Participation in Politics

I resonated with Popkin’s (1991) first chapter of The Reasoning Voter more so than with any of the other readings because I appreciated the bluntness of his argument, one that the authors also addressed, albeit not as directly. It is true — voters have a limited amount of information about politics, a limited knowledge of how government works, and a limited understanding of how governmental actions are connected to consequences of immediate concern to them directly. And yet, we invest heavily in understanding voters’ behaviors and motivations, the rationale for turnout, levels of knowledge, and whether it all matters. Billions of dollars are spent on elections and election research, so while it may be true that few people participate in politics and citizens don’t pay much attention to politics, political participation is valuable, which begs the question — Why do Americans participate in politics through voting when they know so little about politics?

Based on the readings and my own understanding, Americans participate in politics through voting mostly as a result of intrinsic motivational factors: a sense of civic duty, individual values and beliefs developed over a lifetime, and personal observations and lived experiences. Americans may also be driven to vote by concern over the outcome of the given election, or partisan intensity. Additionally, the relationship between the intensity of voter preference and voter turnout itself is impressive. Thus, if voter turnout (and political participation) can be improved, then focusing on these internal motivating factors and candidate preference ought to be two priorities for campaigns. While voters may not be specialists or experts, they learn from campaigns! They learn about policies, character, and competence; they learn about track records, successes, and failures. With more channels to reach voters today, campaigns can target specific motivating factors, from civic duty to political efficacy to partisan intensity. For example, this election cycle I have learned more from candidates’ social media outlets on where they stand on particular issues more so than any newspaper or news program. The digital access voters have to candidates and campaigns now presents a wealth of opportunity to hone messaging specifically targeting those motivational factors.

The more accessible candidates and campaigns can be for information, involvement, and connection, the greater likelihood voters can develop a preference, and thus be more inclined to vote!

References:
Popkin, Samuel L. 1991. The Reasoning Voter