"If Americans live in such a great
democracy, why do they vote at rates which are among the lowest in the
democratic world? Why do other democracies have higher voter turnout? Is the
problem psychological? Cultural? Institutional? Assuming that low voter turnout
in the U.S. is a problem (an assumption you may wish to challenge), how would
you attempt to increase voter turnout? Be specific." (forum topic)
The text says that one of the major
reason why people do not show up at the polls, is that “they just don’t have
the time”. This is an indication of the ignorance of the gravity of this
exercise. As humans, we are faced with three problems knowledge, conduct and
governance. I will not explicate on the first two for brevity, but the problem
of governance is seemingly within our power to influence. Fundamentally, if we
have the means of guiding the outcome of elections, we have the capacity to conform
the makeup of those passing legislation. I bet if you ask anyone if it mattered
who was elected to President, they would without question have a strong opinion on the matter; in fact, I’m
reminded of the saying “it is not polite to speak of Religion and Politics” as
evidence of this assumption. Why is it not polite, because people are
passionate about their politico-philosophies and arguments may ensue. This begs
the question: if we are so passionate about our beliefs, why not act on them;
lack of motivation perhaps?
What is it that motivates us? Loss
and pain is a great motivator for some; money and power for others. Every
individual has their own distinct impetus to stimulate them to action. I myself
feel very strongly about life. I have a large family and understand the
importance of families in society, how they benefit both the society and the
individual. Therefore, my awareness of this, urges me to vote and to protect
the institution of the family and everything it represents.
This good, as I said, is not simply something that I want; it is something that is integral to the health of the
society. Aristotle’s idea that man is by nature a rational and political animal,
whose basic unit of society is the family, implies a responsibility that must
be realized. We are all born into families, some may be broken, but the
traditional family is the ideal paradigm that is the cardinal social unit
making up larger units that are necessary for societal groups to flourish. This
idea is a component of the larger good
in which man has an obligation to pursue;
it is a good that is common to all, i.e. a common
good. All that being said, it would be against our nature to act against
this responsibility.
So then, what does it mean to be absent
at the ballot box? Without question it is a dereliction of duty not to exercise
the right and privilege that has been afforded to us. It essentially is a
question of right and wrong – a question of ethics. A simple concrete example
of this applied ethics would be to vote against an anti-Semite whose goal is
the eradication of the Jewish race. You would be morally responsible in this
fantastic and regrettably historical example to abstain from taking efforts to
prevent their election. Now, not all appointments are of this gravity, but some
are and do necessitate action. When these matters are neglected, the fruits of
our labor – or lack thereof, are quite clearly seen. Our recompense is leaders
who are want of virtue; who lead us down rocky paths.
Why then do we not vote? I say
ignorance, both of our purpose in society and the consequences of being delinquent
in our obligations. This also begs the question: does it even benefit us to
have the ignorant voting? This idea would be hard to gauge, is morally
questionable and would deserve thorough treatment in a subsequent work.
As Americans, I believe we have
become fat; that is complacent in our
privileged lifestyles - comfortable in our security and prosperity; honestly
though, America is the only country in which its poor are obese. Most Americans
don’t have an experiential knowledge of misfortune and suffering; yet, all one
has to do is turn on the boob tube and see the strife taking place in other
nations. The Middle East is a conflagration of disorder and conflict, Russia
has invaded Ukraine, Israel and Gaza barrage each other daily with ordinance,
Iraq is being revolutionized by Islamic fanatic terrorist groups, and the list
goes on. Again, if you were to ask anyone in those regions if they were going
to vote in the upcoming elections, (if there was one in which they could vote)
they may think you crazy or just stupid. Americans have not been faced with
these types of scenarios at the same rate and intensity as other nations;
therefore, our experiences of them are merely chimerical.
Poor voter turnout in America is a
problem of apathy, the eminence of which is not fully grasped. Is the problem
of voter turnout psychological, cultural, institutional or due to ignorance?
Yes, all of the above. If the incomprehensible debt that our nation has accrued,
the rationalization of gay “Marriage” and the sanctioned killing of babies and
our elderly are not enough to motivate Americans
to vote, it may seem we are in a darker place than I originally imagined. The
only solution to this problem is a piece of pie and coffee; I would vote for
that I think. On a serious note, the
text gives an indication of what helps voter turnout, voter turnout... “it is
higher among citizens who are white, older, more educated, have higher income,
belong to civic organizations, and attend religious services more frequently.”(American Government Roots and Reform Pg.387).
Looking back at the three problems humans deal with: Education, Conduct and
Governance, we see that education is integral to discovering our true end; without it, we suffer; with it we
thrive. “The root of education is bitter, but the fruit is sweet” Aristotle
No comments:
Post a Comment