Thursday, September 30, 2010

Why Do People Vote in US Elections?

I wonder why some people vote? Some people don't even know who is on the ballot whether it be for state or a national election. Do people really care or are they just voting just to say that they voted. That is only one's opinion. People probably don't feel like that there vote does not make a difference. Especially after the 2000 US Presidential Election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush won the election thanks to the Electoral College. The Electoral College however usually gets the finally say in any US Presidental Election. I think that election put a lot of doubt in people's minds in the political system. Lots of people probably did not even vote again after the year 2000.
On www.psychologytoday.com in a November 8, 2009 post online tries to answer this question. ''Why Do People Vote? by Satoshi Kanazawa'' One of the reasons that people vote its because its an irrational act. The probability of your vote making a difference in a national election for President of the United States would make a small or no difference. The closest election in US Presidental history was back in the 1960. When John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon were on the ballot for US President. The probability for one voter to make a difference was 1 out of 118,574. That is not even 200,000 people. ''One person's vote is never going to make any difference in a large national election. Why do people vote? There is no definitive answer that everybody agrees on.''
I have to agree with this article because people just vote without any reason. One vote will never determined who will win the US Presidental Election. You personally cannot be the one person who will decided who is the next President of the United States of America. The United States actually has political system, but its really unique and hard to understand. That why its called politics.

2 comments:

thesassycam said...

It isn't about whether your vote will change the election. It is about having a voice. If you don't vote you choose to remain silent. If each person votes then the votes get compiled and that is the choice that is consider. The United States is about constitutionism not absolutism. Constitutionism is have the government with have and is for the people. Absolutism is about one ruler and the people have no say in their fate. Which one would you choice? I think that anyone would say constitutionism regardless of whether they think their vote counts. Think of your voice the next time you decide not to vote.

Mike Timoney said...

Getting to decide between a corporatist socialist and a marxian socialist every four years is what makes America such a great country!

You should have to pass a Constitution test and sign an oath of loyalty to the U.S. Constitution before you should ever be able to vote. You don't have a 'right' to vote if you're going to use that vote to take away my natural, constitutionally protected rights. Majority rule doesn't work in mental institutions!