The role of voting, polling and referenda in determining public policies.

1. Voting, Polls & Referenda
Agenda
 Please turn cellphones off and put them away
 Voting
 Polling
 Referenda
 Political Parties
 Next Class assignment: Read Equality and
Justice for all handout

2. Political Parties
Why we have a two party
system
https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=5eInuuLp1Dw

3. Voting
 Voting is supposed to be how
we personally tell our official
how we want our government to
act.
 68% of people agree with the
statement “Voting gives people
like me some say in how the
government runs things” Why
not 100%?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
ar7r5aG_B0Y

4. Voting: It’s not always fair
Even after long battles for
the right to vote, not
everyone gets to vote. -
residency (college
students), time of day
workers), restrictions (i.e.
felons), hard to get to
polling places
(transportation), voter IDs,
and other forms of voter
suppression) Can you vote in this
November’s
election?

5. Voting: A vote is not always equal
 The Constitution set up
a senatorial system
giving every state 2
Senators. That gives
less populous states
such as Montana and
Wyoming, equal power
with the states with
large populations like
New York and
California.

6. Voting: The choice is limited
 Redistricting by parties in power means that
voters of one party have an unfair advantage
over the other.
 The electoral college is set up so that
delegates elect the President and not the
direct vote of the people.
 Four presidents have been elected who did
not have the popular vote - George W. Bush,
Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford Hayes, & John
Quincy Adams

7. Voting: The influence of advertising
and money
 Advertising affects our
image of candidates.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Nqci9YCZHXI
 Money affects what
those ads say and how
often they run.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=k5kHACjrdEY

8. Voting: The failure to vote
 USA has the lowest number of active voters
than other democracies. 139 out of 172
nations. Why?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teYW_Vwb
4Cg
 Reflection: Do you vote? Why or why not? List
at least 3 reasons you do or don’t and give one
suggestion that would encourage people to
vote in the next election.

9. So why should I vote?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOp0lpXtqN4
 November 3, 2015 General Election Deadlines
 MAIL REGISTRATION (N.Y. Election Law Section 5-210(3))
Applications must be postmarked no later than October 9th and received by a board
of elections no later than October 14th to be eligible to vote in the General Election.
 IN PERSON REGISTRATION (N.Y. Election Law Sections 5-210, 5-211, 5-212)
You may register at your local board of elections or any state agency participating in
the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year but, to
be eligible to vote in the November General Election, your application must be
received no later than October 9th except, if you have been honorably discharged
from the military or have become a naturalized citizen since October 9th, you may
register in person at the board of elections up until October 24th.
 CHANGE OF ADDRESS (N.Y. Election Law Section 5-208(3))
Notices of change of address from registered voters received by October 14th by a
county board of elections must be processed and entered in the records in time for
the General Election.

10. Voting
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Lv-
0LQN-A
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AeRFhwS
YVQ
 Don’t Vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8y1e-
z1JA0

11. Who’s driving?
Who has the most power
in choosing the direction
our government is headed
in?
a. The public
b. The politicians
c. The president
d. The bureaucrats
d. Big business/the rich
To govern: To officially
control and lead a group
of people
*CLASS POLL: Write the letter that agrees with your position and put it in
the container.
Then we will tabulate the votes.

12. What about polls?
 Most people believe the
public should have more
influence on government
decisions.
 A majority feel politicians
should pay close attention to
the polls.
 Although many feel that the
public is uninformed, the
majority believe the public
should have more influence.
 Source: www.publicattitudes.com

13. What is polling?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=678yc_erIA
E

14. Problems with Polls
Factors affecting polling:
 Who is surveyed – who is a “likely voter?”?
 When are they surveyed – what big thing is in
the news or what ads are running?
 How the question is asked
Are you in support of___?
Which would be the worse choice___ or ___?
 How the graph is drawn

15. Which graph is the best?
Source: Pew Research Center 2015
Graphs of polls can be designed to
make data look more important than
it is.

16. Referenda
A referendum is a direct vote by the citizens for a
law, amendment, or spending initiative by the
government.
In 2012 states held referenda on the right to die,
same sex marriage, and legalization of marijuana,
A typical referendum question example: New York 2012: The purpose of
the proposed amendment to section 9 of article 1 of the Constitution is to
allow the Legislature to authorize and regulate up to seven casinos for the
legislated purposes of promoting job growth, increasing aid to schools,
and permitting local governments to lower property taxes through
revenues generated

17. Problems with Referenda
 Voters tend to reject referenda that cost money or
raise taxes, and choose those that promise
something for nothing. (California’s Proposition 19
which mandated programs, but not the funding of
them)
 Wording can be difficult to understand or be tricky
i.e. – asking voters to choose no for the positive
result to happen
 Well-funded interest groups can propose
referenda that are worded in their favor.
 Deliberation on the referenda seldom happens
and people vote based on advertising.

18. Interest Groups/Lobbyists
 There are over 23000 interest groups in the US.
These groups fund lobbyists whose job it is to
create and encourage policies favorable to the
group’s interests.
What are the positives of lobbying?
What are the negatives of lobbying?
Would the government still work without
lobbyists?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTbtKRdYbYo

19. Who Do You Party With?
 Citizens
 Christian Liberty
 Conservative
 Democrat
 Green
 Independence (NY)
 Independent
 Libertarian
 Objectivist
 Peace & Freedom
 Reform
 Republican
 Socialist
 Tea Party
 US Pacifists
 US Marijuana
 Working Families
And more…

20. Next Class
 Read the handout Equality and Justice for All:
Introduction and Approaches and be prepared
to discuss.
 On Thursday we will have a deliberation on the
topic.