The Political World: Voting, Tolerance, and Civility - Electing A President, Are We Loyal To Our Party?, How Men And Women Vote, Who Votes: Women

In the most recent election, less than half the voting age population cast a vote for president. What persuades us to cast a vote? What keeps us away from the polls? These are some of the questions that will be examined in this chapter.

The initial panels in this section will look at the political parties. The two major political parties have rich histories, to be sure. But just who is a Democrat? Who is a Republican? One of the most exciting trends has been the growing power of Independent candidates. How much influence do they wield?

We'll also identify major demographic trends in the political world. More women are registered and voting than men. What effect will this have, if any? We'll also see that seniors are out voting while the younger generation shrugs and stays at home. Indeed, over 20 million registered voters sat out the last election. How will these people be reached?

There is an important theme to many of these panels: what exactly influences our vote? Do we no longer vote along party lines, but instead vote based on certain issues or the charisma of a certain candidate? Some would argue that there is only one factor that shapes our voting: the pocket book.

The final panels in the chapter will shift the focus slightly. How we vote is influenced by what kind of people we are. Are we more tolerant than we used to be? Many feel that we have lost our manners and our ability to respect each other — to "agree to disagree." The chapter will look at our manners. It will also look at our attitudes. In spite of all the dialogue about gender roles in this country, do we still cling to some old ideas about the roles played by the sexes? We'll also look at how the races are getting along. Final panels in the section will look at the rise of domestic partnership laws and gays in the military.