Political Participation Paul Johnson September 19, 2012 Outline Contents 1 Overview about Elections 2 Participation 3 Right To Vote 4 Voter Turnout Puzzles 5 Rational Choice 6 Should we be concerned about "the decline of turnout?" 1 Overview about Elections Elections: "mainsprings" of politics * Elections hold incumbents accountable * Candidates articulate their plans & shape political debate * Educate & persuade voters Moving parts #1. Candidates: * why do they run? * what do they do while they run? Moving parts #2. Voters: * will they pay attention? * will they vote? * who will they vote for? Moving parts #3. Nongovernmental Political Organizations: Parties & Interest Groups * Donate money * Campaign & advertise * Mobilize voters? * canvassing: personally contact Moving parts #4. Institutions * Election laws: Who and How we - vote - campaign - raise money - donate - count votes - declare winners * Governmental Units (wanted to say "political institutions") - Congress, Sup. Ct, State administrators - Interpret & enforce election laws: choose winners! Participation Types: Electoral * vote * campaign * donate money * run for office Participation Types: Nonelectoral * join interest group * lobby someone * sue the government * protest * revolt! Right To Vote Voting: Legal eligibilityFranchise: right to vote (suffrage) * States run elections & set eligibility [within national Constitutional limits] * States can allow anyone to vote * But most did not Franchise Grew Incrementally * Around 1800: White Men with Property Franchise Grew Incrementally Put that In Perspective Franchise Grew Incrementally * Eased property requirement for White Men * Except for - convicted felons - mentally ill / civil commitment A Perfectly Representative Snapshot of American Society A Perfectly Representative Snapshot of the Electorate Franchise Grew Incrementally * African Americans, 1870 (15th Amendment) * Century of conflict * 1965 Voting Rights Act But Not Women! Most states did not guarantee the right to vote to Women Franchise Grew Incrementally * Women (US Constitution Amended 1920) * Some states did grant the right to vote before that Suffragette March on Washington 1913 Franchise Grew Incrementally * Age (1971: 18=legal voting age.) 4 Voter Turnout Puzzles Interesting Historical Trend Important to Note * peak around 1880 * peak around 1960 Why did turnout go down after 1890? Fundamental Institutional Changes in Elections * Voter registration requirements * Secret ballot: you can't sell your vote anymore! * Weakening of political parties: - less "connection" between vote and political change - less "mobilization" effort by parties Why did turnout go down after 1960? Best guess explanations: * Increasing mobility of voters * Continued weakening of party identification and party organizations * Rising prison population Voting Age versus Eligible Population (1944-2000) Convicts and Immigrants are not eligible to vote 5 Rational Choice Rational choice theory of voting Behavior reflects balance of costs and benefits Benefits of voting* Self-expression (fulfill "duty") * Social ties & pressure * Chance to affect outcome (make or break a tie) People Who Vote Are Happy If you don't vote, you might get punched * register * gather info & decide * show up and vote Low Cost, Low Benefit * Voting is a low cost, low benefit activity * Individual traits make voting more likely - Education (lowers cost of learning) - Partisanship (reduces need to learn) - Not moving (no need to re-register, forge new social ties) - Feelings of "external political efficacy": government can deal with its prob-lems - NOT true: distrust in government or beliefs about corruption cause non-voting 6 Should we be concerned about "the decline ofturnout?" Many people seem Concerned Federal Government seems concerned * Motor Voter Bill (1993) Is Low Voting Causing Mayhem? * Is there something wrong with "nonvoters?" * Does the decline make "the system" work badly? * Is the turnout decline a symptom of some other problem?