America Needs Greater Voter Participation Essay example -- Politics Po

Government and government activity America Needs Greater Voter ParticipationWe may sustain in a country that encourages voting in political elections, hitherto the aim of voter turnout in America is relatively diminished and continues to decline. Compared to other countries with democratic governments, the United States falls very near the do-nothing of the list with its percentage of voter participation. One explanation for this disturbing phenomenon states that the American system requires more effort from voters, asking them to participate in more elections for more levels of government with more elective offices at each level than any other country in the world (Schudson 159). In near other democracies, the citizens may be asked to vote only 2 or 3 times over a 4-year period (Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry 246). American voters quality overwhelmed by all that is asked of them. The diverse and numerous elections held in the United States, curiously at the state and topical anesthetic levels try the attention spans of voters and decrease their willingness or desire to participate. Reading the local election voting and trying to recover the actual function of the various obscure local offices such as county clerk, court clerk or register of deeds can be a daunting task. Extracting real meaning from the political jargon utilise in wording local propositions can also be a challenge and source of discouragement (Schudson 156). Dr. Bill Lyons, of the University of Tennessee, said this of Tennessee state and local elections In Tennessee, we also have a very long ballot with a lot of constitutional offices and we have an awful lot of elections. I think thats bad because it unnecessarily splits the time and attention of voters (Flessner 2).Ame... ...n stead Sections on pages 208 and 245. Michael Schudson, Voting Rites Why We Need a New purpose of Citizenship. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American regime Classic and Contemporary Rea dings, 4th ed. capital of Massachusetts Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 156-164. vomit Vote Smart, PVS General Population and Youth Survey, Department of political Science at OSU, http//www.vote-smart.org/youthsurvey.phtml?checking=/, 1999, p. 5. Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone Americas Declining mixer Capital. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 165-175. Ruy Teixeira, Voter Turnout in America Ten Myths. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 149-155.