participation Flashcards
Describe in two ways can US citezens participate in US politics
P- Voting for candidate at the three levels of government. E- They can vote for Major at local level, State Senator at state level and President at federal level.
E- In 2020 US citizens could vote for either Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the Presidential election.
P- Joining an interest group and publishing their cause.
E- An interest group is a group of individuals who try to put pressure on the government to change the law or introduce a new law. E-The National Rifle Association is an interest group which protects the right of US citizens to own guns and has approximately 5.5 million members.
Why some people are more likely to participate in politics
P- They are better educated. E- 99% of the Senators and 94% of members of the House of Representatives have a Batchelor’s degree.
E- This may put people with a poor education off standing for election because they feel they won’t be able to debate with people who have a better education.
P- They are wealthier.
E- Standing for election and running a successful campaign costs a lot of money and minorities are more likely to live in poverty compared to whites.
E- Trump donated $66 million of his own money to his presidential election campaign and used his jet and resorts for campaign rallies.
Why some people are less likely to participate in politics
P- They do not have an adequate standard of living. E- Many people who live poverty do not participate in politics as they are struggling to get by and participating in politics is not a priority.
E- People living in poverty may have seen no improvement in their living conditions despite promises by politicians in the past therefore do not see the point in voting.
P- Language barriers.
E-Hispanics may struggle to understand English as it is not their first language.
E- English is the language of politics in the USA therefore they will be unable to understand the political debates on television or campaign leaflets and therefore may not vote as a result.
