Modern Campaigning And Voter Turnout

The form in which political parties campaign has changed over time. And, there are many explanations historians provide describing the evolution of campaigns over time. In the present days, there is no doubt social media such as Facebook and Twitter has changed the game; these tools allow presidential nominees to reach far more people than ever before. It also allows the candidate to talk to people without filtration. In the last decade, the goal of the campaign focuses more on demoralizing the contestants than addressing real issues.

In our system of government we are privileged with the option to take part in the political process that runs the country. It is our right to vote that lets the people influence change in policy and set the guidelines that politicians must follow to be elected representatives. This precious ability, which is most coveted in most non-democratic countries, is taken for granted in our own.

Secondly, I feel it is similarly important to this paper to address what the true definition and what I mean when I use the term, national election. Through this paper I use the term, national elections, which refers to the presidential and congressional elections in the United States. Also, by studying the percentage of voter turnout in every national election, we determine if voter turnout is declining by, “A country is considered to have declining turnout if its average percentage levels in the last three decades have decreased by more than 2% compared to those of the first three decades (Ferrini, 2012).” Given that the US does meet this criteria, lets get into analyzing these competing theories.

Factors such as competitiveness of upcoming elections and demographics play roles in determining voter turnout. Voting rates historically vary widely among states. In a given election year, many factors contribute to the number of state citizens going to the polls. In presidential elections, citizens of less competitive states go to the polls less often than in states where outcome is less certain. Election type also influences voter turnout. Fewer voters across all states turn out for primary elections and local elections. Among demographic factors, age and race influence voter turnout. Younger Americans and certain minorities, including Latin Americans and Asian-Americans, historically cast votes less frequently than older citizens,

The nature of voter turnout is a broad concept in modern American politics and can be broken into many topics: how voter turnout varies by state, by election, by demographics, and whether or not voter turnout actually matters. Despite public opinion that voter participation is declining and that such participation matters, voter turnout is about the same as it was in the 1960s and has not undergone serious changes, and turnout only actually matters in competitive or local elections, rarely national elections.

Since each state has a different amount of votes based on their prevalence in the House of Representatives, candidates often spend time in those that have a greater impact on the votes. In the last two elections, turnout rose in 14 of the “battleground states,” but everywhere else remained unchanged (Plutzer). While it is understandable to campaign heavy in the states that would provide the best results, it still leaves a large majority of the population left unchanged, all because the candidate is assured they have those state’s votes because of its usual voting pattern. These “swing states” are fought for because they could be won by either major party, and so they experience heavy campaigning, rallying, etc.. Although some of the swing states may not have many electoral college votes, they are sought after because they are the primary source of more votes, as the other states are generally either “red” or “blue” by that

Overall, the 2016 voter turnout was lower than ever before. The United States is a country that has some of the lowest voter turnouts in history, and unlike Australia, the USA doesn't make voting mandatory. About 48 to 57% of citizens normally participate in the presidential election voting but in 2016 many American’s decided to opt out lowering the voter turnout to a mere 55% of the American population. When American’s didn't vote that decision most likely came due to the fact that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were both two of the most disliked presidential candidates in the past 30 years. We are also aware that presidential elections are more competitive in some states, and Republicans didn't seem to vote as much as people in swing

Problem/Proof/Interest/Perspective: Since the end of WWII voter turnout has never exceeded 65% of the electorate and it’s become a new and frightening trend to not exercise many of the rights and the democracy our predecessors fought so hard to establish.There is a growing voter gap between low income individuals and the elite that is rendering our electoral system ineffective thus weakening our country as a whole. According to the Pew Research Center “Almost half—46 percent—of nonvoters have family incomes less than $30,000 per year, while only 19 percent of likely voters are from low-income families.” As a young American who hasn't even gotten the chance to exercise such democratic rights, I want to be able to cast my vote knowing it will

Voter turnout is commonly regarded as one of the most distinct issues within American politics of the last century. Though the United States once averaged a turnout rate of 78% of eligible voters in presidential elections between 1860 and 19001, the average voter turnout of the 21st century has fallen to around 52%2. The cause of the marked decline throughout the 20th century is often attributed simply to voter apathy, but the issue is much more complex. Upon analysis, it is clear that a number of factors have contributed to the decreased rate of voter turnout, of which voter apathy is perhaps the least influential. The decline in voter turnout in presidential elections from the 19th to the 20th century is most likely a result of the instatement of the Australian ballot, the structure of the American election system, and an increased disillusionment with the government over the last century.

In the United States, voter turnout rates have been declining for the last 4 decades; however, this pattern differs substantially by region. Southern states have actually seen a fairly dramatic increase in turnout since the 1950s and currently the South and non-South have almost identical rates of voter registration and turnout. Using a series of Heckman probit models, which examine voting as a two-step process of registering and casting a vote, we systematically investigate differences in rates of registering and voting across regions and test explanations for regional convergence over time. Using data from the American National Election Studies (1956–2000), we find that regional convergence in voter registration is primarily due to the removal

July 4th, Veterans Day, and Labor Day are all national holidays for which schools and work are closed for the day. However, the United States has yet to make election day a national holiday. The first Tuesday in November of every fourth year, election day takes place. Election day presents citizens with the opportunity to influence federal bureaucracy by choosing the next president of the United States. In the most recent election, voter turnout was at a twenty-year low (Wallace). The U.S. was not only at a twenty-year low, but the U.S. voter turnout currently trails most developed countries (DeSilver). As voter turnout seemed to drop every election, many democratic politicians decided to take a stand. One such as former President Barack Obama

Another way to address low voter turnout is to lump elections together. According to a text (Dye & MacManus, 2015), when city and county elections are held separately from national elections they usually produce turnouts of 25 to 35 percent. When local voter turnout is low the implications extend much further than the ballot box. American lives are busy and continue to get busier each year, that’s why some states have adopted a vote by mail system. A vote by mail system would eliminate the need to get to a polling place during certain hours and wait in long lines. According to an article (Office of the Comptroller City of New York, 2016), Washington saw significant and immediate increases in turnout after transitioning to all mail elections

I believe the short story,"The Problem of Low Voter Turnout" is more helpful than the short story,"A Citizen's Duty". The reason why "The Problem of Low Voter Turnout" is more help is because it talks more about how people don't vote. The story also gives percentages and talks about the constitution In the last paragraph in the story,"The Problem of Low Voter Turnout" the author says,"Perhaps the most culturally system of required voting is that of Australia.

Voter turnout, as well as election results, depend upon and are effected by several different factors. Everything from family status to beliefs about abortion can determine how a person will vote. In my presentation, however, I focused on three aspects that effect voter turnout and elections. I found, in my research, that a voter's age, sex and party identification greatly factor into how a person will cast his or her vote.

Political campaigns are very significant in American politics and elections. It is the period before the electorate makes political decisions in the form of elections. The attention of the citizens towards politics intensifies as the date of the elections draws near. The salience of voters improves as the election date draws near and could manifest in the form of increased media attention. Political discussions, campaign interest, strength of the intention to vote, and knowledge about the candidates are other manifestations of increased salience of voters. Another indication of improved intensity is the effort put by the candidates and their political parties in the campaigns. Parties increase their efforts in the