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The Distinctive Value of Elections and the Case for Compulsory Voting

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  • Emilee Booth Chapman

Abstract

In this article, I defend compulsory voting on the grounds that it reinforces the distinctive and valuable role that elections play in contemporary democracy. Some scholars have suggested that mandatory voting laws can improve government responsiveness to members of poor and marginalized groups who are less likely to vote. Critics of compulsory voting object that citizens can participate in a wide variety of ways; voting is not important enough to justify forcing people to do it. These critics neglect the importance of voting's particular role in contemporary democratic practice, though. The case for compulsory voting rests on an implicit, but widely shared, understanding of elections as special moments of mass participation that manifest the equal political authority of all citizens. The most prominent objections to mandatory voting fail to appreciate this distinctive role for voting and the way it is embedded within a broader democratic framework.

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  • Emilee Booth Chapman, 2019. "The Distinctive Value of Elections and the Case for Compulsory Voting," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 63(1), pages 101-112, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:63:y:2019:i:1:p:101-112
    DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12393
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    Cited by:

    1. Mariella Gonzales & Gianmarco León-Ciliotta & Luis R. Martínez, 2022. "How Effective Are Monetary Incentives to Vote? Evidence from a Nationwide Policy," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(1), pages 293-326, January.

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