How does the political environment influence voter turnout?

What will be an ideal response?

An ideal response will:
1, Explain that political environment, meaning the nature of the candidates, campaigns, and issues in an election year, influences who will vote.
2, Discuss how people who have strong attachments to political parties are more likely to vote. For example, many African Americans' strong attachments to the Democratic Party affected their turnout in the 2008 election of Barack Obama.
3, Explain how the presence on the ballot of more interesting candidates and ballot initiatives can boost turnout. Note that elections for governor, senator, and president are more likely to have a higher turnout than a local election.
4, Explain how the perception of whether or not an election will be close can stimulate intense campaign activity and media coverage, thereby increasing the amount of information available. The student may specifically refer to the 2012 election and its intense focus on battleground states.
5, Explain how the perception of a close election may convince voters that their votes will count more, and thus increase the perception of benefits from voting.
6, Provide a clear and effective conclusion.