Brief Description
Leading political theorists Jason Brennan and Lisa Hill debate the drawbacks and benefits of voter turnout.
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In many democracies, voter turnout is low and getting lower. If the people choose not to govern themselves, should they be forced to do so? For Jason Brennan, compulsory voting is unjust and a petty violation of citizens' liberty. The median non-voter is less informed and rational, as well as more biased than the median voter. According to Lisa Hill, compulsory voting is a reasonable imposition on personal liberty. Hill points to the discernible benefits of compulsory voting and argues that high turnout elections are more democratically legitimate. The authors both well-known for their work on voting and civic engagement debate questions such as: Do citizens have a duty to vote, and is it an enforceable duty? Does compulsory voting violate citizens' liberty? If so, is this sufficient grounds to oppose it? Or is it a justifiable violation? Might it instead promote liberty on the whole? Is low turnout a problem, or a blessing? Does compulsory voting produce better government? Or, might it instead produce worse government? Might it, in fact, have little effect overall on the quality of government?"
Review Quotes
1. "The frustrating thing about arguments over citizenship in democracies is that everyone is right, meaning that everyone is also wrong. There are powerful arguments in favor of asking citizens to act on a moral obligation to become informed, so as to move toward an ideal world. In that view, argued ably here by Jason Brennan, anyone who fails to become informed should voluntarily abstain. Lisa Hill argues that Brennan has it backwards: good elections are not the result of an informed citizenry. Rather, a broadly accepted electoral process, legitimated by universal participation, is what creates an informed citizenry. Who is right? An extraordinary and very fair-minded treatment of significant issues in democracy around the world."
Michael Munger, Duke University"
2. "Should the government force citizens to vote? Brennan and Hill s Compulsory Voting crisply presents the strongest case in favor as well as the strongest case against mandatory participation in the electoral process. Although the two authors defend opposite conclusions, both show that philosophy is better with careful social science - and that social science is better with careful philosophy. A book full of ideas, clarity, and candor."
Bryan D. Caplan, George Mason University"
3. "Jason Brennan and Lisa Hill have performed a valuable service by brilliantly analyzing and critiquing the many arguments for and against compulsory voting, ranging from the most obvious to those that are counterintuitive and obscure. An original, readily accessible contribution to the scholarly literature."
Ilya Somin, George Mason University
