Essay 6 Elections and Linkage Institutions

In the United States political system, there are several linkage institutions that can connect citizens to government Elections constitute one such institution. Because of low voter turnout, however, other linkage institutions can connect citizens to government.

a. Describe how each of the following is related to the likelihood of voting.

-Age

-Education

b. Identify one current government electoral requirement that decreases voter turnout. Explain how it decreases voter turnout.

c. Identify one linkage institution other than elections and explain two ways it connects citizens to government.

A)
Age- the older you are, the more likely you are to vote. It has been an uprising issue in America where the younger generations don't seem to have the motivation or drive to vote for what they believe in.

Education- the more educated you are, the more likely you are to vote. With more education, people are more knowledgeable on the subjects that they are voting for and will vote more frequently than those who aren't.

B) Voting registration laws requires citizens to provide ID and information to register before they are allowed to vote. This causes a decrease in voter turnout because some people feel like they are wasting their time and don't want to put in the extra effort.

C) The media plays an important role in connecting people to government. People can find out about candidates for office, public officials' activities, and the burning issues through television, newspapers, radio, and the Internet. The media's power to shape the American mind allows people to give feedback to the government through bias and opinions.