Low Voter Turnout is NOT a Significant Problem in the United States

Low Voter Turnout is NOT a Significant Problem in the United States

The different strategies in political campaigning have led to lower voter turnout and less political participation by the general public according to Steven Schier in his book, "Payment Due: A Nation In Debt, A Generation In Trouble." Different public and private interest groups can link these downturns to the changing political strategies and the lobbying of the government. Political participation and lower voter turnout is something that we should not be concerned about and doesn’t pose a significant problem in the United States.

The low level of political engagement that Schier says is going to be approximately 50% of the citizenry can be explained in many ways. One of the reasons for the low level is what Martin Wattenberg points as being the citizenry lacking party identification. People are tending to not identify with a party and therefore not vote solely for that party. Wattenberg claims that some saw the lack of party identification to have implication that seemed quite threatening for democracy (Wattenberg, 23-25). Keefe points out that “strong partisans are less numerous than in the past. Split-ticket voting is common everywhere. Most voters do not view parties in a favorable light (Keefe, 74).” With the lack of party identification has come the rise of parties of accommodation. Parties of accommodation have made it impossible for the number of citizens engaged in politics to remain as high as it once was. If the party does not stand for something than people aren’t as interested in making a stand with the party. In the 2000 election there where 2 parties of accommodation running candidates of accommodation against each ot...

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...y. The two major parties ensure that people with the same basic ideas and the same basic goal for the country, such the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, will remain in power. Schier’s concerns have basis to them, but in the end the United States political structure will continue to run. The presidents may become indistinguishable from each other but they will still have the same general goals and the same outlook. The average American citizen may not be interested in and may not participate in politics, but politics in general will remain the same. The elite will run the country and the average citizen will either voice their opinion by voting or ride the shirt tales of other voters. Politics may be exclusive, but the exclusive elite is chosen by the masses.

Timothy J Penny, Steve Schier. Payment Due: A Nation In Debt, A Generation In Trouble