Title: 8.1 What Is Political Participation? – American Government and Politics in the Information Age
Headings: 8.1 What Is Political Participation?
8.1 What Is Political Participation?
Learning Objectives
Types of Political Participation
Voting
Voter Qualifications
Barriers to Voting
Disenfranchisement of Felons
Turnout
Democratic Participation
Contacting Public Officials
Contributing Money
Campaign Activity
Running for and Holding Public Office
Protest Activity
Comparing Coverage
Link
Video Clip
Participation in Groups
Volunteering
Key Takeaways
Exercises
References

Content: Others contend that the integrity of the democratic process is at stake and that individuals should not be denied a fundamental right once they have served their time. Turnout
Voter turnout depends on the type of election. A large number of elections are held in the United States every year, including local elections, elections for county and statewide offices, primaries, and general elections. Only a small number of people, generally under one-quarter of those eligible, participate in local, county, and state elections. Midterm elections, in which members of Congress run for office in nonpresidential-election years, normally draw about one-third of eligible voters (Rosenstone & Hansen, 1993). Voter turnout in presidential elections is generally higher than for lower-level contests; usually more than half the eligible voters cast a ballot. Much is made about low levels of voter turnout for presidential elections in the current era. However, there have not been great fluctuations in turnout since the institution of universal suffrage in 1920. Forty-nine percent of the voting-age public cast a ballot in the 1924 presidential contest, the same percentage as in 1996.