LOW VOTER TURNOUT
DOES NOT THREATEN
DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA
By: Asia Adona, Brynna Neufeld and Jace Reyes
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?
A system of selection of policy-makers and of organizing
government so that policy represents and responds to public
preferences.
MAIN POINTS
• The perseverance of Democracy
• Hyperpluralism
• Electoral College continues to function
DEMOCRACY WON’T QUIT
•
Our country’s founding fathers
instituted voting requirements
•
Leaving between 10% - 16% to vote
in the 1792 presidential election
•
The large majority of the American
population could not vote until the
15th amendment was passed in 1870
-- White
-- Male
-- Property owning
•
This excluded all of the slave
population and the white Americans
that did not own land
Infoplease.com
NATIONAL VOTER TURNOUT PERCENTAGE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
• Protects election when there is a low voter turnout
• Majority of states’ votes determine which way electoral votes go
• Still functions if less people vote
• It was created to represent the people, and whether or not they vote, each
person is represented
• 538 electoral votes in 2008 election, 270 needed for majority
-- not affected by number of voters
HYPERPLURALISM
Too many votes
Too many opinions
• Less voting leaves campaigning
open to ideas/arguments
• Letting the people have a say in
their government is crucial in a
healthy democracy
• However, too much say becomes
detrimental
Weakened Central Government
REBUTTAL
• The more voters there are, the more likely policy gridlock will occur
-- Policy gridlock slows the federal government
-- a slow federal government creates a lack of representation
• Thus, too many voters can decrease representation
• Less voters increase the balance of the minority and majority population
• 1 vote = 1 vote. No person has any more say than another.
WORKS CITED
•
"National Voter Turnout in Federal Elections: 1960-2010." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary,
Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Family Education Network.
Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html>.
•
"U. S. Electoral College." National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008/election-results.html>.
•
"U.S. Voting Rights." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference,
Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Family Education Network. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.infoplease.com/timelines/voting.html>.
•
"African-American Population — Infoplease.com." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary,
Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Family Education Network.
Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922246.html>.
WORKS CITED CONTINUED
•
Schlimmer, Scott. "Low Voter Turnout - Paris Hilton Didn't Vote, Despite Wearing a Vote or Die Baby T-shirt."
Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Yahoo! Inc, 31 Oct. 2006. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/77733/low_voter_turnout_paris_hilton_didnt.html?cat=37>.