Impact of Institutional Factors and Election Mechanisms on Voter Turnou

In the 2012 United States Presidential election 58.2 percent of the registered voters turnout out to vote (IDEA). This cypher is in stark contrast to many other wealthy democracies in the western world for the same election cycle (IDEA). This begs the question, why is voter turnout significantly lower in the US compared to the rest of the first world and other OECD countries? There are countless factors that could affect voter turnout, the most timeworn of which are based on socioeconomic status. But when considering exactly developed nations, more is at play in predicting turnout. Focus is turned to institutional factors and the centre election mechanisms, such as registration laws and party systems, have on policy-making participation.Europe and the United States differ on many key aspects of democratic structure including party systems, registration processes, and voting procedures. These unique institutional factors in the United States place an excessive burden on the public and increases the tangible hail to voting, which discourages political participation. In order to discuss these costs, an understanding of how broader institutional an structural factors influence an individuals participation must be reached. In a general context, political participation is defined as any form of individual engagement with politics, but within the scope of this essay, political participation is narrowed to include only the act of voting (Verba). This can be used to explain why voter turnout in the United States is so low compared to European democracies. By investigating the democratic institutions in Italy, Germany, and France, such a comparison can be made and the institutional effect on voter turnout consider can be investigated. Final... ...rties in America.Third reality Traveler. Princeton University Press, 1984. Web. 1 May 2014. . Timpone, Richard J. Structure, Behavior, and Voter Turnout in the United States.The American Political Science sus s out92.1 (1998) 145-58.JSTOR. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .Powell, Bingham G., Jr. American Voter Turnout in Comparative Perspective.The American Political Science Review80.1 (1986) 17-43.JSTOR. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. . Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman Schlozman and Henry E. Brady. 1995. Voice and Equality. Cambridge Harvard University Press. Selections (BB) pg. 8-10 23-24 37-48. World Economic Outlook Database, April 2014, International Monetary Fund. Updated 8 April 2014. Accessed April 2014.