The Effect of Race on Voter Turnout
Does voter turnout amongst various races stem from a lack of resources, or just plain laziness? The determining factors have been studied and pondered in the minds of many for years. The effect of race on voter turnout is often hypothesized and associated with lower levels of voter mobilization, weaker mobilizing institutions, and higher barriers to voter participation. Furthermore, America has seen several trends and fluctuations in the turnout of the minority voter throughout history. Unfortunately, minority voters have not been known to forcefully turnout, but rather express a sense of apathy towards elections (Hill and Leighley 1996). Throughout this analyzation I will address these issues and provide various opinions and theories regarding the demographic factor of race on voter turnout. Additionally, voter behavior among races in the most recent presidential election will be included. Lastly, I will take a look at the impact of gender within the demographic factor of race. The information and analyzations regarding race and voter turnout are most often based upon one's own theories. In 1949, an author by the name of V. O. Key brought forth one of the most
The gender gap, the difference between a candidate's votes from men and his votes from women, was first noted in 1980, when men were 8 percentage points (men 54% and women 46%) more likely to support Ronald Reagan than percentage points to 39 percent, according to Avalaura Gaither, co-author of Department's Census Bureau. In addition to, the most notable increase in African American participation was seen in the South, where the rate grew by 4 turnout could be more important than ever, especially in the last presidential election. For example, Jesse Jackson was out campaigning for presidential candidate and former Vice-President Al Gore in the last days of the campaign. Up until the evening of Election Day, Jackson was urging black Philadelphians, as well as women and all Democrats, to "Get your souls to the polls and stay out of the bushes." In important states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, the minority vote may have lent considerably to Vice President Gore winning those states' electoral votes. Also, across the nation, minority voters undoubtedly helped the Vice President to win a majority of the popular vote. Pennsylvania, a state that was split until the last moments of the campaign, went to Gore, possibly as a than "women" as a group. These partisan differences between women stem from the interaction of class, race, and values, which creates different sets of experiences, interests, and preferences linked to voting behavior. More specifically, economically vulnerable and minority women form the base of Democratic voting, while upscale women tend to support the Republicans. However, values mute economic interests, as socially conservative downscale women and secular professional women constitute the most solid partisans of the two parties. Furthermore, in the 1996 election, the working class, secular, Because the 2000 presidential election was neck-to-neck, both parties were making strong efforts towards the black vote. For example, the Republicans had Brian McKnight perform the opening at the Republican National convention in Philadelphia, and had constant camera shots of every African American delegate in attendance taken. Whereas, the Democratic campaign Committee targeted black radio stations and newspapers. Alvin Williams, executive director of the conservative Black America's Political Action Committee, feels that how the unprecedented attention will impact African Americans "depends on us." He also stated: "How the Republican Party deals with us depends on how we particular topic. He described Southern politics as driven by whites' obsession with blacks. According to Key, the political strategies used to maintain control in the black belts from the late 19th century through the immediate post-World War II period-one-party rule and the adoption of various suffrage restrictions, set the tone of the so-called "Southern politics." Moreover, because these features of the electoral system did not discriminate in their consequences for voter turnout, both whites and blacks in the South displayed lower levels of turnout than their counterparts in the rest of the nation. In this past election, analysts estimated that of the black voters, who got to the polls in overwhelming numbers, 95 percent voted for Al Gore with 5 percent casting their votes for George W. Bush.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2497
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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