The Need for Elections Today

I would never chose to live in a society without elections. I consider the act of voting a personal duty as a citizen and a privilege that I alone make the choice whether I chose to exercise that right each election. Even though our electoral system does have its flaws, it provides the best alternative when compared to other electoral systems as a way to let the people have their voices heard regarding the election of their officials. For example, in some countries the freedom to vote is more than a privilege, it is a formal responsibility. In Australia, Belgium, Brazil, and a number of democratic countries, voting is required, and those who fail to vote can be fined. This law raises the question that in order to increase voter participation is it ethical to require citizens to vote in elections?

I believe that to increase participation in the electoral process mandating voting is not the way to go about getting the voices of the public heard. Political parties have attempted to increase participation through their “Get Out The Votes” style of campaigning. However, party loyalty and identification have declined over recent decades. Voters are leaning toward supporting one party over another not because of its policy stance but rather because through it they can obtain some personal benefit i.e. a government job or tax breaks. In order to increase voter enthusiasm and participation many candidates have turned to forms of entertainment (television appearances, social networking sites). Our culture today is much more able to increase candidate recognition through all the technology and media advances.

As we discussed in class, Americans have the availability to be as involved in politics, voting, or legislation as they so choose. If they have problems with a piece of legislation or an issue there are multiple outlets (interests groups, representatives, or protests) that they could turn to and make their voices heard. If individuals living in a society such as America want to make their government accountable to the people, historically gathering in groups to attract media attention has been most affective (for example today’s Tea Party Protests).

The privilege to participate in elections, especially the free and fair elections of the United States, is without a doubt the best way to make the government accountable and require a response back to the citizens. Without elections, officials would hardly feel any responsibility at all to address the concerns of anyone but their own self-interest. This injustice should never be tolerated. Even though our electoral systems have errors, it is important that America continue to look toward new outlets of change to increase the constituent representation that the public desires in our system of government.