Political Participation
Why Do People Vote?
Who Votes?
Do We Care?
Homework


Due Thursday, BEGINNING of Class
3-1, 6-6


3-4 for extra credit (worth 20 points)
http://elections.gmu.edu/Voter_Turnout_2004.htm
Pre-1990s Scholarship

Two camps


Rational choice theorists
“Demographic predictor” researchers
Anthony Downs, “An Economic
Theory of Democracy” (1957)

People vote if (P*B) – C > 0
Good theory, bad prediction


“Predicts” that rational people never vote
Possible “fix”


Focus on different benefits . . . Psychic benefits,
“duty”
Turnout not always sensitive to changes in
costs


National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter Act)
of 1993) increased registration but not turnout
BUT what about effects of “same day
registration”?
2004 Total Turnout Rates for
Voting Eligible Population



Minnesota: 77.21%
Wisconsin: 76.19%
Maine: 73.37%
Possible explanations:
Law
High Turnout
Law
Civic Culture
High Turnout
Other Camp

Demographic people are able to predict
behavior based on characteristics





Education
SES
Race
Age
But, they don’t really explain why people vote
(description rather than explanation)
So . . .


One camp is developing explanations
that don’t do a good job of describing
actual behavior
The other camp is developing
descriptions but not bothering to
explain the “why” question
Civic Voluntarism Model


Henry Brady, Sidney Verba and Kay
Lehman Schlozman
“Voice and Equality”
Civic Voluntarism Model



Interest/Engagement
Mobilization/Recruitment
Resources
Interest/Engagement






interest in politics
political efficacy (“I can make a difference, I
can participate effectively”)
sense of civic duty (“It’s my job as an
American to participate”)
group consciousness (“As my community
goes, so go I”)
party identification
commitment to personal issues
What might affect
interest/engagement?
Mobilization/Recruitment


Being asked to participate
What increases chances of recruitment?
Resources



Time
Money
“Civic skills”




Organizational skills
Language skills
Social adeptness
What increases resources?
Note . . .


Some demographic characteristics can
cut both ways
Example: having children


May increase interest/engagement
May decrease resources
Implications for Civic
Voluntarism Model




“Equal opportunity” not all that equal
Importance of social capital and group
membership
Importance of “political entrepreneurs” –
politicians and groups that mobilize people
Importance of childhood experiences (family
life, education) in adult political behavior
Barriers to Participation
Formal




Voter Eligibility
Registration laws
Campaign finance laws
Number / quality of polling places
Barriers to Participation
Informal





Lack of money
Lack of time
Lack of knowledge
Language barriers
Lack of “social capital”
Participation: The Big Picture



2004: 55% of “Voting Age Population”
actually voted (highest since 1968)
2002: 37% of “Voting Age Population”
actually voted
Numbers somewhat misleading


“VAP” includes all adults, even those who are
ineligible to vote.
In fact, 63.8% of the CITIZEN population
voted in 2004
Turnout



Declining over past 50 years
Why?
Do we care?
Turnout in 2004 - Race
% Adult Citizens
Voting
White
67.2%
Black
60.0%
Hispanic
47.2%
Asian
44.1%
Turnout in 2004 - Gender


Men (citizens): 62.1%
Women (citizens): 65.4%
Turnout in 2004 -- Age
18 to 24 years
46.7%
25 to 34 years
55.7%
35 to 44 years
64.0%
45 to 54 years
68.7%
55 to 64 years
72.8%
65 to 74 years
73.3%
75 years and over
68.5%
Demographics of Participation



Higher education
Higher SES
Higher age

Cohort Effect?
Big Picture Again


Again, do we care about turnout?
What can we do to fix it?