Compulsory Voting: For and Against

Jason Brennan (Georgetown University, Washington DC),Lisa Hill (University of Adelaide)

Compulsory Voting: For and Against
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Country
United Kingdom
Published
12 June 2014
Pages
240
ISBN
9781107041516

Compulsory Voting: For and Against

Jason Brennan (Georgetown University, Washington DC),Lisa Hill (University of Adelaide)

In many democracies, voter turnout is low and getting lower. If the people choose not to govern themselves, should they be forced to do so? For Jason Brennan, compulsory voting is unjust and a petty violation of citizens’ liberty. The median non-voter is less informed and rational, as well as more biased, than the median voter. According to Lisa Hill, compulsory voting is a reasonable imposition on personal liberty. Hill points to the discernible benefits of compulsory voting and argues that high turnout elections are more democratically legitimate. The authors - both well-known for their work on voting and civic engagement - debate questions such as: * Do citizens have a duty to vote, and is it an enforceable duty? * Does compulsory voting violate citizens’ liberty? If so, is this sufficient grounds to oppose it? Or is it a justifiable violation? Might it instead promote liberty on the whole? * Is low turnout a problem or a blessing?

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