Who Participates A democracy grants us the right to political participation. Political participation is the act of participating in things such as voting, campaigning, and running for office. The most common form that takes is going to the polls and voting. However, many people don’t take part in these things. Political participation can be influenced by many different things such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and age. Socioeconomic status heavily influences political participation in the Unites States, and can lead to some being underrepresented. People’s income, levels of education, and occupation all determine what someone’s socioeconomic status is (“Socioeconomic Status”). At the root of socioeconomic status is someone’s financial status. In order to have a higher level of education you need to have money to pay for it. If you don’t have the funds for a higher level of education you will be far less likely to acquire a well-paying job. This is a roadblock to participating in politics; you have neither the funds nor means to participate if you have a low socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic Status isn’t the only thing that can affect political participation. Age and ethnicity can also …show more content…
According to an article by John Wihbey, “…a 2012 study published in the journal Nature…suggested that certain messages promoted by friends increased turnout directly by about 60,000 voters and indirectly through social contagion by another 280,000 voters, for a total of 340,000 additional votes” (“How does social media use influence political participation and civic engagement?”). This is a fairly large number of people and it shows that social media can help you feel more involved and can even make you want to take part in voting or discussing policies on social media platforms such as Twitter or
“In a meaningful democracy, the people’s voice must be clear and loud – clear so that policy makers understand citizen concerns and loud so that they have an incentive to pay attention. (Verba)” There is no doubt there exists a severe inequality in the participation of the American political process. Kay Lehman Schlozman, Sidney Verba and Henry Brady, a trio of university professors, set out to explain that it is not about how many people participate in our democratic process, it is about who is taking part. In the article: “The Big Tilt: Participatory Inequality in America,” published in the liberal non-profit magazine The American Prospect, the authors conclude that political participation is not equal amongst the social and economical classes in America. Verba, Schlozman and Brady begin building credibility by referencing their own book while also citing
One of the factors that create an imbalance of power within a society is a person's socioeconomic status. Often people with low socioeconomic status are undervalued in society. This imbalance can cause issues with the feelings of security and confidence. Also opportunities and choices can be limited for some people, but expanded to others. People often identify with roles of different socioeconomic status groups, based on their own socioeconomic status, and this can limit creativity and the potential of groups or individuals. If the world believes that people can go from “rags to riches” in America, then there should be an opportunity for all socioeconomic groups.
Social stratification refers to a society’s categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power (Conley ). In the United States, we use social classes as our social stratification system. Going back to the idea of equality of condition, starting in different social classes is not fair. The underclass doesn’t get a fair chance to move up in social class. An article written by Alana Semuels called Poor at 20, Poor for Life was published in the Atlantic. Semuels considered how social mobility has gone down in recent years. In her article, she states “It’s not an exaggeration: It really is getting harder to move up in America. Those who make very little money in their first jobs will probably still be making very little decades later, and those who start off making middle-class wages have similarly limited paths.” Proving the point that social mobility has become a pipe dream. Overall, social classes provide an invisible barrier that stop people from being able to move social
It is our civic right and duty to actively participate in governmental affairs. This recent election really highlighted the divide in opinion regarding the importance of governmental participation. “To many, our democratic system seems so broken that they have simply lost faith that their participation could really matter,” West writes in his essay entitled The Deep Democratic Tradition in America. Young people feel unimportant and irrelevant, which explains the lack in turnout from young voters ages 18-29. However, it wasn’t just young voters that didn’t turnout. Millions of eligible voters didn’t show up for the 2016 elections. A democracy without active participants is a democracy bound for
In the 2012 United States Presidential election 58.2 percent of the registered voters turnout out to vote (IDEA). This figure is in stark contrast to many other wealthy democracies in the western world for the same election cycle (IDEA). This begs the question, why is voter turnout significantly lower in the US compared to the rest of the first world and other OECD countries? There are countless factors that could affect voter turnout, the most standard of which are based on socioeconomic status. But when considering only developed nations, more is at play in predicting turnout. Focus is turned to institutional factors and the effect election mechanisms, such as registration laws and party systems, have on political participation.
Regardless of the political environment, it is the responsibility of voters to take initiative in becoming politically involved. However, the current electoral system in the United States is not one that fosters voter participation, but instead often discourages voting altogether. This is evidenced through the lackluster voter turnout in the United States, which is amongst the lowest of any democratic nation. While it is convenient to blame this lack of democratic participation on a lazy and apathetic public, the root of the problem lies elsewhere. The current system of winner-take-all elections, strategic gerrymandering, incumbency advantage and governmental unresponsiveness to constituent desires is enough to deter even the most politically consci...
In the land of the “American Dream,” it is the common belief that there is a direct relationship between hard work and success. In this ideal prototype, those who put in long hours are bound for success and movement up the social ladder. Theoretically, one could be born into the “bottom of the food chain,” and with some hard work, rise into the realm of the social elite. As a testament to this global view of the United States, immigrants from all over the world have made the journey to the “land of opportunity” in hopes of better education, jobs, government, communities and lives for themselves and the generations following them. All of this is based on a system of social stratification – a guide to how successful one has been at achieving the American Dream. This evaluation of social class is based on many components, some of which are presented to people at birth, and not gained through hard work or money. The class system at play in the United States has become extremely complex – no longer adhering to the basic class values of our forefathers. Those trying to move up in the class system of America are often caught emulating the behaviors of the rich and famous, but this does not necessarily make them higher class. Many people think that there is a checklist to fill on their way up in the class system, but there is more to being upper class than just talking the talk or having the right credentials.
...tine may differ from impoverished ethnic minorities. Class similarities may create an understanding that is not easily deciphered by students of a lower socioeconomic background. Amy Orr (2003:298) states, “limitations can serve to disenfranchise an entire segment of the population, making it difficult for them for them to participate fully in such areas as politics and the economy.”
Overtime political scientist and researchers have gathered information dealing with voting behaviors and trends. The analysis of those factors have pointed to the importance of income, race, education, religion and parental influence on party identification. In this literature the focus will solely be on the effects of income, race and education on political party identification.
Elections are at the core of the American political system. They are the way we choose our government, the source of government authority, and a means by which the people can influence public policy. For most Americans, voting is the only form of political participation. Essential questions to ask concerning these issues are: Who votes and why? What influences people to become voters? And what influences how they vote? It is important to approach these issues from a sociological standpoint addressing such matters as socialization and social stratification.
Class inequality and the death of the American dream is one of the most studied questions in political science research today. While many people may agree that inequality is a rampant problem, it is not so easy to find solutions. In his book, Dream Hoarders, Richard Reeves outlines the idea that he believes that the upper middle class are actively hoarding the American dream by instituting restrictive policies that are meant to keep their children successful while keeping the poor out. In the last two chapters, Reeves proposes seven public policy remedies that are designed to bridge the inequality gap to the American dream. These seven areas are increasing contraception education and access, expanding in-home social worker visits for parents, increasing teacher quality for poor children, restructuring how colleges are funded, abolishing exclusionary zoning, ending legacy admissions, and opening up internships. Most, if not all, of
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, the ideas of illusions, loss, and disillusionment are spread throughout both the novel and the film. These ideas provide intelligent insight into the consequences of trying to pursue unrealistic goals and aspirations. Both works portray vivid characters who are consumed by their illusions, who in the end, only face the harsh reality of their unfulfilled dreams. Norma Desmond’s decline into ultimate madness as she only focuses on her past fame, and Jay Gatsby’s tragic demise in his chase of unattainable love, symbolize the dangers of living in a world full of fantasy. In both works, the exploration of the ideas of illusions, loss, and disillusionment shows the dangers of chasing unrealistic desires, the extreme impact
The researchers present findings that indicate that a politician’s popularity in the voting booth may be related to the frequency with which the candidate is talked about on social media. The researchers goes on to discuss how further research may conclude that social media has a bigger impact on voting outcomes than traditional forms of media, and how that could potentially shape the future of voting.
Explain why some citizens are more likely to vote than others? Why does this matter? In the case of voter turnout, there are several factors to be considered that explain why not all citizens vote in elections. First, individuals who make higher income are more likely to practice voting because they have received an adequate higher education.
From the words of United States President Barack Obama "Call your members of Congress. Write them an email. Tweet it using the hashtag #My2K." (Coffee). Social media has played an increasing and larger part in today's government. Social media has the power to influence elections and connect the people to the policy makers in new ways.