The Effect of Race on Voter Turnout essays

The Effect of Race on Voter Turnout essays Does voter turnout amongst various races stem from a lack of resources, or just plain laziness? The determining factors have been studied and pondered in the minds of many for years. The effect of race on voter turnout is often hypothesized and associated with lower levels of voter mobilization, weaker mobilizing institutions, and higher barriers to voter participation. Furthermore, America has seen several trends and fluctuations in the turnout of the minority voter throughout history. Unfortunately, minority voters have not been known to forcefully turnout, but rather express a sense of apathy towards elections (Hill and Leighley 1996). Throughout this analyzation I will address these issues and provide various opinions and theories regarding the demographic factor of race on voter turnout. Additionally, voter behavior among races in the most recent presidential election will be included. Lastly, I will take a look at the impact of gender within the demographic factor of rac e. The information and analyzations regarding race and voter turnout are most often based upon ones own theories. In 1949, an author by the name of V. O. Key brought forth one of the most prominent scholarships on this particular topic. He described Southern politics as driven by whites obsession with blacks. According to Key, the political strategies used to maintain control in the black belts from the late 19th century through the immediate post-World War II period-one-party rule and the adoption of various suffrage restrictions, set the tone of the so-called Southern politics. Moreover, because these features of the electoral system did not discriminate in their consequences for voter turnout, both whites and blacks in the South displayed lower levels of turnout than their counterparts in the rest of the nation. Although subsequent scholarship has assumed that Keys observations were relevant only to ...