Chapter 7 PARTICIPATION AND VOTING Democracy & Political Participation Democratic ideal is “government run by the people” Difficulty lies with definitions of how much.
Download ReportTranscript Chapter 7 PARTICIPATION AND VOTING Democracy & Political Participation Democratic ideal is “government run by the people” Difficulty lies with definitions of how much.
Chapter 7 PARTICIPATION AND VOTING 2 Democracy & Political Participation Democratic ideal is “government run by the people” Difficulty lies with definitions of how much and what kind of participation needed Direct democracy versus democracy carried out by representatives Elections are necessary for democracy, but do not ensure democracy 3 Political Participation All citizen activities that attempt to INFLUENCE government’s structure, selection of officials, or policies Conventional participation Unconventional participation 4 Unconventional Participation Can range from protest marches to terrorist activities “Bloody Sunday” March from Selma, AL, to Montgomery, AL in 1965 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City’s Federal Building by Timothy McVeigh Terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001 5 Unconventional Participation 6 Support for Unconventional Participation Boston Tea Party in 1773 first of many violent protests Most Americans not willing to participate in unconventional political activities Sometimes difficult to define which activities fall under heading of “unconventional political participation” 7 Figure 7.1 What Americans Think Is Conventional Behavior 8 9 The Effectiveness of Unconventional Participation Unconventional participation is not always successful, even when violent Direct action appeals most to persons who distrust the political system and have a strong sense of political efficacy Participation also depends on an individual’s group consciousness Americans about as likely to participate as citizens of other nations 10 The Effectiveness of Unconventional Participation 11 Conventional Participation Practical test for democracy: can citizens influence policies by acting through its institutions? Two major categories for conventional participation: 1) Supportive behavior 2) Influencing behavior 12 Compared with What? Popular Participation in Politics 13 Supportive Behavior Actions that express allegiance to country and government Require various levels of effort Sometimes actions an individual sees as supportive actually suppress democracy 14 Influencing Behavior Some types of behavior seek benefits; others have broad policy objectives Particular benefits - those that benefit self, immediate family, or friends Very common at local level, especially “contacting behavior;” may require little initiative More common with those of higher socioeconomic status Sometimes done quietly 15 Influencing Behavior continued… Campaign contributions also on this list Broad Policy Objectives – activities that influence selection of government officials and policies Also require different levels of initiative Voting, running for office, holding meetings, working on campaigns, attending hearings, or using the court system 16 The Twitter Revolution 17 Influencing Behavior Citizens who want to participate can do so via the Internet Comment on proposed rules and regulations at the Federal Register site: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/ Track economic stimulus funds at: http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/home.aspx View congressional voting records: http://www.govtrack.us/ or http://www.thomas.gov/ Many other political sites available for wide range of interests 18 Influencing Behavior 19 Conventional Participation in America Usually only those with a stake in the outcome take initiative to participate in Congressional or administrative hearings Most common form of political behavior is voting Rate of voting is voter turnout U.S. voter turnout low compared to other industrialized democracies 20 Participating Through Voting Electoral process heart of democratic government Rules for suffrage, or franchise, and rules for counting ballots and electoral systems define process Who can vote How much each vote counts How many votes needed to win No nation has universal suffrage 21 Expansion of Suffrage U.S. first to hold mass elections, but suffrage limited by states Initially only landowners or taxpayers By 1850s, all working-class males Suffrage for blacks and women took longer 22 The Enfranchisement of Blacks Even with passage of Fifteenth Amendment after Civil War, some states resisted Poll taxes, literacy tests, “white primary,” and violence all deterrents Supreme Court rulings supporting black suffrage began with Smith v. Allwright (1944); later Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966) Voting Rights Act of 1965 23 Figure 7.2 Voter Registration in the South, 1960, 1980, and 2000 24 The Enfranchisement of Women Women could not vote anywhere in world until 1869 First to grant women vote in U.S.: Wyoming Territory in 1869 Equal Rights Party formed in 1884 Women gained national right to vote in 1920 with Nineteenth Amendment 25 The Fight for Women’s Suffrage…and Against It 26 Evaluating the Expansion of Suffrage in America Last major expansion was 26th Amendment in 1971 * Lowered voting age to 18 Though process towards generally universal suffrage slow, U.S. still ahead of many other countries, including other democracies 27 Voting on Policies Political power comes with suffrage Progressivism flourished from 1900 to 1925; proposed several electoral changes: Direct primary Recall Referendum Initiative Not clear if these opportunities improve policies made by elected representatives 28 Figure 7.3 Westward Ho! 29 Voting for Candidates Serves democratic government two ways: Voters can choose candidate they think will best represent their interests Voting allows citizens to re-elect candidates or vote them out of office U.S. government has few elected officials compared to state and local governments U.S. has more frequent and varied elections than any other country in the world – but lower voter turnout than many 30 The Growth of Electoral Democracy 31 Explaining Political Participation Political participation can be: Conventional or unconventional Require little or require much initiative Serve to support government or influence its decisions People who participate in one way may not participate in others 32 Patterns of Political Participation Over Time Generally, Americans’ participation is stable over time Socioeconomic status a good indicator of most types of participation Income Education (most important) Occupation Age, race, and gender also important 33 Figure 7.4 Effects of Education on Political Participation 34 Low Voter Turnout in America Difficult to explain decline in voter turnout in America 26th Amendment (younger voters tend not to vote) Belief that government no longer responsive to citizens Change in attitude about political parties Register to vote at Rock the Vote: http://www.rockthevote.com/ 35 Figure 7.5 The Decline of Voter Turnout: An Unsolved Puzzle 36 U.S. Turnout Versus Turnout in Other Countries Differences in voting laws and administrative machinery affect voter turnout in the U.S. Tuesday Election Day not a public holiday Burdensome registration procedures Political parties not tied to certain groups Most elections not particularly competitive Large number of elections and candidates means difficult for voters to educate selves 37 Participation and Freedom, Equality, & Order Participation and freedom key in normative theory Citizens free to participate when and how they want (or not) Citizens free to use personal resources to pursue any legal means to influence government decisions 38 Participation and Freedom, Equality, and Order Participation and equality requires that each citizen’s ability to influence government be equal to every other citizen Differences in resources should not matter Elections serve ideal of equality best Groups can band together to increase influence 39 Participation and Freedom, Equality, & Order Relationship between participation & order is complicated Some types of participation promote order; others, disorder Political system more threatened by unconventional participation 26th Amendment effort to bring order to Vietnam War protests 40 Participation & Models of Democracy Elections implement democracy by allowing citizens to choose among candidates and issues Elections socialize political activity Elections institutionalize access to political power Elections bolster the state’s power and authority 41