Cropped version of :Image:Iraqi voters in Baghdad.jpg. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Is voting a form of conventional or unconventional political participation? I guess it all depends on your definition of . . . voting. For years I’ve been telling students about how my mother voted for Bill Clinton (first run) because she liked his hair (to be fair, she had also expressed the opinion that she thought Senator Robert Dole—Clinton’s opponent—was too old to be President). I also explain to my students why her comments could be so troubling to a son that teaches political science and who, incidentally, both worked on the Clinton campaign as a partisan staffer in Illinois and contributed to the Glass Ceiling Commission Report (sponsored by Senator Robert Dole of Kansas) while working at a California think tank in the early 1990s.
I share these stories with my students to illustrate the conundrum that I believe voting presents to academics and pundits alike. As a form of political participation it is routinely mentioned as one of the most conventional forms of political behavior practiced by Americans. A search of the thesaurus on the term “conventional” results in usual, established, standard, normal, etc. In other words, one would truly expect that voting is something done often and by many or most people whenever presented with an opportunity to do so. The problem is that in most elections most people who can don’t vote—that is by casting a ballot. Voter turnout (the actual percentage of eligible voters who vote in a particular election) in non-presidential elections rarely rises above fifty percent. In many local elections voter turnout is lucky to rise above twenty percent (many municipal elections fall into this category). Even if we just limit our discussion to people who vote, does my mother’s selection of Bill Clinton based on youth and attractiveness, and yes, years of party identification as a Democrat biasing her selection from the get-go, actually deserve to be compared to a person’s comparison of candidates on important policy differences? What if someone just walks into a voting booth, closes their eyes, and just starts poking holes in the ballot—is that voting?
In my estimation, if we used that actual meaning of the word “conventional” as our metric, voting would have to be listed as a form of non-conventional participation, right up there with attending political meetings, and participating in a demonstration (and let us not forget donating to a candidate or campaign, running for office, or even contacting an elected official, just to name a few). Truth be told, I just happen to believe in democracy as a form of government. I just don’t agree with the emphasis placed on voting at the expense of all the other ways a person can participate in governing—themselves, their workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, counties, states and even nations. What do you think? Does the material in your textbooks and course lectures support or detract from my basic thesis? I would like to know.
–DENNIS FALCON
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PoliSci News Review 
I would agree that voting is an unconventional political practice, and that voting should not be classified as an activity everyone does. We should ask ourselves why doesn’t the overall population look upon voting, as a thing that should be cherished not just a practice as if it were a burden (no time, to confusing, my vote doesn’t count). I would have to say the reason voting is so unconventional is for the lack of knowledge and participation we have in politics. We are taught the formal and most basic parts about politics like how many seats are held in congress and the senate, but most of us will not learn the informal side like the names of who holds those seats. “…informal learning is really much more important than formal …” (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry 193). Like my father would say, “Informal is what people go out and learn on their own.” Most people wont take the time to learn what they need to know to make their vote count. Most of the knowledge they know is what they learn from the news they gather from television and newspapers, and even then, those sources only tell you what they want you to hear. No wonder older Americans, compared to youth, vote higher in the voting poles. “Unfortunately, today’s generation of young adults is significantly less likely to watch television news and read news-papers than their elders” (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry 194). It is true what the book says. As one gets older, our political participation takes more of an effected. It reminds me of the first time I went to vote. It was Bush vs. Gore in 2000. I was only there because I was getting extra credit for being there. I knew who I wanted to vote for, Al Gore, because my father was voting for him. “…the majority of young people will vote simply by knowing the political leaning of their parents” (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry 193). But I would have to say on the rest of the ballet, I just chose any of the alternative choice on the ballet because I found it to confusing to comprehend. Now in the present time, I never thought to think how my choice my effected the present. What if my choices, so carelessly they were, may have affected things like rising college fee tuition or cutting of programs that would help me go above and beyond in the future? “If public opinion analysts agree about anything, it is that the level of public knowledge about politic is dismally low” (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry 199). Ever since then, I haven’t been to vote since. I am much older now learning more about politics, and I have learned much more than I did before. Our nation truly lacks the participation and knowledge of what it needs to change it for the best. We cannot say we live in a nation that voting is conventional because it isn’t from what I have stated in my blog. Furthermore, the next time I am looking at a ballet and wanting to make a carless decision I don’t understand, I will remember the 2006 Zogby notional poll survey the authors of this book stated in page 199, “74 percent of respondents were able to name each of the “Three Stooges”-Larry, Curly, and Moe-whereas just 42 percent could name each of the three branches of the U.S. government- judicial, executive, and legislative”, and I will know not to make a carless decision.
Voting is unconventional for most people that lack knowledge in politics. Federal laws have expanded suffrage over two centuries ago, yet not everyone has the knowledge to understand the meaning of politics. Voting can cost voters a lot of their time because they have to drive to the polls, educate yourself, and then make up your mind. Voting can take a lot of a person time and the vote may not even make a difference in the election. People find voting very unconventional because there are many requirements that have to be done to make the right choice and have to take time off work for a vote they believe wont matter. Voting should only be done by people that are educated and demonstrate an understanding to politics because making the wrong decision affects our country. The Moter Voter Act shouldn’t force people to register to vote when they apply for their driver license. People that are interested in politics would register without being forced. In 2008 many black people register to vote and were more involve in politics than any other minority group, but many of the people voting probably didn’t have an understanding to politics because if they understood politics well they would have started voting long ago. Voting for a candidate being he is the same race as yourself is wrong because then we demonstrate a person can win an election based on their appearance than their contributions to America. Dennis falcon states, “my mother voted for Bill Clinton (first run) because she liked his hair (to be fair, she had also expressed the opinion that she thought Senator Robert Dole—Clinton’s opponent—was too old to be President).” I am not educated in politics, but if I had to choice based on their looks I would vote for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan or Barack Obama because I am a minority. Those aren’t real reasons to vote, so voting should be done only by those that truly understand politics. Young people should seek knowledge on politics to become involve and vote for a candidate not base on their race, gender, appearance, but for their contributions they will bring America and its people.
I agree that voting is unconventional politics practice. Voting should be important to everyone because every vote counts and we all have the right to vote and express our opinions. I came from a country that used to allow only males to vote and women didn’t have the right to vote. So, now when we all have the right to vote we should take advantage of that because this the country that we live in and this country gives us freedom to choose what we want that’s why we always want to vote to the person who will always keep that freedom. I know that a lot of people don’t vote and I don’t know why, I think we just need to get more educated on politics and the important of voting, and what can help that is the mess media. Now days we are so connected to mess media like televisions and internet, more than the newspapers. If the mess media focuses more on voting and why we should all vote, I think people will start to realize that it is very important to vote and voting will become conventional to everyone.
Voting is conventional but the majority of voters are unconventional because they are not voting for the right reasons. People usually already have it established who they are going to vote for depending on the popularity on the politician. For example Bill Clinton was the first Presidential Candidant to appear on MTV to let the young adults interview him. A result with him doing that young people felt that they can relate to him because he reached to the younger crowd, which got them to vote for him. Another example would be Barack Obama. So people wanted to be a part of history by voting for the first back president. In my opinion all it is is a popularity contest and its not really based on the best man for the job anymore. Basically they target the naive crowd to get the majority votes out of them.
I think voting is conventional and has been for the decades it has been around. However the participation in voting and the reasons people vote for have become more and more unconventional. Many people lack knowledge it politics and don’t care to actually read up on what is going on in their country and why certain propositions will improve they’re country or not. I believe that people such at celebrities and people in the public eye are trying they best to get young people into voting and making a difference. But all they can do is advertise it. We as young adults have to do are part and read up on politics and get out and vote.
I believed voting is conventional only for those who understand politics, and for those who will benefit from it. An unconventional is for those who don’t vote or for those who vote for the wrong reasons. People who don’t vote is because they simply don’t care and don’t understand what’s really going on in the political campaigns also because they believe voting is just a waist of time if their vote is not going to count. Now those who vote for the wrong reasons instead of helping the political party could hurt it. People should go by facts and specially by someone else personal views or their own personal beliefs. Voting for the wrong reasons is why we are in this position. Is our responsibility as voters to go out and vote, knowing why and by whom we are voting for. We should take the advantage and privileges that this country gives us, how many countries do not enjoy this privileges, we should not let others choose for us or our future.
Voting today is unconventional , not many people are familiar with the real aspects of why they want to vote, like the reason of your mother. Many american do lack knowledge of politics, simply because politic just does not interest them. I don’t understand how it could be mentioned that voting is a conventional thin that most Americans do because it is clear that many Americans who can vote , don’t vote. I feel that many do not vote because they are simply lazy, and or due to the fact that they just do not want to find out how and where to vote. Many new voters will just vote to vote, not being thoroughly educated on who there voting for and what they stand for. I know many people who are able to vote but just do not vote for no reason at all, and I also know many people , young my age that just vote to vote for something or hear one small positive aspect about someone and do it. I feel that the motor voter act was a really good idea because whoever is elected as president or any high standing position , affects everyone. Americans are simply lazy, but they are not lazy to drive and to drive, most people want to have there license, to me its like killing 2 birds with one stone. If I wouldn’t have registered to vote at the DMV when getting my license I don’t know if I would have registered wight when I turned 18. Voting is important and I feel America needs to make it a more important aspect in America and people should become more knowledgeable about the persons elected and whom they should vote for. SO maybe Voting can be a conventional thing in America.
I agree that voting is an unconventional politics practice. Voting is very important, people dont realize how important it is. Anericans need to take this more seriously because everyones vote matters. Just one vote can make a difference. I think as americans we need to get more educated about politics. We all have a voice we just need to stop being lazy and take advantage of the fact that we can choose who runs our country and to choose which propositions we want to agree or disagree with. Its up to us Americans to make voting more important to us.
Voting is a conventional political participation. As “conventional” can be defined as usual, established, gathering of people; clearly voting can be seen as conventional through the gathering of people to vote for a candidate. Voting for many Americans is a conventional political participation through political efficacy. As stated in the book of Government in America, “political efficacy—the belief that one’s political participation really matters—that one’s vote can actually make a difference” (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry 297). Many Americans vote not because of the person good looks however, for the political platforms they stand for. Americans are voting for the candidate they closely identify with, by supporting the issues they are concerned. Another explanation of Americans voting can be explained through “civic duty—the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should vote” (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry 297). Americans are given a chance to participate in government therefore; it should be Americans civil duty to do so. Although, yes I do agree some Americans do not vote, but the Americans who are voting are making a conventional participation. To those who are not voting, need to start voting as their civic duty as an American. From my own personal experience many of the people who vote, vote for the candidate they closely identify with and not through the person good looks. It would be concerning to find out people are voting just because of the person good looks, then they should rather not vote or get educated in politics before voting. Just one question dwells upon me, which is if you believe in democracy as a form of government, then shouldn’t you also believe in the voting system or else you would be contradicting yourself?