I think that this is a great public forum topic: it relates to a current event that will educate students on some of the nuanc
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Lesson 4.2 Day 3
| 13NFL1-Compulsory Voting Page 5 of 163 www.victorybriefs.com CONGRESS IS AUTHORIZED TO ENFORCE THE TH AMENDMENT – JUSTIFIES COMPULSORY VOTING. EVEN IF CONGRESS COU LDN’T MANDATE VOTING IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, IT COULD DO SO FOR CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS UNDER ARTICLE I WITH ESSENTIALLY THE SAME RESULT. ..105 A2 S UPERFICIAL C HANGE /D OESN ’ T S OLVE P ROBLEM ...................................................................... 106 COMPULSORY VOTING IS STILL COMPARATIVELY BETTER THAN VOLUNTARY VOTING FOR VOTER APATHY AND ALIENATION. NEGATIVE EVIDENCE ............................................................................................... 107 D EFINITION - C OMPULSORY V OTING ................................................................................................ 107 COMPULSORY VOTING IS MISLEADING. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS COMPULSORY VOTING- THERE IS ONLY COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE. ............................................................................................................................................108 A BSTENTION .................................................................................................................................. 109 COMPULSORY VOTING ARTIFICIALLY RAISES TURNOUT RATES WHILE STRIPPING THE POSSIBILITY OF ABSTENTION. ONE MUST ADVOCATE COMPULSORY PARTICIPATION, NOT SIMPLY COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE, TO ACCESS DEMOCRACY ADVANTAGES...............................................................................................110 C OERCION ..................................................................................................................................... 111 EVEN IF VOTING IS GOOD, IT DOES NOT JUSTIFY COERCION. IF CITIZENS AREN’T INTERESTED IN VOTING, THEY SHOULDN’T BE FORCED TO BE— COMPULSORY VOTING VIOLATES THE BASIC TENETS OF DEMOCRACY. THE RIGHT TO NOT VOTE IS A FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRATIC RIGHT PROTECTED BY THE CONSTITUTION. EVEN COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE VIOLATES FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE EVEN IF PEOPLE HAVE A PRIMA FACIE DUTY TO VOTE, OTHER MORAL DUTIES MAY TRUMP THIS OBLIGATION, MAKING COMPULSORY VOTING INAPPROPRIATE ........................................................115 R EDUCES O THER C IVIC P ARTICIPATION .......................................................................................... 116 COMPULSORY VOTING REDUCES OTHER FORMS OF SOCIETAL ENGAGEMENT. THERE IS NO SPILLOVER FROM VOTING TO OTHER FORMS OF POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT. MANDATORY VOTING CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO NEGLECT THEIR DUTIES ..............................118 A LTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................................... 119 INSTEAD OF COMPULSORY VOTING, WE SHOULD CREATE A HOLIDAY TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO VOTE. WE JUST NEED TO MAKE VOTING MORE CONVENIENT TO BOOST TURNOUT. ...............................120 INCENTIVIZING VOTING IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO COMPULSORY VOTING .........................................121 NON-COERCIVE METHODS ARE THE BEST WAY OF INCREASING THE REPRESENTATION OF MARGINALIZED GROUPS..........................................................................................................................122 I NDIVIDUAL V OTES ......................................................................................................................... 123 A RATIONAL INDIVIDUAL WOULD ABSTAIN FROM VOTING —INDIVIDUAL VOTES MAKE LITTLE DIFFERENCE. INDIVIDUALS ARE UNLIKELY TO GIVE MUCH THOUGHT TO THEIR VOTES BECAUSE THEY DO N’T BELIEVE IT COUNTS. .................................................................................................................................124 I NVALID V OTES .............................................................................................................................. 125 |