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Understanding Voting Rights and Political Participation

This article explores the terminology related to voting rights, the reasons for nonvoting, forms of political participation, causes of participation, voting history, voting restrictions, the Civil Rights Movement and suffrage, landmark Civil Rights Acts, and the Motor-Voter Law.

moorechristopher
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Understanding Voting Rights and Political Participation

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  1. Voting Rights Terminology • Suffrage: the right to vote • Franchise: same as suffrage • Electorate: those legally eligible to vote

  2. Political Participation • In Western Europe democracies, about 80% vote • Common misconceptions are that Americans are apathetic, and that government and private groups need to be mobilized to get out the vote. • Only about 50% of the voting-age population cast ballots in 2000

  3. Why Nonvoting? • #1 reason--State registration requirements • In Europe, registration is automatic • Youth and Minorities are increasing in # • Political parties no longer mobilize • Motor-Voter Bill attempts to rectify the situation. More independents registered. • Americans find other ways to participate—fighting city hall, giving to campaigns, working for campaigns • Non-voting indicates relative satisfaction of electorate

  4. Verba and Nie’s Forms of Political Participation • Inactives: rarely vote or contribute (22%, young, many blacks, low income, low education) • Voting Specialists: Not much education or income, older • Campaigners: More education, interested in politics, identify with party, take strong positions • Nonpartisan local activists • Parochial participants: Don’t vote, but contact politicians on certain issues • Participate in all forms of politics, activists (highly educated, high income, middle aged, 11%)

  5. Causes of Participation • Education • Churchgoers vote more • Gender makes no difference • Wealth (esp. among blacks) • No correlation between mistrust/not voting • Parties less effective in mobilizing

  6. Voting History • When Constitution ratified, vote was limited to taxpayers and property owning males • By Jackson era, all white males • Most British men didn’t receive franchise until 1884 (Great. Reform Act)

  7. Voting Restrictions • Usually must be a citizen • Residency: must be a citizen of your state for at least 30 days (exception: college students) • Age 18 (in most) • 49 states require registration (ND) • Literacy tests not permitted Oregon v. Mitchell, 1970

  8. How Blacks Were Prevented From Voting • Literacy Tests • Poll Taxes • Grandfather Clauses protected whites (if Grandpa could vote in 1867, you could—declared unconstitutional in 1915) • White primary (unconstitutional in 1944) • Intimidation

  9. Permissible Voting Restrictions • States must allow voters for State legislatures vote in Congressional elections • No state can deprive someone of suffrage because of race • No state can deprive someone of suffrage because of sex • No state can deprive anyone from voting based on age if they are 18. (26th Amend.) • No state can charge poll taxes to vote in federal elections—and Supreme Court has stated that state elections can’t be taxed

  10. The Civil Rights Movement and Suffrage • 15th Amendment; good but non-self executing • Gerrymandering was a problem • Wesberry vs. Sanders—population differences between districts in GA so “bad” it violated the Constitution (’63) • Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, 1964..see next slide

  11. Landmark Civil Rights Acts • 1957 Act: Set up Civil Rights Commission, gave Attorney General the power to seek injunctions—federal court orders that tell someone to do something or not do something • 1960 Act: Federal Voting Referees • 1964 Act: Outlaws discrimination in public and private • Voting Rights Act of 1965: States must clear new laws with DOJ if they are listed as potentially civil rights violators, must print ballots in local minority languages. Suspended literacy tests, appointed federal examiners, set up criminal penalties

  12. Motor-Voter Law (1993) • Opposed by Republicans, although we’re not really sure if turnout affects election results: • Non-whites and Latinos tend to be most underrepresented of American voters (blacks less so than Latinos, since they attend churches that stimulate political activity, Latinos have a language barrier • It’s a mandate that requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for motor vehicle registration. • States mad because federal government did not provide funds to staff offices…some challenged Motor-Voter in court

  13. Chapter Summary • American voters tend not to vote because of registration problems • The most powerful determinants of participation are schooling and then race • Americans vote more frequently and for many more offices, and hence elections make a bigger difference in how public affairs are conducted. Americans also participate more frequently in nonelectoral ways of supporting candidates.

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