This is the posting: http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3323

ON COMPULSORY VOTING

A nice exchange of articles / views on compulsory voting in the most recent British Journal of Political Science.  This may be gated for many of you, apologies if so:

COMPULSORY VOTING: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE
Annabelle Lever
British Journal of Political Science, Volume 40, Issue 04, October 2010, pp 897 – 915

(rest of articles below the split)

[ abstract ]

NOTES AND COMMENTS

ON THE JUSTIFIABILITY OF COMPULSORY VOTING: REPLY TO LEVER
Lisa Hill
British Journal of Political Science, Volume 40, Issue 04, October 2010, pp 917 – 923

[ abstract ]

DEMOCRACY AND VOTING: A RESPONSE TO LISA HILL
Annabelle Lever
British Journal of Political Science, Volume 40, Issue 04, October 2010, pp 925 – 929

[ abstract ]

On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Paul Gronke <paul.gronke@gmail.com> wrote:

I can't recall the precise date, but I blogged on a recent set of articles on this issue in the British journal of political science.  The posting was at electionupdates.caltech.edu 

---

Paul Gronke     Ph: 503-517-7393

Reed College and Early Voting

 Information Center

http://earlyvoting.net

On Oct 20, 2010, at 9:38, Jack Santucci <jms346@georgetown.edu> wrote:

This encyclopedia entry/lit review by Simon Jackman is the most useful piece I've seen on compulsory voting:

http://jackman.stanford.edu/papers/cv.pdf

Jack Santucci

On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 9:15 AM, Craig Holman <holman@aol.com> wrote:

In the discussion thread of Latino voter suppression, the idea of compulsory voting was raised.

Though compulsory voting tends to run contrary to American political tradition, there is considerable political science research that supports its value. Perhaps the most common argument against compulsory voting is that it does little good for the polity to force people to vote on candidates who know nothing about the candidates or care very little about politics.

I once heard a presentation by Arend Lijphart at a political science conference on the issue. He compiled an extensive cross-national database among nations that compel the vote (today, there are 32 nations that do so) and found, in part, that when voters are required to cast ballots, even the disinterested often make the effort to be better informed. Apparently, if one has to do it, it is better to do it well than to waste one's time. Furthermore, candidates and parties work herder at getting information to the entire electorate rather than targeted voters.

Other notable conclusions he found:

1. Most compulsory systems levy a small fine, like a parking ticket, for not voting. But even in the face of such a minimal penalty, voting increases by about 7% to 16% over a non-compulsory system.
2. Compulsory voting solves the problem of institutional or ideological factors, such as the Latino vote suppression discussed in this thread, designed to suppress the vote.
3. Non-compulsory voting systems show a large socio-economic bias in turnout.

Craig Holman, Ph.D.

Government Affairs Lobbyist

Public Citizen

215 Pennsylvania Avenue NE

Washington, D.C. 20003

TEL: (202) 454-5182

CEL: (202) 905-7413

FAX: (202) 547-7392

Holman@aol.com

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