The Great American Experiment

1638 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: United states current policy on voter id laws

Yes we can, the rallying cry for the democratic candidate in the 2008 elections could be seen as a foreshadowing of what was to come. That candidate went on to win the election by nearly a 7 point margin, partially thanks to an overall higher voter turnout especially amongst the Hispanic, black and young demographics. Barack Obama’s 2008 victory is an example of how concentrating on voter turnout can lead to great success. In the wake of such a clear indication of the potential power of an increased voter turnout, one would assume that both parties would be doing everything they can to build on that trend; this however may not be the case.

Does each party want higher turnout?

Since nearly the beginning of our nation, the idea of higher voter turnout to elections has been a pet cause of one politician or another; each assuming such an increase would be to their benefit. This idea cannot be claimed by any one party either, as it shifts with the very political tides that guide much of politics. Usually it is the party out of power that perceives the greatest potential benefit in increasing turnout, and thus, changing the structure of the electorate. This pattern, however, has seemed to break apart in the latest elections.

A new strategy has come into view recently, which may result in actually reversing the trend of increasing the electorate outright. So far in 2011, 14 states have enacted 19 new laws and 2 executive orders placing new restrictions on voting and registration, which could diminish voter turnout in 2012 (Weiser and Norden 2011). These laws cover a wide array of issues; ranging from restrictive voter registration and voter id laws, to even reducing the days which people were able to vote. The Brennan Center for Jus...

... middle of paper ...

...n the multitude of ways both parties have to directly target and promote the turnout of their bases, there is no need for such retroactive tactics. We should all work towards improving participation in this great American experiment.

Bibliography

Ginsberg, Benjamin, Theodore J Lowi, and Margaret Weir. We The People, an introduction to american politics. New York: W. W. Norton & Co Ltd, 2011

Latinos for Reform. Don't Vote Latinos For Reform. October 18, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKFAiMbm1Fc

U.S. Census Bureau. Newsroom: Voter Turnout Increases by 5 Million in 2008 Presidential Election. July 20, 2009. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/voting/cb09-110.html

Weiser, Wendy R, and Lawrence Norden. "Voting Law Changes in 2012." Brennan Center for Justice. 10 3, 2011. http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/voting_law_changes_in_2012

Show More
Related

  • The Pros And Cons Of Ohio's Voting System

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    When America was first established, they had the highest voting turnouts ever in American history. Ever since, America’s voting turn-out has dropped (Fortin). The reason for the high turn outs were because American colonists wanted change from the British’s electoral system. As history writes, American colonist rebel and over time becomes one of the greatest countries ever. Today, Americans are one of the worst countries in vote to registration as they rank 120 in the world (Pintor). Over the summer, I got to learn more about Ohio’s electoral system and voting turn outs in a first hand experience. A decreasing number of voting to registration is not only a national problem, but a local issue as well and there are creative ideas in fixing these

    Read More

  • Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    The "silent majority" of the American people is now accepted as the status quo, the way things always have been and will be. Voter turnout is now the litmus test for political participation. Non-voters are becoming rampant in our democracy, with voter turnout hovering around a low 60% for general elections. At this rate, a candidate would have to win over 80% of that 60% vote in order to have true majority support. Thus, inactivity in voting threatens the very legitimacy of our government. In the recent November 7, 2013 midterm election, a few counties reported a mere 4% of eligible voters actually participated, in some cases to vote for a policy referendum that would aff...

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Voting In The United States

    1903 Words  | 4 Pages

    2014. “Voting within Australia – Frequently Asked Questions.”Australian Electoral Commission, August 22. http://www.aec.gov.au/FAQs/Voting_Australia.htm (March 2015).

    Read More

  • Voting Rights Act Pros And Cons

    2349 Words  | 5 Pages

    Today, the citizens of the United States must push Congress to formulate an oversight measure to fix voter disenfranchisement. By itself, Supreme Court Ruling Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder does minimal damage to the voting process of the United States. The court ruled discriminatory practices of district actions half a century old unconstitutional, but left a responsibility for Congress to modernize the Voting Rights Act, to ensure that no district nor individual is discriminated against. Given the history of the United States’s voter suppression and the original need for the Voting Rights Act, a new, modern voter equality policy is of dire importance.

    Read More

  • Voter Turnout Assignment

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    Voting is one of the citizens’ rights living in a country. In the past, not everyone can vote. Voting used to be for only white American men. However, our ancestors fought for that rights. Eventually, any American who are older than eighteen can vote, despite their race or gender. In addition, voter turnout is used to keep track of the voting. It is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. Unfortunately, the voter turnout has been decreasing over time, and it means that there are less and fewer people who actually show up and vote. This essay will discuss the voter turnout in Harris County, Texas.

    Read More

  • The Changing Demographics of Texas

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hasen, Richard. "Voter Suppression's New Pretext." the New York Times 16 November 2013: A- 19. Print.

    Read More

  • Explain the low turnout in U.S. elections.

    1742 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Miller light and bud light…either way you end up with a mighty weak beer!" This is how Jim Hightower (a Texan populist speaker) described the choices that the U.S. electorate had in the 2000 elections. This insinuates that there is a clear lack of distinction between the parties. Along with numerous others, this is one of the reasons why the turnout is so low in the U.S. elections. In trying to explain the low figures at the U.S. elections, analysts have called American voters apathetic to indifferent to downright lazy. I disagree that the 50% (in recent elections) of voters that fail to turnout to vote are lazy and that they have just reason not too. I will also show that the problem lies within the system itself in that the institutional arrangements, electoral and governmental, do not create an environment that is conducive to mass participation. I will address these main issues and several others that have an effect on voter participation. In doing so I will compare America to other established democracies.

    Read More

  • Voter Turnout Decline in the United States

    2612 Words  | 6 Pages

    Holder, Kelly. "Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004." US Census Bureau. N.p., 1 Mar. 2006. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Voter ID Law

    1190 Words  | 3 Pages

    The new law has seen multiple, willing and able, voters turned away at the polling station for unacceptable or expired photo IDs. It also turns away people low on income, mainly because of the cost of photo IDs or the cost to replace vital documents, like birth certificates. With the implication of the new voter ID law, it is certain that it will have an implication on voter turnouts at the polls, mainly seen by minority and elderly voters. Those, like justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, prove that the new voter ID law has very lasting and unfair effects on voters who are deemed “unfavorable.” Even a U.S. district judge in Corpus Christi ruled that the law “constitutes an unconstitutional poll tax” and “has an impermissible discriminatory effect against Hispanics and African-Americans, and was imposed with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose.” African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to lack appropriate photo IDs, disenfranchising approximately 600,000 voters. Even if the state offers a free photo ID, these types voters, some of who are in the low-income tax bracket, may not be able to get their hands on necessary documents, such as a birth certificate which cost around $23, to obtain one. The new ID laws can prove to be a large hurdle for multiple types of people, causing a lot of stress to people who just want to perform their civic

    Read More

  • Voting Participation in the United States

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Voting and Registration." United States Census Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau, 08 May 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Canada's Electoral System

    1906 Words  | 4 Pages

    Pammett, J., & LeDuc, L. (2003). Explaining turnout decline in Canadian federal elections: A survey of non-voters. Elections Canada, 40.

    Read More

  • Mimes of America: Voting in Texas

    681 Words  | 2 Pages

    Voter turnout, according to the text, “. . .means the portion of the eligible citizens who actually cast ballots--not the portion of those registered, . . . (142).” Data reveals that the voter turnout of Texas is relatively lower than that of the United States as a whole. During presidential elections, voter turnout is higher than that of state and local elections. For example, the text states that in the 2008 presidential balloting, Texas voter turnout was about eight percentage points below the national turnout level(142). However, the voter turnout of the United States compared to that of other countries is lower than the global level. In a graph presented for voter turnout rate of registered voters, the United States is located on the bottom of the list. From U.S News, Flock states,“The U.S has one of the lowest voter turnout rates of any rich democracy in the world(Flock).” Factors that influence voting around the world, for example, may be the choice to submit a vote online, such as in India, rather than going into a v...

    Read More

  • Campaign Finance Reform

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    South University Online. (2013). POL2076: American Government: Week 4: People and Politics—Interest Groups. Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com

    Read More

  • Medicare and Medicaid

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    middle of paper ... ...//permanent.access.gpo.gov /lps70995/state.gov/etexts/oecon/index.htm File, T. & Crissey, S. (2010 ). Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008 – Population Characteristics. Retrieved August 21, 2010 from http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p20-562. “Medicare and the New Health Care Law — What it Means for You.” (2010).

    Read More

  • Voter Identification Essay

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Voter identification can prevent impersonation fraud at the polls, voting under fictitious voter registrations, double voting, and voting by undocumented individuals. Not only can voter identification prevent fraudulent voting, but has not reduced voter turnout across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines. In Indiana, the state with the strictest voter identification laws, saw an increase in voter turnout in the Democratic presidential preference primary in 2008 from the 2004 election when the photo identification law was not in effect. Spakovsky also refutes the claim that voter identification is of the same nature of that of a “poll tax” by arguing that a federal court dismissed this claim, pointing out that such an “argument represents a dramatic overstatement of what fairly constitutes a ‘poll tax’”. The United States is one of nearly one-hundred democracies without uniform voter photo-identification requirements, all of which administer the law without issue. Spakovsky concludes that requirement voter identification can be easily met, is supported by the vast majority of voters of various races and ethnic backgrounds, and provides security for

    Read More

More about The Great American Experiment

Open Document