Is this good enough, or should we demand more?

PROMPT – VOTER PARTICIPATION –
Should we be concerned?
Voting participation has generally been on a steady decline since the end of the 19th century.
As noted, presidential elections now have 50-60% turnouts. In 2002, the November statewide general election that included governor and several other statewide constitutional offices (e.g. lt. governor, secretary of state, etc.) was in the low 30% range.
HOWEVER,in California, voter turnout for the 2012 and 2016 Presidential elections was between 50-60%! This is attributed to the controversy surrounding the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and the many controversial Ballot Propositions in those elections.
This Discussion asks you to identify some reasons for low voter turnout and asks if we should really be worried about this trend.
Some research has concluded that even if more people voted, it would not necessarily change the outcome of elections. For example, those who don”t vote would likely mirror the attitudes of those that did.
Also many argue that “pluralism”, i.e. interest groups dynamics allows many potential voters to participate through their group membership.
Is this good enough, or should we demand more? On the other hand, what could be done to effectively increase voter turnout?
Consider the content in Janda and my Lecture to frame your response.
Respond to the following question.
your response should be approximately 400 words.
DISCUSSION QUESTION
Journalists and commentators often bemoan the relatively low voter turnout that characterizes elections in the United States.
What are some of the reasons for low voter turnout?
Do you agree with them, or are they excuses?
Do you vote regularly? If not, why?
Are there any meaningful reforms that would increase voter turnout?
Finally, do we really need to be concerned?