Voter Turnout in the Twentieth Century
National Election Patterns and Their Implications
Every four years, politicians, scholars, pundits, and the media agonize over the political and sociological implications of presidential election voter turnout. This year won’t be any different. In fact, because of all the attention focused on the sharp voter turnout drop in the 1996 presidential election, and the subsequent outpouring of articles, dissertations, and books on the subject of civic disengagement, this year’s turnout figure will be watched with special interest. History suggests that there may be a larger turnout this year than in 1996, since first term elections of Presidents tend to produce higher turnout than second term elections.Voter…
