e Voting Rights Act of 1970 sets a 30-day residence as the only pre-condition to voting in federal elections. According to the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the US Constitution, adopted in 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18 years.
  At the same time it is well known that Americans are less disposed to exercise their right to vote than just about any other nation. The percentage of voters in the potential electorate (the adult citizens) is about 65 percent. One of the reasons for nonvot¬ing is the two-party system. In the United States there are two major political parties, the Democratic and the Republican (also called GOP — the «Grand Old Party»). Both of them represent the interests of different business circles and there is no clear-cut difference between the two parties, between their policies and their party machines.
  The area which one lives in is still considered an important factor in determining one's vote, though sectionalism appears to be of decreasing importance. Until recent years, the South was «solid» for the Democrats, while New England was «rock-ribbed» for the Republicans,
  The great cities of the United States show a strong tendency to vote Democratic, while suburban areas have become Republican bastions in many parts of the nation.
  Blue-collar workers and racial minority groups are con¬centrated in cities. Since these groups tend to vote Democratic, the party they support has great strength in cities. On the other hand, those who belong

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