Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

1. Based on the visual above, what % of the total population voted in the 2020 U.S. presidential elections?

2. Describe the most significant trend (change over time) you identify in the chart above.

3. What is the most significant cause of that trend?

4. At no point in American history, have over half of the people voted in a presidential election. What are the two most significant consequences of that lack of political participation?

5. Why is U.S. voter turnout so low? Describe two structural barriers that keep the American voting turnout so low.

6. How does the percent of the population voting in U.S. elections compare to other countries?*

7. Of all American elections, Presidential elections have by far the greatest participation. How does the percent of the population voting in U.S. Presidential elections compare to other U.S. midterm elections?*

8. Even in 2020 - over half of Americans did not vote in the POTUS election, only 24.5% of all voters, chose the winner, which means that over 75% of Americans did not vote for the winner. Explain whether presidential elections really represent the will of the people?

9. In 1804 only a tiny percent of the Americans voted in the presidential election (about 2 percent). Describe some people who were not allowed to vote in 1804 and describe some people who are not allowed to vote today.

10. Many Constitutional amendments have increased voter eligibility. Which of the following did the most to increase democracy?

    • The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote in 1870. But many weren't able to exercise this right. Some states used literacy tests and other barriers to make it harder to vote.

    • The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave American women the right to vote.

    • The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes. The tax had been used in some states to keep African Americans from voting in federal elections.

    • The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age for all elections to 18.

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

Over the past decade one of the most important voting trends has been the attempt to suppress voter turnout. Find out about voter suppression in your state and contact your state legislature to express your opinion about voting rights and voter suppression.

Prepare for the Exam

Get Creative

If American democracy were an age (infant, baby, toddler, child, tween, teen, young adult, middle aged, senior) what age would it be?

Learning Extension*

The Civil Rights Acts created some of the earliest federal protections against discrimination in voting. These protections were first outlined by the Civil Rights Act of 1870 and were later amended by the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited voter discrimination based on race, color, or membership in a language minority group. It also required certain places to provide election materials in languages besides English.