Title: Why People Vote | Boundless Political Science
Headings: Why People Vote
Why People Vote
Socioeconomic Factors
Key Points
Key Terms
Introduction
Income and Voting
Education and Voting
Occupation and Voting
Additional Factors: Gender, Age, Religion, Race, and Ethnicity
Key Points
Key Terms
Age and Political Participation
Gender and Political Participation
Race, Ethnicity, and Voting: African Americans
Race, Ethnicity and Voting: Latinos
Race, Ethnicity, and Voting: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Religious Convictions and Voting
Party Identification
Key Points
Key Terms
Party Self-Identification
Party Identity: A Fixed Social Identity?
Party Identity: A Changing Choice?
Increase in Independents
Groups and Party Identification
Strong Party Identification and Voting Patterns
Political Ideology
Key Points
Key Terms
Voting Based on Ideology
Conservatives and Liberals
Moderates
Libertarians
Typological Groups
The Candidates
Key Points
Key Terms
Partisan Dealignment
Candidates’ Images and Voting
Policy Preferences
Key Points
Key Terms
Issue Voting
Complications with Issue Voting
Licenses and Attributions

Content: According to the Pew Research Center, 66% of voters under 30 chose Obama in 2008. New technology, especially the internet, is also making it easier for candidates to reach the youth. Websites such as Facebook and YouTube not only allow students acquire information about the polls, but also allow them to share their excitement over the polls and candidates. Gender and Political Participation
Political scientists and journalists often talk about the gender gap in participation, which assumes women lag behind men in their rates of political engagement. However, the gender gap is closing for some forms of participation, such as voting. Since 1986, women have exceeded the turnout rate for men in presidential elections; 66 percent of women cast a ballot in 2008 compared with 62 percent of men. This may be due to the political prominence of issues of importance to women, such as abortion, education, and child welfare. Race, Ethnicity, and Voting: African Americans
Participation and voting differs among members of racial and ethnic groups.