Low voter turnout is NOT a significant problem in the United StatesDifferent strategies in political campaigns have led to lower voter turnout and political participation from part of the general public according to Steven Schier in his book "Payment Due: A Nation in Debt, a Generation in Trouble." Various public and private interest groups can link these recessions to changing political strategies and government lobbying activities. Political participation and lower voter turnout are something we shouldn't worry about and are not a significant problem in the United States. The low level of political commitment that Schier estimates will affect around 50% of citizens can be explained in many ways. One of the reasons for the low level is what Martin Wattenberg indicates as the lack of party identification on the part of citizens. People tend not to identify with a party and therefore not vote exclusively for that party. Wattenberg argues that some believed that the lack of party identification had implications that seemed quite threatening to democracy (Wattenberg, 23-25). Keefe underlines that “strong partisans are fewer than in the past. Split ticket voting is common everywhere. Most voters do not view the parties in a favorable light (Keefe, 74).” With the lack of party identification came the growth of accommodation parties. The accommodating parties have prevented the number of citizens involved in politics from remaining as high as in the past. If the party doesn't stand for something, people aren't as interested in taking a stand with the party. In the 2000 election there were 2 accommodation parties running accommodation candidates against each other...... middle of paper......y. The two main parties ensure that people with the same basic ideas and the same fundamental goal for the country, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, remain in power. Schier's concerns are valid, but ultimately the political structure of the United States will continue to function. Presidents may become indistinguishable from each other, but they will still have the same overall goals and perspective. The average American citizen may not be interested and participate in politics, but politics in general will remain the same. The elite will govern the country and the average citizen will express his opinion by voting or riding the stories of other voters. Politics may be exclusive, but the exclusive elite is chosen by the masses. Timothy J Penny, Steve Schier. Payment Due: A Nation in Debt, a Generation in Trouble