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This paper examines the interactive effect of direct democracy and racial diversity on social trust. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite more liberalized registration laws, registration continues to be perhaps the most significant barrier to voting in the U.S. With the outcome of national elections hinging on a percentage point or two in recent years, however, both major parties are now investing heavily in voter registration drives. But while we know a great deal about turnout, there is little systematic knowledge about campaign outreach and voter registration. We examine the registration dates and official turnout records for individuals from counties in six states for the 2000 election. We find that a surprising number of voters register in the year of the election, and that campaign events and activities frequently coincide with up-ticks in registration. In addition, we demonstrate that later registrants are relatively more likely to vote, probably because they are stimulated to register by the choices and candidates in the election. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the link between exposure to direct democracy and political trust. Using a pooled ANES data set from 1994 to 2004, I report a paradox in the educative effects of direct democratic institutions: ballot initiatives make citizens more ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine the geography of voting methods in two metropolitan areas in key battleground states where convenience voting has become very popular. We theorize that the geography of convenience voting is likely to be found in neighborhoods where civic skills meet time pressures ? generating a demand for early and no-excuse absentee balloting. For harried but politically sophisticated voters, these devices are valuable because they permit them to buy time. Notably, those living within one mile of an early voting site are somewhat more likely to cast an early ballot than those who live further away. We also find that early voting is widespread in neighborhood zones at the fringe of the metropolitan area, but not at the outer edge, even after we control for commute time. These spatial effects suggest that information networks that include time-pressured commuters are spreading the word, generating a spatial effect that includes those who are nearby but may not face a high opportunity cost of time. We conclude by pointing out that the distinct geography of early voting has important implications for political campaigning. The geographic concentration of early voting in some locations but not others could narrow the playing field in the final days of the campaign to those locations comprised chiefly of precinct voters and non-voters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]