The United States might regard itself as the symbol of democracy around the world, but its citizens are hardly model voters. America has among the lowest voter turnout of any democracy in the world based on participation in presidential and mid-term elections. Over the past few decades, the percentage of eligible Americans who vote has declined by twenty percent in both presidential and off-year elections. It is the largest and longest decline in the nation's history - today 25 million Americans who used to vote no longer do so.
Feeling disillusioned with political leaders, being consumed with personal problems and believing your voice won't be heard are all factors that lead to voter apathy in America. But it's precisely that privilege - the right to vote - that is the tool Americans can use to make changes in the country and its leadership. And it's that privilege that so many Americans ignore.
How will the polls go this year in the up-coming elections? Curt
Television and a proliferation of channels with new cable and satellite services have created an "atomisation" of society, he says. Families lead increasingly stressful lives as two wage earners try to earn as much as one wage earner used to bring home. One way being looked at for lowering the barriers and increasing voter participation is via the internet, a medium which coincidentally attracts a large number of young, politically disillusioned males.
A poll conducted by the Pew Center` for the People and the Press found that few Americans are paying close attention to the race. Only 16% of the public are following news about candidates very closely, while interest in the campaign has not meaningfully increased since July 1999 despite competitive contests for both parties' nominations.
The demographic factors that are thought to influence voter behavior also run contrary to the lower levels of participation. Over the last 30 years, the American population has aged, gro
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