Introduction
Voter turnout is an important aspect of a free and fair election in a democratic system of governance. A high voter turnout is deemed to be a sign of a healthy democracy (Lee 32). Even though America is one of the leading democracies in the world, its voter turnout has historically remained very low. In the last four decades, the participation of citizens in general elections has been steadily declining due to a myriad of socio-political factors. This paper highlights the measures that can be taken to improve voter turnout in the United States.
Low voter turnout in the US is attributed to the emergence of candidate-oriented campaigns, inadequate electoral competition and the decline in the popularity of party politics (Green and Gerber 66). The rise of a hypercritical press has also contributed to the low voter turnout. Since these factors are difficult to address, more citizens are likely to shy away from the electoral process in the future. However, the following measures can help in motivating citizens to participate in elections.
First, the current electoral process should be replaced with a proportional representation system. The current system discourages voters from participating in elections since a candidate can be declared the winner even if he wins in fewer states than his competitor (Green and Gerber 111).
A candidate can also be declared the winner despite garnering fewer votes than his competitor. This happened in 2000 when Bush was declared the winner despite having fewer votes than Gore. These weaknesses demonstrate that the voters have a limited ability to select their leaders through the voting system. A propositional representation system will eliminate these weaknesses by assuring the voters that their votes will be the ultimate determinant of the country’s future leadership.
Second, some laws that govern the voting process should be changed. Concisely, the voting hours should be extended to allow more people to participate.
Most eligible voters fail to vote due to work commitments. Similarly, conducting elections on weekdays often discourage the working class from participating. Consequently, high voter turnout can be achieved by conducting the elections on weekends. Third, the campaign period should be reduced. Traditionally, lengthy campaigns are expected to give voters adequate time to evaluate the candidates.
In the contrary, long campaigns divert the voters’ attention from campaign activities. Empirical studies reveal that “most voters lack the psychological preparation that facilitates close attention to campaigns when the Election Day is still months away” (Lee 98). Besides, voters are likely to lose interest in campaigns that last for a very long time. Hence, long campaigns produce an uninformed electorate, thereby discouraging participation in elections.
Third, the voter registration process should be reformed. In most states, the registration process is often stopped, at least, two weeks prior to the Election Day. However, most citizens are hardly aware of the registration deadline. Besides, some voters find it difficult to register due to time constraints. Consequently, the registration deadline should be extended.
Registration should be allowed on the Election Day in order to give more citizens the opportunity to participate. The registration process can also be made automatic. For instance, the government can use the list of registered citizens (holders of national identification cards) to create the voters register. Fourth, the media can help in motivating citizens to participate in elections (Green and Gerber 132).
The print and electronic media play an integral role in informing the public about campaign events such as presidential debates, as well as, the policies of each candidate. However, the media has systematically reduced its coverage of political activities in favor of commercial adverts. The electorate is likely to be well informed if the coverage of political events is increased. Thus, the voters will have an incentive to vote.
Fifth, civic education should be improved in the United States. Most citizens are not aware of the importance of participating in elections. Thus, comprehensive civic educational programs should be used to sensitize the citizens on the benefits of participating in elections. Finally, conducting opinion polls prior to the elections should be prohibited.
Traditionally, opinion polls are used to predict the results of the general elections (Lee 122). Voter turnout tends to be low when the polls predict a landslide victory. This is because the citizens tend to believe that their votes will not change the results. Prohibiting polling activities during the campaigns will make it difficult to predict the results. Thus, more citizens are likely to participate in the elections.
Collaborative Essay
The Road to the White House, 2012, by All of Us
The main issues in the 2012 presidential elections include economic growth, unemployment and tax policy (Gallup). Additionally, the voters are concerned about the management of the country’s public debt. National security and foreign policies have also featured prominently in the presidential campaigns.
The Republicans have been criticizing President Obama’s economic and energy development policies since the beginning of the campaigns. Obama intends to extend the tax cuts that were introduced by Bush’s administration. The tax cuts are expected to benefit citizens whose income is less than $ 250,000. However, the president has promised to end the tax cuts that are currently being enjoyed by the wealthy.
Romney, on the other hand, intends to reform the tax system by introducing a new set of tax cuts. For instance, he has proposed a 20% reduction on personal income tax rate. He has also proposed a reduction in corporate tax by 5 percentage points, as well as, the elimination of the estate and capital gain taxes. In 2011, Obama focused on pursuing green energy development policies.
However, in early 2012 he made a dramatic change in his energy development policy by deciding to exploit all energy sources rather than focusing on clean energy. Romney, on the other hand, favors the development of non-renewable energy sources such as oil and gas. His energy policy is based on the premise that the non-renewable energy sector can create more jobs and significantly improve energy supply in America.
The Republican presidential primaries began in 2011 with several candidates competing for the party’s nomination. By February 2012, there were only four candidates left in the competition. They included Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. Romney was nominated as the party’s presidential candidate in May, after winning the support of 1,144 delegates. President Obama was nominated as the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in September after he won the support of more than 2778 delegates.
The Republicans held their national convention in August 2012, whereas the Democrats held their convention in September 2012. During these conventions, the parties focused on criticizing each other. The parties seemed to have adopted similar political values. Consequently, the conventions produced political strategies which were more or less the same.
The Republicans focused on highlighting the weaknesses of their opponents by describing them as people who discourage individual success and free enterprise (Harris and Vandehei). The Republicans also described their opponents as people who prefer the European-style welfare state.
The Democrats adopted a similar approach by describing their opponents as people who look alike and have little concern for the less fortunate. The Democrats also accused their opponents of having the intentions to control Americans’ sexual and reproductive freedom. Most voters find it difficult to make a decision concerning the candidate to vote for due to the similarities in the policies and political strategies that have been adopted by the two parties.
Since the beginning of the campaigns, the candidates have focused on popularizing their policies in order to win voters’ support. Romney was deemed to be the winner of the first presidential debate. However, Obama was considered to be the winner of the second and the third debates (Gallup).
In the third debate, Obama won the support of the audience by clearly specifying his positions on foreign policy and his past achievements. Generally, Obama has received favorable ratings on healthcare, energy and taxes. Romney, on the other hand, has received positive ratings on economic policy, as well as, his stand on federal budget deficit. The results of the 2012 presidential election will be determined primarily by the candidates’ ability to articulate the socio-economic issues that the country is grappling with.
Works Cited
Gallup. This Week’s Top Stories. Gallup, 27 Oct. 2012. Web.
Green, Donald and Alan Gerber. Get Out the Vote: How to Increase Voter Turnout. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.
Harris, John and Vandehei Jim. Two Conventions Tell the Tale of 2012. Politico, 7 Sep. 2012. Web.
Lee. American Voter Turnout: an Institutional Perspective. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print.