This document discusses various topics related to participation, voting, and elections in the United States. It includes clicker questions to gauge reader understanding and key terms related to suffrage, political participation, and the types and frequency of political participation. It also covers voter turnout rates in the US compared to other countries, factors that influence voter behavior, and reasons for low voter turnout. Additional sections address the "calculus of voting" and how demographics predict voting behavior. The document concludes with discussions of primaries, redistricting, gerrymandering, the electoral college system, and examples of close presidential elections.

1. Participation, Voting, and Elections
Chapters 8 and 10

2. Clicker Question
How many blog comments have you
posted?
a. 10+
b. 7-9
c. 4-6
d. 1-3

3. Clicker Question
New Blog Requirements:
ONLY 10 POST NEEDED (NOT 20)
10 posts = 100%
Up to 5 post = Extra Credit (1 pt each)
ALL POSTS DUE: June 24th by 5pm

4. Clicker Question
Do you believe it is right to participate
in a political protest if you are
dissatisfied with the policies of our
government?
a. Yes
b. No

5. Clicker Question
Do you believe it is a problem that
citizens with lower incomes and
less education are significantly less
likely to participate in politics?
a. Yes
b. No

6. Clicker Question
Do you think the policies enacted by
our elected representatives would
be different if EVERYONE voted?
a. Yes
b. No

7. Clicker Question
The Constitution was amended to
allow women the right to vote in all
public elections in:
a. 1870
b. 1885
c. 1920
d. 1948

8. Clicker Question
Do you support women’s
suffrage?
a. YES
b. NO

9. Key Terms
Suffrage – The right to vote. USAGE: Women
were extended suffrage in _____.
Franchise – ALSO, the right to vote…or the
group of people who have the right to vote.
USAGE: In America the franchise includes all
adults _____ or older.

10. Political Participation
Political participation refers to a wide range of
activities designed to
influence government.
Today, voting is the typical form of participation,
although political participation also includes
activities like petitioning, protesting, and
campaigning.

11. Types of Participation
Voting – Casting a vote, campaign contributions,
sign posting, etc.
Lobbying - Exerting direct pressure on elected
officials.
Public Relations – An effort to sway public opinion
on behalf of an issue or cause.
Litigation – Using the courts to seek relief or effect
some type of change
Protest – Assembling crowds to confront a
government or other official organization.

12. Frequency of Participation

13. Clicker Question
The most recent expansion of the
franchise in the United States took
place in 1971, when the:
a. Motor Voter Act was passed
b. poll tax was abolished
c. Supreme Court struck down white
primaries
d. voting age was reduced from
twenty-one to eighteen

14. Historical Turnout

15. Clicker Question
Which country has higher voter
turnout than the United States?
a. Mexico
b. Germany
c. Italy
d. All of the above

16. Voter Turnout Around the World
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Denmark
Domican Republic
Ecuador
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Peru
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Average =
70%

17. Clicker Question
Would you be more likely to vote if
election day were a holiday?
a. Yes
b. No

18. Clicker Question
Would you be more likely to vote if
you could vote at any polling
location?
a. Yes
b. No

19. Clicker Question
Would you be more likely to vote if we
had more parties on the ballot?
a. Yes
b. No

20. The Calculus of Voting
(Why is Turnout so HIGH?)
R = pB − C + D
R = the reward gained from voting in a given
election
p = probability of vote “mattering”
B = Benefit of voting--differential benefit of one
candidate winning over the other
C = Costs of voting (time/effort spent)
D = citizen duty, goodwill feeling, psychological and
civic benefit of voting

21. Clicker Question
The “Calculus of Voting” suggests that
people will only vote if the ___________
outweigh the __________.
a. Democrats, Republicans
b. Issues, Laziness
c. Benefits, Costs
d. Costs, Benefits

22. Who Does Vote?
Both the decision to vote and particular voting
behavior is associated with a number of
demographic factors.
What factors predict voting behavior?
Income
Education
Age
Race/Ethnicity
Gender
Strength of Partisanship

23. Voting and Demographics

24. Voting and Demographics

25. Why is Turnout So Low?
Demographics – Expansion of groups traditionally associated
with low voting rates – Young, African Americans, Latinos.
Barriers to Voting – Only 2/3 of eligible voters were
registered during the past 3 decades. (Motor Voter 1993)
Lack of Attractive Choices – Because we only have 2 parties
it becomes an either/or situation.
Too Much Complexity – Too much time and effort is involved
in being informed because we vote on almost everything.
Voter Fatigue – Americans vote far more often than people in
parliamentary regimes – The only country that votes more
than the US is Switzerland.
Citizen Disaffection – Poor candidates and contentious or
negative campaigning may have kept people away from
the polling booths – Apathy, Cynicism, Alienation.

26. Clicker Question
Would you support expanding the
electorate to those between the
ages of 16 and 18?
a. YES
b. NO

27. Why or Why Not?
Reasons:
Easily Persuaded by parents – not independent
Too immature – May not understand the complexity
Won’t take it seriously – no vested interest
Not informed;
Politics doesn’t affect them
Won’t vote anyway

28. Clicker Question
Reasons:
-Can’t join the military; not legal adults
-Not mature enough
-Uneducated
-Not sophisticated enough to make reasonable decisions
-No jobs
-They wouldn’t vote anyway
-Would vote frivolously
-Not enough “at stake” – Too dependent on parents

29. Clicker Question
Do you believe that
POOR/WORKING CLASS people are
sometimes PURPOSEFULLY
disenfranchised?
a. YES
b. NO

30. Types of Elections
Primary Election – Elections held to select a party’s
candidate for the general election.
OPEN primary – A primary election in which the voter
can wait until the day of the primary to choose which
party to enroll in to select candidates for the general
election.
CLOSED primary – A primary election in which voters
can only participate in the nomination of candidates
if they are formally enrolled as a member of that
party for a period of time prior to the primary day.

31. Clicker Question
Do you believe that OPEN
PRIMARIES are FAIR?
a. YES
b. NO

32. Clicker Question
Joe walks into his voting station and the
election judge asks him which party's
ballot he would like to vote on today.
Joe is in
a)a closed primary state.
b)an open primary state.
c)a caucus state.
d)a dictatorship.

33. Clicker Question
Except in rare occasions, boundaries for
congressional and state legislative
districts in the United States are redrawn
by the states every _______ years.
a. two
b. ten
c. twenty
d. twenty-five

34. Reapportionment and Redistricting
Reapportionment – Every 10 years the census is used to
tell us where people have moved (within and across
states).
Redistricting – Usually, in response to reapportionment
(but not always), states redraw district lines so that
their districts achieve basic equality.
Gerrymandering – Redistricting with PURPOSE.
Partisan and Incumbent usually OKAY, racial is a NO.
Shaw v. Reno, 1993 – Districts based exclusively on
racial criteria are unlawful.

35. Districts Gone Wild
Illinois’ 4th District
North Carolina’s 12th District

36. Gerrymandering Techniques
• Packing: Places the opposing party's voters in the
fewest possible districts, to minimize their influence
on other districts
• Cracking: Spreading voters of one type over many
districts where they will comprise minorities that are
unable to influence elections.
• Hijacking: Separating an incumbent candidate from
his constituents and placing him or her in a district
where he or she has no name recognition.
• Kidnapping: Drawing two incumbent candidates into
the same district so they must run against each other.

37. Cracking and Packing
Fig. 4 portrays an
example of cracking,
where voters have
been divided among
a number of
districts, so that
the RED party holds
a 9-7 advantage in
three districts
and BLUE wins just
a single district
Fig. 3 portrays an
extreme example of
packing, where a
single district is
composed solely
of RED voters,
throwing the
advantage to
the BLUE party in
the remaining three
districts.
Fig. 2 represents an
incumbent protection
or "sweetheart"
gerrymandering plan,
in which district
boundaries are draw to
split the number of
seats evenly between
the parties and to
insure a strongly
partisan voting base in
every district.
Fig. 1 creates 4
competitive
districts, where
there are an equal
number of voters
from each party in
every district.

38. Cracking
2005 – Georgia’s 12th District
• Oho
Columbus, Ohio

39. Packing
California’s 23rd District
Democratic
Packed
District

40. Hijacking
2005 – Georgia’s 12th District
John Barrow
was drawn out
of his district
And placed in
the 10th D
but moved back
to the 12th and
won anyway.

41. Kidnapping
Georgia’s 7th and 11th Districts
Bob Barr and
John Linder
were placed in
the same
district…had to
face off in the
Republican
primary.

42. 2000 – Census gives GA +2 districts
Democratic controlled Assembly map
11th was an attempt to create a majority-
minority district
2002 – Republicans win control of Gen. Assembly
Argue that 2001 map splits too many
communities/counties; creates districts that
are irregularly shaped; too partisan in nature
2005 – New Map…
Redistricting in Georgia

43. 2001 Map 2005 Map

44. 2010 Census

45. Seat Change

46. District Size

47. Clicker Question
Would you vote to change the
redistricting process in Georgia?
a. Yes
b. No

48. Campaigns - Median Voter Theory
• Rather than differentiate themselves,
there are clear incentives for
candidates to “go to the middle”
because that’s where the voters are.
• Electoral competition drives parties
together…
• So, the reason candidates appear to be
so centrist is because they are both
competing for “Bob’s” vote in order to
win.

49. Median Voter Theory
Obama McCain

50. How Do Voters Decide?
Social Characteristics – SES, Religion,
Ethnicity
Party Loyalties – Strength of Partisan
Identification
Candidates – experience, decisiveness,
personal warmth, etc.
Issues
The Economy – Bush I vs. Clinton
(“It’s the Economy Stupid”)
Foreign Policy – Wars, International
Crises

51. Clicker Question
Which step comes last?
a. Reapportionment
b. Census
c. Redistricting

52. Clicker Question
Which step comes first?
a. Reapportionment
b. Census
c. Redistricting

53. Clicker Question
Which step comes second?
a. Reapportionment
b. Census
c. Redistricting

54. Clicker Question
The number of a state’s electoral votes
is determined by
a. Number of members in the House of
Representatives
b. Percentage of registered voted that voted
during the last election.
c. Number of members it has in both chambers
of Congress.
d. state’s proportionate share of the overall
national population

55. Clicker Question
In the 2000 presidential race, George
Bush won Missouri 50 percent to 47
percent. How many of Missouri's
eleven electoral votes did Bush get in
2000?
a)six
b)seven
c)nine
d)eleven

56. Electoral College Important Numbers
The Electoral College
55
House +Senate + 3
Article II
3

57. Why do we have the Electoral College?
Options for Electing a President
1. Indirectly By “Experts” –
Let Congress or State Legislatures
choose the President.
REJECTED! – NOT ENOUGH DEMOCRACY
2. Directly by Citizens – Let citizens vote directly for the president.
REJECTED! – NOT ENOUGH QUALITY
Solution: Involve both “Experts” and Citizens.
Legitimacy and Quality
The Electoral College

58. How does the System Work? (OVERVIEW)
1. Prior to election day, each party within a state chooses a
slate of electors that are important figures within their political
party.
2. On Election Day, we vote for a party’s slate of electors that
have pledged to vote for the presidential candidate we prefer.
3. The Popular Vote is then CONVERTED into the Electoral Vote.
(Maine and Nebraska are Different)
4. In December, the electors gather in their respective state
capitols to cast ballots for president and vice president.
In January, Congress convenes, opens the ballots received from
each state, and announces the official outcome.

59. How does the System Work?
1. Prior to election day, each party within a state chooses a slate of
electors that are important figures within their political party.
Required to Pledge? Not in Georgia…
26 States and the District of Columbia (3) have
some form of law or binding pledge to vote for the
candidate with which they are affiliated. Georgia, however,
does not.
“Faithless Electors”
•Electors who do not vote for their party’s designated candidate.
•Since the founding of the Electoral College, there have been 156 faithless Electors.
•71 of these votes were changed because the original candidate died before the day on
which the Electoral College cast their votes.
•Three of the votes were not cast at all as three Electors chose to abstain from casting their
Electoral vote for any candidate.
•The other 82 Electoral votes were changed on the personal initiative of the Elector.
The Electoral College

60. The Electors…
Number Given to Each State =
Size of Congressional Delegation
GEORGIA, with 14 House districts, has 16
Electoral College votes.
(Remember, you add 2 for the Senate)
Largest State = California with 55 electors
Smallest States = 7 states +D.C. have 3 electors
How are they Chosen?
•Electors are typically long-time
party activists who are selected by
their state party organization as a
reward for their loyalty to the party.

61. The Electoral College
All the electors from ALL of the states make up the Electoral College
•The Electoral College consists of 538 members
435 (House) + 100 (Senate) + 3 (D.C.)
= 538
CONSTITUTIONALLY, to win a presidential election, a candidate
must receive a MAJORITY of the Electoral Vote.
538/2 = 269 (Majority = 270)
The Electoral College

62. 2. On Election Day, we vote for a party’s slate of electors that have
pledged to vote for the presidential candidate we prefer.
This is the
POPULAR
VOTE

63. 3. The Popular Vote is then CONVERTED into the
Electoral Vote.
The Electoral College
How’d that
happen?

64. From Popular Vote to Electoral Vote
48 states award electors based on the
Winner-Take-All System.
Thus, 50% +1 Vote = 100% of Electors
Popular Vote (National = 53% to 46% Obama)
In the 2008 election, 52% of Georgia voters chose McCain while 47%
of Georgia voters chose Obama.
Electoral Vote (National = 68% to 32% Obama)
ALL 15 of Georgia’s electoral college seats were then awarded to
John McCain.
The Electoral College

65. Maine (4) and Nebraska (5)
Maine and Nebraska award
electors through a more
proportional process.
HOW? Each state selects electors at the congressional
district level and then awards the 2 “extra” electors to the
statewide popular vote winner.
The Electoral College

66. Clicker Question
What do you think about the Nebraska/
Maine system?
a)I love it, lets do it!
b)Might Work here.
c)No way, never!

67. 2008 Electoral College Vote
What’s misleading about this map? Hint: Should McCain have won?
The Electoral College

68. 2008 Electoral College Vote
(Scaled to # of Electoral College Votes)

69. 2000 – Bush vs. Gore
So, how is it possible that Al Gore won the popular vote
(by almost 544k votes) and yet lost the
electoral college vote (271 to 266)?
A Winner-Take-All system means that any
extra votes (those beyond what is necessary to win) are “SURPLUS” in
the sense that they do not affect the winner’s electoral vote result for
that state.
Example: Gore only needed 3.2M votes to win New York but he
received 4.1M…That’s 900,000 “extra” votes that increased his
popular vote total but did not change his electoral vote total.
The Electoral College

70. Clicker Question
Had the entire country used the
Nebraska/ Maine system in 2000, Al
Gore would have been president.
a) TRUE
b) FALSE

71. Concerns about the Electoral College
1. Does everyone’s vote count the same?
Wyoming – 71,242 votes per elector
California – 199,378 votes per elector
2. How does this process affect voter turnout?
Battleground States vs. Safe States
3. Reinforces 2-party system
Democracy = Choice
The Electoral College

72. Number of Presidential Candidate Visits
(September 26th to November 2nd, 2004)

73. Advertising Money Spent ($ =1 million)
(September 26th to November 2nd, 2004)

74. Other Ways?
Congressional District Approach?
We could all change to the Maine/Nebraska model – Strangely, if this
had been done in 2000, Bush would have won by a larger electoral
margin (Small states tend to be Republican + large states like CA and
NY would be split)
Proportional Voting?
In 2008, Georgia would have awarded 8 electors to McCain and 7
electors to Obama.
Had this been used in 2008 (in TX, CA, GA, FL, OH, PA, and WI), McCain
would have picked up an additional 45 electoral college votes.
The Electoral College

75. Georgia 2008
Had Georgia used the Maine approach, Obama would have picked
up between 3 and 5 of our electoral college votes.

76. Clicker Question
What does the Constitution require to be
elected President?
a. A Plurality of the Popular Vote
b. A Majority of the Electoral Vote
c. A Plurality of the Electoral Vote
d. A Majority of the Popular Vote

77. Clicker Question
Would you approve or disapprove of an
amendment to the Constitution which would
do away with the electoral college and base
the election of a President on the total vote
cast throughout the nation?
a. YES
b. NO

78. Historical Support
APPROVE DISAPPROVE NO OPINION
June 1944 65% 23% 13%
January 1977 73% 15% 12%
Nov. 1980 67% 19% 15%
June 2008 74% 21% 5%