...Compulsory Voting? Not so Fast A critical review of political scholarship regarding compulsory voting Word Count: 1644 Compulsory voting has been a hotly debated topic in the political realm over the past few decades, with supporters on both sides bringing up a wide variety of arguments and beliefs for support. The proposed idea of compulsory voting is the idea that would make voting in a democratic parliamentary election mandatory for all citizens who meet the age requirement; failure to do so will result in a form of minor punishment such as a small fine. The theory behind compulsory voting is that it will increase participation in parliamentary election, thus creating a more legitimate representative democratic system. Current major democratic countries that currently employ an enforced compulsory voting system include Australia, Argentina, and Brazil. This paper will argue that voting should not be made compulsory in Canada, on the principles that there is no proof that increasing voter turnout will legitimize our representational democracy, and that we have the right to abstention. I will prove this argument by examining the political scholarship produced by Sara Birch, Justine Lacroix, and Annabelle Lever. The first academic journal I will be examining will be that of Sara Birch in her 2009 paper The Case for Compulsory Voting. In this paper, Birch is advocating that all democratic countries should implement a compulsory voting system. Birch’s primary point...
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...Lijphart objective is that compulsory voting would be the best way to solve the problem of low voting turnout. He structured his argument stating two of the biggest problem with low turnout and solution to increase turnout. The first problem is that the election votes are not a representation of the overall votes towards a policy or elected official. The other problem is that certain groups vote in greater number than other groups, which show a disproportionate influence on the government and its policies. This illustrates bias states Lijphart, giving already-privileged citizens an advantage favoring their interest and the low-privileged interests are not rewarded. To solve these problems Lijphart believes that a minimum of 90 percent turnout...
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...mandatory to be on the electoral roll and to vote at federal and state elections for all citizens over eighteen years of age. However, it has not always been the case. At the beginning of the 20th century most men and women were eligible to vote except for indigenous people who were excluded. Following poor voter turnout in a previous election, compulsory voting was introduced in 1924. In 1962 Indigenous people gained the right to vote and it was made compulsory for them in 1984. In 1973 the voting age was changed from twenty-one to eighteen (Skwirk , 2014). The following discussion will argue that the benefits of compulsory voting far outweigh the disadvantages. In our society we have certain obligations like paying taxes, compulsory education and jury duty. Compulsory voting is just another civic duty much less onerous than any of the above. Australia is one of only eleven countries to enforce participation in elections. A 94% voter turnout for the last federal election compared favourably to 65% in the 2010 United Kingdom election and 57% in the 2012 United States presidential election (Padmanabhan, 2015). The argument that compulsory voting is incompatible with democratic government obviously does not apply to Australia that is considered one of the most transparent, representative and least corrupt nations of the world (White, 2013). The whole point of freedom is that everyone has a say and a responsibility to voice their opinion. Fifty per cent or less voter turnout is not...
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...American people opposing one another. This entire issue could have been avoided by one key factor, mandatory voting. If mandatory voting was instated the entire country would come together to make decisions instead of just one small percentage. The main argument of every angry voter out, there is that not everyone voted so the actual candidate that should have been elected. FairVote.org states that with mandatory voting, compulsory voting won't be able to politically polarization the United States. Lower turnout, it is argued, enables more hard-core partisans and ideologues to dominate elections....
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...Mark Scheme (Results) January 2012 GCE Government & Politics (6GP01) Paper 01 PEOPLE AND POLITICS Edexcel and BTEC Qualifications Edexcel and BTEC qualifications come from Pearson, the world’s leading learning company. We provide a wide range of qualifications including academic, vocational, occupational and specific programmes for employers. For further information, please call our GCE line on 0844 576 0025, our GCSE team on 0844 576 0027, or visit our qualifications website at www.edexcel.com. For information about our BTEC qualifications, please call 0844 576 0026, or visit our website at www.btec.co.uk. If you have any subject specific questions about this specification that require the help of a subject specialist, you may find our Ask The Expert email service helpful. Ask The Expert can be accessed online at the following link: http://www.edexcel.com/Aboutus/contact-us/ Pearson: helping people progress, everywhere Our aim is to help everyone progress in their lives through education. We believe in every kind of learning, for all kinds of people, wherever they are in the world. We’ve been involved in education for over 150 years, and by working across 70 countries, in 100 languages, we have built an international reputation for raising achievement through innovation in education. Find out more about how we can help you and your students at: www.pearson.com/uk January 2012 Publications Code US030541 All the material in this publication is copyright © Pearson Education...
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...Referendums can help people to feel like they have a voice, and to get more involved in politics, however there are also arguments against the wider use of referendums, If there were referendums a lot of the time, then people would feel less passionate on the subjects as it is just another referendum. Having referendums to improve democracy in the UK is not a good idea as it undermines the whole point of representative democracy. Moreover a greater use of referendums would eventually lead to apathy amongst the electorate. It is highly unlikely that you will receive 100% turnout on any referendum. Some referendums address issues of certain regions, such as the proposals for the Greater London Authority in 1998 and the regional assembly of North East England 2004. These produce low turnouts because they predominantly affect a minority of people and not the country as a whole. Secondly, a biased media may create an unfair arena in which voters may be unfairly influenced by elitist or specialist interests. The media plays a big role in society and many people can be influenced by it, especially young adults, this can make vote according to the influences they have taken from the media, which is not really a sign of democracy. Finally referendums can help people feel like they have a voice, and gets more people involved in politics, however you have to take into consideration things like cost factor, and the fact that people do not always have the right knowledge to vote many...
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...when they passed the same-sex marriage law passed, if we would've had compulsory voting an ignorant voters vote could have taken a person's right to marry their partner. A second reason why Americans should not be required to vote is that masks should not be used to cover the fact that citizens do not participate.evidence of this is, “ Vote. Or Else!” Fraser forum by filip palda. A quote i found on this site was, “government cannot paste a happy face on a political system and hope that people a smiling inside. This evidence helps explain why Americans should not be required to vote because as sad as the fact that citizens able to vote don't participate as much as they should, the fact should not be masked because the citizens could take that as a way of shaming and could be angered by that fact. The third reason why Americans should not be required to vote is the the higher level of education people receive the more informed they are of the importance of voting and the more likely it will be that they will vote on their own accord instead of being forced to. Evidence of this is that in the united states election project by the George mason university it was found that about 72% of citizens who get some sort of college or bachelor's degree voted. This evidence helps explain why Americans should not be required to vote because if the government focused on educating their citizens on the importance of voting so that more citizens vote every year instead of just obligating them...
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...Absurd to vote as a 16 years old teenager, or is it? ”It’s a bizarre way to reinvigorate democracy” It’s under consideration in Scotland to lower the voting age to 16 years. But I wonder if it's too early? It can be discussed to a great extent, whether it would be positive or negative - but it's definitely a move in the right direction, at least to the youngsters. That’s what Philip Cowley, University of Nottingham, says about the thoughts of lowering the voting age. I simply believe that lowering the voting-age would gain more political insight and thoughts – but what for? Is it perhaps a bit too early? Has a 16-17 year old gained enough political experience and insight? That’s hard to say in general terms, but I definitely think it would be an interesting point of view lowering the voting-age. 16-17 year-old are in the democratic sense, just as mature as a 90-year-old, and maturity has never been a criterion for granting the right to vote. When young people are 16-17 years old, they have, usually, completed the compulsory education that society offers them. They have been taught history, social studies, English and other subjects, which enables them to act as responsible citizens. The 16-17 year olds constitutes only a small percentage of the population, which would mean that their votes won’t have the biggest impact on the election results. In contrast, the youngsters would maybe feel more valued by the state - influence creates credibility and appreciation -...
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...A Spurious Correlation: The Critiques Although as Sondheimer (2010:174) notes, “from the early work of Merriam and Gosnell (1924) to today, literally thousands of cross-sectional surveys have indicated that turnout rates climb with years of formal schooling,” a few scholars have published literature that discredit the positive relationship between levels of education and voter turnout. Steven Tenn (2007:446) is the first to phrase the relationship as education being “spuriously correlated with voting.” His work focuses on the impact of the marginal impact of an additional year of schooling. Ultimately, Tenn’s (2007:451) analysis reveals that “an additional year of education has very little influence on voter turnout. This is in direct contradiction of one of the most influential studies on education and voter turnout, Wolinger and Rosenstone’s (1980:102), which found that increased levels of schooling do in fact raise the participation rate of voters. Similarly, Kam and Palmer (2008:617) wanted to test the claim made by multiple scholars that higher levels of education cause political participation. Rather than conferring with the scholars, Kam and Palmer (2008:612) take on a differing perspective and focus on other factors that could in turn influence political participation. They find that “the same factors that propel...
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...a candidate and campaign for election; by allowing these elements to occur. It is established on the credence that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision making process. However in both countries there are significant, almost insurmountable challenges that interdict a citizen’s ability to engage in and be represented in their respective political system. Popular participation in Australia is countenanced in a multitude of ways [Uphold] * Increase opportunities to vote, on and before, Election Day. In 2013 Election the Australian Electoral Commission undertook extensive remote area mobile polling services. Voting facilities were widely available. There were polling booths at airports (eg. For ‘fly in fly out’ workers to vote early and with convenience), postal votes and early voting at shopping centres and local government offices * Variety of political parties. In the 2013 Federal Election 54 different parties contested the available seats in the Federal Parliament. Individuals can join a political party and they can also form a political party and contest seats at the next election eg 2013 Clive Palmer and the formation of a new political (just before the election) being the Palmer United Party, which won seats in both the HOR and the Senator. There are no qualifications for being the Prime Minister apart from the requirement of being an Australia Citizen. [Undermine] * Fewer people in recent years are actively involved...
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...“Integrated marketing: advertising and politics” Massey University Masters of Business Administration Marketing Unit Presented July 2013 Mike Richards Student ID 13154066 CONTENTS CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 2 1. OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 3 2. SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS AND THE APPLICATION OF ADVERTISING THEORY TO POLITICS .............................................................................................................................. 5 A. B. C. D. E. 3. 4. Advertising, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications (Shrimp & Andrews) 2013 .............................................................. 5 Advertising Theory (edited by Shelly Rodgers & Esther Thorson) 2012 .................. 6 Advertising and Society – Controversies and Consequences (edited by Carol J. Pardun) 2009............................................................................................................... 7 Advertising and the Market Orientation of Political Parties Contesting the 1999 and 2002 New Zealand Election Campaigns. ..................................................................... 7 Political Campaign Communication Principles & Practises (Trent and Friedenberg 2008) ..................................................................
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...mental flexibility, improved personal identity etc. At the same time, there is evidence showing a number of downsides to the programs – such as double expense to the government, politicized aspects etc. The aim of this paper is to examine different aspects of the argument on the subject of bilingual programs in schools, and whether United States should make English as its official language. It also demonstrates the argumentative ability regarding the controversial issue of bilingual academic program in the United States. Honestly, I feel that the need to make English the official language of the country is preposterous. Only, because it practically is the main language of the country just unofficially. From a general point of view, the definition of bilingualism is whereby a person possesses the ability of easily and naturally speaking in two languages, without experiencing any problem whatsoever. However, from the context of United States of America, bilingualism has a controversial definition (Fallows, 1986) whereby it mainly refers to the use of any other language aside from English in regards to public services. Some of the public services include seeking of government documents, inclusion of other languages in voting ballot, in court proceeding, and when it comes to teaching children in schools. The controversy of is dominant in the education system of United States, where there...
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...Democracy and participation: Democracy = a political system based on the idea that government should serve the interests of the people. Legitimacy = the extent to which a government has the right to rule and exercise power. Power vs. Authority: * Power= the ability to make someone do something that they would not do of their own free will * E.g - Coercion – the use of force to achieve ends – the military * Authority = the right to exercise power (based on the consent of those being ruled) * E.g - Legal/rational – HOC * E.g – Traditional – HOL Modern democracies have: Political tolerance Peaceful transition of power Free, fair and regular elections The government is accountable to the people The rule of law Freedom of the media Modern democracies have: Political tolerance Peaceful transition of power Free, fair and regular elections The government is accountable to the people The rule of law Freedom of the media What makes a government legitimate? * Referendums (‘Yes’ answers) * High turnout * Free, fair and regular elections * Lack of dissent * Displays of public support How legitimate is the UK? Legitimate | Not legitimate | * House of Commons is elected | * Electoral system unfair and distorts political representation (FPTP) | * Government elected with mandate to govern | * Every government elected has only achieved the minority of the popular vote | * House of Lords has traditional authority...
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...European Government and Politics GV 2218 Continuous Assessment 2 Name: Shane O Callaghan Student Number: 109819851 Course: BCOM2 Assess the merits of the political reform process underway in the UK. You should examine the proposed changes under a number of headings including but not limited to the electoral system, the House of Lords, and open government. You must discuss why potential reform should take place, its observable implications and consider comparative examples where the changes already exist. Elections are an integral figure in any countries political system. Elections are also important symbolically in most competitive party systems, legitimizing a country’s political system in the eyes of it citizens. They offer a means of participating in politics, elections also give a feeling that they are exercising choices about who should represent them in the national parliament and about who should form the next government. One common debate of which Party System is best to run a Nation has long been argued by politicians and also which is the electoral system that governs the conduct of elections. With elections, change or reform can always be seen and in one case the United Kingdom is a perfect example, in May 2010 the first united coalition in the Britain since World War 2 and now currently there is an on-going debate for political reform in the UK regarding the current electoral system. Would new government bring closure to the drama of reform in The House of Lords...
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...AN OVERVIEW OF THE NEW CLAUSE 49 OF THE LISTING AGREEMENT AN OVERVIEW OF THE NEW CLAUSE 49 OF THE LISTING AGREEMENT Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) has overhauled the existing Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement and replaced it with a revised Clause 49 (the “New Clause” or the “Clause”)[2]. The New Clause, which will be effective from 1 October 2014, serves the following objectives: align the provisions of Listing Agreement with the provisions of the newly enacted Companies Act, 2013 and also provide additional requirements to strengthen the corporate governance framework for listed companies in India. Most of the requirements under the New Clause are in line with the changes brought about in corporate governance by the Companies Act 2013. However, certain requirement under the New Clause goes a step further and imposes more stringent requirements of corporate governance to listed companies. The New Clause is based on the principle of ensuring equitable treatment to all shareholders and recognising the rights of all stakeholders in the company. The New Clause is attempting to achieve this object by setting up an effective corporate governance frame work within the company and providing for timely and accurate disclosures. The key aspects of the New Clause are discussed below: Independent Directors The New Clause confers greater power and responsibility on the independent directors to on matters relating to corporate governance. The Clause incorporates methods...
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