Web activity 2 - Research Paper Example

1. What is the Voting-Age Population (VAP) of the United s and Texas? 230,872,030 US17,756,112 Texas1. 2. What percent of these individuals would be ineligible to vote due to not being citizens?8.4% US13.5% Texas1. 3. How many individuals currently are serving prison sentences and cannot vote?1,605,448 US172,506 Texas1. 4. How many individuals are currently on probation and not eligible to vote?427,080 US2,451,985 Texas1. 5. How many individuals are on parole and not eligible to vote?

627,680 US102,921 Texas1. 6. What is the total ineligible felon figure? 437,507 US3,144,831 TexasAfter making the adjustments for felons and noncitizens (and a few other factors), Professor McDonald computes a new figure for the eligible electorate, which he calls the Voting-Eligible Population (VEP).1. 7. What is the voting eligible population (VEP) of the United States and Texas? 213,313,508 US14,929,810 Texas1. 8. Is this number larger or smaller than the voting age population?

Smaller USSmaller TexasAnother discrepancy that can occur when calculating turnout in the U.S. is to use the votes cast for the highest office (typically the presidency) rather than using a figure for all ballots cast.1. 9. How many votes were cast for the highest office in 2008?131,304,731 US8,077,795 Texas1. 10. What is the turnout if it is calculated as the number of votes cast for the highest office divided by the voting age population (VAP)? 56.9% US45.5% Texas1. 11. What is turnout if it is calculated as the number of votes cast for the highest office divided by the voting eligible electorate (VEP)? 61.6% US54.

1% Texas2. 1. Why is the value of VAP greater than the value of VEP? (100 words, 20% of scores) Popkin and McDonald are two scientists of the political arena who have introduced the VEP (Voting Eligible Population) to calculate the total number of eligible individuals who can vote in the presidential elections (Gilman 376). According to them the number of those who vote has not decreased and there is a fault in the number calculated by the VAP (Voting Age Population). The value proposed by these scientists is higher than VAP measure because the VAP measure does not account for increased number of immigrants along with convicted felons while calculating the total population that can vote in presidential elections.

This is why the VEP has been able to calculate a higher rate of turn around as compared to the VAP. 2. 2. Which measure of turnout between VAP and VEP do you like to use to explain changes in turnout in the US and Texas and why?(100 words, 20% of scores)While calculating the figures of voting population one should use the VEP measure because it takes into consideration the demographics of the population that is technically eligible to vote. The population that passes the eligibility test is the ones who are registered to vote.

It eliminates those who can not register or vote which includes those who are non citizens and those who are considered as felons (United States Elections Project 2008). VEP is more appropriate than VAP because the registration has become easier than before; new programs such as mail services have been used by the US to register voters. Due to introduction of technology in voting registration, the numbers have increased and should be clearly taken into account. 2. 3. What is the difference of turnout between the US and Texas?

213,115,918 in VAP198383698 in VEP2. 4. Why is the turnout of Texas lower than the turnout of the US? (100 words, 20% of scores) The total turnaround rate of US is higher than the total turnaround rate of Texas even though several new ways of voting have been used such as the mailing and online registration system. This is due to several reasons which mainly include socio and economical reasons. One of the main reasons is that the education and literacy rate of Texas is quite low and a huge number of the population is below the eligibility age.

Secondly due to lower literacy rate, the population of Texas has failed to use the advance ways of registering and voting. The total population of Texas is heavily covered by minorities who do not get a chance to vote or fear voting.Works cited"United States Elections Project." United States Elections Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. .Gilman, Nils, Jesse Goldhammer, and Steve Weber. Deviant globalization: black market economy in the 21st century. New York: Continuum, 2011. Print.