Voices of Reform: Women's Role in the Abolitionist Movement
Violating conventional mores, women in the North take the abolitionists' cause to their neighborhoods, asking people to join them in signing anti-slavery petitions. Because of slavery's impact on family life and personal..
Voices of the People: Age and Voting Behavior
The age of the voter is often an indication of voting behavior. One of the biggest changes in American politics in the last decades is the political activism of elderly Young voters are much less likely to vote than olde..
Voices of the People: Ballot Initiative, The
The use of the ballot initiative to enact laws was revived in 1978 by Proposition 13 in California, the successful property tax cap and rollback. Despite the control the initiative process appears to give citizens, peopl..
Voices of the People: Citizen Involvement in the United States
The number of U. S. citizens who work for the betterment of their communities is comparable to or higher than most other democracies. This volunteer tradition in many ways is unique to American politics. Many feel that t..
Voices of the People: Commitment to Civic Duty
Why do some people feel a commitment to civic duty while others are either apathetic or hostile toward the system? In the mid-20th century the public was more optimistic regarding government and politics. As a result of ..
Voices of the People: How Lack of Participation Affects Public Policy and Government Action
Who votes influences public policy and governmental action. When elected officials hear from some people and not others equal protection of interests is jeopardized. Politicians recognize that they will never attract som..
Voices of the People: Media-based Politics Replaces the Personal Touch
In the mid-1900s, political parties kept their members active and involved in local pursuits much like unions. As the 20th century progressed it became more economical to engage in national, media-based advertising campa..
Voices of the People: Party Affiliation in Europe and the United States
Europeans tend to have a stronger attachment to their political parties, in part because they are sharply divided along social class or religious lines. Many European countries have labor or social democratic parties spe..
Voices of the People: Political Participation Impacts Health of the Nation
Political participation, in all the ways it is practiced, is critical to the health of a nation. Despite grumblings about the political process and the disappointing performance of recent years, the right to vote is the ..
Voices of the People: Slowly Expanding Electorate, A
The privilege of voting so basic to democratic government is a right that took many Americans centuries to achieve. During the early days of the country voting was generally restricted to white males. Even though the Civ..