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Recent research has suggested that voting may be a habit forming endeavor. These authors present compelling evidence that regardless of the legal barriers and the individual attributes a large number of citizens eventually move from being habitual nonvoters to habitual voters. In this paper I argue that though the habitual voting framework is a persuasive theory, it is incomplete because it ignores attitudinal and environmental factors that can influence an individual?s decision to cast a ballot regardless of one?s previous behavior. In fact, a significant number of individuals are better classified as sporadic voters. Sporadic voters differ from their habitual counterparts in that factors such as their attitudes toward the political parties, interest in the campaign, and contact by political parties will determine if they participate in any given election. Using NES panel data, I present evidence that sporadic voters differ systematically from habitual and nonvoters. I also demonstrate how changes in perceptions between presidential elections can influence when a sporadic voter will cast a ballot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conference paper about the influence of negative campaigning and campaign strategies on political participation.

Recent research has suggested that voting may be a habit forming endeavor. These authors present compelling evidence that regardless of the legal barriers and the individual attributes a large number of citizens eventually move from being habitual nonvoters to habitual voters. In this paper I argue that though the habitual voting framework is a persuasive theory, it is incomplete because it ignores attitudinal and environmental factors that can influence an individual’s decision to cast a ballot regardless of one’s previous behavior. In fact, a significant number of individuals are better classified as sporadic voters. Sporadic voters differ from their habitual counterparts in that factors such as their attitudes toward the political parties and their interest in the campaign will determine if they participate in any given election. Using NES panel data, I present evidence that sporadic voters differ systematically from habitual and nonvoters. I also demonstrate how changes in perceptions between presidential elections can influence when a sporadic voter will cast a ballot. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As indicated by recent campus events, as well as prominent court cases challenging affirmative action-based admission policies, diversity continues to be an important issue on most college campuses. This paper argues that shaping the interactions of those from diverse backgrounds, both on-campus and between campus and the broader population, can serve important civic education goals. Recent research on adolescent development and political participation reveals that diverse learning environments are often associated with lower levels of adult political participation. Some argue that this outcome results from emphasizing pluralism and tolerance at the expense of developing strong shared norms. When adolescent peers, for example, all believe that voting is essential to good citizenship, adult political participation increases substantially. But places with high levels of diversity are least likely to have these types of "shared judgments" regarding appropriate or required behavior. This dynamic appears to occur on college campuses as well, as white students' sense of community declines when diversity on campus increases. College educators and administrators appear to have done a good job at promoting tolerance (pluribus), but not shared community (unim). This paper describes an approach developed at Central Michigan University, which draws on the higher education and associational life literatures, to promote the cultivation of a shared community that moves beyond tolerance to the development of shared community norms that promote civic and political engagement. Initial survey results describing student and resident attitudes toward race and ethnicity on campus are reported. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how early voting has influenced the cost to candidates and parties in the over 20 states that have adopted the electoral reform. To date, few if any scholars have looked how such reforms impact campaigns as it relates to costs. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the effects of electoral reforms, intended to increase voter turnout, on the role of political campaigns launched by elites. The authors test the hypothesis that political party elites mobilize turnout of supporters and that the impact of electoral reforms is dependent on party mobilization efforts. An analysis of the practices of both the Democratic Party and Republican Party in the U.S. is presented.