pearson education, inc., longman © 2006 chapter 5 political participation american government:...

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006

Chapter 5

Political Participation

American Government:

Policy & Politics, Eighth Edition

TANNAHILL


In This Chapter We Will Cover:

• Forms of participation• Explaining participation• Patterns of participation• Trends in voter turnout• Nonvoters• Participation rates in comparative perspective• Participation bias


Forms of Participation

• Political participation is activity that has the intent or effect of influencing government action.– Voting is the most common form of

political participation.(Turnout in the 2004 presidential

race was 56 percent of voting age population.)


Forms of Participation

– Contacting elected officials is another form of political participation.

– Some Americans try to influence the policy process by joining interest groups.

– Unconventional political acts like marching and demonstrating provide another avenue for political participation.


Explaining Participation

• Personal Resources– Time, money, and civic skills

• Psychological Engagement– People take part in the policy process

when they have a strong sense of political efficacy (belief they can influence the policymaking process).


Explaining Participation

• Voter mobilization is the process of motivating citizens to vote.

• Community involvement leads people to see voting and other forms of political participation as a civic duty.


Patterns of Participation

• Income– Affluence and activity go together for every

form of political participation.

• Age– The American electorate is relatively old

and getting older. In 2002, the number of voters age 65 and older outnumbered younger voters below 30 by a two-to-one margin.


Voter Turnout by Age Group, 2000



• Race/Ethnicity

–Turnout in 2000 varied by group:

–Whites at 60%

–African Americans at 54%

–Latinos at 28%

–Asian Americans at 25%



• Gender

–Women are more likely to vote, but men are more likely to engage in other forms of participation.


Voter Turnout, 1964-2004


Trends in Voter Turnout

• Explaining the Decline in Voter Turnout– The electorate is younger.

– Party ties are weaker.

– Election campaigns are fought over small issues that fail to excite the electorate.



– Negative campaign advertising causes people to stay home.

– External political efficacy has fallen.

– People are less connected to their communities.



– Interest in politics has decreased.

– Many Americans believe that election outcomes have little impact on policy.

– Modern campaign techniques focus on likely voters, ignoring everyone else.


Nonvoters

• People don’t vote for a variety of reasons.

– Doers (29 percent of nonvoters) are too busy to register and vote.

– Unpluggeds (27 percent) do not believe the policy process affects their lives.


Nonvoters

– Irritables (18 percent of nonvoters) know what government is doing and don’t like it.

– Don’t knows (14 percent) are indifferent to government, and focus instead on jobs and family.

– Alienateds (12 percent) are very pessimistic, they dislike candidates, parties, and institutions of government.


Increasing Voter Turnout

• The 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the “Motor Voter Act” increased the number of registered voters but not the number of actual voters.


Participation Rates in Comparative Perspective

• Voting turnout in the U.S. is relatively low compared to other industrialized democracies. Three possible reasons:

1) American election procedures are more cumbersome.

2) U.S. national parties are weak.3) Separation of powers leads some to think

elections don’t impact policy.


Participation Bias

• Because participation rates in the U.S. are so low, some speculate how increased participation might impact the two major parties or public policy outcomes.


Concluding Review Questions

• What is the most common form of political participation?

• What are the other ways in which people can participate in the policy process?

• How do participation rates vary based on such factors as income, age, race/ethnicity, and gender?


Concluding Review Questions

• How is voter turnout measured and why do political scientists disagree about the validity of the measure?

• What reasons do political scientists give to explain the decline in voter participation rates?

• What reforms could be adopted to increase voter participation?

pearson education, inc., longman © 2006 chapter 5 political participation american government:...

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