Future Perfect: Mandatory Voting

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The United States, a machine, ran by the representatives we put into power to reign over our lands. We are blessed to have, in this great country, the right to vote; which maybe the most crucial right to an U.S. citizen. Voting expresses the voice of the people; yet voter turnout has been in record lows in the twenty-first century. So what do representatives have to base their actions with? Now the question lies, who is really being represented, the masses or a collected few? Who are we to blame the people we put into power if it is us who aren’t doing our job, but there is a solution this this grave problem. With mandatory voting, the United States can progress through the hardships of this country.
How can we have a democracy if the majority of the people refuse to complete their own civil duties? A perfect example is the Ancient Greek city-state of Athens. In Athens participating in government was not only a privilege but mandatory for all its citizens. Only because males were allowed in government doesn’t mean the idea shouldn’t be credited. As a result, majority of its citizens understood and follow politics. It’s sad to think that people of times before Christ were more educated about politics than us from a modern society with endless technological advancements. If someone ask someone else in the streets what are the issues that are being discussed in the town hall or who are your state senators; they will be clueless but refer to celebrity gossip, and you have just asked a profound expert. Mandatory voting will force people to vote on things they have no clue on so they will research and find out what is going on around them. People argue if we force people uneducated people into voting on issues they have no clue in, t...

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... have complains about our government but don’t go out and do something about it, and it is time it finally change that. Our country is supposed to have vertical accountability (which means that the citizens hold the government responsible and vice versa), yet this is not happening. I personally don't like to hear people complain about the government and then find out that they didn't even take five minutes to go vote in order to do something about it. I believe that if we mandated voting, people would start paying attention to the government and the candidates. Maybe the system will be flawed at first, but nothing is created perfect. With every problem, there must be a plan of change. Those who stand idle need a leader to force them to do something, and with mandatory voting, the citizens of our great country will finally move this country forward to a better place.

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