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Terms in this set [102]
Americans vote at lower levels than citizens in other democratic countries for a number of reasons. First, the vast majority of Americans must register themselves to be eligible to vote. In most of the free world, the government has the responsibility of registering its voters. In addition, registration laws are created by the states, and some states make it difficult for citizens to qualify. Second, the United States holds more elections than any other nation on earth. The frequency of elections reduces turnout by increasing the effort required to participate in all of them. In European countries, elections are less frequent, and the responsibility of voting is less burdensome. Europe also places its election days on weekends or makes them national holidays, whereas in the United States elections tend to occur on Tuesdays, making it necessary to leave work in order to vote. America also lacks the major labor or socialist parties that appear in Europe, which would serve to bring lower-income citizens to the polls.
Because America is a pluralistic society, groups tend to be "crosscutting." This means that each group includes individuals who also belong to many other groups. Crosscutting groups tend to produce moderate opinions. When people are confronted with conflicting perspectives, many will seek a balanced opinion. In America, by way of example, Catholics and Protestants coexist peacefully, largely because each group includes people of varying income, education, region, and a host of other variables. In other societies [e.g., Northern Ireland], group loyalties are reinforcing rather than crosscutting, so opinions can be intensified by group identifications, and this can result in a significant amount of conflict.
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