In the 2012 US presidential election, 58.2% of registered voters voted (IDEA). This figure stands in stark contrast to many other wealthy democracies in the Western world for the same election cycle (IDEA). This raises the question: why is voter turnout significantly lower in the United States than in the rest of the industrialized world and other OECD countries? There are countless factors that can influence voter turnout, the most common being based on socioeconomic status. But if we only consider developed countries, the stakes are higher in forecasting participation. The focus is on institutional factors and the effect of electoral mechanisms, such as registration laws and party systems, on political participation. Europe and the United States differ on many key aspects of democratic structure, including party systems, registration processes, and voting procedures. These unique institutional factors in the United States impose an undue burden on the public and increase the tangible cost of voting, thereby discouraging political participation. In order to examine these costs, one must understand how broader institutional and structural factors influence an individual's participation. In a general context, political participation is defined as any form of individual engagement in politics, but for the purposes of this essay, political participation is restricted to include only the act of voting (Verba). This can be used to explain why voter turnout in the United States is so low compared to European democracies. By studying democratic institutions in Italy, Germany and France, such a comparison can be made and the institutional effect on voter turnout can be studied. Final...... middle of article ......rties in America." Third World Traveler. Princeton University Press, 1984. Web. May 1, 2014. .Timpone, Richard J. "Structure, behavior and Voter Participation in the United States. " The American Political Science Review 92.1 (1998): 145-58. JSTOR. Web. April 13, 2014. Powell, Bingham G., Jr. "American Voter Participation in Comparative Perspective." The American Political Science Review 80.1 (1986): 17-43. April 13, 2014. Verba, Sidney, Kay Lehman Schlozman, 8-10; the world economy, April 2014, International Monetary Fund, updated April 8 2014. 2014.