Voter Turnout among European Immigrants to the United States

Voter Turnout among European Immigrants to the United States Studies of electoral participation in the United States have repeatedly found that: (i) turnout is positively related to socioeconomic status (whether measured by income, education, or occupation), and (2) turnout is lower among newly enfranchised groups such as younger voters. Based on these findings, the turnout rate of male European immigrants in the United States, who were qualified to vote, should be lower than that of their native-born counterparts during the first decades of this century. As is well-known, these immigrants occupied an inferior social and economic position within society and, by definition, were newly enfranchised. Surprisingly little direct evidence exists, however, that would confirm the existence of this notion, which we refer to as the immigrant apathy hypothesis. The bulk of the research findings showing the effects on participation of both socioeconomic status and length of experience with the United States electoral system derive from scientifically conducted surveys which were introduced in the early 1930s.1 Further evidence that turnout is positively related to both