POLS 435

Paper One

Due: February 13

Length: Four Pages.

Flanigan and Zingale talk about a number of different factors that shape turnout, both at the aggregate (state or national) level and at the individual level. Using these ideas, I want you to explain Texas’ turnout rate in the 2002 elections. To give you an idea of how Texas compared to the other 49 states, I have attached the turnout rates for all 50 states (as well as the country as a whole). Discuss whatever you think is relevant, but some ideas include: registration requirements, competitiveness of the races, voters’ levels of education, residential mobility, or a number of other factors. To answer this question, you will probably need to do a little research to figure out how Texas compares to other states. I would suggest a couple of sources (though these are not exhaustive):

Project Vote Smart: http://www.vote-smart.org/

Any news sources’ webpage, including PBS.

League of Women Voters: http://www.lwv.org/

The State Politics and Policy Quarterly webpage: http://www.unl.edu/SPPQ/datasets.html

The Book of the States (Available in PSEL)

Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html

	VAP (Procedure 1)	Vote for Highest Office	VAP Turnout Rate
U.S. Total	215,139,087	78,390,424	36.4
Alabama	3,401,343	1,364,602	40.1
Alaska	439,406	231,484	52.7
Arizona	3,960,779	1,226,111	31
Arkansas	2,031,931	814,176	40.1
California	25,884,058	7,476,351	28.9
Colorado	3,384,689	1,416,093	41.8
Connecticut	2,537,660	1,022,942	40.3
Delaware	608,981	232,314	38.1
DC	459,692	124,228	27
Florida	12,803,101	5,100,581	39.8
Georgia	6,357,341	2,031,604	32
Hawaii	920,403	382,110	41.5
Idaho	986,379	411,477	41.7
Illinois	9,331,680	3,538,883	37.9
Indiana	4,578,954	1,521,353	33.2
Iowa	2,223,615	1,023,075	46
Kansas	2,015,152	835,692	41.5
Kentucky	3,144,882	1,131,313	36
Louisiana	3,301,034	1,246,333	37.8
Maine	996,315	505,190	50.7
Maryland	4,011,170	1,704,560	42.5
Massachusetts	4,904,469	2,194,189	44.7
Michigan	7,438,229	3,177,565	42.7
Minnesota	3,745,050	2,254,639	60.2
Mississippi	2,127,746	615,609	28.9
Missouri	4,261,089	1,877,620	44.1
Montana	687,113	331,321	48.2
Nebraska	1,277,399	480,991	37.7
Nevada	1,614,120	504,079	31.2
New Hampshire	959,733	447,135	46.6
New Jersey	6,432,667	2,112,604	32.8
New Mexico	1,340,667	484,229	36.1
New York	14,469,368	4,579,078	31.6
North Carolina	6,300,761	2,331,181	37
North Dakota	477,782	231,030	48.4
Ohio	8,530,637	3,228,992	37.9
Oklahoma	2,611,041	1,035,620	39.7
Oregon	2,656,262	1,267,221	47.7
Pennsylvania	9,367,419	3,545,431	37.8
Rhode Island	799,379	331,834	41.5
South Carolina	3,131,422	1,102,010	35.2
South Dakota	565,327	337,497	59.7
Tennessee	4,415,247	1,653,222	37.4
Texas	15,703,926	4,514,012	28.7
Utah	1,586,775	557,153	35.1
Vermont	476,162	230,161	48.3
Virginia	5,534,825	1,489,422	26.9
Washington	4,536,596	1,739,116	38.3
West Virginia	1,410,555	436,183*	30.9
Wisconsin	4,076,763	1,775,349	43.5
Wyoming	371,023	185,459	50