Intro to American Politics Week 8: Campaigns & Participation

Flashcards covering the paradox of voting, calculus of voting, social pressure studies, and the history and current state of election administration and costs.

Paradox of voting

The question of why some people vote while others stay home, given that individual votes are rarely decisive and voting often involves significant costs.

Calculus of voting

A mathematical model by Riker and Ordeshook (1968) stating people vote when rewards are positive, represented by the formula $r = b \times p - c$.

$$r$$

In the calculus of voting, this represents the returns or rewards for voting.

$$b$$

In the calculus of voting, this represents the benefits of a candidate beating an opponent, such as lower taxes or social policy changes.

$$p$$

In the calculus of voting, this represents the probability of casting the decisive vote.

$$c$$

In the calculus of voting, this represents the costs of voting, such as missing work, childcare, or learning about candidates.

$$d$$

A term introduced by Riker & Ordeshook (1968) representing benefits beyond the outcome, such as civic duty, peer pressure, and excitement, resulting in the formula $r = b \times p - c + d$.

Intrinsic ethical considerations

Motivations for voting based on internal factors, such as personal beliefs about civic duty or community expectations.

Extrinsic concerns

External factors that motivate voter turnout, such as social pressure or the imposition of social costs.

Gerber, Green & Larimer (2008)

A study that found increasing levels of social pressure in mailings (Civic duty, Hawthorne, Self, Neighbors) directly increased voter turnout by up to $8.1$ percentage points.

Understanding Clause

A literacy requirement used in Jim Crow-era election administration; Keele et al. (2021) found its enforcement significantly reduced Black voter registration.

Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965

Legislation that banned literacy tests, mandated language assistance, allowed citizens to sue for discrimination, and required federal pre-clearance for voting law changes.

Section 2 of the VRA

A provision prohibiting voting standards that result in the denial or abridgement of the right to vote; recently narrowed by the Supreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais.

Packing and cracking

Tactics used to dilute minority votes; along with partisan gerrymandering, these are no longer considered violations of Section 2 of the VRA after recent court decisions.

Voter ID laws

Changes in election administration that, according to Cantoni and Pons (2021), do not have large negative effects on overall turnout but can reduce participation for citizens without identification.

Vote-by-mail laws

Policies that allow all-mail elections; participation typically increases in counties that adopt these laws according to Thompson et al. (2020).

No-excuse absentee votes

A system where voters can request an absentee ballot without a specific reason; Meredith and Endter (2016) found no real evidence that this increases overall turnout.

2020 Presidential turnout

Reached a rate of $66\%$, which was the highest turnout rate since 1908.