POLITICAL PARTICIPATIONRATIH HERNINGTYAS, S.IP, MA

What is political Participation?

“ [political participation] is an activity that has the intent of effect of influencing government action – either directly by affecting the making or implementation of public policy or indirectly by influencing the selection of people who make those policies.”

(In the research, “Voice and equality: Civic Volunteerism in American Politics,” Verba, S., Schlozman, K.L, & Brady H.E.(1995) )

Political Participation

Political Participation is when a citizen engage in activities, with the ultimate goal to change the government, such as:

Voting

Contacting Political Officials

Volunteering for a Campaign

Participating in a Riot

Also, non-electoral political activity lobbying public relations litigation

Political Participation

Voting in Election

Campaign Activity

Community Activity

Contacting Officials

Protesting

Running for Public Office

How do people participate?

According to a University of Michigan study based on the 2000 election, Americans reported that

82% watched the campaign on television

73% voted in the election

34% tried to influence others how to vote

10% put a sticker on their car or wore a button

9% gave money to help a campaign

5% attended a political meeting

3% worked for a party or candidate

VOTING IN ELECTIONS

COMMUNITY ACTIVIY

CAMPAIGN ACTIVITY

PROTESTING

RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE

www.hillaryclinton.com

www.barackobama.com

Expansion of Voting Rights

In colonial America, only White men who owned land or a substantial amount of wealth, over the age of 21, were allowed to vote.

After the Civil War, the 15th Amendment was to grant voting rights to Blacks, but Southern states employed many tactics to disenfranchise African Americans.

Poll taxes Literacy test Grandfather Clauses

The 19th Amendment, enacted on August 26, 1920, voting rights were extended to women, nationally.

In 1971, national voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 years old.

Forces that Influenced the Expansion of Voting Rights

The evolution of voting rights has been shaped by enormous conflicts involving questions of race, gender, religious identity, and age.

Abolitionist movements Women’s suffrage movements Civil rights movements

Class, Inequality, and Participation

Voting Rights: TODAY

Individual states have very little or no power to regulate suffrage.

All U.S. native-born or naturalized citizens have the right to vote.

Convicted felons lose their right to vote, while and sometimes after being incarcerated.