Rocking the House: Competition and Turnout in the 2006 Midterm Election
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Michael P. McDonald
Despite a national tide for the Democrats in the 2006 midterms that increased the number of competitive congressional races, national voter turnout rose only slightly. Consistent with previous findings, higher turnout in some states reflected increased competition in statewide races for Governor and U.S. Senate. Unexpected surprises, however, lurked among individual congressional races. Voter turnout in highly partisan and closely contested congressional races frequently exceeded turnout for the Senate or Governor's races, suggesting that partisan control over Congress motivated participation. But because there were few competitive races overall, particularly in the three most populous states, national turnout suffered. The 2006 midterm election does not signal a return to voter apathy as much as reflect an ailing electoral system, which requires reforms to increase the number competitive congressional seats to boost overall turnout.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Frustrated Ambitions: The George W. Bush Presidency and the 2006 Elections
- The Midterm: What Political Science Should Ask Now
- Wall vs. Wave?
- Rocking the House: Competition and Turnout in the 2006 Midterm Election
- Assessing Howard Dean's Fifty State Strategy and the 2006 Midterm Elections
- Big Deal: The 2006 Midterm Elections, the Progressive Project, and the Reagan-Bush Revolution
- Republicans and Golf, Democrats and Outkast: Or, Party Political Culture from the Top Down
- A Regional Analysis of the 2006 Midterms
- The New Democratic Majority in Congress: Preferences, Structure, and Bargaining
- Midterm Elections, Partisan Context, and Political Leadership: The 2006 Elections and Party Alignment
- A Theory of Action in Iraq: The Three State Partition and a "Mirror the Mix" Strategy
- Review
- Back to the Future: Ongoing Strife among Leftist Intellectuals
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Frustrated Ambitions: The George W. Bush Presidency and the 2006 Elections
- The Midterm: What Political Science Should Ask Now
- Wall vs. Wave?
- Rocking the House: Competition and Turnout in the 2006 Midterm Election
- Assessing Howard Dean's Fifty State Strategy and the 2006 Midterm Elections
- Big Deal: The 2006 Midterm Elections, the Progressive Project, and the Reagan-Bush Revolution
- Republicans and Golf, Democrats and Outkast: Or, Party Political Culture from the Top Down
- A Regional Analysis of the 2006 Midterms
- The New Democratic Majority in Congress: Preferences, Structure, and Bargaining
- Midterm Elections, Partisan Context, and Political Leadership: The 2006 Elections and Party Alignment
- A Theory of Action in Iraq: The Three State Partition and a "Mirror the Mix" Strategy
- Review
- Back to the Future: Ongoing Strife among Leftist Intellectuals
