality
over economic equality
True
2. False
1.
ls
e
0%
Fa
Tr
ue
0%
Government part of problem,
not solution.
1. Liberals
2. Right wing
3. Neoconservatism
4. Conservatism
5. Neoliberalism
0%
al
ism
0%
ib
er
Ne
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rv
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is.
..
tis
m
0%
co
ns
er
Ne
o
Ri
gh
t
w
er
Lib
0%
in
g
als
0%
We must end welfare
1. Liberals
2. Conservatives
3. Neoconservatism
4. Neoliberals
5. Left wing
0%
Le
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ls
lib
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a
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0%
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..
0%
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rv
a
er
Lib
0%
es
als
0%
We must end welfare as we
know it.
0%
1. Liberals
0%
2. Right wing
0%
3. Left wing
0%
4. Religious conservatism
0%
5. Conservatives
The college core curriculum should teach
our shared Western culture heritage.
1. Neoconservatives
2. Liberals
3. Conservatives
4. Religious
conservativism
5. Left wing
tw
us
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lig
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..
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Ne
o
0%
Le
f
0%
als
0%
If elected, I will get government off your backs and
release the great energy of the American people.
0%
1. Liberals
0%
2. Neoliberals
0%
3. Right wing
0%
4. Left wing
0%
5. Religious conservatism
So long as I am president, no American shall go to bed hungry, no
American shall suffer the burden of discrimination, and no
American shall fall ill without the benefit of medical help.
1. Conservative
2. Neoliberal
3. Liberal
4. Left wing
5. Right wing
0%
0%
Ri
gh
t
w
in
g
in
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tw
Le
f
Lib
er
l
lib
er
a
0%
al
0%
Ne
o
Co
ns
e
rv
a
tiv
e
0%
Abortion is the modern equivalent
of the Nazi holocaust.
1. Conservatism
2. Neoconservatism
3. Religious
conservativism
4. Left wing
5. Right wing
w
in
g
0%
gh
t
Ri
tw
Le
f
ou
sc
igi
Re
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0%
in
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0%
on
s..
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..
0%
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Ne
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Worker of the world, unite; you have
nothing to lose but your chains.
1. Left wing
2. Right wing
3. Liberals
4. Neoliberals
0%
5. Conservatives
Left wing
Right wing
Neoliberals
Conservatives
Liberals
At the end of this lesson I will be
able to…
 Explain how Americans feel about equality
 Compare how American political culture compares to
the rest of the world
Equality of Opportunity vs.
Equality of Results
 Liberty is important
 Believe in a free-enterprise system
 More willing to tolerate economic inequality than
political inequality
 Maintain “equality in opportunity”


Not “equality in results”
If everyone has same opportunities, okay if those with more
skill get ahead
 Help get educated, won’t give preferential treatment
 Liberal groups more willing to give preferential treatment
America and Other Nations
 Political System
 Sweden

More deferential than participatory


Most adults vote, don’t participate any other way
Defer to decisions made by leaders, rarely challenge
 Japan

Attach greater value to good relationships, having decisions
made by groups, preserve social harmony, respect hierarchy

Stress:
 Sensitivity to others
 Avoid conflict
 Reach decisions through discussion rather than rules
America and Other Nations (cont.)
 Study of pol. culture in 5 nations (1960)
 Americans and GB have greater sense of civic duty

One is obligated to participate in civic affairs
 Stronger sense of civic competence


Belief one can affect govt. policies
 Both more so than Germany, Italy, and Mexico
1995-America lagging Austria, Netherlands, West Germany,
and UK in turnout
 Highly more active in other participation activities
America and Other Nations (cont.)
 Less trust in govt. here, still have higher confidence in
political institutions
 See that we need a change in policies, not the system
 Typically bound by Americanism
 Not common to have this bond around the world
 Gives us a greater sense of nationalism compared to
other nations around the world
People in Sweden generally are highly participatory and
assertive in their right to be heard in politics.
True
2. False
1.
ls
e
0%
Fa
Tr
ue
0%
Swedes would probably be more tolerant than Americans of a
governmental attempt to place a top limit on salaries.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Swedes are less likely then Americans to
challenge governmental decisions.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Swedes are less likely to value equality
over liberty.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Japanese are more likely than Americans to
value good relations with colleagues.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Japanese are more likely than Americans to emphasize
individualism and competition in their political system.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
In a comparative study, Almond and Verba found that Americans
had a stronger sense of civic duty than the citizens in other
countries surveyed.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Today, confidence remains high in
public institutions
True
2. False
1.
ls
e
0%
Fa
Tr
ue
0%
Compared with other nations, the United States
is a relatively non-nationalistic country.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Today I will be able to…
 Explain the culture war in America
Culture War
 The Culture War
 War over values

Usually explosive issues such as:





Abortion
Gay rights
Drug use
School prayer
Pornography
 Differs from other political disputes




No money at stake
Compromises almost impossible
Conflict more profound
Animated by deep differences in
private and public morality
Culture War (cont.)
 Two opposed camps:

Orthodox




Progressive



Personal freedom as important as tradition
“Liberal,” “Immoral”
Also see battles within groups


Morality as important as self-expression
Based on unchanging rules of God
The “Religious Right”
Do see progressive views in orthodox groups, and vice versa
Increase in conflict due to:


Increase in “progressives”
Rise of media (easier on larger scale)
The culture war is a war that is close to
coming to an end in this country.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
This side of the culture war believes in
morality before personal freedom.
Progressive
2. Liberal
3. Conservative
4. Orthodox
1.
0%
ho
do
x
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tiv
rv
a
Co
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e
Lib
er
e
es
siv
Pr
og
r
0%
Or
t
0%
al
0%
This side believes in personal freedom
at the cost of morality.
1. Liberal
0%
2. Conservative
0%
3. Orthodox
0%
4. Progressive
0%
School prayer should be advocated.
1. Orthodox
2. Progressive
es
siv
e
0%
Pr
og
r
Or
t
ho
do
x
0%
Recreational drug use is no big deal.
0%
1. Orthodox
0%
2. Progressive
Abortion is equivalent to the Nazi
holocaust.
1. Orthodox
2. Progressive
es
siv
e
0%
Pr
og
r
Or
t
ho
do
x
0%
Pornography is disgusting and holds no
place in society.
1. Orthodox
2. Progressive
es
siv
e
0%
Pr
og
r
Or
t
ho
do
x
0%
I love Howard Stern and Opie and
Anthony!!!
1. Orthodox
2. Progressive
es
siv
e
0%
Pr
og
r
Or
t
ho
do
x
0%
I would rather see gays have the rights to marry
over the Kardashians.
0%
1. Orthodox
0%
2. Progressive
Today I will be able to…
 Understand the concept of political efficacy
 Identify sources of political culture
Political Efficacy
 What does it mean?
 A citizens feeling that they believe they have a say in
what govt. does

Seen a decline in recent decades
 Two kinds:


Internal
 Ability to understand system and take part
 Not much change in levels of this type
External
 Believe in the ability of the govt. to respond
 Sharp drop since 60s
Political Efficacy (cont.)
 Compared to other nations
 Higher than Europeans

Also more likely to discuss politics, sign petitions, work to
solve community problems
This refers to believing in your ability to
impact politics.
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5.
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4.
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3.
iti
2.
Political Culture
Political Ideology
Political Beliefs
Political Efficacy
Political Efficiency
Po
l
1.
Internal efficacy refers to one’s ability to
understand politics and take part.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
External efficacy refers to one’s belief that
the government will respond to you.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Europeans generally report higher levels of
political efficacy than do Americans.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
The percentage of Americans who say they trust their government
in Washington to do the right thing has declined since the 50s.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Americans’ sense of external political efficacy has
declined over past generations.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Sources of Political Culture
 FAMILY!!!
 Most important factor


Usually first influence in
how to view politics
Mostly due to increased
equality amongst family
members
Sources of Political Culture
 Mass Media
 Television
leading
source of
political and
public affairs
 Can skew
ideas on what
is important

If it leads,
might seem
more
important
Sources of Political Culture
 Education
 Learn early in
school about
politics
 More one
learns about
the process,
more
influenced one
will be about
politics
Age
 Younger=more liberal
 More progressive as well
 Typically, one’s attitudes are
shaped by events that happen
in one’s life
Of the following, which is the most important
influence on political culture?
0%
1. Age
0%
2. Media
0%
3. Friends
0%
4. Family
AP Government
Things That Make You Go Hmmm…
 As a country, we have a government “For the people, by the
people.”
 If so, how come:

Federal government often has a large deficit…


Courts ordered children to be bused to ensure racial equality in the
schools…


But polls showed most people supported it
House of Reps. voted to impeach Clinton…


But people opposed busing
Equal Rights Amendment was not ratified…


But people want a balanced budget
Even though people opposed this
Most people believe limits should exist on # of terms Congress
people should serve…

But Congress has not approved limits
Today, I will be able to…
 Understand the framers opinion toward public
opinion
 Understand why there is a gap between opinion and
policy
 Understand the problems with assessing public
opinion
I believe public opinion polls are very important tools
used to shape public policy.
0%
ag
re
e
0%
ly
D
Di
s
is
a
gr
ee
0%
St
ro
ng
eu
tra
l
0%
N
0%
gr
ee
5.
A
4.
Ag
re
e
3.
ly
2.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
St
ro
ng
1.
The Founders

Several reasons why opinion at odds with policy:
Constitution written in order to achieve goals…
1.


Not always do what people want
Also felt would not be a dominant “public opinion”

Would be many publics

Existence of many would prevent one from dominating

Help protect liberties
The Founders

Several reasons why opinion at odds with policy:
Not easy to tell what public thinks
2.

Most issues that are polled are not necessarily issues govt.
must act on
More knowledge and activity one has, more weight
opinion will carry in govt. circles
3.

Most political elites know more and think differently about
politics

Govt. attends more to elite views, not popular views
Problems with assessing public
opinion
 How a pollster words questions can dramatically affect answers
they get
 Altering order of words in questions can drastically alter opinions
 Most polls ask voters to think about benefits, not costs
 Most opinions are not stable
 Change from time to time
 Public opinion suffers from:
 Ignorance
 Instability
 Sensitivity to way questions are worded
Today I will be able to…
Discuss the origins of political attitude/factors that
affect people’s political attitude.
2. Understand the concept of cleavages in public
opinion.
1.
Factors that affect public opinion
 Most important: FAMILY!!!
 Usually a result of political party identification

Study of high school seniors shows:



91% knew accurately parent’s presidential preference
71% knew accurately parent’s party identification
Only 9% opposed parent’s party preference
 Even as we grow older and grow apart from parents,
party identification can stay the same
Factors that affect public opinion
(Cont.)
 Religion
 Two theories as to why religion plays a role


Social Status
 Religious groups come together due to past discrimination
 I.E. Catholics and Jews
 They would align closer to parties sympathetic to their
plight (Democratic)
Religious Tradition
 Moral teachings of religious institutions affects opinions on
issues
 Regardless, religious differences make for political
differences
Factors that affect public opinion
(cont.)
 Gender Gap
 Difference in political views between men and women
 Overall trend of opinion since 60s:


Men=more conservative
Women=more liberal
 Have different attitudes about following issues:




Size of govt.
Gun control
Spending programs aimed towards poor
Gay rights
Gender Gaps on
Issue Importance (2006)
Factors that affect public opinion
(cont.)
 Schooling and Information
 1920-1960s: record number of those attending college
 Research shows this impacted political attitudes

↑ schooling = ↑ voting and political activity
 Studies also show attending college makes people
more liberal

Why?
 People already possess those feelings once entering college
 College exposes one to more information about politics
 Possible that colleges teach liberalism
Cleavages in Public Opinion
 Top cleavages
 Social class


Unskilled workers=more democrat than white collar workers
 Has changed slightly though
 For one, more go to college, learn a little more about
liberalism
Still, most division exists here due to economic issues
 Social issues aren’t affected as much by class
Cleavages in Public Opinion
 Top cleavages
 Race and ethnicity (Chart 5.4)
Afro-Americans: More Democratic
 Whites: more Republican
 Still, gap closing between whites and blacks (Chart 5.5)
 Also see differences w/in racial groups
 Ex. Asian-Americans



Japanese-Americans: more conservative
Korean-Americans: more liberal
Cleavages in Public Opinion
 Top Cleavages
 Region



Southerners and northerners disagree on many policy issues
 South: Less liberal on social issues
 Busing, legalizing marijuana, etc.
 Similar beliefs on economy
More accommodating to business enterprise, less to organized
labor
Becoming more conservative
 However, presidential candidates still need the South if
they hope to win elections
Public opinion is invariably consistent with
public policy.
19%
1. True
81%
2. False
Early studies of public opinion found voters were generally
informed about issues and governmental processes.
1. True
76%
2. False
se
Fa
l
Tr
ue
24%
Most young people accept their parents’
party identification.
100%
1. True
0%
2. False
The ability of family to inculcate a strong sense of party
identification has declined in recent years.
1. True
69%
2. False
se
Fa
l
Tr
ue
31%
Religious influences appear to be stronger on
economic issues, weaker on social issues.
1. True
100%
2. False
se
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
The gender gap has existed in this country
for years.
1. True
100%
2. False
se
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Men more closely identify with
Democratic beliefs.
1. True
92%
2. False
se
Fa
l
Tr
ue
8%
The extent to which class differences impact
voting has declined in recent years.
31%
1. True
69%
2. False
The more education you receive, the more
conservative you become.
1. True
2. False
81%
se
Fa
l
Tr
ue
19%
African-Americans are more likely to believe the
justice system is biased against them.
88%
1. True
12%
2. False
Southerners are generally more conservative
than people from other parts of the nation.
88%
1. True
12%
2. False
Political Ideology
 More or less a consistent set of beliefs about what policies govt.
ought to pursue
 Conservative vs. Liberal
 Two ways to measure:


See how often one uses broad terms (conservative, liberal, etc.) to
describe their beliefs
Seeing to what extent policy preferences are consistent over time
 Popularity:



Moderates: 1st
Conservatives: 2nd
Liberals: 3rd
Consistent Attitudes
 Ideology hard to identify
 Due to inconsistency of attitudes
 Don’t know correct meaning of “labels”

I.E. “liberal” “ conservative” etc.
 Don’t have to be conservative, liberal, in order to have an
ideology

Due to common feelings of equality, freedom, and
Americanism
Liberalism v. Conservatism
 Terms not meaningless
 Have changed over time
 Liberal: used to favor personal and economic liberty
 Conservative: discouraged by ideals of French
Revolution
 Changed w/ New Deal, when FDR referred to
programs as “liberal”
 Opponents eventually known as conservatives
Today, I will be able to…
 Differentiate between the four ways one can identify
their political ideology.
 Understand elites and how they influence opinion.
 Understand the concept of the “New Class.”
 Explain how elites influence opinion.
Four Combinations
 Pure Liberal:
 Economic Issues



Regulate business
Tax rich heavily
Cure economic causes of crime
 Social Issues



Allow abortion
Protect rights of the accused
Guarantee broadest possible freedoms of speech and press
Four Combinations (cont.)
 Pure Conservatives:
 Economic Issues:



Govt. should cut back on welfare state
Market allocate goods and services
Keep taxes low
 Social Issues:


Lock up criminals
Curb forms of conduct they regard as antisocial
Four Combinations (cont.)
 Libertarians:
 Conservative on economic matters, liberal on social

Prefer small weak govt.

Has little control over economy or personal lives of citizens
 Traits: More likely to be:






Young
College-educated
White
Higher incomes
No religion
Live in west
Four Combinations (cont.)
 Populists:
 Liberal on economic matters, conservative on social matters

Prefer govt. that reduces economic inequality, control business


Want to regulate personal conduct, lock up criminals, permit school
prayer
Traits:






Older
Poorly educated
Low-income
Religious
Female
Live in South or Midwest
Today, I will be able to…
 Discuss why people mistrust govt.
 Explain why elites shape policy
Why do you believe people
mistrust government?
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fo
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e
pl
pe
o
it h
5.
0%
w
4.
to
uc
h
3.
of
2.
Out of touch with
people
Bad policies
Personal conduct
There for their own
good
Simply lazy
Ou
t
1.
Mistrust of Government
 Since 50s, steady decline in trust of govt.


1950s-75% trust govt.
1980s-25% “
“
 Why?



60’s-Unhappy with Vietnam
70’s
 Nixon’s resignation/Watergate
 Jimmy Carter
90’s
 Impeachment of Clinton!!!
Mistrust of govt. (cont.)
 Trends
 Confidence in public institutions typically has not changed
Congress, press rather little support
 Churches and Supreme Court high
 Military is the highest
 Overall, higher confidence in overall system, lower confidence
in institutions

Elites do not have a disproportionate
impact on policy
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Political Elites

Those who have a disproportionate amount of a
desired resource
 Tend to more ideologically consistent
Usually due to increased activism
Why more consistent?


1.
2.
Information

Better informed on politics, more likely to have view
Peers

More active in politics, more likely to associate with people
who agree with you

More time you spend with them, your views could shift
Ways elites affect opinion
1.
Raise and frame political issues
Opinion-policy congruence falling


Reflects greater elite influence
2. State norms by which issues should be settled
 Norm: standard of right or proper conduct
 They help determine what is acceptable and
unacceptable
Political Participation
Today, I will be able to
 Describe why American’s voter turnout rates appear so
low
 Identify the two ways to measure voter turnout
 Identify steps taken to increase voter turnout
Intro
 Americans often embarrassed
by low rate of participation
 Where 80% or higher vote in
Europe, only about ½ of the
people vote in presidential
elections
 Even less in congressional
elections
 Many blame low turnout on
apathy, urge govt. to mount
campaigns to get out the vote
Closer Look at Nonvoting
 Are Americans apathetic?
 Depends on how turnout is
measured
 Two ways:

Voting-age population
 Those who meet age
requirements to vote

Registered voters

Those who vote who are
registered
 In U.S., those who are
registered vote
 Biggest issue-those who are
not registered



Source: Updated from
Michael P. McDonald and
Samuel L. Popkin, “The
Myth of the Vanishing
Voter,” American Political
Science Review 95
(December 2001):
table 1, 966. Reprinted with
permission of Cambridge
University Press; Michael P.
McDonald, “2008 General
Election Turnout Rates,”
updated April 26, 2009, at
http://elections.gmu.edu,
accessed May 8, 2009.
Solution to VAP?
 Look at voting eligible
population (VEP)
 Those actually eligible to vote
 Using this, turnout has not
fallen since 1970
 What if everyone participated?
 Poor and minorities
overrepresented in “party of
nonvoters”

Large rise in Democratic
electorate?

Would have seen a wider margin
for Clinton in ’92 & ’96
How do we fix low turnout?
 Potential cures
 Door to door, leaflets, direct
mail, phone banks, email
little or no effect
 Must reach those who are not
registered

Most non-registered:





Don’t care about politics
Uneducated about how to
register
Inconvenient (takes time)
Re-register if move
Europe, registration taken
care of for you by govt.
Fixes (cont.)
 1993-Congress passes motor-
voter law
 Allows people to register to vote
when applying for driver’s license
 Provide info on registration at state
offices that serve disabled and
provide public assistance

2 months after passage:

630,000 new voters registered in
27 states
Impact of motor-voter law
 Results mixed
 Positives


Registration did rise among voting-age population to 70.1% in
1998
17.4 million registrations filed in 1999-2000 at motor vehicle
offices
 Negatives


Saw record low turnout in ’98 primaries (17.6%) and
congressional elections (36.1%)
2001 study-turnout of motor voter registrants lower than that
of other new registrants
Final Thoughts
 Voting only one way to
participate
 Many Americans involved in
other ways

Makes us more politically
active than Europe
 Low turnout could suggest
Americans satisfied with
govt.
Today, I will be able to…
 Discuss how previously
disenfranchised groups
received the right to vote
The nature of the American electorate has not
changed much since 1790.
1. True
0%
2. False
0%
Rise of the American Electorate
 Nature of voting has changed greatly
 1790-only male property owners could vote
 By Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)-most males eligible
 By 1880-only 14% of males could not vote
 Key legislation:
 15th Amendment-African Americans
 19th Amendment-women
 26th Amendment-18 year olds
African-American Suffrage
 15th Amendment-says one cannot
be denied right to vote based on
race
 Would assume gave blacks right to
vote
 1870-SC held 15th did not
necessarily give blacks right to vote


Denial could not be based on race
Led to tactics to keep blacks from
polls
Of the following, these were designed to
keep African Americans away from the polls.
%
1. Poll tax
%
2. Literacy tests
%
3. White primaries
%
4. Grandfather clause
%
5. All of the above
African-American Suffrage (cont.)
 Left open state strategies to
bar blacks from voting,
including:
 Literacy tests (most former
slaves illiterate)
 Poll tax (most poor)-until
1915
 White primaries-ended in
1944
 Grandfather clause:

Allowing whites who were
illiterate or poor to vote if
ancestors voted before 1867
No woman was allowed to vote before
the passage of the 19th Amendment
1.True
0%
2.False
True
False
Women Suffrage
 Kept from polls by
law
 1915-several states
(mostly west) allow
women to vote
 1920-19th
Amendment passed

Doubles electorate
The passage of the 26th amendment has not had
a great impact on turnout for 18 year olds.
1.True
2.False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Youth Suffrage
 18 year olds initially earn right to
vote through Voting Rights Act
 SC declared unconstitutional
 Had to pass 26th Amendment
 Did not have much of a political
impact on first election they were
eligible for
 42% of newly eligible voters came
out

Steadily fallen since then
 Don’t vote as much, but
participate more in other ways
Today, I will be able to…
 Describe voter turnout and the impact of voting
safeguards
 Explain why voter turnout numbers may not be as low
as we think
Voter Turnout
 Eligibility extended to more
people
 Federal guidelines:





18 or older
No literacy test or poll tax
States may not require residency of
30 days
Non-English speakers receive ballot
in own language
However, by law:

Federal vote registrars and poll
watchers may be sent into areas
where less than 50% of voting-age
population participates in
presidential election
 23rd Amendment: residents of D.C.
given right to vote
Given new safeguards and registration procedures, voter
turnout has increased, since more people feel the
system
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Voter Turnout (cont.)
 Would expect increase in
turnout given safeguards
 Declined since latter part of
19th century


Late 1800s-as high as 75%
Since 1900-not one higher
than 70%
Voter Turnout (cont.)
 Decline could be result of
less voter fraud
 Political machines used
“floaters” or repeat voters
 Also held elections in open
forums
 Led to use of Australian
ballot
 Govt. printed
 Cast in secret
Stricter voter registration has made it
more difficult for honest voters.
%
1. True
%
2.False
Unintended Consequences of
Safeguards
 Have reduced fraudulent
voting
 Have reduced voting in
general

Made it more difficult for
honest voters
 Pres. elections b/t 1960 and
1980
 Decline in turnout by 10%

1996: lowest since 1924 (49%)
Florida Since 2000
One problem with the VAP is that it does not take into
account those that are not eligible to vote.
1. True
0%
2. False
0%
Has Turnout Really been
Declining?
 Turnout usually refers to %
of voting age population
(VAP) that actually votes
 How do we get those
numbers?


Census reports of those 18 or
over
Problem?

Not very accurate. Why?
 Does not take into account
those who are aliens,
prisoners, felons, etc.
Using VEP, the overall trend of voter turnout has
been a negative one since 1970.
1. True
0%
2. False
0%
Objective
 1. Explain the reasons as to why people do or do not
participate in democracy.
Voting is the most common form of
participation, but not the only form.
1. True
2. False
Who Participates
 Forms of Participation
 Voting most common
 Least common:


Donating money
Member of political organization
 Participation sometimes exaggerated

Verba and Nie: 8-10% of Americans misreport voting habits
 More likely young, low-income, less educated, and non-white
who misreport
Who Participates (cont.)
 Verba and Nie: 6 forms of participation:
 Inactives: 1/5 (22%), completely inactive


Activists: 1/9 (11%)


Clearly identify w/ political party
Communalists: organize and join organizations to deal w/ local
problems


Less educated, older, poorer than avg. person
Campaigners: vote, also involved in campaign activities (also
better educated than avg. voter)


Highly educated, high incomes, middle-aged
Voting specialists: vote, but do little else


Typically lower income, education
Not as partisan as campaigners
Parochial participants: do not vote, stay out of campaigns, but
willing to contact local officials
Survey figures tend to exaggerate actual
participation rates.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Inactives tend to be of lower economic
status and education.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Voting specialists vote on top of regularly
contributing money to candidates.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Campaigners vote but also participate
in other activities.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Communalists, like campaigners, enjoy the
tension of political campaigns.
0%
1. True
0%
2. False
Parochial participants will often contact
officials about problems.
1. True
2. False
se
0%
Fa
l
Tr
ue
0%
Women participate more in
politics more than men.
1. True
2.False
0%
True
False
Cause of Participation
 Higher participation among:
 College educated
 Older than 35
 Higher income
 Whites
 Class makes a difference, though

Blacks of same class participate more
 Religiously involved
 Men more than women?
 Actually about the same
People’s lack of trust in government
fuel voter apathy.
1. True
0%
2. False
0%
Cause of Participation
 Level of trust in officials?
 No correlation b/t level of trust and voter apathy

Lack of turnout due to lack of registered voters
 Few small factors that deter turnout:





Growing number of youth, less turnout
Political parties not as effective at mobilizing voters
Some states still have hard registration requirements
Non-voting is costless
People don’t feel elections matter much
We vote more officials into office than any
European country.
1. True
0%
2.False
0%
True
False
Meaning of Participation Rates
 Voting here different than other countries
 Vote more officials into office

Effect: Conduct of elected officials changes
 European citizens vote once every four or five years

Potential penalties for non-voting as well