One thing that is worth of notice is that, though the opposition had grievances, they did not resort to violence but the law. This also shows the confidence that people have developed and are developing in the court system and it is important that institutions are strengthened to consolidate democracies.
Political participation has been impressive though voter turnout has fluctuated. The lowest turn-out was the 1992 elections. This election recorded a turnout of 53.75%. It is not surprising because, Ghana was returning from over a decade of military rule. The 1996 general elections also recorded a voter turnout of 76.09%; 2000 general elections, 61.7%; 2004 general elections had a voter turnout of 85.1%. This is the highest voter turnout ever recorded. The first round of the 2008 general election was 69.52% and the presidential run-off had a turnout of 72.91%. The 2012 general elections also had a voter turnout of 80.15%.
It will be simple to define political participation by using voter turnout in elections as the only yardstick. Hence, it is imperative for governments and for that matter the Ghanaian government to include citizens and get their interest in the affairs of the state. Thus political participation should not end at the ballot.
3.0 How Ghana made it?
Arguably, the answer lies in ‘multi-institutional’ efforts and reforms. Institutions such as political parties, civil society organisations, state institutions, and the Electoral Commission as well as
There are a lot of ways in which citizens can participate in politics in the UK without necessarily having to vote for example: joining a political party, boycotting, and even signing petitions and fund raising. However, there is an argument that there has been a participation crisis over the past years in the UK. A participation crisis is when less and less citizens take part in political activities; this can be shown in the decrease of voter turnout and the level of participation. On the other hand, there is an argument that there is in fact not a participation crisis because the turnout of voting is increasing and specific
The authors’ hypothesis in Democratic Practice and Democratic Theory states that requirements for voters exist to be followed but are difficult to follow, so only little of the electorate meet the requirements. The authors state that every voter should seek to have the requirements of great voters, including having great interest in politics, participating in discussions, and knowing much about politics. The authors declare that politicians have to accept the behavior of the voters. Also, even though the requirements are not met, the authors add that a positive side as the distribution of participation helps create
Voting is the foremost way to exhibit good citizenship and civil responsibility. People should get involved in elections and educated in all political measures. By this they become good and responsible participatory citizens. It should always be remembered that some people sacrifice their lives to preserve the freedom and voting opportunity as a sacred right. True democracy demands the involvement of the people otherwise in absence of that there is no democracy(Akande, 2011).
Voter turnout is the rate by which people vote in elections. The simplest way to calculate a given election's turnout rate is to compare the actual number of voters with the voting-age population. “Voter turnout in the United States is among the worlds’ lowest.” (E.S. 371) The graph below taken from an article written for the Huffington Post in 2012, illustrates how poor United States voter turnout has been as compared to other industrialized nations. Our voter turnout
Citizens Participation- becoming informed, debating issues, and voting in elections. Document
They suggested that political participation held more than instrumental value and offered a platform for the earning of the virtues and responsibilities that underpin democracy
There are many more ways people can participate in politics other than by voting. In the United States, the second highest form of activity is by participating in community work in local communities. The
then the government should not place unnecessary barriers on the voting. He also argues that any
Voter turnout has not been above sixty percent since 1968 and has not been above seventy percent since 1900. These numbers are significantly lower during midterm elections, which dip into the thirty percent range. Voter turnout is drastically lower than many other countries, placing the United States near the bottom when compared to other democracies. There are many factors that have contributed to the decline in voter participation (Patterson 170) (“Voter Turnout Data”) (“Voter Turnout in Presidential
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.
I am writing to inform you of how important it is, in any free country or democratic republic, civic and political participation is absolutely crucial because without it, decisions about the affairs of the state would be left to a select few, who could enact laws that aren't in the best interests of the people.
Voting is a standout amongst the most principal parts of political engagement. Numerous political researchers connect voting with the strength of the popularity based process and contend that declining voting rates might be symptomatic of a democratic deficit. Since political support can likewise impact public policy, others are worried that lower investment could bring about strategies that are not really illustrative of key voting demographics, similar to the individuals who tend to vote less. Therefore, the voter turnout rate is utilized as one pointer of political engagement. In Canada, researchers who look at voter turnout have found various
This chapter reviews the much-discussed low voter turnout and the poor percentage of other forms of political participation in the United States. After reading and reviewing the material in this chapter, the student should be able to do each of the following:
The decline in voter turnout at the turn of the century has always been a concern for politicians and scholars alike. The very fact that voters are responsible for changing or keeping the country’s leadership means that this development should be a concern not only to a few individuals but also to the whole nation. The government, political parties, and focus and interest groups have tried to find ways to increase the motivation to vote while easing the voting process. However, these methods have been less successful than expected. While the motivation to vote relies on factors such as the attributes of voters, political socialization, and electoral laws and rules, the impact of political parties and their aspirants supersedes any strategy
In this essay, I would like to discuss the major obstacles to voting, recent changes to overcome voting barriers and the political influence of changed rules. Low turnout in the U.S. reflects that there are obstacles for people to voting and changes to overcome these obstacles may also bring new problems to different social groups. I will elaborate on these aspects in the following parts.