CHAPTER 7: Voting & Political Participation
Outline
Political Participation is more than just voting.
Define Political Participation: Those actions of private citizens by which they seek to influence or to support government and politics
Direct Democracy = citizens participating directly NEW ENGLAND TOWNS
(no representatives doing the lawmaking work)
Indirect Democracy = __Reliance on ELECTIONS________
As the formal mechanism of citizen participation
U.S. - REPUBLIC
Define: 1) Conventional Participation
Is relatively routine, nonthreatening behavior that uses the channels of representative government.
2) Unconventional Participation - Tends to interrupt your daily life
_UNCOMMON____ behavior that threatens or defies government or the dominant culture. Usually personally stressful for both participants and their opponents.
List examples of Unconventional Participation
1) Bombing Abortion Clinics
2) Sit down strikes
2)
3)
Minute Men
5) Linking Arms to stop someone from entering a building
6) Protests
3) Sit ins
4) Attending protests that turn into violence
List two examples of effective Unconventional Participation in American History
1) BOSTON TEA PARTY 1773
American _College Students___
1775
1968

4) Bloody Sunday 1965 Selma, Alabama
5) Montgomery Bus Boycott
1965
1950’s
Define: 1) Direct Action unconventional participation that involves assembling crowds to CONFRONT business and local governments to demand a hearing.
Sit ins- at Southern Lunch Counters
Direct Action appeals most to those who:
1) have a __DISTRUST_______ of the political system
2) have a strong sense of ___POLITICAL ______EFFICACY______
3) have a highly developed sense of group consciousness
What are Supportive Behaviors ?
Purely ceremonial acts expressing allegiance to government and country
Site one example of a supportive behavior: Celebrate the 4 th of July
Flying the Flag, Saying the Pledge, Voting, Putting up “Support the Troops” posters
What are Influencing Behaviors ?
Behaviors that seek to _Modify_______ or _Reverse________
Government Policy.
List examples of influencing behaviors
* trying to derive particular benefits from government
* Government Contracts--Halliburton
* giving $ to campaigns
* demanding more from the government

What does NIMBY stand for? NOT IN MY BACKYARD
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
Political Behaviors that require little initiative:
1) VOTING
2) Saying the __PLEDGE_______________
3) Putting a _Bumper Sticker_______ on your car
5) Writing _letters to Congress_____
6) Wearing a _political t-shirt______
4) Putting a _Political Sign____ in your yard
Political Behaviors that require high initiative (TAKES A LOT OF YOUR TIME)
1) Running for _a political Office_______ 4) Working on a _Campaign____
2) Attending _a political mtg(Auburn Twshp)___ 5) Starting a __Class Action Suit_____
3) Registering to _Vote___ 6) __Testifying____ at a
Congressional Hearing
Americans are more likely to engage in conventional and unconventional participation except in the case of voting. Example: Paris Hilton
Participation through elections lies at the heart of the democratic process.
Electoral procedures specify three rules for making collective decisions
1) ___WHO__ is allowed to vote? - U.S. men, women over age of 18
2) _HOW MUCH____ each person’s vote will count (One person-One Vote)
3) _How MANY____ votes are needed to win the election
Plurality???? , Majority?????---270 EC votes to win presidential election
Suffrage and franchise mean the same- that is _the RIGHT TO VOTE___
Initially the framers left enfranchisement to the __STATES!!!!!______.

Initially, who could vote? White Males with a STAKE in society (LAND)
By 1850 who could vote? MOST White Males
How did the southern states work around the 15 th Amendment which was supposed to allow all males to vote?
__PRIMARIES____ were held ONLY for Private Organizations/Political Parties
__POLL TAXES_ , LITERACY TESTS__
What else kept blacks away from the polls? FEAR, Job loss, Eviction etc…
The extension of voting rights came to
in 2 phases.
1) 1944 Smith v. Allwright COURT CASES
Laws preventing blacks from voting in “Private” Primaries were Unconstitutional
2) Voting Rights Act of 1965 - LAW/ACT
Suspended voting tests and _sent in officials____ to monitor voting precincts.
3) 24 th Amendment—abolished the poll tax (but was the executive enforcing this?)
3) 1966 Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections
STATE _Poll TAXES___ are unconstitutional.
The extension of voting rights for
Until _1869___ women could not vote anywhere in the world!
What state was the first to allow women to vote? __WYOMING______

In what year? __1869___
Between 1896 and 1918 12 other states gave women the vote.
Where were they located? __Out West_____
1919 Congress passes the ___19th___ Amendment which was ratified in 1920.
The
in America
In ____1971_ the 26 th Amendment: Now
!
How does America compare to other countries in the voting rights arena? Pg. 217
We look pretty democratic— we are the 1 st country to all Mass Suffrage!
Women couldn’t vote in France until 1944
Women couldn’t vote in Italy until 1946
Women couldn’t vote in Switzerland until 1971
Minorities couldn’t vote in South Africa until 1994!
1) allows citizens to choose the candidates they think would best serve their _interests__
2) makes public officials accountable for their actions, as long as voters know what the candidates have accomplished ( _94__% of House of Representatives
3) Voters choose many more state and local officials than National officials. are re-elected)
4) Americans elect more officials than any other _Nation__!!!!!
We also have more ELECTIONS!!!
What ideas did the Progressives ( 3 rd Party) champion that have taken hold and exist today?
3) INITIATIVE 1) DIRECT PRIMARY
2) RECALL 4) REFERENDUM
What was the verdict on term limits for our national legislatures? There are NONE

How does the Ohio General Assembly stand on term limits?
__1992____ an initiative was put on the ballot and passed
Representatives can only serve _8__ years in any one office
House members- 2 year terms for a total of only 4 terms
Senate members -4yr terms for a total of only 2 terms
Do you think these policies are effective?
Or do you think our representatives should only make policy?
What initiatives have been on the ballot in Ohio recently?
1992 Term Limits
2002 Treatment of drug users instead of Jail time
2004 Issue One
2005 _Reform Ohio Now_____
2006 Issue 5 No Smoking in public places
2008 Issue 6 - Legalizing _Gambling in Ohio___
In America we expect the voters to intelligently select most of our school boards, judges, and local politicians. The U.S. is the undisputed champion at holding elections!
However, we rank at the bottom of 27 countries at
! (figure 7.2)
Page 231
Voter turnout has basically __declined___over time in the United States.
However, we participate more in politics as much today as we did in the 1960’s.
WHO VOTES?
A.
__SOCIOECONOMIC_______ Explanation
People with- *more education- __the strongest single factor______!!!!
*higher incomes
*white collar jobs they are all more likely to vote and participate in politics

B.
As you ___AGE____ you tend to vote more
C.
College students tend to participate in _Unconventional____ methods than vote
VOTING BLOC---- A group of voters who show up to vote b/c of an important issue
Amish in Middlefield against school levies
*the largest drop was right after the 26 th amendment was passed because those in the age group of 18-21 didn’t vote
*Today we try to get the young to vote through “Rock the Vote” and
P.Diddy’s, “____VOTE or DIE_____________”
* Why has voter turnout declined while the level of education has increased
- voters attitudes about the government
- disappointment with political parties
How can we improve voter turnout?

Change the date to the weekends or declare a __HOLIDAY____ on voting day

Provide a _TWO___ day voting period

Make absentee voting easier

Place the burden of voter registration on the government not the individual

Let people register and vote _on the same day_______

Mobilize Get out the Vote Drives by Political Parties (2004)

Give adequate information about all candidates and offices that are up for election

Send out Selective Service notice with voter registration form
What have we done to increase voting turnout?
__MOTOR VOTER LAW______ by 1998 over half of all voter registration
Occurred at your BMV’s