Confidence in the Federal Government and Voter Turnout Essay -- Resear

Confidence in the Federal Government and Voter TurnoutIntroductionSince the presidency of John F. Kennedy, there has beena decline in Ameri so-and-so trustfulness in the federal government(Walker, 2000). The importance of confidence in the Americanfederal government is immense. Political participation can bedefined as Any activity that attempts to influence public policyor the selection of government officials (Austin CommunityCollege). One hopes that Americans do not escape confidence inthe federal government because they dislike this style of government.Democracy for many years has been trumpeted andhailed by many as the best way a government can truly reflect,respect and represent her citizens.Having a great deal of confidence and participating ingovernance can create a more patriotic spirit in citizens, whichin turn might lead to more citizens participating politically,thereby making the country more democratic. It can be a propellingforce behind a nations success, affecting a ll aspects ofher citizens lives education, business, government, families,and community organizations (McLagan & Nel, 1997). Sincethe 1970s, the level of confidence in the federal governmentof America has drastically decreased. To illustrate the declinein confidence, the assembly line News Network (CNN) BroadcastingCompany recently conducted polls on confidence of theAmerican public. Among their results were that 4 out of 5American adults lack confidence in government (Kyoko,1997). This is approximately 153,600,000 million AmericansAccording to the CNN polls, when asked to name two or trinity government successes of the past 30 years, 42 percentof the respondents could not even name one (Kyoko, 1997).... ...1985, August). Religion and political changeThe impacts of institutional connectedness and phantasmalimagery. (Bib01414). Paper presented to the AmericanPolitical Science Association. New Orleans, LA.Keystone Research Center. http//keystoneresearch.org/90 IhuegbuHonors College Review 2001press.releases/pademocracy.htmlKyoko, A. (1997, March 21). Four of 5 Americans lack confidence in government. Cable News Network On-line. availablehttp//www.cnn.com/us/9703/21/govt.poll/McLagan, P., & Nel, C. (1997). San Francisco Berrett-KoehlerPublishers. ReadersNdex Archive On-line. Availablehttp//www.readersndex.com/imprint/000001n/00001cj/0000/title.htmWalker, D. (2000, April 25). Improving government performance and building trust. John C. Whitehead ForumOn-line. Available http//www.excelgov.org/whitehead/walker_speech.htm