CH 9

Socioeconomic Status: status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige.

Turnout: the percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote.

Mobilization: The process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political activity.

Have voter participation levels changed over time? How and who is voting:

• More Americans tend to vote in presidential election years than in years when only congressional and local elections are held.

• During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, reforms such as requirements for voter registration discouraged voters from going to the polls.

• During the New Deal era, politicians and unions mobilized urban immigrants to vote for the first time.

• after 1960, political parties grew weaker and less likely to mobilize voters. In the 1970s, trust in the federal government declined with the Watergate scandal.

Know about turnout based on income levels, age, education, and ethnic background.

• People with higher socioeconomic status, such as higher income, and educational attainment, tend to vote more frequently and have greater political influence.

• Older people are generally more likely to vote than younger people.

• White voters have historically participated at higher rates than minority groups, with more educated white voters often supporting Republicans.

• Black voter turnout has been high in recent elections, notably for the Democratic party.

• Hispanic and Asian Americans have had lower voter turnout historically, though this is changing as the populations grow.

• Factors such as systemic barriers and targeted political campaigns also impact voter turnout and preferences across different demographic groups.