Why Is Turnout Down?

Abstract

of the most significant trends in American politics in the past couple of decades has been the decline in the proportion of the eligible electorate who actually vote. According to the Bureau of the Census, the turnout in presidential elections has declined each year since 1960, from 62.8 percent in 1960 to 54.4 percent in 1976 (Statistical Abstract, 1977. This marks the longest period of monotonic decline in turnout in American history (Congressional Record, 1970:41223-24). A nation long noted for a low rate of turnout, compared with other highly industrialized competitive polities, may soon see more than half of its eligible voters staying home on election day. Commentators have suggested a variety of causal factors-voter alienation due to Vietnam and Watergate, the eighteen-year-old vote, and registration requirements-and have predicted dire consequences for the stability and vigor of American politics. In Congress, legislation has been pending to ease registration requirements and, its sponsors hope, increase the size of the electorate.It is our present purpose to ascertain some of the factors associated Abstract The monotonic decline in turnout in presidential elections since 1960 is the subject of this analysis of survey data. After some common explanations for this decline were rejected, it was discovered that the decline occurred mainly among low-income and low-education whites. Two explanatory hypotheses were examined, but appropriate data for testing them were unavailable; however, in the 1970s nonvoters were more likely than voters at all income levels to express dissatisfaction with the political system. Nonvoting whites are not always a Democratic group, and their voting behavior is unpredictable over time. Their failure to vote may have an especially significant impact on Democratic party policies, and implies that palliatives like reform of voter registration laws may not have the desired effect.

Youth Political Participation: Bridging Activism and Electoral Politics

“…These conclusions have been corroborated by scholars who work on multiple aspects of the political system-from voting behavior (e.g., Nie et al 1979, Reiter 1979, Verba et al 1995, Piven & Cloward 2000, Levine & Lopez 2002, Eisner 2004, but see McDonald & Popkin 2001, to social capital, political trust, volunteering, and participation more broadly defined (e.g., Almond & Verba 1963;Putnam 1995Putnam , 2000Eliasoph 1998; see also Smith 1994). The results are, by no means, universal.…”

Stories, Shrines, and Symbols: Recognizing Psycho-Social-Spiritual Benefits of Urban Parks and Natural Areas

“…These conclusions have been corroborated by scholars who work on multiple aspects of the political system-from voting behavior (e.g. Levine and Lopez 2002;Nie et al 1979;Cloward 1988, 2000;Reiter 1979;Verba et al 1995;but see McDonald and Popkin 2001), to social capital, political trust, volunteering and participation more broadly defined (e.g. Almond and Verba 1963;Putnam 1995Putnam , 1996Putnam , 2000Eliasoph 1998; see also Smith 1994).…”

What, Me Vote?

“…Analysts using different data sets, covering different time periods, and using different metrics or methodologies have reached different conclusions. Reiter (1979) and Rosenstone and Hansen (1993) find a trend in inequality in NES data. They use income and education to measure socioeconomic status.…”