Voter Turnout

America has a very low voter turnout in comparison to other countries. There are many factors that affect voter turnout, one of them being age. The older you are, the more likely you are to vote. Part of this, of course, is due to the fact that you cannot register to vote until you are eighteen; However, even passed the age of eighteen, voters yield wide differences by age. As people grow older, they tend to grow firmer in their political ideology and political knowledge, and their developed opinions give them greater incentive to vote. In addition to age, education is a huge factor in voter turnout. A study done in 2000 showed that 72% of college graduates voted as opposed to 42% of those who only received a high school diploma. Higher educated people are more capable of discerning major differences between candidates. They also have training that proves useful when clearing hurdles imposed by registration requirements.
Voter registration laws are, in part, to blame for why Americans are less likely to go to the polls. They require individuals to first place their name on an electoral role in order to be able to vote. Registration procedures differ from state to state, some allowing registration on procedure day, and others requiring earlier action. The 1993 Motor Voter Act makes registration easier for allowing eligible voters to register by checking a box on their license application or renewal form, but the turnout has still been very disappointing.
A variety of linkage institutions are required to connect citizens to government due to low voter turnout. One of these institutions is the media. With media so readily available with modern technology, people can stay updated on issues in the White House, presidential campaigns, interest groups, polls, and more just by turning on the TV or checking the internet. Many people can get involved with politics online as well, making participation easier.

Interest Group Tactics

Different interest groups will choose different techniques to achieve their objectives based on their resources, characteristics, and goals.
One strategy an interest group often uses is litigation, the process of resolving legal disputes through the court system. Interest groups can use it to put pressure on officials in order to achieve their goals by promoting their cause through the media and affecting public opinion.
Another strategy is lobbying. Lobbyists try to influence policymakers in a number of different ways but using tactics such as endorsements, media coverage, working on campaigns, and financial contributions. They offer arguments, evidence, and research on their cause to officials who often don't have time to find the information themselves. Grassroots lobbying, in particular, is the process of influencing the public in order to influence legislation in the decision-making process. This process often involves mass mobilization, in which committed members of the group will often make phone calls, write letters, contact policymakers, and demonstrate.
Campaign contributions are also effective for interest groups. By making contributions to campaigns, interest groups can candidates to support their causes if they win the election.
The National Rifle Association primarily use the lobbying tactic to gain support for their cause. By attempting to influence public opinion on an issue as controversial and important as guns, they may have an affect on legislation. Presidential candidates seek to meet the public's demands, and if public opinion is influenced to support the N.R.A., they may eventually be successful.

Ron Wyden

Senator Ron Wyden was born in Wechita, Kansas on the third of May, 1949. He attended the public schools of Palo Alo, California and later earned his associates and bachelor degrees at Stanford University. He then moved on to Law School at the University of Oregon an obtained his juris doctor degree in 1974. Wyden became the director of Oregon Legal Services for the Elderly from 1977-1979 as well as a member of the Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators. In 1981, Wyden was elected as a democrat to the Nintey-seventh and to the seven succeeding Congresses, where he served for sixteen years before being elected to the Senate. He was elected in a special election on January 30, 1996, to fill a vacated spot left by Robert W. Packwood, and began service on Febuary 5, 1996. He was then reelected in 1998, 2004 and again in 2010.


Ron Wyden sits on the following committees:

Chairman, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Energy
Ex Officio, Subcommittee on National Parks
Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Water and Power
Senate Committee on Finance
Chairman, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
Member, Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
Member, Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
Joint Committee on Taxation
Senate Committee on the Budget
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Senate Special Committee on Aging


Some of Wyden’s sponsored bills include:
ENFORCE Act »
Follow the Money Act »
GPS Act »

Independence at Home »
Intelligence Oversight and Surveillance Reform Act »
Medicare "Better Health Rewards" Program »
O&C Act of 2013 »
OPEN Act »

Palliative Care & Hospice Education & Training Act (PCHETA) »
Student Right To Know Before You Go Act »
Wyden-Coats Tax Plan »

"The “Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2011” – being offered by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Dan Coats (R-Ind.) – would simplify the tax system, hold down rates for individuals and families, provide tax relief to the middle class and create incentives for businesses to grow and invest in the United States. Wyden-Coats updates the tax reform that Reagan signed into law 25 years ago by streamlining the hundreds of exemptions, deductions, credits, and other preferences that clutter the nearly 10,000 section U.S. tax code to create a simpler and fairer system for American workers and businesses." (Wyden Website)
Basically, Wyden feels Americans spend too much time worrying about taxes and not enough time about growing our businesses, which creates a cycle, and came up with a plan to simplify the process. More than 6.3 million new jobs were created in just the two years that followed the 1986 tax reform.

"U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Marco Rubio and Mark Warner have sponsored bipartisan legislation to give students and families the information they need to make informed decisions about their higher education.

The Student Right to Know Before You Go Act of 2013 would streamline existing institutional reporting requirements to enable students, families, institutions, and policymakers to assess schools and programs based on a wide range of key data including graduation rates for non-traditional students, transfer rates, frequency with which graduates go on to pursue higher levels of education, student debt and post-graduation earnings and employment outcomes." (Wyden Website)

As a student, I think this is awesome. College is so expensive and their are a ton of hidden costs and statistics that his plan allows students to access.

Questions for Wyden:

1. How did the government shut-down affect you?
2. How did you deal with the campaign process and all the work that goes in to getting elected?
3. How long does it take on average to pass a bill?