AP GOVERNMENT
Political Participation
Chapter 6
Nonvoting
Problem: Low Voter Turnout
Only 2/3 of the voting age in the
US register to vote
About 87% of the registered
voters participated in the last
election
 TABLE
6.1
How to get people to
register?
1993 Motor Voter Law
 States
must allow voter registration
when getting a driver’s license
 By
mail
 At local govt offices (post offices and
welfare offices)
Not much of an impact on voting
Other factors…
Voting is only one way of
participating in politics
Americans COULD participate in
politics MORE than most Europeans
Low registration could also mean
most people are satisfied with how
the country is governed (SILENT
MAJORITY?)
Late 1700’s - only white, male,
property owners or taxpayers
By 1837 - all white males
1870 – all men (15th)
 But
not really until the 1960s b/c of
literacy tests, poll taxes, no primary
elections (South)
 Illiterate and/or poor whites were
protected by the Grandfather clause
1920 – women (19th)
1971 – 18 and older
Does voting patterns change
with new members of the
electorate?
AAs increased the number of voters after
the Voting Rights Act of 1965
 TABLE
6.2
 Changed how white politicians campaigned
Women also increased the number of
voters
 However,
pattern
didn’t really change the voting
Voter Turnout
With new members of the
electorate, voting turnout should
increase…
However, turnout has declined
 Figure
6.2
Is the decline fact or fiction?
 Page
136 (
b/c of honest
counting today)
Voting Fraud
Australian Ballot
 Uniform
and printed by the govt
Decreased voter fraud
Scholars see registration as the
reason for
voter turnout
Who participates in
Politics?
Voting is the most common form
Giving $ and being a member of a
political organization is the least
common
People exaggerate their
participation
Six Forms of Participation
1.
22% of the population are
completely inactive (rarely vote
and don’t get involved)
Little education, low income
2.
11% are activists (complete
opposite)
High education, high income, older
3. Voting Specialists – only vote
Lower than average education
and income, little older than
average
4. Campaigners – vote and get
involved
More educated than average,
clear id with party, willingness
to take strong position
5. Communalists – like
campaigners but do not like
conflict
Activities that are nonpartisan
Get involved/registration drives
6. Parochial Participants – do not
vote and do not get involved in
campaigns but will deal with
specific problems
The Causes of
Participation
Schooling
Religious involvement
Age
Not really race (b/c of schooling
and income but when equal,
AAs vote more than whites)