Why do you think more people do not vote in the United States?

n this module, we begin to look at how the democratic system of the United States functions: political parties, voting and the election system. It is important to remember that the US Constitution was not written with political parties in mind. George Washington even warned against them. Initially, the Vice President was not a political partner to the president but the runner-up in the election and continued this way until 1804. The system was built on compromise, but as time has passed compromise seems less routine. Currently, the American system is composed of two major political parties that voters can choose between, with many third party options that often can achieve success at the local level but often fail to achieve even 10% of the vote in national elections. This can create a voting for a lesser of two evils dynamic, as many voters mentioned in the last couple of presidential elections. It is then, not surprising, that voter turnout is generally low compared to the amount of people registered to vote when there is little excitement or support for a candidate. Why do you think more people do not vote in the United States? Can a democracy be maintained when leaders are only being chosen by a few?

Last Completed Projects