Elections

Read Verba article: see below.

Read Business Week set of articles on whether your vote matters.

Social functions of elections: 

    ---harmony of society -- consent of the people

    ---define and resolve issues

    ---mold and provide for gradual change of consensus

    ---ratifies citizen's preoccupation with society's well-being 

Economic power and elections -- the money trail

-democracy for whom?

        -- who can afford to run?

            ----costs of election

            ----job release time [with little or no harmful financial impact]

-- buying influence or supporting kindred souls or a mixture?

            ----interest groups

            ----individuals

    -But what other factors offset or mitigate money alone?

_{----numbers of voters [e.g., ethnic groups, religious right, gays, declared/committed conservatives and liberals or Democrats/Republicans [i.e., the "core base" in many elections]}

_{--interest group intensity [not just numbers but how intense] , e.g. NRA}

Who votes? why? to what effect?

---Is it a good idea to vote for person or the party? How best to get one's values into the political process with  matched resulting political policies?

--person has specific ideas but party has coordinated political strength for putting ideas into place?

--representatives not party "disciplined"?

---What % of "the people" actually elect the president?

--Electoral college: an anachronism and anti-democratic or a process to balance forces in a democratic fashion?

--George Edwards and electoral college [video presentation]

    --what questions raised ?

    --what answers does he find and how?

---What effect do the following variables have on voting ---  age, gender, religion, wealth, education, urban/suburban, ideology by self-identification or from a scale using responses to issues , ethnic identity

        --sometimes special  groups such as "soccer moms", "NASCAR dads", "silent majority"

--- Is the voter rational ? 

          --questionable:

                 ---ideologies 

                 ---cues  

                 ---slogans:-- e.g., It's the economy stupid -- or the Misery index.

                 ---negative campaigning -- boon or bust?

--but voters do vote on cause-effect reasoning based on "perceived" policies and effects and values important to them  --- even if misinformed or incorrect reasoning, are they being "rational" in approaching voting?

What effect of institutions? [Often the hidden political activity that can mean much in the political policies that result from the political process, thus the values that get represented and end up in policies. ] -- The interaction between institutions and culture [values, etc.] is one of the key areas of study by political scientists.

---Is there a partisan stake in the registration system? That is, to what advantages for which parties? What ways are possible and with what effects?

        --mail registration

        --mobile registration

        --automatically registered

        --registered at time of voting

---term limits -- Do these mean more or less democracy? 

_{--- single} member cf. PR (proportional representation) 

--What values re: theory of representation; i.e., who is represented how and who might have less representation under each of the systems?

---direct cf indirect elections 

       --US presidential election -- direct or indirect? 

       -- parliamentary systems -- direct or indirect elections with regard to the prime ministers?

       --Communist Party systems such as China -- direct or indirect?

---difference between plurality and majority systems -- what happens to majority will?

       --do you live in a battleground state? if not, what impact for your vote?

---primaries

       --did reform move to primaries mean  lead to more democracy?

---gerrymandering

        --locking in political advantages

        --against racial groups [pre-1960s]--- for racial groups [post 1990s] 

Do elections make a difference? 

---Tweedle-dee Tweedle-dum? same-same? Do elections really make a difference?

---What = a "difference" re: policies and values? 

--in taxation?

--in health insurance?

        ---overall

        ---Medicare

        ---Medicaid

--in education?

--public schools cf private schools and vouchers?

--university tuition assistance [Pell Grants]?

    --fewer government regulations [thus smaller government ]

--military expenditures?

    --social value issues/ individual rights

        --gay rights

        --abortion

        --Patriot Act

Issue debate -- Is this healthy democracy or fractionalization of society? Is bipartisanship  good or bad? 

Is voting an expression of the "general will" (common good) or pluralism?  This is tricky since voting for one's own interests may also be voting for what one feels is truly best for all but, on the other hand, voting in the name of the "common good" may simply be a means for taking care of one's self using the symbolic language of "common good". 

        --Sidney Verba article: "Would the Dream of Political Equality Turn Out to Be a Nightmare?" –Read carefully for key points. Don’t worry about the statistics except the percentages that should be understandable.

                --equality:

                        -- intrinsically valued

                        -- builds community

                        -- creates legitimacy

                        -- educative

                        -- enables equal protection of interests

                --inequality and why we might not want political equality

                        --does it lead to effective democratic policy concerning complex issues?

--can some can see more easily than others the connections between their    values/preferences and governmental action? Verba says at one point: "The educated are better social scientists and more democratic moral reasoners. ...They are more informed, have more consistent political values, and can make better connections between means and ends. In general, they are more supportive of the rules of democracy, more tolerant of unpopular voices, more committed to communal rather than individualistic goals. [Based on numerous studies.] The article both supports and questions this. Read carefully for basic content and don't worry about the statistics beyond those presented in percentage form. -- Note , the study concludes with a balanced position : "On balance, although the reasons to fear political equality are not to be ignored, they are more than counterbalanced by the problems associated with inequality among citizens in their political voice. Political equality is an important ideal. While it is true that we will not achieve it soon, this is no reason not to continue trying."

--note especially

(1) the relationship between preferences of voters compared to non-voters and then the finer breakdown of the study: p. 670. This is an excellent example of taking “conventional wisdom” which has been carefully documents and then rephrasing the question and methodology for more refined answers and finding some significant difference. Note not only the results of this shift in methods but the kind of thinking behind deciding on a refined methodology.

(2) the impact on disadvantaged voters of the types of values [i.e., political preferences and issue concerns] that are taken into the process by those who tend to be activists

COPY OF OWER POINT SLIDES. Much of this is on the outline above since the two are coordinated.

ASKING THE GOOD QUESTIONS

•answers change but questions remain for good analysis and understanding

•social science seeks to express as

–(1) concepts operationally defined

–(2) hypotheses about relationships among the concepts and then

–(3) theories derived from testing the hypotheses

–for example:

–people tend to vote consistently with ideological preferences --- need to define “ideology”, place individuals on an ideological scale and link to candidates operationally defined in terms of their ideologies either (a) as perceived by the voters or (b) as they actually hold given a good operational definition [in the latter “liberals” may actually vote for “conservaties” even though they think they are voting consistently

ELECTIONS
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS

•harmony of society – consent of the people

•define and resolve issues

•mold and provide for gradual change of consensus

•ratify citizen preoccupation with society’s well-being

ELECTIONS
ECONOMICS AND POWER
THE MONEY TRAIL

•democracy for whom?

–who can afford to run?

•costs of election

•job release time and financial impact

–buying influence or supporting kindred souls?

•interest groups

•individuals

•what factors offset or mitigate money impact?

–numbers of voters [e.g., ethnic groups, religious right, committed conservaties and liberals [i.e., the “core”]

–interest group intensity, e.g. NRA

ELECTIONS
WHO VOTES? WHY? AND TO WHAT EFFECT?

•Is it a good idea to vote for person instead of the party?

–note nature of party discipline in different systems

–what is the end-result you desire from the act of voting – does this answer the question?

ELECTIONS
WHO VOTES? WHY? AND TO WHAT EFFECT?
[cont]

•What % of the people [eligible voters – although one could take this question further and make it for the total population] actually elect the president?

–electoral college – anachronism and anti-democratic or a balancing force in democratic politics?

•George Edwards and electoral college [video presentation]

–What questions raised?

–What answers does he find and how?

ELECTIONS
WHO VOTES? WHY? AND TO WHAT EFFECT?
[cont]

•What effect do the following variables have on voting:

–age

–gender

–religion

–wealth

–education

–urban/suburban/rural

–ethnic identity

–ideology: self-identification

–ideology: by operational definition of issues and preferences

–groups within groups:

•“soccer moms”

•NASCAR dads

ELECTIONS
WHO VOTES? WHY? AND TO WHAT EFFECT?
[cont]

•Is the voter rational?

–questionable:

•ideologies and non-reflective choice

•cues

•slogans [e.g., the Misery Index]

•negative campaigning – boon or bust?

–but voters do vote on cause-effect reason re: perceived policies and effects and associated values – even if “wrong” are they being rational in the process?

ELECTIONS
WHAT EFFECT OF INSTITUTIONS?

•institutions as “hidden” politics with much meaning re: end-results

–Interaction between institutions and culture [values, etc. ] = key area of political study

•registrations systems

–mobile

–mail

–automatic

–at time of voting

ELECTIONS
WHAT EFFECT OF INSTITUTIONS?
[cont]

•term limits – more or less democracy?

•single member cf. PR

–What effect on ideas of representation of values?

•direct cf indirect:

–U.S?

–parliamentary systems?

–Communist Party systems such as China?

ELECTIONS
WHAT EFFECT OF INSTITUTIONS?
[cont]

•plurality cf majority systems – impact on will of the majority?

–impact of living or not living in a “battleground” state?

•primaries

–Did reform lead to more democracy?

•gerrymander

–locking in political advantages

–against and then for racial groups

ELECTIONS
DO ELECTIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

•Tweedle-dee Tweedle-dum?

–What is a “difference” re: policies and values in:

•taxation?

•health insurance?

–overall?

–Medicare?

–Medicaid?

•education?

–public cf private schools and vouchers?

–university tuition assistance?

–[cont]

ELECTIONS
DO ELECTIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
[cont]

–fewer government regulations [thus smaller government]?

–military expenditures?

–social value issues/individual rights?

•gay rights?

•abortion?

•Patriot Act?

ELECTIONS
ISSUE DEBATES/BIPARTISANSHIP

•Issue debate good or polarizing? Is bipartisanship good/bad?

•Is voting an expression of the “general will” or pluralism?

•Sidney Verba article: “Would the Dream of Political Equality Turn Out to Be a Nightmare?”

•"The educated are better social scientists and more democratic moral reasoners. ...They are more informed, have more consistent political values, and can make better connections between means and ends. In general, they are more supportive of the rules of democracy, more tolerant of unpopular voices, more committed to communal rather than individualistic goals. [Based on numerous studies.]

ELECTIONS
ISSUE DEBATES/BIPARTISANSHIP

•Issue debate good or polarizing? Is bipartisanship good/bad?

•Is voting an expression of the “general will” or pluralism?

•Sidney Verba article: “Would the Dream of Political Equality Turn Out to Be a Nightmare?”

–Note balanced conclusion

•"On balance, although the reasons to fear political equality are not to be ignored, they are more than counterbalanced by the problems associated with inequality among citizens in their political voice. Political equality is an important ideal. While it is true that we will not achieve it soon, this is no reason not to continue trying."

METHODOLOGY

•Note Verba’s shift in methods in order to go deeper into the “conventional wisdom” [p.670] --- You never quit asking questions and setting out hypotheses!! [Frustrating perhaps, but “science” arrives at only the best answer at the moment and the inquiry goes on.]