Voting
The most minimally demanding political act
However, discuss barriers to

Cartoon

American voting compared to other established democracies
 Only Switzerland ranks lower

Other political activities
1970s Americans were twice as likely as citizens of Britain, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands to work on campaign

Discuss differences in political parties

1995 we ranked 20th out of 40 democracies in terms of our likelihood of discussing politics with our friends
 
 2002 OECD comparisons
 Americans still precocious in associational activity
 
Compared to OECD average
We are 2.5 x more likely to be members of
church associations (49% compared to 18%)
And roughly 2 x more likely to be members of
art associations (21% compared to 12%)
political associations (15% compared to 8%)

We are at or slightly above in all associations except
unions (9% compared to 21%)
 

But has our political participation declined over time?

Putnam graphs voting in presidential elections on p. 32 Figure 1
 Overall decline masked by effects of the South
i.e., increases in voting among African Americans in the South
as a result of the Voting Rights Act 1965

However, South begins to mirror national patterns by early 80s
Rates 1996 lowest in 164 years

Why?
 Most common explanations are:
 Growing distrust of government
 Declining party mobilization
 Fraying social bonds
Political dealignment (in turn, based on transformations in economy, political identities, partisan identification, shifting regional interests)

Putnam suggests the decline is based on generational changes
 “a generation gap in civic engagement” (34)

Discuss intracohort vs. intercohort changes

Generational change = intercohort change

Oronoco, MN VFW Site

Putnam claims the decline is voting is “like a fever…a sign of deeper trouble in the body politic” (35)

Why??

Because voters tend to be the people who do a lot of other social capital generating activites like give to charities, volunteer, serve on juries, attend school board meetings, participate in public demonstrations, cooperate with other citizens on community affairs (35)

Thus, declining in voting an indication that these other activities likely in decline as well
 

Other related problems
 Younger generations:
Know little more about civics than they did the 1940s despite completing more years of schooling
Are less interested in public affairs
 Are less likely to read newspapers daily

So decline not just a function of youth; today’s youth are less interested than the youth of the 1950s and 60s (37)
 

Other Electoral/Partisan Political Activities (see Figure 4, p.41)
Number running for office constant
Number working for parties declining
Number attending political rallies or speeches declining

Political organizations strong, more with paid professional staffs
 (phone banks, paid canvassers)

Less often with work of rank-and-file
Fewer rank-and-file (decline in party ID, partisan voting)

Political participation more often in the form of money than time (40)

Communal Participation (Figure 5, p. 43)
Number attending public meeting down
Number serving as club officers down
Number serving on committees down
Number members of better gov’t groups flat

Public Expression (Figure 6, p. 44)
Number signing petitions, writing congress reps, senators down
Number writing letters to newspapers, making speeches, writing for magazine or newspaper down/flat
 
 

Summary of Communal Activities
The number utterly uninvolved in these increased by a third over the 70s and 80s
By 1994, most Americans did not engage in any (44)  (i.e., 64% p. 46)

See Table 1 for trends in political and community participation

Increased alienation, distrust in politics
April 1966 66% of Americans rejected: “the people running the country don’t really care what happens to you”

December 1997 57% accepted this view

Compare relative state of country at each time