...representative democracy. The United States employs this system of government in which leaders and officials are voted in by the people. However, the declining political participation in the United States over the last few decades has been an issue for quite some time now, leading to the question of whether or not democracy in America is working as effectively as it could be. This is a more serious issue than most realize, especially considering only about half of eligible voters have been participating in presidential elections and much less participation in lower level elections. The average citizen living today lives in a completely different world from what this country was since its birth; the average citizen today has many more personal and financial responsibilities to tend to, and consequently, many fail to fulfill their civic duty of political participation. This combination of a hectic lifestyle, lack of concern, or sometimes even distrust towards the government and political news leads to people not being able to make time, not interested in making time, or simply refusing to make time for political participation. There are numerous ways in which citizens can participate politically, each with varying degrees of difficulty and potential strength of messages conveyed. Voting and financial contributions to causes and campaigns are the two least sophisticated and most common forms of political participation. Since all votes are equal and voters vote for a candidate due to...
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...Why is United States Voter Turn-out so Low Question 4) What are some explanations for why voter turnout is so low in the U.S. compared to other wealthy, literate and democratic countries? INTRODUCTION Voter turnout is the rate by which people vote in elections. The simplest way to calculate a given election's turnout rate is to compare the actual number of voters with the voting-age population. “Voter turnout in the United States is among the worlds’ lowest.” (E.S. 371) The graph below taken from an article written for the Huffington Post in 2012, illustrates how poor United States voter turnout has been as compared to other industrialized nations. Our voter turnout is less than half of the turnout in Belgium and Australia for example and it is getting worse. "Starting in the early 60's, the proportion of the population that turns out to vote in the U.S. steadily decreased, to the point where only slightly more than half the electorate voted in presidential elections in the last three decades of the 20th century" (E.S. 370) [pic] Although there are several factors that contribute to low voter turnout in the United States, three factors appear to have the most direct influence. • Voter Registration and Voting Processes in the United States make it more difficult to vote as compared to other nations. • The Decline of Social Capital in the United States • The decline in the strength of our political parties has contributed to voter apathy ...
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...The United States has such a low voters turnout because voters are not forced to vote. The countries with a high voter turnout have strictly enforced laws. In American you have to register to vote but in other countries if you are a citizen, you are automatically registered. If the United States changes the voting system a little, it could increase voter’s turnout. Americans need to be more educated and know each candidate’s platforms. Voter’s turnout could increase if voters did not have to work on Election Day. If America followed some of the guidelines other countries use, the United States would have a higher voters turnout. Countries with a high voter turnout are due to the countries strictly enforced voting laws. In some countries you can be fined if you do not show up to the polls to vote. America does not have strict voting laws so it is not mandatory to show up and vote. In other countries if you are a citizen of the country you are automatically considered a registered voter. The United States is one of the only countries to hold Election Day during the week. Countries with high voters turnout have Election Day on the weekend. Voters in America do not want to...
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...In the United States, voter apathy has been a consistent theme. Many eligible Americans fail to participate in elections. Between 1960 and 2008, the average voter turnout was approximately 49% to 63%. This means that close to half of the Americans do not really care which candidate will become their resident. In the United States, the lowest voter turnout was recorded in the year 1996 when only 49.1% of eligible Americans turned to vote. The low turnout in the country is an international disgrace. It is worrying that democracy in America has lost meaning. According to Fulton (16), one may not understand what happened to the government that Abraham Lincoln used to call “government of the people, for the people and by the people.” People should not be satisfied when...
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...do not vote. Great voter turnout is normally reflected to be desirable, though among political scientists and economists studying in public choice, the issue is still argued. It usually presumed that low turnout is a reflection of dissatisfaction, an election with very little voters may not be an exact reflection of the will of the people. On the contrary, if low turnout is a reflection of satisfaction of voters about possible winners, then low turnout is as valid as great turnout. Supporter turnout is the fraction of qualified voters who cast a vote in an election. Precisely who is qualified differs by nation, and should not be confused with the whole adult population. Extraordinary turnout is normally perceived as signs of the legitimacy of the modern system. In past decades dictators have often made-up high turnouts in platform elections for this reason. For example, Donald Trump 2016 election survey was claimed to have had 100%...
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...and Voting (chapter 8) to be the most interesting and informative. Parties and Elections in Texas Political parties play a major role in Texas politics. Approximately 91 percent of Texas voters either identify with or lean toward the Republican or the Democratic Party. Despite all of the complaints about parties, they perform roles that are critical to the operation of our democratic system and to the overall coordination and functioning of our political system. The most important function of parties in Texas is to provide a label under which candidates may run and voter may identify. The party label becomes the standard used in casting a ballot for a candidate. Parties recruit candidates, assist in getting out the vote, and helps to organize the government once officials have been elected. The organization of political parties in Texas can be somewhat complex. Texas does not have a system of party registration for voters. Texas parties conduct primaries to select each party’s candidates for office. The precinct chair heads the precinct convention and serves on the county executive committee. The county executive committee is responsible for running the county’s primary elections and planning the county convention. Conventions are held at the precinct, county, and state levels. Participation in Texas elections has changed over time. Texas has had a...
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...This holds true for local, state, all the way to the presidential primary elections. Voting is something Americans are taught is a fundamental right of being a US citizen and it should be exercised extensively as it is part of the foundation of democracy. Historically, African Americans and women did not have the right to vote in the United States but they were fought for because voting is such an essential right. Why is it that people are not exercising this right which is so important to the future of the United States? In this essay, local voter turnout in the US, Canada, and the UK will be described and explained and then compared in...
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...Dior Hunter Bailey-Hofmann English 103 17 January 2015 Should Voting Be Mandatory? In the United States, voter turnout during elections has decreased over the last fifteen years. In 2012 the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) compared voter turnout rates, for the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, The BPC states “Despite an increase of over eight million citizens in the eligible population, turnout declined from 131 million voters in 2008 to an estimated 126 million voters in 2012 when all ballots are tallied. Some 93 million eligible citizens did not vote.” Many Americans feel like their vote doesn’t count anyway, mainly citizens who are already disadvantaged. Australian professor of Politics Lisa Hill states in her article What We’ve Seen in Australia With Mandatory Voting that, “Places with mandatory voting also have less wealth inequality, lower levels of political corruption and higher levels of satisfaction with the way democracy is working than voluntary systems.” Critics say that implementing mandatory voting is against the constitution, and what we value the most, freedom. Furthermore, Hill states “ Is being required to vote a violation of autonomy? Sure, but so is mandatory taxation, jury duty and the requirement to educate our children. Yet, these are all good ideas.” Voting should be mandatory because as American citizens we live in a democratic society where everyone should have an opinion. Although, Americans value independence and the free-will to do...
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...best way to solve the problem of low voting turnout. He structured his argument stating two of the biggest problem with low turnout and solution to increase turnout. The first problem is that the election votes are not a representation of the overall votes towards a policy or elected official. The other problem is that certain groups vote in greater number than other groups, which show a disproportionate influence on the government and its policies. This illustrates bias states Lijphart, giving already-privileged citizens an advantage favoring their interest and the low-privileged interests are not rewarded. To solve these problems Lijphart believes that a minimum of 90 percent turnout...
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...constitution “does not provide that all US citizens may vote for presidential electors. Rather, it provides only that the electors shall be appointed as the state legislatures direct. Once a state determines that electors shall be chosen by popular vote it has wide latitude to determine eligibility to vote” (Hardaway 106). The electors are chosen based on the amount of House of Representatives and Senators each state has in Congress; the few hundred electors controls the United States vote (ABC News). This system is not democratic because the people are not the direct electors of the President, elite men and women of both political parties are in charge of choosing. If the system is kept that way, there is no real reason in having the eligible voters in voting because at the end of the day, their vote does not count causing various effects in the elections such as low voter turnout and lower voter efficacy.Citizens of the United States are discouraged to vote because they feel that their vote does not count since their government has established a group of people to “double-check” their preferred candidate. Why hasn’t the government abolish the Electoral College if more than 54% of the United States population believes that the popular vote should be the only counted votes? (Polling Report).Based on the polls, the majority of the United States population believes the current electoral system is incorrect, just by simply eliminating the Electoral College the system will become democratic...
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...Angela Choi 111 ND-A Achoi5892@gmail.com Informative Speech Outline Topic: The importance of voting Type of Speech: issue Strategy for Presenting Content: Explanation General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience the importance of voting. Thesis Statement: Voting is essential and should be exercised by everyone because one vote can make a difference. Introduction: How many people are registered to vote? How many people are registered to vote and have voted? This is the dilemma the United States is facing today. Many people are registered to vote, but choose not to vote. It is important to exercise your voting rights because the decision our government officials make can have a huge impact on our lives. Voting in any type of election, from local races to Presidential primaries, provides an important way to voice your opinions regarding elected leaders and overall policies. In addition, voting decides our future by electing officials who reflect your own views. Therefore, voting is essential and should be exercised by everyone because one vote can make a difference. The ability to vote is one of the most cherished Constitutional Rights that many have fought, marched, and died for over the centuries. 1. Many people do not realize that voting is so vital that it can even have an impact on your daily life. Voting is the best way to...
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...voting and politics in general. Assuming that low turnout is a reflection of disenchantment or indifference low turnouts can lead to unequal representation among various parts of the population. During presidential elections what really counts is the Electoral College. I know where I live the winner of the Presidential election is announced before the polls...
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...Rating For Congress In today’s society, our approval ratings for Congress are extremely low. According to Congressional Performance, Congress’ current approval rating started off as 16% in the year of 2015, and it is now at 18%. Although this is an increase, many of today’s Americans are not satisfied with congress and their ideas, how they handle the different situations we are in, or how they run our country. The amount of dissatisfaction with the government stems from the fact that there are officials in congress who are appointed versus being elected, public opinion is not being surveyed enough, and also, voter turnout also has depreciated significantly due to these things. According to You Can’t Vote Everyone in Congress Out. So, What Can You Do, 60 percent of those polled would “replace almost every member in the house, including from their own state,” in the next election if they could. This is due to the fact that many of the officials in the government are appointed, and those that aren’t appointed, vote and select other officials or judges into high positions that have to do with citizen’s daily lives. This does not demonstrate accurate representation of the people because although the people appointed into congress are usually appointed by an official the people voted for, it is not a direct relationship which lessens the amount of approval for those members. Voter turnout is constantly fluctuating in America from year to year. According to Zen College Life...
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...Voter turnout for the 2014 midterm election was the lowest since World War II in 1942. Only 36.4% of eligible voters casted their votes this election (DelReal). Voter participation has been a problem the early twentieth century. America won the revolution and broke its ties with Britain’s monarchical ways for very specific reasons. Reasons clearly stated in the Declaration of Independence (Jefferson 259-267). The American people wanted a government that protected their rights and gave them the ability to select someone who represented them best to lead them. The ability to vote on our representatives and add or changes laws is what America started for. Low voter turnout is preventing any sort of change in our government system. Voter turnout can be split into two problems- attitude and accessibility. Voting is a key part in the democratic system and it is important to address and attempt to reform the system to benefit the citizens of the United States. When the Constitution was ratified in 1787, the voting policies and presidential regulations were set. According to section two of Article two of the Constitution, in order to be a president her or she must be over 35, a natural born U.S. citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least fourteen years ("The Constitution of the United States " 85). If the president meets the requirements, he or she is allowed to run for office. The first thing a candidate usually does is develop a political action committee to help...
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...The midterm elections historically have low turnout, which could be detrimental to the Democrats’ hopes of flipping the U.S. House of Representatives. In order to combat this, the Democratic National Committee must commit to creating pro-voting messaging for college-aged adults. The Democratic Party has a numbers problem. Only 18 out of 50 governors in the United States are Democrats. Below the Mason-Dixon line, there are only three Democratic governors. Republicans control the White House, the Senate, the House of Representative and the Supreme Court. Republicans hold 31 statehouses, including every state house in the South. Millennials are the answer to the Democratic Party’s problem in purple and red states. As we have seen in recent elections in Alabama and Virginia, voters aged 18-29 carried both Democrats Doug Jones and Ralph Northam to victory. Alabama millennials favored Jones over Republican candidate Roy Moore by a 22-point margin. In Virginia’s gubernatorial election, young adult turnout doubled between 2009 and 2017. Virginia’s millennial turnout in the 2017 gubernatorial election was 14 percentage points higher than their turnout in the 2016 presidential election. Millennial votes in Virginia rivaled Baby Boomer numbers, both generations making up nearly 18 percent of Northam’s Votes....
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