DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Posc 105
VOTING AND ELECTIONS
(Continued)
- THIS MORNING:
- Voting, elections, campaigns
- These notes basically repeat the ones distributed yesterday.
- ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY - SOME BASICS:
- Elections are a key component of "democracy by
accountability."
- Instruments for holding representatives accountable
- Educational and motivational functions.
- Presumably an exciting campaign would interest people and
encourage them to learn more about the candidates and issues.
- Elections American style:
- Number of separate choices
- Sheer number of offices to be filled can be overwhelming
- Selection of candidates: the nomination process adds to the number of
opportunities to cast a ballot.
- Conventions and caucuses versus primaries
- General elections
- Presidential and "off year" elections
- Referenda
- Recall a major effect of the constitution:
the creation of independent power
centers.
- Members of the White House, House, and
Senate are elected separately.
- Geographical representation
- DISSATISFACTION WITH THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM:
- Three general concerns
- The turnout conundrum:
participation in
presidential and off-year
elections has declined during the
last 100 years despite improvements in
communications and transportation and
rising level of education.
- In 1996 less than half of
the eligible electorate bothered to show up
at the polls.
- In 1998 it was less than 40 percent.
- See
the graph
- Note that turnout in
congressional (off year) elections is
lower than in presidential years.
- The class web site has a graph
that is complete through 1994. It
clearly illustrates the down turn in turnout.
- Compared to other countries turnout in elections is quite low.
- Go to:
http://www.igc.apc.org/cvd/on_line_library/Voter_Turnout/turnout.htm.
- Lack of voter interest and knowledge
seems to be high.
- The bottom line: elections in the United States
leave nearly everyone unhappy.
- For an interesting discussion of participation in politics,
including voting, see Carl Everett Ladd
- EXPLAINING THE DECLINE IN TURNOUT:
- First what are the reasons for the decline?
- Individual characteristics (the "Hamilton school"): interest, knowledge,
concern, civic-mindedness, ability to "pay the costs of participation" (i.e.,
social-economic standing).
- The "voters are contented" argument
- Structural factors (the "Jefferson school"): general proposition: political
institutions and practices keep the "cost of participation" too high for many
citizens.
- What are these institutions and practices that discourage voting?
- Mass media and "quality" information.
- Registration laws
- Campaign practices
- Structure of elections
- Decline of political party grass roots organizations.
- Growing size and complexity of government.
- REGISTRATION AND TURNOUT:
- In order to vote citizens in most states must register. But specific registration
requirements vary from state to state.
Some make it easier to register than others.
- Proposition: turnout is related to
registration requirements: the "easier," the higher
the turnout; the harder, the lower,
other things being equal.
- The politics of motor voter legislation.
- MODERN CAMPAIGN TACTICS AND STRATEGIES:
- Self-selected candidates:
- Decline of party influence in candidate selection
- Examples: Steve Forbes, Patrick Kennedy, S. B. Woo, Joe Biden, Pat
Buchanan, Jimmy Carter...
- Candidate centered campaigns
- Adopt policy positions in order to get elected; not run for office in order to get
elected, not to advance public policies.
- The impact of advanced technology
- Television, polling, computers, direct mail
- Example: Focus groups
- "Boston Harbor" and "Pledge of Allegiance" and Reagan
Democrats
- The uses of technology
- The new breed of political consultants
- James Carville, Lee Atwater, Dick Morris
- The strategy of ambiguity
- The consequences:
- Soaring costs of running for office
- Trivialization of issues
- Personal agendas
- Personality over substance
- Generalization over specifics
- Negative advertisements
- The debasing of political discourse.
- NEXT TIME:
- Film, "Taking on the Kennedy's"
- It illustrates in an amusing and interesting way many of the concepts we
have been discussing
- It's also important; I take it seriously as an important part of the course.
- Reading:
- Look at the material on the class web site mentioned above.
Go to Notes page
Go to American Political System page
Go to H. T. Reynolds page