American Government Unit III Assessment (CATHERINE OWENS ONLY)

Chapter 7

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7-2

Voter Participation  Factors in voter turnout: the United States in comparative

perspective

 Significantly lower turnout than European democracies

 Registration requirements

 Historically a means to limit suffrage

 Motor voter law

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7-4

Voter Participation  Factors in voter turnout: the United States in comparative

perspective

 Registration requirements

 Voter ID cards serve to depress voter turnout

 Georgia photo ID/voter identification card law

 Federal judge struck down monetary requirement

 Supreme Court upheld Indiana voter ID card requirement

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7-5

Voter Participation  Factors in voter turnout: the United States in comparative

perspective

 Frequency of elections

 Elections at many levels of government, frequent and staggered

 Primary elections

 Americans asked to vote two or three times as often as Europeans

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7-6

Voter Participation  Why some Americans vote and others do not

 Education and income

 Age

 Civic attitudes

 Apathy

 Alienation

 Civic duty

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7-9

Conventional Forms of

Participation Other Than Voting  Campaign and lobbying activities

 Virtual participation

 Political campaigns and citizen mobilization

 Democratizing effects, but also lend themselves to political

polarization

 Community activities

 Decline in social capital?

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7-11

Unconventional Activism: Social

Movements and Protest Politics  The Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street protest movements

 Each social (political) movement started with anger at

established interests and seek change

 Tea Party:

 Initial target: Republican lawmakers for the 2008 bank bailout

 Played a key role in Republican takeover of House in 2010

 Resulting House turmoil has weakened popular support

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7-12

Unconventional Activism: Social

Movements and Protest Politics  The Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street protest movements

 Occupy Wall Street:

 Began as protest against bailout of the financial industry and

government’s failure to hold bankers accountable

 Has seen popular support decline because of public’s unease with

protesters confronting police

 OWS’s target was private wealth and aimed to curb the political

influence of large political donors

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7-14

Unconventional Activism: Social

Movements and Protest Politics  The public’s response to protest activity

 Political protests have a long history in America

 Americans less likely to protest than citizens in other

democracies

 Public support for protest activity relatively low

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7-16

Participation and

Potential for Influence  Individualism diminishes political participation

 Lower-income Americans least likely to vote or

participate politically; lack resources and education levels

 Participation reflects socioeconomic level

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