Voting in a democracy is a privilege. It should be a civic responsibility. Judging from the numbers, that is not true in Florida and many other states. It would be interesting to evaluate a public opinion poll, exploring reasons people aren't voting (noted by Fred Grimm in today's Miami Herald). Here are a few educated guesses.
Many people believe even if they vote, their vote doesn't count. Many believe that candidates don't represent their interests or that government is so dysfunctional, so entrenched and incapable of reform, their vote has no impact on its performance. Also winners are not so much elected as selected by big campaign contributors who can afford what it takes to wage a modern campaign. For that, thank the US Supreme Court.
As a result, the numbers speak for themselves: our democracy is in crisis.
Compelling people to vote might not change outcomes, but it is time to try something else. Our competitors in Asia are economic juggernauts we have been funding, as a consumer nation, for decades. They are also dictatorships that don't require voting of any kind. These dictatorships impose their will and can direct public investment without regard for individual rights. Allowing those competitors to set the course for our own future threatens our own individual rights. In other words, we imagine our non-vote as a form of protest or indifference, but America no longer has the luxury of sitting on barcaloungers and watching TV or surfing the web instead of voting.
The most efficient way to compel people to vote is through the drivers license or health insurance. Make registration contingent on voting: three strikes and you are out. The penalty, either a monetary fine that hurts, or, volunteering for a charity to help the homeless, the poor and weak, or the environment.
Under a mandate to vote, one could imagine an Orwellian nightmare of show elections, volunteerism fraud, and polls filled with long lines of indifferent voters. But the alternative is equally morose: a democracy benefiting an impregnable political class reinforced by economic elites who pledge allegiance with fingers crossed behind their backs.
9 comments:
Government is the people's big B Business. Silent partners are suffering with poor leadership choices, inefficient income streams, etc. Hell yes, everyone should be required to vote, like in Australia.
I respectfully disagree on a mandate to vote. There are groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, who do not vote for religious reasons. They pay taxes, are law-abiding, and contribute to their civic duty through other means, but regarding the salutation of the flag as idolatry and the casting of votes as a comprimise to their beliefs. They often have strong opinions on the decisions of secular leaders, but do not campaign for one or the other. Likewise they do not fight in wars or participate in killing associated with war.
Jehovah's Witnesses are responsible for the expansion of many civil rights, including free speech as it relates to compulsory participation in patriotic rituals and speaking to strangers in public spaces. They have also expanded patient rights through their staunch refusal of blood transfusions. They are directly responsible for spurring medical research into bloodless medicine, which many people have benefited from. Jackson Hospital has one of the largest centers of bloodless medicine as a result. Their expansion of medical rights has also benefited those that believe that government should not regulate reproductive decisions of women.
They were persecuted in Nazi Europe due to their refusal to follow Hitler's goons. It all started with compulsory participation in "harmless" acts like raising their arm and saying "Heil Hitler." They were herded up by the thousands and killed in concentration camps. As early as 1933-39, before the rest of the world had woken up, they were publishing and decrying the construction of death camps in Europe and refusing to participate in mistreatment of the Jews.
Please consider Jehovah's Witnesses and others when proposing laws that would hurt them and consequently, everybody's hard-won freedoms.
Andrew above raises a good reason not to agree with you but there is a better one: most people don't know what the hell is going on and vote like sheep anyway.
For some reason -- and I think this is mostly the purview of people on the left side of the political spectrum -- there is a belief that more voters will equal success for a certain point of view at the polls.
But there is really no evidence that greater turnout produces a better result in terms of either political process or leaders.
Now, if we could compel them to vote my way...hmmm...
A lot of voters like to use the excuse that their vote wouldn't make a difference, and I agree that we have to work and convince them that their vote does count.
On the other hand, sometimes this is just an excuse from voters who are simply lazy and do not care or do not know anything about patriotism. We need to make sure they remember where they came from and hope they will understand that people have died for their right to vote in a free society. Education is key.
How about compelling better candidates to run?
Very interesting comments. On the point that compelling voters will not necessarily turn out a better final result, agree there too. After a day like today, it seems the financial markets are voting with their feet, although the paradox is that world markets are seeking shelter in the dollar.
As a civil libertarian, I find the notion of compelling citizens to vote as abhorrent and repressive as forcing them to worship.
You also lose sight of the fact that NOT voting can be in effect a vote for None of the Above, an option unavailable on the ballot.
Civil liberties and the idea of our gov't compelling people to vote aside,
driver license or health insurance would never work as a large number of people don't have those.
What? You think everyone on the streets of Miami has a driver license? Ha!
Forcing people to vote will result in more buffoonish candidates pandering to the "throw away" votes of people who don't really follow politics or the impact government has on their lives. Please don't force me to live with the electoral consequences of these less-informed, less-involved, less-mature people. Joke candidates and protest candidates will spring up like weeds and choke the prevent the better ideas from serious candidates from winning braod support. Leave these non-voters alone!
Post a Comment