What percent of all U.S. eligible voters are foreign born?
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:
What percent of eligible voters in the 2022 U.S. election were born in a foreign country?
Describe the change in foreign-born voters since 2020?
Why has the percentage of foreign-born voters changed?
People born in the U.S. or to U.S. parents are known as natural-born citizens and are eligible to vote in the United States when they turn 18. People who were born in a foreign country, for example Canada or Haiti, moved to the United States, and went through a lengthy and difficult process can become naturalized U.S. Citizens. One of the rights that comes with all citizenship is voting. Do you think that naturalized citizens - people born outside of the United States - should have the right to vote?
Based on the numbers from the visual above, make a prediction about what percent of voters in the 2024 election will be foreign born.
Among naturalized citizen eligible voters, more than half (55%) live in just four states: California, Florida, New York and Texas (see visual below)*. California and New York are both majority Democratic voter states. Texas is majority Republican state. Florida is what is known as a swing-state: evenly split between Democratic and Republican voters. Explain how the geographic distribution of foreign born voters impacts the influence of foreign born voters on the presidential election.
The naturalized citizen electorate differs from the U.S.-born electorate on a variety of demographic measures. Immigrant eligible voters skew older than their U.S.-born counterparts. They’re also somewhat more likely to have a bachelor’s degree, live in households with slightly higher incomes and have lower levels of English proficiency. How do you think those differences will impact how naturalized citizens vote and whether they will be more likely to support Donald J. Trump or Kamala Harris in the 2024 election?
Foreign born citizens can vote, run for Senate, serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, but they cannot run for president. Do you think naturalized citizens should be eligible to become president?
We let people who have just moved from one state to another vote in that state’s election. We let people vote in local elections wherever they live regardless of how long they have lived there. Why don’t we let non-citizens who live in the United States vote? After all, they live here, and they work and pay taxes at the same rate as native-born citizens. Why should voting be contingent upon citizenship?
Despite the fact that it has long been illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and there is no credible evidence showing it happens in significant numbers, the false claim that illegal immigrants are voting has continued to gain momentum. Why do you think some people are making this false claim about voting?
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
If you will be 18 years old by election day and are an eligible voter go online and register to vote. It will take less than 2 minutes. It’s not too late. If you are not 18 find someone who is 18 and convince them to vote the way you would vote if you could. If you can’t convince them with logic, ask them really nicely. If that doesn’t work, beg them to vote.
Get Creative
I was surprised to learn that in the upcoming election, roughly 10% of eligible voters were foreign-born. Here’s another 10% that surprised me. about 10% of millennials (people age 28 – 43) own a pet lizard. Also, annually 10% of all American workers do not take a single vacation day. What is something else that is about ten percent of something that surprises you?
Learning Extension*
Glossary
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Amendments
10
- Feb 29, 2024 First Amendment
- Feb 28, 2024 Second Amendment
- Feb 27, 2024 Fourth Amendment
- Feb 26, 2024 Fifth Amendment
- Feb 19, 2024 Sixth Amendment
- Feb 18, 2024 Seventh Amendment
- Feb 17, 2024 Eighth Amendment
- Feb 9, 2024 Ninth Amendment
- Feb 5, 2024 Tenth Amendment
- Feb 2, 2024 Fourteenth Amendment
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Foundational Documents
9
- Apr 12, 2024 Declaration of Independence
- Apr 4, 2024 Articles of Confederation
- Apr 3, 2024 The United States Constitution
- Apr 2, 2024 Brutus 1
- Apr 2, 2024 Federalist No. 10
- Apr 2, 2024 Federalist No. 51
- Mar 20, 2024 Federalist No. 70
- Mar 19, 2024 Federalist No. 78
- Aug 5, 2021 Letter From Birmingham Jail
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Supreme Court Cases
14
- Apr 14, 2024 Marbury v. Madison
- Apr 14, 2024 McCulloch v. Maryland
- Apr 12, 2024 Schenck v. United States
- Apr 11, 2024 Brown v. Board of Education
- Apr 10, 2024 Baker v. Carr
- Apr 8, 2024 Engel v. Vitale
- Apr 7, 2024 Gideon v. Wainwright
- Apr 5, 2024 Tinker v. Des Moines
- Apr 4, 2024 New York Times v. US
- Apr 3, 2024 Wisconsin v. Yoder
- Apr 2, 2024 Shaw v. Reno
- Apr 1, 2024 U.S. v. Lopez
- Mar 30, 2024 Citizens United v. F.E.C.
- Mar 27, 2024 McDonald v. Chicago
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UNIT 1
40
- Nov 15, 2024 Separation of Powers
- Nov 15, 2024 Framers
- Nov 15, 2024 Tyranny
- Apr 24, 2024 Impoundment
- Apr 24, 2024 Referendum
- Apr 11, 2024 Federal Mandate
- Apr 11, 2024 Autocracy
- Apr 4, 2024 Articles of Confederation
- Apr 3, 2024 The United States Constitution
- Apr 2, 2024 Categorical grant
- Apr 2, 2024 Block Grant
- Apr 2, 2024 Federalist No. 51
- Mar 20, 2024 Commerce Clause
- Mar 19, 2024 Bicameralism
- Mar 12, 2024 Connecticut Compromise/Great Compromise
- Mar 12, 2024 New Jersey Plan
- Mar 7, 2024 Interstate Compact
- Mar 6, 2024 Shay’s Rebellion
- Mar 6, 2024 Necessary and Proper Clause
- Mar 5, 2024 Reserved Powers
- Mar 5, 2024 Concurrent Powers
- Mar 5, 2024 National Supremacy
- Mar 4, 2024 Virginia Plan
- Mar 1, 2024 Enumerated Powers
- Mar 1, 2024 Natural Rights
- Feb 27, 2024 Popular Sovereignty
- Feb 27, 2024 Federalism
- Oct 12, 2023 Limited Government
- Feb 16, 2023 Pluralist Democracy
- Aug 30, 2019 Elite democracy
- Aug 30, 2019 Participatory democracy
- Mar 20, 2019 Selective Incorporation
- Mar 18, 2019 Expressed Powers
- Feb 9, 2018 Extradition
- Feb 2, 2018 Preemption
- Feb 22, 2017 Eminent Domain
- Feb 21, 2017 Double Jeopardy
- Jan 31, 2017 Refugee
- Jan 20, 2017 Impeachment
- Jan 16, 2017 Implied Powers
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UNIT 2
54
- Nov 20, 2024 Unified Government/Party Government
- Nov 19, 2024 Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Nov 15, 2024 Independent Agencies
- Nov 15, 2024 Federal Bureaucracy
- Jul 5, 2024 Unitary Executive Theory
- May 22, 2024 Commander in Chief
- Apr 25, 2024 Rule of Four
- Apr 18, 2024 Trustee
- Apr 18, 2024 Delegate
- Apr 18, 2024 Politico
- Apr 16, 2024 Divided Government
- Apr 16, 2024 Congressional Whip
- Apr 15, 2024 Speaker of the House
- Apr 15, 2024 Closed Rule
- Apr 5, 2024 Congressional Committees
- Apr 5, 2024 Rule Making Authority
- Apr 2, 2024 Coattail Effect
- Apr 2, 2024 Signing Statement
- Mar 20, 2024 Congressional Oversight
- Mar 14, 2024 Federal Reserve
- Mar 6, 2024 Redistricting
- Mar 6, 2024 Reapportionment
- Mar 5, 2024 Full Faith and Credit Clause
- Mar 5, 2024 Safe Seats
- Feb 19, 2024 Judicial Review
- Feb 16, 2024 Filibuster
- Feb 19, 2019 Bureaucratic Rule-Making
- Feb 19, 2019 White House Staff
- Feb 20, 2018 Conference Committee
- Feb 16, 2018 Office of Management and Budget
- Feb 8, 2018 Precedent
- Feb 7, 2018 Congressional Budget Office
- Jan 30, 2018 Civil Service
- Jan 26, 2018 Federal Register
- Jan 19, 2018 Gerrymander
- Jan 18, 2018 Party Caucus
- Jan 16, 2018 Executive Office of the President
- Jan 11, 2018 Gross domestic product (GDP)
- Mar 3, 2017 Regulation
- Feb 23, 2017 Treaty
- Feb 20, 2017 Executive Privilege
- Feb 14, 2017 Logrolling
- Feb 10, 2017 Fiscal Policy
- Feb 7, 2017 Rally Point
- Feb 6, 2017 Cabinet
- Feb 2, 2017 Senate Confirmation
- Feb 1, 2017 National Security Council
- Jan 28, 2017 Tariff
- Jan 27, 2017 Chief of Staff
- Jan 20, 2017 Impeachment
- Jan 18, 2017 Pocket Veto
- Jan 17, 2017 Entitlements
- Dec 22, 2016 Presidential Honeymoon
- Dec 16, 2016 Cloture
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UNIT 3
21
- Apr 11, 2024 Brown v. Board of Education
- Apr 10, 2024 Baker v. Carr
- Apr 7, 2024 Gideon v. Wainwright
- Apr 5, 2024 Tinker v. Des Moines
- Apr 5, 2024 Docket
- Apr 5, 2024 Mass Movements
- Mar 13, 2024 Establishment Clause
- Mar 13, 2024 Free Exercise Clause
- Mar 13, 2024 Clear and Present Danger Test
- Mar 13, 2024 Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) Brief
- Feb 2, 2024 Fourteenth Amendment
- Mar 20, 2019 Selective Incorporation
- Jan 29, 2018 Commercial Speech
- Jan 17, 2018 Exclusionary Rule
- Jan 15, 2018 White Primary
- Feb 27, 2017 Fighting Words
- Feb 22, 2017 Eminent Domain
- Feb 21, 2017 Double Jeopardy
- Feb 15, 2017 Plea Bargain
- Feb 3, 2017 Civil Disobedience
- Jan 24, 2017 Jim Crow Laws
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UNIT 4
23
- Nov 19, 2024 Political Norms
- Nov 11, 2024 The Big Sort
- Oct 2, 2024 Waffle House
- May 3, 2024 Reinforcing Cleavages
- May 3, 2024 Cross-Cutting Cleavages
- Apr 22, 2024 Gender Gap
- Apr 22, 2024 Political Socialization
- Apr 16, 2024 Political Culture
- Mar 20, 2024 Entitlements
- Mar 19, 2024 American Dream
- Mar 19, 2024 Socialism
- Mar 19, 2024 Libertarianism
- Mar 14, 2024 Sampling Error
- Mar 14, 2024 Exit Polls
- Mar 14, 2024 Public Opinion
- Mar 13, 2024 Conservativism
- Mar 13, 2024 Liberalism
- Mar 13, 2024 Political Ideology
- Mar 12, 2024 Fiscal Policy
- Mar 12, 2024 Monetary Policy
- Mar 12, 2024 Political Efficacy
- Mar 29, 2019 Rule of Law
- Feb 28, 2017 Ethnocentrism
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UNIT 5
36
- Oct 1, 2024 Beagle
- Jun 25, 2024 Horse Race Journalism
- Apr 25, 2024 Voter Turnout
- Apr 25, 2024 Purple State/Swing State
- Apr 25, 2024 Blue State
- Apr 25, 2024 Red State
- Apr 24, 2024 Off-Year Election
- Apr 22, 2024 Cracking
- Apr 22, 2024 Packing
- Apr 22, 2024 Rational choice theory
- Apr 22, 2024 Party line voting
- Apr 5, 2024 Political Polarization
- Apr 5, 2024 Mass Movements
- Apr 2, 2024 Coattail Effect
- Mar 22, 2024 Bundling
- Mar 22, 2024 Party Convention
- Mar 22, 2024 Name Recognition
- Mar 20, 2024 Term Limits
- Mar 20, 2024 Party Platform
- Mar 12, 2024 Primary election
- Mar 12, 2024 Caucus election
- Mar 12, 2024 PAC
- Mar 12, 2024 Super PAC
- Mar 11, 2024 Midterm Election
- Mar 11, 2024 Bipartisan
- Mar 11, 2024 Lobbyist
- Mar 11, 2024 Single Member District
- Mar 6, 2024 Selective Exposure
- Mar 6, 2024 Linkage Institutions
- Mar 5, 2024 Safe Seats
- Mar 5, 2019 Spoils System
- Jan 22, 2018 Closed Primary
- Jan 19, 2018 Gerrymander
- Mar 13, 2017 Realigning Election
- Feb 3, 2017 Civil Disobedience
- Jan 11, 2017 Party Identification