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Chapter 10: Elections and Voting Behavior

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This activity contains 2 questions.

	Whether to Vote As noted in the chapter, younger people ages 18-20 vote at rates far below the rest of voters. There are many reasons why younger Americans might vote at lower rates than older Americans—a lack of political efficacy, not having a sense of civic duty, or finding it difficult to register, were discussed in the chapter. While voting is perhaps the most important way to participate, there are many others ways to participate in the electoral process. Let's look at some of these others ways at Rock the Vote's web site. Search Tips Go to http://www.rockthevote.com/home.php and read the many ways that young people can participate in the electoral process. Questions to Ask Have you participated in the political process in any of the ways noted on the web site? If so, how many ways have you participated? Based upon what you have read, which method of participating would seem to be the most effective? The most enjoyable? If you had to choose one method of participation this semester, and it had to be a way in which you have not yet participated, which would you choose? Why? Why it Matters While voting is certainly the most important way of participating in the electoral process, there are literally dozens of other ways to participate. The most active citizens, and by definition the most politically effective citizens, choose multiple ways of participating. Get Involved During the next election, try to participate in a way in which you have not yet participated in the electoral process.   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	The Electoral College As noted in the chapter, the founders wanted the president to be selected by the nation's elite rather than the masses. Thus, elections for president are essentially nothing more than surveys of a candidates' popularity with the people because it is the few electors in the Electoral College who will actually choose the next president. Do you think this is how we should be electing our president? To help you think about this question, let's go to the Federal Election Commission's web site and read about the pros and cons of the Electoral College Search Tips Go to http://www.fec.gov/pages/ecmenu2.htm and click on "A Brief History of the Electoral College" (you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document). Also review the history of the Electoral College and how the Electoral College works today. Most importantly, review the pros and cons of the Electoral College beginning on page 12. Questions to Ask In your view what is the most compelling reason for keeping the Electoral College as the method for electing the president? In your view what is the most compelling reason for getting rid of the Electoral College as the method for electing the president? Do you think the level of turnout would go up, down, or stay the same if we decided to get rid of the Electoral College as the method for electing the president? Why? Why it Matters The president is arguably the most powerful person in the world, yet he is chosen by a select few. Many people argue that the Electoral College is an outdated mode of electing a leader in a democracy and should be changed. Others argue that the Electoral College is appropriate for a federal system like ours. It is important to understand the pros and cons of the method we use to choose our president. Get Involved Pay attention during the next presidential election on which states the top two or three candidates spend most of their time in. Do you think they will be states with large numbers of Electoral College votes?   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

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