Discuss the various demographic factors that influence voting in America.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Many demographic factors affect registration and voting. The most important, however, are sex, age, social class, and race and ethnicity.In every presidential election since 1996, women-and across all racial or ethnic groups-have voted at higher rates than men. The reasons for these differences are unclear but may reflect higher turnouts by women who believe that social services, abortion rights, and health care coverage are threatened.Historically, and across all elections, voting rates increase with age. Young people have lower registration rates because they are more geographically mobile than older people and are less likely to reregister after a move. Moreover, they often feel uninformed about politics, believe that elections aren't relevant in their lives, and may also be preoccupied with major life events such as going to college and finding jobs. In effect, young people's low voting rates mean that they have little effect on political processes.Social class has a significant impact on voting behavior. At each successive level of educational attainment, the voting rate increases, and those with advanced degrees are the most likely to vote. People with higher educational levels are usually more informed about and interested in the political process and more likely to believe that their vote counts. Voting rates also increase with income levels. People with higher incomes are more likely to be employed and to have assets and, therefore, are more likely to vote to protect or increase their resources. In contrast, low-income people usually have few assets and may be too disillusioned with the political system to vote.Across all racial-ethnic groups-including both native-born and naturalized citizens-the higher the voter registration, the higher the voting rate.