TAKING PART IN
GOVERNMENT

Most important opportunity to participate in government

Voting determines the actions government will take


Making clear our opinions on public issues and the candidates we
want to tackle those issues
Voting is an important right and responsibility, but the U.S. has
some of the lowest voting turn outs in the world!
VOTING-DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
 The
importance of every vote is demonstrated
by two presidential elections:
 Charles
Evans Hughes lost the 1916 election to
Woodrow Wilson by a difference of 3,773 votes in
California
 Al
Gore lost the state of Florida in 2000 by 500+
votes

Ralph Nader (third party candidate) gained over 100,000
votes in Florida
EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

Qualifications for voting vary among states

Constitution forbids any state to deny a citizen the right to vote on the basis
of race, color, or sex

People who generally cannot vote:

Prison inmates convicted of serious crimes

Mentally incompetent

Election-law violators

People with no established residence
STATE QUALIFICATIONS FOR VOTING

All states require voters to register before election day

Most registration is permanent- you only have to register once
unless you move somewhere else


Some states require you to re-register before each election or at
regular intervals
When you register to vote, you are formally affiliating yourself with
a political party
REGISTERING TO VOTE


Two separate elections

Primary- voters choose candidates from each party who will later run
in the general election

General- voters actually choose their leaders
Two types of primary elections:

Closed- only registered voters can vote (Independent voters cannot
vote in these primary elections)

Open- you can vote for any candidate in any party
PRIMARY ELECTIONS

Usually only receive grassroots
support (from individuals at the
local level rather than from large
organizations or national parties)

Don’t get elected as often as
major-party candidates
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES

Election day: first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November on evennumbered years

President- every 4 years

Congress- every 2 years

Election day represents the great
responsibility and privilege of U.S.
citizenship

Various ways to stay informed of
candidates
GENERAL ELECTIONS

Voice vote: people would verbally
announce who they were voting for
to election officials at the polling
place


Easy to intimidate or persuade
others- not a good system
1888- secret ballots were adopted

Your vote would remain privatehelps elections be fair and honest
VOTING IN THE PAST

Voting is still a private matter today

Other forms of ballots exist rather than paper
ballots

Straight ticket- voting for candidates from one
party only

Split ticket- voting for candidates from different
parties


People who are more informed of the
candidates and issues usually vote split tickets
Law states that employers must give employees
time to go vote

Polling places must also stay open to allow
everyone there a chance to vote
VOTING TODAY
 Volunteers
 Go
can work for political campaigns
door to door or call people for donations
 Hand
out legislation on the candidates they’re
supporting
 Stuff,
address, and mail envelopes to voters
 Can
baby-sit or take care of errands while people
go vote
TAKING PART IN POLITICAL
CAMPAIGNS

Interest groups are prohibited by law from contributing money
DIRECTLY to candidates

Instead, they contribute money to political action committees
(PACs)

PACs collect donations and use the money to fund candidates they
favor

National Education Association PAC

American Medical Association PAC

Realtors PAC
INTEREST GROUPS AND POLITICAL
CAMPAIGNS

Writing letters or emails to public officials is an excellent way to voice your opinion
on issues

It is their job to listen to you!

Quality of life in towns and cities largely depends on how well politicians serve
their constituents


Important for Americans to actively participate in politics

Community groups and neighborhood associations make it easier for citizens to bring
about improvements and change in their communities
Bottom line: citizen involvement helps make democracy work!
CONTACTING PUBLIC OFFICIALS
 When
it comes to voting, what does the Constitution
forbid states to do?
 When
you register to vote, what are you doing?
 What
is the difference between primary and general
elections?
 When
is national election day? What is the difference
between straight tickets and split tickets?
 What
do political action committees (PACs) do?