Government and Politics – America Needs Greater Voter Participation
We may live in a country that encourages voting in political elections, yet the level of voter turnout in America is relatively small and continues to decline. Compared to other countries with democratic governments, the United States falls very near the bottom of the list with its percentage of voter participation. One explanation for this disturbing phenomenon states that the American system requires more effort from voters, asking them to participate in “more elections for more levels of government with more elective offices at each level than any other country in the world” (Schudson 159). In most other democracies, the citizens may be asked to vote only 2 or 3 times over a 4-year period (Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry 246).
American voters feel overwhelmed by all that is asked of them. The diverse and numerous elections held in the United States, especially at the state and local levels try the attention spans of voters and decrease their willingness or desire to participate. Reading the local election ballot and trying to determine the actual function of the various obscure local offices such as county clerk, court clerk or register of deeds can be a daunting task. Extracting real meaning from the political jargon used in wording local propositions can also be a challenge and source of discouragement (Schudson 156). Dr. Bill Lyons, of the University of Tennessee, said this of Tennessee state and local elections: “In Tennessee, we also have a very long ballot with a lot of constitutional offices and we have an awful lot of elections. I think that’s bad because it unnecessarily splits the time and attention of voters” (Flessner 2).
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...n Perspective Sections on pages 208 and 245.
Michael Schudson, “Voting Rites: Why We Need a New Concept of Citizenship”. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 156-164.
Project Vote Smart, “PVS General Population and Youth Survey”, Department of Political Science at OSU, http://www.vote-smart.org/youthsurvey.phtml?checking=/, 1999, p. 5.
Robert D. Putnam, “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital”. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 165-175.
Ruy Teixeira, “Voter Turnout in America: Ten Myths”. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 149-155.
An issue in Texas today is whether the public have sufficient control over the executive branch of Texas government. Texas has a plural executive, which mean the public not only elects the Lieutenant Governor, but also the Attorney General, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, and Agricultural Commissioner (Benson, Clinkscale, and Giardino 216). These elections add significantly to the “long ballet” that the public can vote for. Some argue that because there are so many to vote for, people cannot adequately vote for the positions. The research and attention needed to stay up to date on the elections can steer people away from voting. Many people vote for the governor and the lieutenant governor because of the title and how high the positions are.
fighting was then focused in Georgia, with an eye on the taking of Atlanta. Those
Throughout American History, people of power have isolated specific racial and gender groups and established policies to limit their right to vote. These politicians, in desperate attempt to elongate their political reign, resort to “anything that is within the rules to gain electoral advantage, including expanding or contracting the rate of political participation.”(Hicks) Originally in the United States, voting was reserved for white, property-owning gentleman
Presley grew up in an era where racism was strong; his music brought all races together. His music had Caucasians singing black R&B despite the racism. Teenage girls all over the world would go hysterical over Elvis and his crude moves. Elvis received one of his nicknames “Elvis the Pelvis” with his sexual moves that could not be recorded on television. 1955 and 1956 was when Presley exploded in his musical careers with his single “Heartbreak Hotel” which sold over one million copies. As I listened to this single that sold so many copies I can hear the different genres and the way his voice was so different compared to other artist in this era. The main instrument being played in this single is a guitar. There is actually a hotel named after Elvis’s first hit single. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. Unfortunately, the hit song was inspired behind a suicide note that one of Pre...
Food insecurity is one of the major social problems that we have in our world today. The concern about this problem is the increasing number of people that are beginning to experience hunger more often. “While hunger has long been a public health concern in developing countries, it has received varying degrees of attention in the United States, most notable during the 1930s and 1960s” (Poppendieck 1992). In addition to lack of food, there are consequences that follow. People, especially children, who suffer from food deprivation also undergo some health issues such as malnutrition and obesity, which leads to more health care and hospitalizations. “In the early 1980s, most reports of hunger involved families with children, the elderly, the unskilled and unemployed youth, the mentally ill, the homeless and minorities” (Brown 1992; Nestle and Guttmacher 1992). However, a particular ethnic group that is greatly affected by food insecurities are the Hispanic...
"Miller light and bud light…either way you end up with a mighty weak beer!" This is how Jim Hightower (a Texan populist speaker) described the choices that the U.S. electorate had in the 2000 elections. This insinuates that there is a clear lack of distinction between the parties. Along with numerous others, this is one of the reasons why the turnout is so low in the U.S. elections. In trying to explain the low figures at the U.S. elections, analysts have called American voters apathetic to indifferent to downright lazy. I disagree that the 50% (in recent elections) of voters that fail to turnout to vote are lazy and that they have just reason not too. I will also show that the problem lies within the system itself in that the institutional arrangements, electoral and governmental, do not create an environment that is conducive to mass participation. I will address these main issues and several others that have an effect on voter participation. In doing so I will compare America to other established democracies.
Piven, Frances Fox and Richard A. Cloward. Why Americans Don't Vote. New York: Pantheon, 1989.
Among the many ways Americans can participate in politics, voting is considered one of the most common and important ways for Americans to get involved. The outcome of any election, especially at the national level, determines who will be making and enforcing the laws that all Americans must abide by. With this in mind one might assume that all Americans are active voters, but studies show the voter turnout is actually astonishingly low. With this unsettling trend it is important to know what statistics say about voter turnout as was as the four major factors that influence participation: Socioeconomic status, education, political environment, and state electoral laws, in order to help boost turnout in future elections.
Born to a poor Mississippi family in the heart of Depression, Elvis had moved to Memphis by his teens, where he absorbed the vibrant melting pot of Southern popular music in the form of blues, country, bluegrass, and gospel. After graduating from high school, he became a truck driver, rarely if ever singing in public. Some 1953 and 1954 demos, recorded at the emerging Sun label in Memphis primarily for Elvis' own pleasure, helped stir interest on the part of Sun owner Sam Phillips.
Throughout Elvis’s childhood and into his teenage years, the Presley family struggled to get by, but they never left their strong Christian faith. Elvis was inspired by gospel music and loved singing in church. When he was ten years old, he sang on stage for the first time at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo and received a standing ovation. A few months later for his eleventh birthday, Elvis’s mom bought him a gift that would forever change history (www.history.com). It was a guitar that she purchased from the Tupelo Hardware Store for $6.95 because it was all that they could afford. Two years later, in search of a better life, the Presley family packed up everything they owned and moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis attended L.C. Humes High School and graduated on June 3, 1953. That summer, he stopped by The Memphis Recording Service and recorded a demo for $4 as a gift for his mom. The owner was pleased with Elvis and wanted him to team up with two local musicians, Scotty Moore and
Putnam, Robert (2000) Bowling Alone. The Collapse and Revival of American Social Capital, Simon and Schuster, New York.
The history of the twentieth century would not be complete without mentioning the impeccable influence of one of the best and biggest singers of all time. But before he started making his indelible mark in the sands of time, he started out from very humble beginnings, under the care of his loving, working class parents. Elvis Aaron Presley was born January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi to Gladys and Vernon Presley. Although, Presley was supposed to be a twin, his supposed twin brother, Jesse Garon, sometimes spelled Jessie was stillborn. Elvis Aaron Presley was an incredible American Singer, Musician and Actor with inspirational quotes such as this “Fingerprints are like values; you leave them all over everything you do.”
It wasn’t easy to get to where he was. Mississippi born and raised, Presley didn’t live in luxury. His wealth and fame was a massive step from his struggling Mississippi life (Stones). This influenced others to pursue their dreams as well. Since he was raised this way, and grew up as a generous and kind person, he would always donate to the needy, which sparked the role model in him (Bergmooser). Only ten years old, Presley finally made his first public performance. He sang “Old Shep” for a contest and received fifth place (Stones). Later in his life, he made his first record working with Sun Records in 1953 (Stones). This eventually led to exposure in the music industry. More and more people listened and bought his albums as the years flew by. Added up, Elvis Presley sold more than a billion records worldwide (RIAA). Throughout his career, he performed many times and at countless different locations. In 1972, he sold out four Madison Square Garden shows (McShane). This is the place many artists only dream of achieving. Step by step, Presley grew his fame and aspired others to strive the same way. Without har...
In 1931 when the American Dream arose, Americans believed that the harder one worked, the more one would prosper (Meacham, 2012). In other words, they strongly believed that the American Dream was gaining a better, richer, happier life. Today, the American Dream is still hoping to earn a college degree, get a good job, buy a house, and start a family, but according to MetLife’s fifth annual survey, 41% of the respondents said it was about personal fulfillment, while most American’s say it is out of reach for many (White, ...
In “Can You Be Educated from a Distance?” by James Barszcz, the author attempts to pinpoint the negative aspects of distance education compared to traditional classrooms. At the beginning of the article, he first describes the basic format of online courses, which results in a vast minimization of face-to-face communication of students with instructors. He then touches on some of the beneficial qualities of online education, and the reasoning for its quickly growing popularity among students and schools alike. He mainly attributes this trend to the overall convenience that is promised to students by online courses. These courses allow students to learn material in the comfort of their own home. Barszcz also considers the financial appeal for universities. Having an increasing number of students enrolled solely in online classes allows schools to save money on electricity, as well as decrease the amount of staff they employ. Also mentioned is that many strong advocates of distance...