...The Importance of Having a Voice and Getting Out To Vote Professor Butler POLS 2301.04 April 24, 2015 The Importance of Having a Voice and Getting Out To Vote Throughout this semester I’ve learned a great deal of information on various subject areas. I’ve also gained more political knowledge than I had prior to taking this course. Of the many chapters discussed during this course, I found Parties and Elections in Texas (chapter 21), Public Opinion (chapter 6), and Political Participation and Voting (chapter 8) to be the most interesting and informative. Parties and Elections in Texas Political parties play a major role in Texas politics. Approximately 91 percent of Texas voters either identify with or lean toward the Republican or the Democratic Party. Despite all of the complaints about parties, they perform roles that are critical to the operation of our democratic system and to the overall coordination and functioning of our political system. The most important function of parties in Texas is to provide a label under which candidates may run and voter may identify. The party label becomes the standard used in casting a ballot for a candidate. Parties recruit candidates, assist in getting out the vote, and helps to organize the government once officials have been elected. The organization of political parties in Texas can be somewhat complex. Texas does not have a system of party registration for voters. Texas parties conduct primaries to select each party’s...
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...Angela Choi 111 ND-A Achoi5892@gmail.com Informative Speech Outline Topic: The importance of voting Type of Speech: issue Strategy for Presenting Content: Explanation General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience the importance of voting. Thesis Statement: Voting is essential and should be exercised by everyone because one vote can make a difference. Introduction: How many people are registered to vote? How many people are registered to vote and have voted? This is the dilemma the United States is facing today. Many people are registered to vote, but choose not to vote. It is important to exercise your voting rights because the decision our government officials make can have a huge impact on our lives. Voting in any type of election, from local races to Presidential primaries, provides an important way to voice your opinions regarding elected leaders and overall policies. In addition, voting decides our future by electing officials who reflect your own views. Therefore, voting is essential and should be exercised by everyone because one vote can make a difference. The ability to vote is one of the most cherished Constitutional Rights that many have fought, marched, and died for over the centuries. 1. Many people do not realize that voting is so vital that it can even have an impact on your daily life. Voting is the best way to...
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...This holds true for local, state, all the way to the presidential primary elections. Voting is something Americans are taught is a fundamental right of being a US citizen and it should be exercised extensively as it is part of the foundation of democracy. Historically, African Americans and women did not have the right to vote in the United States but they were fought for because voting is such an essential right. Why is it that people are not exercising this right which is so important to the future of the United States? In this essay, local voter turnout in the US, Canada, and the UK will be described and explained and then compared in...
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...Voting Age Matthew Clayton states in an article that “...Having the right to vote is widely recognized as one of the most important legal rights within a democracy.” (Wing and Clayton 534) With suffrage being an imperative democratic right, the questions of whether there should be a minimum voting age and if so, what age that should be set have quickly become central political issues. In 1971, the United States ratified the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, eliminating the age standard of twenty-one and granting eighteen year olds the right to vote. This was due to the realization of the double standard that eighteen year olds were old enough to be sent to fight for their country, but not old enough to vote for the people who represented it. A similar situation is occurring today, as American citizens under the age of eighteen pay taxes, drive cars, abide by the laws, are affected by the decisions of politicians, etc., but are denied the right to vote. These citizens are perfectly capable of making informed decisions and fulfilling the duties of a registered voter. Being affected by political decisions just as much as someone over the age of eighteen, citizens as young as the age of sixteen should be granted the right to vote. (Wing and Clayton 536) At the youthful age of sixteen, one can accomplish much more than they could at a prior time in their life. In most states, a sixteen year old can become emancipated from their parents, obtain a work permit, hold a job, choose...
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...country from progressing successfully. Demographics may have contributed to the enormity of democratic loss in this past election. The populous, liberal, diverse cities that would increase the Democratic vote had one of the lowest voter turnouts, whereas southern states that would vote Republican came out with the highest voter turnout. A vast majority of these southern voters are old, white Republicans. The young students, the post- generational college students, the minorities – these are the ones that share the same political ideologies as the democratic party, but yet they’re the ones that didn’t vote. Voter turnout for the 2014 Midterm elections was the lowest in 70 years – only 36.4% of voting-eligible Americans went out and voted on November 4th; of those voters, 75% were white (Alter, 2014). Liberal states like New York and California had a decrease in voter turnout while Southern states saw an increase, “Democrats were hindered by their inability to persuade members of the coalition that delivered the White House to Mr. Obama — young voters, women and minorities — to turn out at levels seen in presidential elections” (Parker, Weisman, 2014). One reason for the loss of democratic seats in the senate is caused by the decrease of liberal voter turnout. Although there are other underlying factors such as long lines, people’s carelessness and inability to travel to polling areas, or a state’s lack of early voting options – election results...
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...that the twenty sixth amendment gave eighteen year olds right to vote. All of these amendments were steps toward ending discriminating, but the United States has one last step. If the America is going to truly provide equal representation for all people then it ought to grant suffrage to those of age 16 and up. Before proposing that the voting age should be lowered it is necessary to examine the arguments of those opposed. Those opposed to lowering the voting age make three main arguments. The first being that teens under the age of 18 lack the maturity and brain development to make an informed decisions for themselves. The second argument contends that voter turnout among young people is already dismal and lowering the voting age would have negligible effects. The last argument claims that there is no valid reason...
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...Voting Problem in America Voting Problem in America Numerous studies have been steered to support with observing for influences that will demonstration by public do not contribute in voting. It has remained a mounting difficulties with appropriate voters not registering and object their ballot. Over the decades, Americans have vanished trace with the antiquity of voting. Voting for in determinations supports in providing underpinning on why society do not participate in voting. Analyses provide tangible influences with why societies do not vote with illustration clusters support. Discovery of behaviors will show the unabridged development with the existing system supports with the American community. The 2008 elections enquiry provides awareness with the diverse motives from highest to lowest. Giving some understanding on the origin of the unruly and outcome resolutions to battle these problems. Examination can transform that are currently in domicile and assuring voting contributions on the ability to speak on the issues and distresses. Observing at other countries for potential solutions to the problem can be one riposte for the United States voting delinquent. Using tads and shards can support with altering he existing classification that does not work. Without transformation, the voting contribution will endure to diminish. The history behind the voting in America helps wonder why this pass civil liberty has fallen to many Americans waist side in today’s world. As America...
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...The importance of voting Name: Course: Instructor: Date: “Your vote is your voice as an American citizen. It's your opportunity to be heard, to hold elected officials accountable for their elections and to have a say in important issues that affect your community. On Election Day, every vote matters”. Anonymous Introduction Election Day is a standout amongst the most energizing days of the year. Our country meets up to choose a leader who will speak to us on the worldwide stage for the following four years. We will choose a leader that will remain for our rights as natives, students, representatives and businesses. We will choose a leader that will ideally stay faithful to their obligations. It is a major choice, and this race denotes an important point in our country's history. As of now, there are two extremely particular ways our nation will look over and it is more essential than any other time in recent memory to make a choice in this race. I wish I could vote, and in the event that you were not anticipating heading off to the surveys this race, let me offer you some assistance with reversing that choice. Every year, numerous students like you turn 18 and cast their first poll on Election Day, satisfying the most fundamental activity in a vote based society. Voting is a basic process that keeps our arrangement of government working. Through races, subjects can choose who speaks to them in government, be it a nearby authority, a state or national...
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...Can people be too busy to have a voice in politics? The ability to vote has come to Americans through countless struggles such as King George the III, the denial of women's rights, and the denial of minority rights. A right to vote is not something that should be taken lightly. The citizens of the United States of America are full of pride when it comes to the world seeing them as a strong, democratic nation. Although, according to Merriam Webster, a democracy is defined as “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections” (Merriam Webster). A democracy is not strong, however, when a low...
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...the United States. First was the idea of giving the power to Congress to choose the president, but detractors worried that giving the authority to Congress could create corruption, political bargaining, and foreign influence on their choice. Plus this could upset the balance of power that the founding fathers were trying to create with the Constitution. Secondly was the idea of giving the authority to the state legislatures. This idea was swiftly rejected for the fact that many believed that the president could be controlled by the State Legislature and decrease the federal authority and undermine the founding fathers idea of separation of powers. The third idea was to let the president be chosen by a direct popular vote. This was also rejected because the founding fathers believed that because of the lack of information for a candidate a state would just vote for a candidate from that particular state or region. The framers saw the possibility of at worst that no president would emerge with a popular majority sufficient to govern the whole country. They believed that for a best case scenario would be that the choice of president would always be decided by the largest, most populous States with little regard for the smaller ones. Finally, the founding fathers decided during the Constitutional Convention an indirect election of the president through a College of Electors. The electors would be chosen based on the most knowledgeable and informed individuals from each State to select...
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...democracy * Three main approaches to the political economy of the media Lecture 2: * Four great communication revolutions * Evolution and history of early Homo Saipan species * Common ancestor * Eight major developments in evolution * Third chimpanzee * Importance of Fire * Great Leap Forward * Surplus definition and importance to civilizations * Pre-Capitalist society surplus * C-M-C * Important developments of the Age of Kleptocracy * Second great communication revolution * Where it did and didn’t develop and why * Importance to society * Greek philosophers * Feudalism * Importance of 1492 and new world discovery * Third great communication revolution * Products of the revolution Lecture 3: * The catechism of capitalism * Change in the economic equation from feudalism to capitalism * Mindsets of society under feudalism * Mercantilism * Industrial capitalism equation * M-C…p…C1-M1 * Characteristics of the equation * Three Iron laws of Capitalism * Externalities * Role of banking and views of major economists on finance * Importance of a global system * Effect on policy * Who was the original leader in capitalism and whom were its successors * Owner-operated businesses * Role of slavery in formation of America * Corporations * Horizontal integration * Vertical integration *...
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...In America, the voter turnout has been exponentially low since 1920 when the percentage of voters plummeted to 49%. In Michael Schudson’s America’s Ignorant Voters, he explains how the decline of votes casted are caused by political ignorance influenced by the media, the candidates and many Americans today. In 1893, the government had put many reforms which reduced civil service patronage (Schudson 2). By doing this, the politicians could no longer bribe the public for political support and they wanted voting to be more individualized. In most of the 19th century, the votes were public and you picked your color ticket and casted your ballot. The ballot reform later placed voters in a closed setting where it was their “individual choice” to deter away from the public opinion. Schudson explains how the “One reason Americans have so much...
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...Llerena BUS 200 Dr. Lasher 3/19/12 The Electoral College is defined as “a body of electors chosen by the voters of each state to elect the President and Vice President of the United States”. The Electoral College system has been a staple in the United States since the ratification of The Constitution, however there is much debate on whether it should remain or be done away with completely. In this essay, I will give a brief history on the Electoral College, how it works, and why it was created in the first place. Despite the shortcomings and limitations of the Electoral College I believe that it should not be abolished because it contributes to the cohesiveness of the country, it maintains a federal system of government, and it maintains the interests of minority groups. To begin with, I will discuss how the Electoral College works. The Electoral College operates by having each state allocate a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators (always 2) along with the number of its U.S. Representatives (varies from state to state depending on its population). Next, after all their caucuses and primaries, each party nominates their candidates for president and vice president. After that, the people from each state vote for a party’s slate of electors. Whichever party slate gains the most popular votes becomes the slate of electors for that state. Then, the electors meet in their respective state’s capitol and cast their votes for president and vice president...
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...For example, the 1990 to 1991 economic recession encouraged a larger population of younger Generation Xer’s to vote during the 1992 Presidential election. The number of votes rising from 102,224 votes in 1988 to 113,866 votes in 1992. Unfortunately, the dissatisfaction in the government developed and the number of young voters dropped for the 1996 election once again (Kirby and Kawashima). The pattern is similar with the Millennial generation. The sour political atmosphere changed with the terrorist attack on September 11. “September 11 seemed to make issues debated in Congress suddenly seem relevant and youth participation began to climb” (Ruggeri). This pattern in history revealed that younger voters tend to become more involved with politics when an event has negatively effects them. Sudden events in history also help to mature many young voters, demonstrating the importance of government and encouraging voters to become more informed about different political campaign goals and...
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...Answer Key CHAPTER 5 IV. Section 4: Party Organization A. Structure Federalism, nominating B. Organization at the National Level 1. convention 2. chairperson C. State and Local Organization 1. election, caucuses 2. wards Prereading and Vocabulary 2 1. should cut back on expensive government programs Sample definition: Conservatives believe in cutting costs and government programs. 2. came to vote Sample definition: The electorate is the group of people who are allowed to vote. 3. voted at the polling place, elementary school Sample definition: A precinct is a small area from which all the residents report to vote at one location. 4. wards 5. bipartisan 6. nominate 7. Liberals 8. resign CHAPTER 5 Section 1 Reading Comprehension 3 1. Answers for rankings will vary. Historical basis: The two-party system is rooted in the beginnings of the U.S., when the ratification of the Constitution gave rise to the first two parties. Tradition: Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system simply because there has always been one. Electoral system: Since only one winner per office comes out of each election, voters have only two viable choices—the candidate of the party holding office or the candidate with the best chance of replacing the current officeholder. Voters tend to think of a vote for a minor party candidate as a wasted vote. Republicans and Democrats work together in a bipartisan way to write election laws to make it hard...
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