Sept/Oct 2013
Aff Case
foundationbriefs.com
Page 102 of 104
general will is divergent from the legislative actions taken by the democracy. A government not attuned to the people’s will cannot govern justly, but this is exactly what happens when people are presented with an option set divergent from personal values. In encouraging a focus on issues (rather than turnout, compulsory voting creates a more fair paradigm in which candidates have afar greater potential for matching up with the will of the people. A government consisting of such elected candidates is far more likely to govern justly, given that it is a more precise reflection of the people’s will.
Conclusion
We trust the state to uphold ideas of justice. But voluntary voting systems in democratic states manage to subvert the foundations of such a state. Fora democracy to be just—to fulfill its core objective—means an emphasis on fairness—something that is sorely lacking without compulsory voting. A requirement to vote is not a burden. It is an enabler—of socioeconomic representation and equality, of resistance, and of electoral ideals. In essence, it is an enabler of a fair electoral system, and by extension, a just government.
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