essay on role of citizen in election

Essay on Election for Students and Children

500+ words essay on election.

Election is the process through which people can express their political opinion. They express this opinion by public voting to choose a political leader . Furthermore, this political leader would have authority and responsibility. Most noteworthy, Election is a formal group decision making the process. Also, the selected political leader would hold public office. The election is certainly a vital pillar of democracy. This is because; Election ensures that the government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Characteristics of Election

First of all, suffrage is an important part of Election . Most noteworthy, suffrage refers to the right to vote in Elections. The question of who may vote is certainly an important issue. The electorate probably never includes the entire population. Almost all countries prohibit individuals under the age of majority from voting. For example, in India, the age of majority is attainable at the age of 18 years.

The nomination of a candidate is also an important characteristic of Election. This means to officially suggest someone for Election. Nomination refers to the process of selecting a candidate for election to a public office. Furthermore, endorsements or testimonials are public statements to support a candidate’s nomination.

Another essential characteristic of Election is electoral systems. Electoral systems refer to detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems. Furthermore, detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems convert the vote into a political decision.

The first step is the tally of votes. For this purpose, there is the use of various vote counting systems and ballot. Then comes the determination of the result on the basis of the tally. Also, the categorization of most systems is as either proportional or majoritarian.

Scheduling refers to arranging and controlling of Elections. Elected officials are accountable to the people. Therefore, they must return to the voters at regular intervals of time. Elected officials must do that so as to seek a mandate to continue in office. Above all, most countries arrange elections at fixed regular intervals.

An election campaign is also an integral part of Election. Election campaign refers to an organized effort to positively influence the decision making of a particular group. Consequently, politicians compete with each other by trying to woo more and more individuals.

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Importance of Election

First of all, the Election is a peaceful and efficient way of choosing political leaders. Furthermore, citizens of a Nation choose a leader by casting their votes. In this way, the citizens are able to choose an individual whose views appeal to them most. Hence, people are able to exercise their will in political leadership.

An election is an excellent opportunity for people to express their resentment. Most noteworthy, if people are unhappy with a particular leadership, then they can remove it from power. People can certainly replace an undesirous leadership with a better alternative through Election.

The election is a handsome opportunity for political participation. Furthermore, it is a way by which new issues can be raised in public. In most democratic countries, common citizens are allowed to contest elections independently.

Consequently, a citizen could introduce reforms which are not any political party’s agenda. Also, in most democratic countries, a citizen could form a new political party to contest Election.

Election helps keep the power of political leaders in check. The ruling parties cannot afford to do any wrongdoing to the public due to the risk of losing Election. Hence, Election serves as an efficient power check and control for those in the ruling power.

To sum it up, Election is the symbol of political freedom. Most noteworthy, it is the tool which puts authority in the hands of common people. Democracy certainly would be non-functional without it. People must realize the value of Elections and come out in large numbers to vote.

Q1 What are electoral systems?

A1  Electoral systems are detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems. These detailed constitutional arrangements and voting systems convert the vote into a political decision.

Q2 How Election helps keep the power of the political leaders in check?

A2 Elections certainly help keep the power of the political leaders in check. This is because political leaders cannot afford to do any wrongdoing to the public due to the risk of losing Election

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Civics Literacy Study & Resource Guide

• Introduction
• Civic Life, Politics, and Government
• Foundations of American Political System
• Constitution and American Democracy
• Citizenship and Participation

Voting and Elections

Researching issues and candidates, other forms of civic participation.

• Individuals & Events in U.S. History

Other Relevant Guides

• American Studies by J.P. Herubel Last Updated May 22, 2024 134 views this year
• Indiana Government by Bert Chapman Last Updated Feb 26, 2024 217 views this year

The Role of Citizens in American Democracy

U.s. constitution.

The U.S. Constitution includes amendments regarding citizenship and participation of citizens in politics. Some examples include:

• Granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States." In addition, it forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (From the  Library of Congress )
• Granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Although ratified on February 3, 1870, the promise of the 15th Amendment would not be fully realized for almost a century. Through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests and other means, Southern states were able to effectively disenfranchise African Americans. It would take the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 before the majority of African Americans in the South were registered to vote. (From the  Library of Congress )
• Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. ( From the  National Archives )
• Passed by Congress March 23, 1971, and ratified July 1, 1971, the 26th amendment granted the right to vote to American citizens aged eighteen or older. (From the National Archives )

In the American Democracy, citizens are granted the right to vote for elected representatives in government positions. You can learn more about voting through the following resources:

• Can I Vote (NASS) This nonpartisan website was created by state election officials to help eligible voters figure out how and where to go vote.
• Fair Elections Center Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of using litigation and advocacy to remove barriers to registration and voting, particularly those disenfranchising underrepresented and marginalized communities, and to improve election administration.
• Federal Voting Assistance Project Absentee voting assistance and verification for servicemembers & their families and overseas citizens. Plus, links to state/territory-specific election & legislative websites.
• How To Vote How to Vote is your guide to everything you need to know to register and vote in your state. If you have a question about participating in elections, you’ll find the answer here.
• Indiana State Voting Requirements Courtesy of Indiana Secretary of State Elections Division
• State and Local Election Search (USA.gov) Locate your state’s election office website for state-wide voting guidance.
• VoteRiders VoteRiders offers free assistance for any eligible voter who encounters barriers to securing his or her ID to vote, including financial and legal help obtaining underlying documents like birth certificates, change of name documentation, etc.
• Voting & Elections Toolkits Voting and election reference guide for each state provided by GODORT.
• Voting and Elections (USA.gov) Information on where to register, finding state and local elections, and voting and election laws.

Library Resources

• CQ Researcher CQ Researcher explores a single, current issue in the news each week on topics ranging from social issues to environment, health, education, science and technology. Each 12,000-word report features comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of the issue. Charts, graphs, a pro-con feature, chronology, bibliographies and a list of contacts complete each report. more... less... Forty-four reports are produced each year, with four expanded reports. Each 12,000-word report features comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of the issue. Charts, graphs, a pro-con feature, chronology, bibliographies and a list of contacts complete each report.
• News, Policy & Politics Magazine Archive (feat. Newsweek) This link opens in a new window An archival collection comprising the backfiles of 15 major magazines (including the Newsweek archive), spanning areas including current events, international relations, and public policy. These titles offer multiple perspectives on the contemporary contexts of the major events, trends, and interests in these fields throughout the twentieth century. The collection will provide valuable primary source content for researchers in fields ranging from history and political science, through to law and economics. more... less... Note: Due to the rarity of some of the original print volumes, there are small gaps (issues or pages) in the runs of some publications.
• ProQuest Congressional Publications Provides access to historic and recent U.S. Government publications from 1789-1969 on including U.S. Congressional Serial Set documents, federal agency reports, congressional committee publications including reports on legislation, statistics, maps, and congressional debates. Coverage includes Congressional Record and predecessor publication debates from 1789-1997 and Executive branch agency publications not included in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set from 1789-1932.
• Political Extremism & Radicalism This link opens in a new window Provides primary source material on far-right and fascist movements as well as radical left groups in one resource . Explores the origins and development of present-day issues, including the resurgence of right-wing politics, evolution of various civil rights movements and the nature of extreme or radical political thought.

Voter Guides

• AARP Government & Elections Guide Includes news & analysis, political issues, and other information on government and elections.
• I Side With... Offers quizzes to help match citizens with potential candidates based on their beliefs. Also includes information on popular issues, data, candidates, and more.
• Voting Information Tool This website is an initiative of the Voting Information Project (VIP), a partnership between state election officials and Democracy Works to connect voters with the election information they need to cast a ballot. Launched in 2008, VIP works with state and local election officials to provide official and up-to-date election information.

Research Tools

• Political Issues by Topic (Pew Research Center) Browse reports and articles by political issue. Provided by the Pew Research Center.
• PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter PolitiFact's evaluates political information from transcripts, speeches, news stories, press releases, campaign brochures, TV, social media, and emailed requests. The evaluated content also includes a list of sources with every fact-check.
• FactCheck.org A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
• Washington Post Fact Checker The purpose of this website, and an accompanying column in the Sunday print edition of The Washington Post, is to “truth squad” the statements of political figures regarding issues of great importance, be they national, international or local (excerpt from website).
• C-SPAN Video Archives The C-SPAN Archives contains over 270,000 hours of C-SPAN programming and are located in the Purdue Research Park next to Purdue University. The Archives represents a record of over thirty years of our nation’s political history. Details on the API can be found under the mycspan tab at the top of c-span.org for individuals who create an account. Use Chrome browser for best results.
• Congressional Research Service (CRS) The Library of Congress' Congressional Research Service (CRS) presents unbiased reports on various public policy issues for members of Congress, their staff, and the American public.

Volunteerism

Form of civic action and commitment that demonstrates a willingness to make positive contributions to society. The following provides resources for how to get involved in Indiana and Tippecanoe County.

• Indiana Volunteer Centers Directory of volunteer centers in Indiana by county.
• Serve Indiana (IN.gov) Serve Indiana is a division of the Department of Workforce Development for the State of Indiana. The mission of Serve Indiana is to advance service and volunteerism by informing, connecting, and promoting opportunities and resources that enrich the lives of Hoosiers.
• State Emergency Registry of Volunteers for Indiana SERV-IN is a statewide electronic registration system of medical and non-medical volunteers who want to assist our public health and healthcare system during an event or disaster.
• Volunteer.gov America’s Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal was built and is maintained by the Federal Interagency Team on Volunteerism (FITV) that is comprised of volunteer program coordinators from three Cabinet level departments.
• Volunteer Engagement Center (United Way) Browse local volunteer opportunities within the greater Lafayette area.
• VolunteerMatch Database of virtual and on location volunteer opportunities. Searchable by cause areas, skills, keyword, and more.
• Inspired to Serve: Report of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service 2020 report by congressionally authorized commission.

 Back to Introduction 

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• Next: Individuals & Events in U.S. History >>
• Last Edited: Jun 3, 2024 10:39 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/civicsliteracy

Civics-Online.org

Promoting civics education in America

Four important responsibilities of voters

More Voting Rights :

• Exercising the right to vote is essential to being a good citizen
• Reasons why you should vote
• The right to vote should not be taken for granted
• Voting rights you might not know about

During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln preached the importance of the government being of, for, and by the people. He argued that voters played the most important role in making sure the government reflected their desires and functioned according to the guidelines of the Constitution.

Despite Lincoln’s appeal to the public, it can be argued that many people today fail to appreciate or acknowledge their role in shaping the government. As U.S. citizens, people maintain these four important responsibilities as eligible voters.

Registering to Vote

Most notably, people’s most important responsibility as citizens involves registering to vote. If they are legal U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older, and have no felony convictions on their record, people are eligible to vote in local, state, and federal elections. Registering to vote can be done online or in person. The process of becoming a registered voter is simple and can be taken care of in a matter of minutes.

Voting in Elections

Once they are registered to vote, people should then make every effort to vote in local, state, and federal elections. Many people dismiss this responsibility by saying that they do not care about the issues on the ballot or that they are unfamiliar with the candidates up for election. However, by failing to use their privilege to vote, people essentially allow other voters to make decisions for them, to let their voices be heard over voters who make no effort go to the polls. This is one of the primary reasons why you need to vote !

The outcomes of elections can impact voters’ personal freedoms, taxes, and other aspects of daily life that they take for granted. Because of the far reaching impact that an election can have, people have the duty to cast their vote if they want a say in how their futures play out.

Casting Absentee Votes

People who have a legitimate reason for not making it to the polls can still cast their vote by requesting an absentee ballot. The ballot can be mailed to them or they can cast an absentee vote in person at their local election office. Despite not being able to vote on Election Day, they can still make sure that their voice is heard and that they make use of their voting privilege.

Updating Personal Information Regularly

State and federal election laws can change at a moment’s notice, so it is important for people to keep their voting information updated as needed. If they move or want to change their party affiliation, for example, they should update this information well before the next election takes place.

They should also stay up-to-date about the location of their polling place. The locations of polling places change regularly. A school, church, or business that was utilized as a polling place during the last election may not be used again for the next. Voters can find out their polling places online or by contacting their local election office.

Voters play a central role in shaping the government and their very futures. They can satisfy their duty as voters by observing these four important responsibilities.

Why Voting Is Important

“Voting is your civic duty.” This is a pretty common sentiment, especially each November as Election Day approaches. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean for Americans in particular?

Social Studies, Civics, U.S. History

Americans Voting

Typically in the United States, national elections draw large numbers of voters compared to local elections.

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A History of Voting in the United States Today, most American citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in federal and state elections , but voting was not always a default right for all Americans. The United States Constitution, as originally written, did not define specifically who could or could not vote—but it did establish how the new country would vote. Article 1 of the Constitution determined that members of the Senate and House of Representatives would both be elected directly by popular vote . The president, however, would be elected not by direct vote, but rather by the Electoral College . The Electoral College assigns a number of representative votes per state, typically based on the state’s population. This indirect election method was seen as a balance between the popular vote and using a state’s representatives in Congress to elect a president. Because the Constitution did not specifically say who could vote, this question was largely left to the states into the 1800s. In most cases, landowning white men were eligible to vote, while white women, black people, and other disadvantaged groups of the time were excluded from voting (known as disenfranchisement ).

While no longer explicitly excluded, voter suppression is a problem in many parts of the country. Some politicians try to win re election by making it harder for certain populations and demographics to vote. These politicians may use strategies such as reducing polling locations in predominantly African American or Lantinx neighborhoods, or only having polling stations open during business hours, when many disenfranchised populations are working and unable to take time off. It was not until the 15th Amendment was passed in 1869 that black men were allowed to vote. But even so, many would-be voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes , literacy tests, and other measures meant to discourage them from exercising their voting right. This would continue until the 24th Amendment in 1964, which eliminated the poll tax , and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended Jim Crow laws. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, when the long efforts of the women’s suffrage movement resulted in the 19th Amendment. With these amendments removing the previous barriers to voting (particularly sex and race), theoretically all American citizens over the age of 21 could vote by the mid 1960s. Later, in 1971, the American voting age was lowered to 18, building on the idea that if a person was old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be allowed to vote. With these constitutional amendments and legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle for widespread voting rights evolved from the Founding Fathers’ era to the late 20th century. Why Your Vote Matters If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history. In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case ( Bush v. Gore ). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008. More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency. Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters. A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful. How You Can Make Your Voice Heard If you are not yet 18, or are not a U.S. citizen, you can still participate in the election process. You may not be able to walk into a voting booth, but there are things you can do to get involved:

• Be informed! Read up on political issues (both local and national) and figure out where you stand.
• Get out and talk to people. Even if you cannot vote, you can still voice opinions on social media, in your school or local newspaper, or other public forums. You never know who might be listening.
• Volunteer. If you support a particular candidate, you can work on their campaign by participating in phone banks, doing door-to-door outreach, writing postcards, or volunteering at campaign headquarters. Your work can help get candidates elected, even if you are not able to vote yourself.

Participating in elections is one of the key freedoms of American life. Many people in countries around the world do not have the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past. No matter what you believe or whom you support, it is important to exercise your rights.

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Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — Voting — The Importance of Voting for Strengthening Democracy

The Importance of Voting for Strengthening Democracy

• Categories: Voting

About this sample

Words: 630 |

Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 630 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Shaping government policies, promoting representation and inclusivity, fostering civic participation, challenges and the importance of overcoming them.

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Describe the role of citizens in a democracy

The following are the roles of citizens in democracy: the citizens of a country vote in the elections and choose the representatives of the government. citizens have a very important role in a democracy as they exercise their rights and freedoms and benefit from the democratic setup of the country they cooperate with the law and order and rules and regulations. they have to be aware about the policies of the government. citizens have right to speak so they can criticize the bad will of government and protest against it..

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3.5: The Role of Political Parties

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• University of Massachusetts via EdTech Books

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Standard 3.5: The Role of Political Parties

Describe the role of political parties in elections at the state and national levels. (Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for History and Social Studies) [8.T3.5]

FOCUS QUESTION: What are the roles and impacts of political parties in American politics?

Political parties can be defined as " a group of people who share the same ideas about how the government should be run and what it should do " ( League of Women Voters California Education Fund, 2013, para. 2 ).

Mention the term political party and many people think of today's two major parties and their animal symbols—the Democrats' donkey (which first appeared during Andrew Jackson's 1828 Presidential campaign) and the Republicans' elephant (first drawn by political cartoonist Thomas Nast in 1874). You can learn more at " How Did the US Political Parties Get Their Mascots " from Wisconsin Public Radio (November 8, 2016).

For other people, political parties mean sharply different visions for how American society should be organized and they align themselves with the party that matches their viewpoint. The Gallup Poll reports that in 2019, 27% consider themselves Democrats, 26% Republicans, and 46% Independents or not aligned to any party (Gallup, 2019).

Members of a political party work together to win elections and influence the making of public policy. Political parties are much more than promotional symbols or ideological home bases for policy-interested voters. Political parties determine the candidates for President, members of Congress, and many state and local positions. They establish the majority party/minority party organization of Congress. They raise enormous sums of money to support those running in state and local elections. They influence policy through political advocacy and public information campaigns.

What are different ways that political parties function within the nation's political system? The modules for this standard explore that question by examining the evolution of the political party system, the roles of third parties and radical political parties at different times in history, and the question of whether every voter should join a political party.

Modules for this Standard Include:

• INVESTIGATE: The Party System, Political Parties Today, and the 2020 Census
• UNCOVER: Radical Political Parties in United States Politics: Populists, Socialists, and Black Panthers
• MEDIA LITERACY CONNECTIONS: Website Design for New Political Parties

3.5.1 INVESTIGATE: The Party System, Political Parties Today, and the 2020 Census

Political parties have been part of the U.S. political system since the nation's founding, beginning with debates over the federal Constitution of 1787 between the Federalists (led by Alexander Hamilton) and the Anti-Federalists (led by Thomas Jefferson). Party divisions and rivalries have continued ever since, despite George Washington's warning in his Farewell Address on September 19, 1796:

"It [party conflicts] serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity [hatred] of one part against another; foments [provokes] occasionally riot and insurrection."

Since just before the Civil War, American politics has been dominated by "two large-tent parties battling for primacy against each other, but often battling themselves" (Tomasky, 2020, p. 60). Evolution of Political Parties in American Politics offers an overview of the party system. This Political Party Timeline Prezi features a historical overview of political parties in American politics.

Political Parties Today

According to Ballotpedia , there were 225 recognized political parties in the United States during the 2020 election.

A recognized political party is an organization that has followed a state's rules for being on an election ballot. The Democratic and Republican Parties appeared on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, accounting for 102 of the 225 recognized parties. The Libertarian Party appeared in 35 states, the Green Party in 22 states, and the Constitution Party in 15 states.

The resourcesforhistoryteachers wiki page, The Conservative Movement in American Politics , charts the rise of conservative politics since 1980 and includes material on the Tea Party.

Take a Quiz: If America Had Six Parties, Which Would You Belong To?

The Democrats and the Republicans

Contemporary American politics is dominated by the Democratic and Republican political parties. We often refer to states or Congressional election districts as red (Republican) or blue (Democrat) as a way to characterize how people tend to vote in those places.

Researchers use election data to measure how red or blue a state or district is politically, what is known as partisan lean . A partisan lean is "the average margin difference between how a state or district votes and how the country votes overall" ( FiveThirtyEight , May 27, 2021, para. 3). A score of R+5 or D+5, for example, means that state or district is 5 percentage points more Republican (R) or Democratic (D) than the country as a whole. Following the 2020 elections, the District of Columbia followed by Massachusetts and Hawaii have the largest partisan lean toward the Democrats; Wyoming, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Idaho have the greatest lean toward Republicans. New Hampshire is the only state that does not lean to either party.

You can explore partisan lean further at the FiveThirtyEight Partisan Lean Metric or the 2021 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index .

Fundamental Shifts Among the Parties

Political scientists Mathew Grossman and David H. Hopkins (2016) see fundamental shifts happening to both major parties . Historically, Republicans have been organized around broad symbolic principles whereas Democrats were a coalition of social groups with particular policy concerns. The 2020 election and the impeachments of Donald Trump show both parties being reshaped in ways that are breaking apart those frameworks.

Writing in the The New York Review of Books 2020 Election issue , historian David W. Blight (2020) defines the parties thusly:

Democrats represent a coalition held together loosely by an ideology of inclusion, a commitment to active government, faith in humanistic and scientific expertise, and an abhorrence of what they perceive as the monstrous presidency of Donald J. Trump. Republicans, with notable defections, are a party held together by a commitment to tax reduction, corporate power, anti-abortion, white nationalism, and the sheer will for power. (para. 2)

Assessing the changes in U.S. political parties following the 2016 Presidential election, Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson (2020) see the Republican Party as a mix of big-money corporate elites and socially conservative white working-class voters who have partly adopted policies of "plutocratic populism," including corporate tax cuts and government deregulation along with efforts to curb and eliminate health care and social safety net programs directed toward women and people of color. Ironically, in the 2016 Presidential election, the votes of people in rural, predominantly white lower-income counties across the nation, which have fewer doctors, fewer healthcare resources, and higher rates of obesity and diabetes, shifted to a Republican candidate whose policies would not respond to those health needs (Wasfy, Stewart & Bhamahani, 2017).

Historian Heather Cox Richardson, in her ongoing series Letters from an American , has been tracking the profound disagreements between the Republicans and the Democrats over the role of government in American society. Since the 1980s, a wing of the Republican Party has sought to return to the business-dominated policies of the early 20th century before the Great Depression and the subsequent expansion of the federal government during the New Deal. In that Republican vision, business groups control the government, scaling down or eliminating entirely social and environmental regulations, infrastructure spending, social safety nets, and federal efforts to ensure equality for all. Democrats reject those policies, supporting an activist federal government to support efforts against racial injustice, climate change, and poverty while seeking to expand social services and educational opportunities for low-income and diverse Americans.

During the 2016 and 2020 elections, the business wing of Republican Party supported and enabled the Trump wing of the party, but following the 2020 election and the subsequent attack on the Capitol by an organized group of insurrectionists, the Trump wing has risen to dominance. The Republican Choice by Clare Malone (2020) offers a thoughtful review of the recent history of the Republican Party, its Southern Strategy used to attract white voters, and the impacts of the Trump Presidency.

Political Parties and Political Polarization

In their book Polarized America , three political scientists contend that since a mid-twentieth century period of ongoing compromise and collaboration between Republicans and Democrats, the "parties have deserted the center of the dance for the wings" (McCarty, Poole, & Rosenthal, 2016, p. 2). The result is a growing gap between the parties and their members known as political polarization.

In political polarization, members of political parties move away from each other toward ideological extremes, making it harder and harder to reach compromise on public policy issues. This results in legislative gridlock, where Congress and even some state legislatures are unable to reach agreement on how to respond to social and economic problems. To learn more, go to Explainer: Political Polarization in the United States from Facing History and Ourselves (2020).

In the view of some researchers, increased political polarization is directly connected to growing economic inequality. Those with economic resources and political power take whatever steps they can to maintain their position and status; those without oppose these steps. Compromise is harder to achieve; politics becomes increasingly more divisive; and " c onservative and liberal have become almost perfect synonyms for Republican and Democrat " (McCarty, Poole, & Rosenthal, 2016, p. 4).

Interestingly, the messages that political parties offer voters can serve to deepen political polarization. Most Americans tend to agree on society's problems and how to solve them. For example, they want to prohibit workplace discrimination, create racial equity, fight climate change, and wear masks to curb the pandemic. But, as two political scientists found, when politicians frame these issues as a matter of partisan politics, then people's positions polarize into separate camps (Gadarian & Albertson, 2014).

Gerrymandering and Electoral Redistricting

Gerrymandering is the practice of redrawing legislative district lines in order to help one political party win elections and maintain political control. It is a fundamentally undemocratic process, since its intent is to institutionalize political power and make it harder for voters to create change.

The practice goes back to the early days of the republic when Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry (who was also the nation's fifth Vice President) had the state legislature create voting districts to favor the candidates of the incumbent Democratic-Republican party over the Federalists in the 1812 election. Political parties have been seeking to dilute the voting power of the other party by redrawing districts to ensure that their party holds a majority ever since.

By law, under the Constitution, state legislatures must divide their state into voting districts every ten years, following the results of the U.S. Census. The goal is for voting districts to reflect population changes while maintaining the principle of " one person, one vote ."

Under one person, one vote, each person's vote should count essentially the same as the next person's. Since those who are elected represent "people, not trees" (that is, actual people who live in a place rather than the geographic size of a region), each state voting district is supposed to have an equal share of the state's population. But election mapmakers can manipulate the shape of those districts to favor one party over another.

Our country's winner-take-all election system, where 51% of the voters get 100% of the representation, encourages gerrymandering (Gerrymandering, Fair Vote). Politicians can readjust the size of voting districts, often along racial and ethnic lines, so that one party is essentially ensured of winning most elections. Racial Gerrymandering in North Carolina offers a case study on how politicians in that state exploited redistricting to influence the outcome of elections.

Redistricting the Nation offers another view of how political districts were redrawn in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona, along with ideas for how citizens might go about creating their own districts to more fairly represent their interests.

To draw your own Fair Election Districts, visit GeoCivics from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

The 2020 Census and Congressional Redistricting

The release of the 2020 Census data in August 2021 showed dramatic changes in the society of the U.S. Within a total population growing at the slowest rate in nearly a century, people identifying as Hispanic, Asian, or more than one race increased while the total number of white people fell for the first time. Population diversity rose in nearly every county in the nation (The Morning Newsletter: A Changing Country, New York Time s, August 13, 2021).

All of the ten largest cities increased their population from 2010; Phoenix was the fastest-growing city. New York City grew by 8% as well. The fastest-growing metropolitan area was The Villages - the nation's largest retirement community, located just outside Orlando, Florida.

Population changes have huge political implications, since states must redraw their Congressional districts every 10 years to determine apportionment of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. The latest Census data shows declines, in some cases larger than expected, in rural and white population groups and areas that traditionally vote for Republicans, and increases in cities and suburbs that vote largely for Democrats. At the same time, Republican-controlled legislatures will decide 187 new district maps while Democrats decide 84.

You can go to Topic 3.3 INVESTIGATE to learn more about the House of Representatives.

You can follow what redistricting looks like in every state with an interactive from the FiveThirtyEight blog.

History of Third Parties in American Politics

In addition to the Democratic and Republican parties, short-term third parties have influenced public policy debates as well as the outcomes of national and state elections. Historically, third parties arise around a major issue of interest that attracts support from voters. In the election of 1860, the Republican party candidate Abraham Lincoln, who opposed expansion of slavery into new territories, defeated candidates from the Democrat, Southern Democrat, and Constitutional Union parties. Following Lincoln's election, southern states seceded from the Union and the Civil War began.

The Progressive, or Bull Moose Party , led by former President Theodore Roosevelt, and the Socialist Party, led by Eugene V. Debs, were among the most impactful third parties in American history. In 1912, Roosevelt, running as the Bull Moose candidate, won six states and 27% of the popular vote; Debs received nearly one million votes in that same election. Other important third parties include the American Independent Party , whose candidate, the segregationist George C. Wallace, won 46 electoral votes and over 9 million popular votes in 1968. In 1980, when Republican Ronald Reagan defeated Democrat Jimmy Carter, independent party candidate John B. Anderson received nearly 7% of the popular vote.

Many observers believe that the 2000 Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, who won nearly 3% of the popular vote, took enough votes away from Democrat Al Gore to enable Republican George W. Bush to win the Presidency. In 2016, when Donald Trump lost the popular vote but defeated Hillary Clinton in the electoral college, third-party candidates received 6% of the total national vote.

Suggested Learning Activities

• Political Parties: Two is Company, Three's a Crowd , PBS Newshour
• Third Parties in the U.S. Political Process from PBS Newshour provides an overview of third parties in American history.
• The Third Party Impact on American Politics , UVA Today , University of Virginia (August 3, 2016)
• Compare and contrast American Political Party Platforms, 1840 to 2008 from the American Presidency Project (includes only parties that received electoral votes)
• Research a major metropolitan area in your state at the site Where Democrats and Republicans Live in Your City ( FiveThirtyEight , May 20, 2019).
• What do you think explained the political party patterns revealed in the data?
• Research the 2020 Election and see if voting patterns have changed or remained the same.

Online Resources for Political Parties

• "What Unites Republicans May Be Changing. Same with Democrats" , FiveThiryEight , December 17, 2019
• Politics and Public Policy , iCivics
• Political Parties Learning Plan that includes a rap song.

3.5.2 UNCOVER: Radical Political Parties in United States Politics: Populists, Socialists, and Black Panthers

The populist party.

The period from the late 1890s through the first two decades of the 20th century saw the rise of radical political parties associated with unions and working people, notably the Populist Party and the Socialist Party . Both sought to represent workers in politics.

This period in United States History was known as the Gilded Age , when expansive growth in industry led to vast inequalities of wealth and power. A class of industrial entrepreneurs alternatively called "captains of industry" or "robber barons" dominated American politics. Many different industries were dominated by a few corporations and people; for example:

• Oil --------------> Standard Oil, John D. Rockefeller
• Steel -----------> Carnegie Steel, Andrew Carnegie
• Railroads ------> Central Pacific Railroad, Cornelius Vanderbilt
• Automobiles --> Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford

In 1860, there were 400 millionaires in the United States; by 1892, there were 4,047. John D. Rockefeller became the nation's first billionaire in 1916. In 2018, there were 11.8 million Americans with a net worth of at least $1 million (Spectrum Group, 2019).

Radical political parties offered a sharp critique of the economic and social class structure. These parties supported changes in laws as well as efforts by labor unions to create change in conditions for workers through strikes and political action ( Labor Unions and Radical Political Parties in the Industrial Era ).

The Black Panther Party

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, a militant political organization, was founded in 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale ( Overview of the Black Panther Party ). Political activism by women was also an important party of the Black Panther Party ( People's Historians Online: Women in the Black Panther Party , Zinn Education Project).

The Panthers set forth a 10-Point Platform for political, economic. and social change that "contained basic demands such as self-determination, decent housing, full employment, education that included African-American history, and an end to police brutality" ( Weise, 2016, para. 20 ). Watch Bobby Seale Speech: The BPP Ten Point Program/Platform.

The Black Panthers are frequently labeled extremists, but the historical reality is quite different ( 27 Important Facts Everyone Should Know About the Black Panthers ). Learn more the Black Panthers at the resourcesforhistoryteachers wiki page about the Accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement .

Public interest in the origin of the name "Black Panther" followed from the 2018 movie Black Panther about King T'Challa of the fictional land of Wakanda. In the movie, Blacks have power, money, technology and high culture and a superhero to lead them. But the name goes back much further. During World War II, the name "Black Panthers" referred to the majority-Black 761st Tank Battalion that engaged in combat for 183 days in a row in France and Germany throughout 1944 and 1945, its members earning 7 Silver Stars, 246 Purple Hearts, and one Congressional Medal of Honor.

Some have speculated that the Black Panther Party was connected to the appearance of the Black Panther comic book character . Both appeared in 1966 and both sought to express the pride and power of Black people. Black Panther party founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale said they adopted the black panther symbol from Alabama's Lowndes County Freedom Organization. Black Panther comic creators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee have said they were not specifically influenced by the Black Panther Party. While the Black Panther Party dissolved in 1982, the Black Panther comic has continued, explicitly addressing themes of Black empowerment and opposition to White racism, notably when the Christopher Priest , the comic's first African American cartoonist, drew the strip in the 1990s. Ta-Nehisi Coates currently writes the Black Panther strip for Marvel Comics.

• What would be the party's symbol?
• What would be its slogan?
• What would be its platform for change? For background, read the Progressive Party Platform of 1912 .
• What connections and parallels do you see between what Du Bois was writing about then and people are seeking and encountering today?

3.5.3 ENGAGE: Should Voters Join a Political Party?

When registering to vote, each person has a choice whether or not to join a political party.

Those who do not select a party designation are considered to be "independent" or “unenrolled," joining the 39% of all Americans who are not members of a political party. Importantly, registered voters can vote in any general election whether or not they belong to a political party. In general elections at the national, state, and local level, everyone receives the same ballot and can choose from among the same number of candidates.

Four parties hold primaries in Massachusetts: Democrat, Republican, Green-Rainbow, and Libertarian ( Political Parties in Massachusetts ). The state also has five other political parties: America First, Communist, Constitution, Labor and Veterans.

A voter's political party choices are different in other states. In California, for example, there are seven qualified political parties: Americans Elect, American Independent, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, and Republican. Visit the link to National Political Parties from Votesmart.org for a state-by-state listing of political parties.

Does it make sense for every voter to join a political party? Party membership enables one to vote in that party's primary election, where its candidates for general elections are chosen. In states that hold what are called "closed" or "semi-closed" primaries, however, individuals cannot participate unless registered as a member of a political party ( Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and Others ). Still, to be able to vote in a primary is not the only reason to belong or not belong to a political party. Many people value being associated with other individuals who share similar views on political, social, and economic matters.

Young People and Political Party Membership

What about young people and political party membership? The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University found the although young people tend to be excited about political change, that enthusiasm does not carry over to joining a political party. Rather seeking out membership, many young people express disinterest and distrust toward political parties and the larger electoral process ( Young People's Ambivalent Relationship with Political Parties , CIRCLE , October 24, 2018).

Media Literacy Connections: Website Design for New Political Parties

In theory, multiple political parties give voters multiple choices during elections. In 2020, there were 21 Presidential candidates on the ballot in Vermont and Colorado and in all other states voters could choose between 3 and 13 different candidates.

In reality, though, candidates from parties other than the Democratic or Republican parties have only a small chance of winning a state-wide election (Independent Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine are exceptions to that statement). In Minnesota, for example, the Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate for U.S. Senate won 185,064 votes (5.77% of all votes cast) while the winner, Democrat Tina Smith, received 1,566,522 votes (48.81% of total votes).

Still, this does not mean that supporting a third party candidate means "wasting" one's vote on someone who cannot win an election. Multiple political parties raise public awareness of issues facing society which can lead to social, economic, and political change.

In politics today, a new political party needs to utilize social media to communicate with voters. A party website can serve as a hub or home base for information, showcasing the party's logo, highlighting its policies, introducing its candidates, and raising funds to support itself and its efforts. In this activity, you get to design a website for a new political party.

• Activity: Design a Website for a New Political Party
• Do you plan to join a political party when registering to vote? Why or why not?
• Take a 2020 Political Quiz from Isidewith.com to establish which political party aligns to your views on important issues.
• How to Choose a Political Party, League of Women Voters California Education Fund (May 1, 2019)
• Six Reasons Progressive Activists Should Join a Political Party, Open Democracy (November 19, 2013)

Online Resources for Political Party Membership

• Sick of Political Parties, Unaffiliated Voters are Changing Politics, NPR (February 28, 2016)
• Massachusetts Directory of Political Parties and Designations from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office provides a listing of parties in present-day Massachusetts, as well as links to the websites of the Democratic Party, Republican Party, Green Party, and others.

Standard 3.5 Conclusion

Political parties are central to the nation's system of elections at all levels of government. Parties nominate candidates and organize voters. Two major parties, the Democrat and Republican, dominate national politics today. INVESTIGATE explored how the system of political parties evolved in U.S. history, including how third parties influence elections and policies. UNCOVER examined the emergence of radical political parties in different time periods - the Populists, the Socialists, and the Black Panthers. ENGAGE asked whether every voter should join a political party.

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Essay on Election

An election is a formal decision-making process in which people choose their political representatives. Since the 17th century, elections have been the primary method used to carry out representative democracy in modern times. Elections may be held to fill legislative, occasionally executive, occasionally judicial, and occasionally regional and municipal positions. Numerous other private and commercial organisations, including clubs, nonprofit organisations, and corporations, also use this procedure to elect their leaders.

100 Words Essay on Election

India is one of the most populous democratic countries in the world, and democracy plays a vital role in our country. Elections in our country are held once in every five years. The results of the elections are often subject to numerous rumors, analyses, and opinions in the news. During times of election, the entire nation is engulfed in a frenzy. But we know that the Election Commission of India (ECI), established in 1950 and responsible for monitoring and election procedures, also has a strong sense of style. The ECI is a massive organisation with several duties to carry out with regard to organising and processing elections in the country. The current Chief Election Commissioner of India is Rajiv Kumar.

200 Words Essay on Election

Elections are a way for a group of people (citizens of a country, employees of an organisation, students of a class, etc.) to come to a consensus about who will be their leading representatives. Ever since India became independent in 1947 and took up a democratic form of government, elections have been the medium through which people have chosen their leaders. Elections take place every five years in India. It is believed to be the mark of a responsible citizen to go and caste their vote in elections.

Conducting Body

The primary organisation in charge of overseeing elections in India is the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Indian constitution established the Election Commission, a body with the power to supervise the conduct of elections and referendums across the nation. Under Lok Sabha's confirmation, the president appoints the chairman of the commission for a 5-year tenure (House of the People). The president appoints the other members of the commission for a 7-year term at the suggestion of the prime minister, subject to the Lok Sabha’s approval.

Why Are Elections Necessary?

India is a democratic country, which essentially means that it is “ruled by its people”. Hence, elections become a mechanism through which citizens of the country voice their opinions as to who they want should lead them, giving everyone a fair say, and also appropriate feedback to those already in leading positions about how well their rule was received.

500 Words Essay on Elections

In a democratic country, people have the freedom to choose their leaders. Without democracy, people have no voice and are reduced to subservient slaves who obey their rulers. They had no choice but to obey their rules and their laws. Under British rule, India was monarchy. However, after independence, it became a democratic country.

Types of Elections In India

Presidential, Lok Sabha (General Election), Rajya Sabha, State Legislature, and local body elections are the main types of elections held in India. The General Elections (MP) and State Legislature Assembly (MLA) for the selection of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of State, respectively, are the elections in which the public is directly involved.

Presidential Elections | The Electoral College is made up of a total of 538 electors. After the general election, each elector casts one vote. 270 votes or more are required to win. Following that, on January 20, the newly-elected President and Vice President come to power.

Lok Sabha (General Election) | The Lok Sabha elections are held once in five years to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The first general elections or elections to the Lok Sabha after India became independent were held between October 25, 1951, and February 21, 1952.

Local Body Elections | Local Body Elections (India) are elections held in the states and union territories of the nation to choose representatives for local bodies, following the 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution.

Election Campaigns

The parties contesting in the elections run their respective campaigns few days prior to the election date, wherein they pitch to the citizens as to why the latter should vote for them and bring them to power. Here is why election campaigns are important:-

Structuring Public Opinion | Political parties use methods like public meetings, rallies, road shows, interviews, etc. during election campaigns to try and shape the public's opinion. It provides them with a platform via which they may communicate with the public and ask them to support them in the elections.

Platform For Debate | Political campaigns offer a stage for constructive discussion between political opponents. It allows them an equal opportunity to promote their successes and expose the flaws of their opponents, assisting the general public in forming opinions about the election.

Reaching Out To The Public | The election campaign facilitates public outreach through neighborhood public meetings, open forums, one-on-one conversations, direct engagement with the public, and other means to let people understand the realities of a region.

Election Process in India

In India, the election process begins with the announcement of the election dates, which is followed by the candidates submitting their nominations, which are then reviewed and approved by the electoral commission. Voting is done through electronic voting machines (EVMs) throughout the election day in the relevant constituencies. Any Indian citizen who has reached the age of 18 and possesses a valid form of identification is eligible to vote in the election. Votes are counted on the day results are announced, and the candidate with the highest number of votes is proclaimed the winner.

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Importance Of Voting: Why Should Every Citizen Vote?

Voting is a fundamental right of any citizen that enables them to choose the leaders of tomorrow. In many countries, the minimum age for voting is 18 years. Voting not only enables the citizens to vote for political parties, but it also helps them to realize the importance of citizenship. Many people do not vote thinking one vote will not make a change, but as a matter of fact, it does. A nation’s political foundations are built using elections.

Table of Contents

Benefits of Voting:

Voting is a basic process that keeps a nation’s governmental system works. It enables the citizens to choose their own government. It also allows the people to choose their representatives in the government. The purpose of every government is to develop and implement various policies for the benefit of its citizens.

It also enables the person with the right to question the government about issues and clarifications. Voting is the way to express the opinion of a citizen in a democratic nation. Voting is crucial to activating the democratic process.

On the day of the election, voters won’t just have the capacity to choose their representatives in government for the following term, and they can also decide on measures like security issues that concede the government authority to borrow funds for development projects and different advancements. Also, in some cases, voters cast their voting sheets on social issues.

Right to vote:

Right to vote energizes social awareness since it empowers political cooperation. The citizens can follow the progress of the political representatives and the legislature. This consistent process enables the general population to settle on educated choices about whom to vote in favor of in the following term. Also, the legislature can’t generally act arbitrarily when the entire nation is observing.

Every adult is given the right to vote, irrespective of sex, class, occupation and so forth. This is representative of uniformity and congruity. It is a fundamental right in which all citizens get an opportunity to choose who represents them.

Every party that is competing in any elections announces and establishes various benefits and social reforms for their people. Some of these political parties might be deceiving with their initial reforms, but can have the intention of corruption. It’s the responsibility and skills of citizen that decides which government is elected.

It is the right, benefit and obligation to vote as a citizen of your nation and an individual from your society. Individuals may figure their vote does not make a difference, but rather votes can shape remote monetary and social arrangements.

Everett Vasquez

Political Participation: Inclusion of Citizens in Democratic Opinion-Forming and Decision-Making Processes

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• First Online: 01 January 2021
• Cite this reference work entry

• Sylke Nissen 7  

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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The term participation refers to the involvement and cooperation of individuals or groups in development and decision processes, and includes both taking part and having a say. Political participation focuses in particular on activities affecting politics. The meaning includes four specific, commonly agreed characteristics (cf. Verba and Nie 1972 ):

Political participation

refers to active action like casting a vote or addressing a political representative in contrast to passive behavior as watching political debates on TV.

comprises activities by private citizens as opposed to politicians or lobbyists, for example.

is not enforced or required by law but voluntary action.

aims at the political system by influencing either the selection of (governmental) personnel or their actions and decisions.

In sum, political participation refers to voluntary activities by private citizens that aim directly or indirectly at the political system or processes (Asher et al. 1984 ;...

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Nissen, S. (2021). Political Participation: Inclusion of Citizens in Democratic Opinion-Forming and Decision-Making Processes. In: Leal Filho, W., Marisa Azul, A., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Özuyar, P.G., Wall, T. (eds) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95960-3_42

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Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

The essence of democracy.

Voting is the cornerstone of a democracy. It’s the tool that allows citizens to choose their leaders and voice their opinions on important issues.

Why Voting Matters

By voting, you get to influence the society you live in. It’s a way to ensure that your interests are represented in government.

The Power of Each Vote

Every vote counts. In many cases, elections have been decided by just a few votes. Therefore, your vote can make a real difference.

In summary, voting is a crucial component of democracy. So, always exercise your right to vote!

250 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Democracy is often defined as ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’ It is a system that bestows power in the hands of the citizens to choose their representatives. The cornerstone of this power lies in the act of voting.

The Role of Voting

Voting is not just a right, but a duty and a moral responsibility. It is the most direct and effective way of participating in the democratic process. The vote of every citizen contributes to the formation of a government and the trajectory of the nation.

Empowering the Masses

Voting gives citizens the power to express their opinion and choose leaders who align with their views. It is a tool to effect change and ensure the government reflects the will of the people. Voting also empowers marginalized groups, providing an equal platform for their voices to be heard.

Accountability and Transparency

Voting ensures accountability and transparency in the democratic system. It acts as a check on the government, reminding them of their responsibility towards the electorate. If the government fails to deliver, voters have the power to change the administration in the next election.

The importance of voting in democracy cannot be overstated. It is the fundamental right and duty of every citizen to participate in this process. It is through voting that we shape our society, influence policies, and ensure the government serves the common good. By voting, we uphold the democratic values of freedom, equality, and justice.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Voting in Democracy

Introduction.

Democracy is a system of governance where citizens participate directly or indirectly in the decision-making process. At the heart of this system lies the act of voting, an essential tool through which citizens express their will, choose their leaders, and influence public policy. The importance of voting in a democratic society cannot be overstated as it forms the basis for the exercise of political and civil rights.

The Pillar of Democratic Governance

Voting is a fundamental pillar of democratic governance. It is the mechanism through which citizens exercise their sovereignty and control over the government. By voting, citizens choose their representatives who will make laws, shape public policy, and steer the direction of the nation. This process ensures that the government is accountable to the people, and not the other way round. The act of voting is, therefore, a powerful expression of political freedom and self-determination.

Instrument for Social Change

Voting is not only a political act but also a tool for social change. It gives citizens the power to influence public policy and the direction of societal evolution. Through the ballot box, citizens can express their views on critical issues such as education, health, economy, and social justice. Voting, therefore, serves as a peaceful means of effecting change and shaping the society we want to live in.

Equality and Inclusivity

In a democracy, voting underscores the principle of equality. Regardless of social, economic, or cultural backgrounds, every citizen has an equal vote. This inclusivity strengthens social cohesion and fosters a sense of belonging among citizens. Moreover, it ensures that marginalized and underrepresented groups have a voice in the political process, thereby promoting social equity.

Responsibility of Citizenship

Voting is not just a right; it is a responsibility. By participating in elections, citizens contribute to the democratic process and the overall health of the political system. Abstaining from voting leads to a skewed representation, which may not reflect the true will of the people. Therefore, every vote counts, and each citizen ought to take this responsibility seriously.

In conclusion, the act of voting is a cornerstone of democracy, serving as a tool for change, a symbol of equality, and a responsibility of citizenship. It gives power to the people, ensuring that the government remains accountable and responsive to their needs. Hence, for a democracy to be truly representative and effective, it is essential that citizens understand the importance of voting and actively participate in the electoral process. The future of our democratic society depends on the collective action of informed and engaged citizens.

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Social Studies Note for Grade X | Unit- 5 | Lesson- 8 Role of Citizens in the Election

Role of Citizens in the Election

A periodical election provides an opportunity to people for electing representatives as per their choice in different times. People can choose their preferred candidate or party in the election to form their government. A fair, independent and impartial election can help in the resolution of national problems. The citizens have to play important role to make the election successful, respectable and disciplined. They should play various roles before, during and after election. The role of citizens in the election is presented as follows:

Role of citizens

Before election.

• Verify the electoral roll and make sure that the name of family members who have attained 18 years of age is included in the electoral roll.
• Help the Election Commission to update and revise the electoral roll if found any error in personal details.
• Encourage and help the neighbors and relatives to verify and update the electoral roll.
• Encourage the voters in the family and neighborhood to participate in the election for casting their votes.
• Study the manifestos of different political parties and discuss with the voters to elect the best candidate.
• Learn and teach other people about the technique of casting vote so that it would not be invalid, and
• Counsel the voters that they should not fall in greed and threat.

During Election

• Carry the voter identity card and remind others to do so.
• Stand in queue to cast the vote in disciplined manner.
• Cast the vote regardless of nepotism and favoritism.
• Help the aged, differently able and needy ones to cast the vote.
• Raise the voice if there is any irregularity or violation of election code of conduct, and
• Support the electoral officials to conduct election in peaceful environment.

After Election

• Wait for the result patiently.
• Congratulate and suggest the winner candidate to carry out the works in favor of people and the country, and
• Carry out the clean up campaign in and around the polling station, or booths.

Role of students in the election

• Providing correct information and helping the election commission to update the electoral roll
• Encouraging people to cast vote for electing the best candidate or party
• Teaching people about proper stamping on ballot paper
• Helping to maintain peaceful environment in the polling station, and
• Supporting aged and physically challenged people to cast their votes in the polling station

Short Questions:

• Prepare a dialogue between two friends on the role of a responsible citizen in the election.
• A good citizen must participate in an election. Prepare a dialogue on it.
• How do you convince your family members who don’t wish to vote in the election?
• What suggestions would you give to your guardians and neighborhood to cast the vote?

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Unit:-5, Lesson:-8 Role of Citizens in the Election

Unit-5 Lesson-8

Role of Citizens in the Election

A.  Short answer questions

1.  Prepare a model of dialogue between two friends who were discussing the role of a responsible citizen in the election.

Ans:- (Pooja and Sonam are discussing about the role of a responsible citizen in the election)

Pooja  : Hi Sonam, what you are reading now?

Sonam : Hi puja, I am reading an election manifesto prepared for the election.

Pooja  : Is it necessary to study the manifesto?

Sonam : Yes Pooja, it is our duty to select the best party in the election to develop our country.

Pooja  : What the people should do in the time of election?

Sonam : Good question. Listen! Election is the base of democracy. To cast the vote is the right and duty of citizen. We should use our voting right to select capable, energetic candidate for the development of nation. Not only this, we should teach our neighbor about the technique of casting vote, encourage the votes to participate in the election, we should counsel the voters to not to fall in greed and threat. We can support to conduct election in peaceful environment. We also can help the Election commission as volunteer.

Pooja  : thank you so much for your information.

(Both of them exit from the room for refreshment)

2.  “A good citizen must participate in an election”. Prepare a dialogue on this topic.

Ans:- (A conversation between Sunil and Gauri Shankar on election)

Sunil    : “Gauri Shankar, can you tell me what is an election?”

Gauri Shankar   : “Election is a democratic process to choose the candidates for various posts through the voting.”

Sunil    : “Gauri Shankar, can you tell me why a good citizen must participate in election?”

Gauri Shankar    : “Of course Sunil, you have asked a good question. Listen, election is an important event of a country because we can choose our government by ourselves through the election. If we participate in the election and vote to the right person, a good governance is possible. After all it is a duty of every citizen to take part in election.”

Sunil    : “What will happen if we do not participate in any election, Gauri Shankar?”

Gauri Shankar  : “If good citizens do not participate in election, wrong persons may go to the power and country may not develop properly. Corruption main take place and they may be political instability in the country which is not good for the country as well as the people.”

Sunil    : “What types of election there in the country and who are to be elected?”

Gauri Shankar    : “There are various types of election that take place in our country such as election for parliament, election of local bodies like VDC, municipality, DDC, etc. The most Richard the right candidates in all these bodies so that country can be ruled smoothly and develop faster”.

Sunil    : “Thank you Gauri Shankar for your information. I will also take part in all the election and choose the right candidate.”

3.  What suggestions would you give to your guardians and neighbor to cast the vote?

Ans:- I would suggest in the following ways to my guardians and neighbor to cast their vote:

i)  To select good, active, patriotic and capable candidate.

ii)  To stamp on only one symbol and to fold the ballot paper properly.

iii)  To go to the polling booth turn-by-turn.

iv)  To stand in queue to cast vote.

v)  To carry the voter identity card and remind others to do the same.

vi)  Not to fall for greed and threat.

4.  How do you convince your family members who don’t wish to vote in the election? 

Ans:- I will convince my family members who don’t wish to vote in the election in the following ways:

i)  To get voting right is great chance to elect right candidate.

ii)  To vote is to utilize the civic right.

iii)  We can select right candidate who can run the government, make act, laws and rules.

iv)  A single vote also has great importance in the election to elect right candidate.

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Influx of new American citizens could play crucial role in presidential election

Naturalized citizens impacting voter outreach.

With just months to go before the 2024 presidential election, a growing diverse group of naturalized U.S. citizens could have a significant impact at the polls.

TAMPA - As people start to see political ads and texts heading into the election season, new Americans are among the votes candidates want, with millions of immigrants becoming naturalized citizens since the 2020 election.

At least 3.5 million immigrants became naturalized citizens since the 2020 presidential election, according to the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California San Diego , and Florida is one of the top states with new Americans.

U.S. data shows they are a diverse group, coming from many different countries, including Mexico, the Philippines and India. As campaigns ramp up, their worldviews could influence how they vote.

In Florida, the Florida Immigration Coalition said it makes sure new Americans know how to register and exercise their new right.

"For us, it's very important that the new American voters understand, one, what they are voting on. What will be on their ballot? What are different offices and positions? Are there any amendments? What are the implications of those amendments?" said Renata Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigration Coalition.

A January report by the American Immigration Council estimates over half a million immigrants in Florida are eligible to become naturalized citizens.

READ: Trump campaign accelerates vetting of potential running mates

"Naturalized citizens vote equally or more than native-born citizens once registered. However, they face great barriers to registration, including fear, lack of information, and language barriers. League of Women Voters chapters across Florida and the nation seek to aid newly naturalized citizens in overcoming barriers by tabling at naturalization ceremonies," said League of Women Voters of Florida Communications Manager Blake Summerlin in an email statement to FOX 13.

Political experts like Joshua Scacco said where new Americans come from influences them.

"From doing research from individuals in the Latino and Hispanic communities, for individuals who are newly naturalized and voting for the first time or just in general voting that their country of origin is very important to them in terms of the ways in which they will vote, the ways they will think about politics," said Joshua Scacco, Ph. D., director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy at the University of South Florida.

READ: Trump verdict makes significant number of Republicans less likely to support him: poll

Florida has one of the highest numbers of naturalizations, making the Sunshine State a powerful representation of people.

"Florida is absolutely a politically important state because in many ways it is largely representative of the United States," said Scacco.

Advocacy groups said voting outreach may vary depending on a new American’s background, but the issues and concerns are all the same.

OTHER NEWS: Man accused of stealing $100M from special needs trust fund company faces more legal action

"Just like every other community in Florida, people are hurting. Their paychecks aren't catching up. Their wallets are hurting. They aren't able to afford insurance for their homes. There's an education crisis in our classrooms, a teacher shortage," said Abdelilah Skhir, senior strategist with the ACLU of Florida. "Anyone's circumstances can be completely different depending on what country they're coming from. So, it is important for candidates and parties to speak directly to voters in a way that they can understand and really resonates with them."

With all that in mind, new Americans will see campaigns ramp up this fall and have a decision to make.

"So, our message is an invitation, an invitation to register and to participate in our democracy, which is really a privilege, a right and a duty, right to participate and make sure that we are electing officials, that we're going to prioritize the issues that matter to us," said Bozzetto.

SIGN UP:  Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said about 10 percent of the new American citizens in 2023 came from Florida.

"During the last election cycle, League volunteer teams reported attending nearly 800 naturalization ceremonies and registering over 37,000 New Americans to participate in our democracy. The League believes it is really important to invite new voices in to ensure we have a representative democracy," said Summerlin.

Voter groups said they plan to remind Floridians to check in with their local elections offices to make sure they are registered to vote and to choose whether they want to use a mail-in ballot for this year.

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Campaign workers 'misled' citizens into signing Wied nomination papers, complaint alleges

G REEN BAY (WLUK) – A former Green Bay alderman filed a challenge to some of the nomination papers filed by 8th Congressional District candidate Tony Wied , alleging some signatures were gathered under false pretenses.

Wied is one of several candidates vying to replace U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher , who resigned earlier this year. This fall, there will be two elections – a special election to fill the seat until January, and the regular election for the next two-year term in the House of Representatives.

Tony Theisen, a former city alderman, filed complaints with the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

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“On May 25, 2024, at approximately 11:15 am, Complainant personally observed two of Respondent Wied's circulators collecting nomination signatures for the Respondent outside the Green Bay Farmers Market. The circulators deliberately misled electors to believe that they were providing signatures for “housing for the homeless” when, in reality, they were signing the Respondent’s nominating papers,” the complaint states.

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The complaint claims 228 of the 1,670 signatures submitted for the special election, and 197 of the 1,773 submitted for the general election were collected by those particular volunteers.

A candidate needs 1,000 valid signatures to get on the ballot, but Theisen asks for a “thorough investigation” of all signatures.

Wied’s campaign has not responded to FOX 11’s request for a comment, but told Gannett Wisconsin the challenge is “nothing more than dirty political games,” and that voters will “see right through it.”

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is scheduled to meet Monday to review challenge petitions.

The other Republicans in the race are state Sen. Andre Jacque and former state Sen. Roger Roth . Kristin Lyerly is the Democratic candidate.

The primary would be held Aug. 13. The general election is Nov. 5.

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Guest Essay

I’m an Indian Muslim, and I’m Scared to Say So

By Mohammad Ali

Mr. Ali, a journalist and writer who focuses on right-wing efforts to transform India into a Hindu nation, wrote from Delhi.

I used to answer the phone with “Salam.” Not anymore. I don’t want people to know I’m a Muslim.

There is little that would identify me as Muslim to begin with, aside from my name. I don’t wear a skullcap, and in public I avoid wearing the loosefitting Pathani kurta and peppering my speech with Urdu words, all of which are identity markers for Indian Muslims. But in the India of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you can’t take any chances.

For 10 years, Mr. Modi’s Hindu-chauvinist government has vilified the nation’s 200 million Muslims as dangerous undesirables. Recently, he took that rhetoric to a new low during the six weeks of voting in India’s national elections — which are widely expected to win him a third consecutive five-year term — directly referring to Muslims as “infiltrators” in a country that he and his followers seek to turn into a pure Hindu state.

As offensive as that was, it is sadly familiar to Indian Muslims like me who — after a decade of denigration, violence and murder — live in daily fear of being identified and attacked, forcing us into self-denial to protect ourselves.

India is home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations. Islam came here around 1,300 years ago, and Indian Muslims descend from natives of this land who converted to Islam centuries ago. Many Indian Muslims fought against British colonization, and millions rejected the 1947 partition of the country into a predominantly Hindu India and a mostly Muslim Pakistan. India is our home, and people like me are proud patriots.

But Mr. Modi’s Hindu nationalism has made us the targets in what might be the largest radicalization of people on the planet. Its seeds were planted with the founding in 1925 of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing Hindu organization that sought the establishment of a fully Hindu state in India and was inspired by the European fascism of that era. When Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party — a political offshoot of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — won elections in 2014 and he became prime minister, he and his followers saw it as the civilizational moment that Hindus had been waiting for. Mr. Modi was the god-king who would free Hindu civilization from centuries of domination, first by a series of Muslim rulers culminating with the Mughal empire that ruled India for around three centuries and then by the British colonizers who followed.

Islamophobia isn’t new to India, and Muslims also faced prejudice and recurring violence during the generations in which the liberal upper-caste Hindu elite dominated the nation’s secular democratic politics. But under Mr. Modi’s right-wing leadership, hatred of Muslims has effectively become state policy. India is now a country where police have been accused of standing by as Hindus attack Muslims , where the killers of religious minorities go unpunished and where Hindu extremists openly call for the genocide of Muslims.

Protest, and you run the risk of having a Hindu mob unleashed on you. That’s what happened after Mr. Modi’s government in 2019 pushed through a citizenship law that discriminates against Muslims and his party promised to expel “infiltrators” from the country. When Indian Muslims protested, one of Mr. Modi’s supporters responded with a provocative speech that is blamed for sparking deadly clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Delhi in February 2020. Police were accused of looking the other way as Muslims had their shops destroyed, were assaulted and were even killed.

Bulldozers have become a symbol of this state terrorism — rolled out at right-wing rallies, tattooed on the arms of Modi supporters and featured in Hindu nationalist songs — because of their use in areas governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party to illegally knock down the homes and businesses of Muslims who dare to speak up. Some states have essentially made Muslim-Hindu relationships illegal, based on an absurd Hindu conspiracy theory that Muslim men are seducing Hindu women as part of a long-term plan to turn India into a Muslim nation.

The liberal Hindu elite, instead of acknowledging its role in enabling the sentiments on which Mr. Modi has capitalized, has done little to help, other than to ineffectually express nostalgia for a lost Hindu tolerance. And there is little that Indian Muslims can do within the political system: Although the Muslim share of India’s population has slowly grown to 14 percent, the percentage of Parliament members who are Muslim has declined to less than 5 percent today, compared with 9 percent in the early 1980s.

The Indian Muslim response to our subjugation has largely been a deafening silence. Many of us are simply unwilling to speak out against the Modi government’s bitter bargain: that for us to exist as Indian citizens, we must meekly accept historical revisionism, dehumanization and demonization.

This debasement, and the knowledge that you are essentially outside the protection of the law, kills something inside you. You take precautions to protect yourself. My mother no longer packs mutton for me to take back to Delhi after I visit her, as she used to. She’s afraid it will be mistaken for beef: Dozens of Muslims have reportedly been killed or assaulted by Hindu mobs on suspicion of killing cows — which are sacred to Hindus — or for eating or possessing beef. Muslim parents now routinely repeat a litany of don’ts to their children: Don’t appear Muslim in public, don’t reveal your name, don’t enter Hindu areas or travel alone and don’t get pulled into any potential confrontation.

While we caution one another to blend in, it’s difficult to reconcile with the whole thing. Each of us has something embedded in our sense of self and expression that is particularly painful to erase. And the sort of physical markers we are trying to hide are not even wholly specific to Muslims in India. My cousin likes to wear his Pathani kurta, but so do many Hindus. My youngest sister prefers to keep her head covered, but so do many Hindu women, although not with a hijab. I’m attached to using certain Urdu words that have long been a feature of India’s syncretic culture and have been used widely by Hindus, too.

Self-denial leads to deep frustration. Now during gatherings with friends and family, we avoid politics; discussing the elephant in the room only reminds us of our helplessness. The cumulative weight of all this has created a mental health crisis of fear and depression among Muslims. Yet because of a desperate shortage of mental health professionals in India and a limited understanding of our new reality by many non-Muslim therapists, many Muslims are left to cope on their own.

I was hesitant to write this essay. I am not supposed to protest, to speak up. When I sometimes do, posting online about it, the typical response is, “Go to Pakistan.” But why would I leave? I am an Indian. I was born here, as were my ancestors who opposed the religious basis of the partition with Pakistan and believed in the Indian ideals of secular democracy.

But many Muslims have fled over the years, emigrating to Australia, Canada, Britain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia or elsewhere because of the worsening political climate. Many who can’t afford to emigrate are moving out of the predominantly Hindu or mixed neighborhoods where they lived for decades, to poorer Muslim areas for safety. Two of my Muslim friends and I used to own apartments in a suburban area near New Delhi where many upper-caste Hindus lived. But in 2020, after the discriminatory citizenship law was passed, a Hindu mob charged through the neighborhood baying for Muslim blood. My two friends soon moved out. I kept my apartment, but in the elevator one evening in 2022, I overheard two men discussing how many katua (a derogatory term for Muslims that refers to circumcision) lived in the area. I moved out the next day. Sadly, Hindu friends and colleagues of mine also have become colder and more distant and are dropping out of contact.

On June 1, India’s voting period comes to a close. It looms as a day of dread for Muslims like me. According to most projections, it will be another victory for Mr. Modi — and further validation of mob rule and the debasement of 200 million Muslims by a hubristic Hindu majority.

Mohammad Ali (@hindureporter) is an independent journalist and writer who divides his time between New York and India. He is writing a book on growing up in India as Narendra Modi and his party have sought to transform India into a Hindu nation.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Trump found guilty: Read the court transcript of the hush money trial's final day

History was made Thursday afternoon when a Manhattan jury handed down a guilty verdict to former president Donald Trump .

Judge Juan Merchan was poised to dismiss the jury for the evening on their second day of deliberating when he received the note.

The jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to disguise the hush money payment issued to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election as legal expenses. Trump is expected to appeal the decision .

Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, but you can experience the historic moment through court transcripts :

Understanding the verdict: What was Trump found guilty of? See the 34 business records the jury decided he falsified

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Read Trump trial transcript of guilty verdict proceedings

You can read all testimony transcripts on the New York Court media website .

Trump found guilty: Catch up on the trial's sex stories, secret tapes and court drama

See the first verdict sheet of a former president

What's next for donald trump.

Judge  Juan Merchan  has scheduled Trump's sentencing for July 11, and Trump is out free until then.

Because this is Trump's first felony offense, his sentence is likely to be as light as probation or home confinement. If he does receive a prison  sentence , it would probably be less than a year.

Trump is also likely to appeal the conviction, further pushing down any chance he serves jailtime before the election.

Contributing: Aysha Bagchi