“Irresponsible individual voters ought to abstain rather than vote badly. This thesis may seem anti-democratic. Yet it is really a claim about voter responsibility and how voters can fail to meet this responsibility. On my view, voters are not obligated to vote, but if they do vote, they owe it to others and themselves to be adequately rational, unbiased, just, and informed about their political beliefs. Similarly, most of us think we are not obligated to become parents, but if we are to be parents, we ought to be responsible, good parents. We are not obligated to become surgeons, but if we do become surgeons, we ought to be responsible, good surgeons. We are not obligated to drive, but if we do drive, we ought to be responsible drivers. The same goes for voting.” — Philosopher Jason Brennan, writing on the responsibility of voters…via Caplan
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“adequately rational, unbiased, just, and informed about their political beliefs.”
Wow, that is a tall order. I don’t know many people that resemble that description at all. I find that politics and religion are two subjects where objectivity just goes out the window for most folks. I especially avoid talking politics with idelogues. I find them boring, unreasonable, if not plain irrational. With those folks I invoke the Linus Rule: I find it best not to discuss politics, religion, and the Great Pumpkin.
yes. We need to limit the right to vote. We need literacy tests, or poll taxes, or limiting voting rights to property owners. Ahh, the good old days
That’s the way to keep a black guy like Obama from ever becoming President again.
We should only allow people to vote who think Obama is an Arab!
What an elitist boob! What a sore loser!
What a ridiculus comment from Adam. First of all, the link to the small snapshot of the article was posted in Sept. So how does that have to do with being a sore loser?
Let’s be clear, you have people out there that couldn’t even tell you who Obama’s running mate is? For example, it was hilarious to see that video by Howard Stern where people were ask what they thought of Obama’s VP choice of Sarah Palin. They said it was a good choice. Now, if you can’t even tell who’s Obama’s VP choice, how can you justify people voting for the man?
Add to the list of things someone needs to know to earn the right to vote:
- must know Africa is a continent.
- must be able to name the nations of North America
- must be able to name more than one supreme court case
- must be able to name one newspaper
- must know what the Vice-President does
I repeat from above: “What a ridiculus comment from Adam.”
Please spare me you diatribe on these silly Palin insults. Let’s face it, Obama has less executive experience than the former Vice Presidential nominee. At this point, I can only “hope” Obama will bring good “change”. I think I’ll go and play lotto now since that’s what some of the voters did on Nov 4th by picking the most inexperience presidential candidate in American history.