1. There are two ways to calculate voter turnout. The first way is to measure voter turnout as a percentage of the voting age population (America: 47.2%), while the second way is to track voter turnout as a percentage of registered voters (63.4%). If we were to compare the percentages of American citizens with those of other countries (using both methods) America would not be at the top of the list, or even in the top half. These shockingly low numbers would give the impression that Americans have lost interest in voting and are failing in their civic duties. Some even believe that the low numbers are the result of voter apathy; however, when campaigns were conducted to help voters become more informed or involved in politics, voter turnout saw little to no improvement. Clearly, the real problem here would be the lack of registered voters, rather than the lack of informed voters. 2. Without a doubt, one of the biggest factors affecting voter turnout would be the lack of Americans willing to put in the effort to register to vote. Even though Congress passed the Motor Voter Act in 1993, there is still a multi-step process that citizens must follow to register. In many European countries, where voter turnout is higher, the government actually registers citizens. If the United States adopted a similar policy, it would greatly help increase voter turnout. 63.4% of registered American voters actually participate in elections, so if the government took on the responsibility of registering citizens, more people would exercise their right to vote.3. In the beginning, only white males had the right to vote, but over the years that right has been extended to a wider variety... middle of paper... cans would prefer to CLEARLY demonstrate which issues are bothering them and explain exactly what they want done about it. At that point, the question is less who is in charge and more who will listen to them and how they will satisfy the people's desires. Furthermore, to be better heard, American citizens can focus more on the local rather than the national level with their votes. In some European countries, citizens only have to vote once a year and for one office. While here we vote for dozens of offices ranging from school boards to members of Congress. That said, it's easier for Americans to choose which offices they want to vote for. They will often focus only on the offices that will implement the changes they want to see, or on the offices that will address the issues that are most important to them.