Massachusetts
02-26-2012, 11:14 AM
As of right now, this graph I I made shows the voter turnout in this country in the past 52 years (between 1960 and 2008) during the Presidential elections. Clearly, this number should be alarming considering that over a third of our voting-age population is not coming out to vote. They could be making a difference in these elections, but maybe not.
http://i.imgur.com/RBkUz.png
We like to think that we are the most Democratic nation in the world, but I would like to argue that point. Among countries with a Democratic voting process, the United States has churned out the lowest voting percentages for the past fifty years. This begs the question, what factors have contributed to this?
A few thoughts from this end:
-The lack of trust in government
-The media's role in picking winners and losers months before the election takes place
-The existence of only two parties to choose from on ballots, both of which have throughout history been equally evil and corrupt
-The electoral vote, the idea that "my vote doesn't matter"
-Corporations
-Government secrecy/lack of transparency
What are some possible solutions to these problems?
-Get rid of the electoral vote and just go by the popular vote
-Allow the people to be more involved in democracy. There is a direct wall of secrecy between the government and the people that started right around the time Truman was President.
-Spending cap on campaign donations, only allow individuals to donate and cap that amount per person, per quarter, per year
Suggestions? I'm not just saying convince people to vote for Ron Paul..but convince people to just get out there and vote in general for whoever they please.
http://i.imgur.com/RBkUz.png
We like to think that we are the most Democratic nation in the world, but I would like to argue that point. Among countries with a Democratic voting process, the United States has churned out the lowest voting percentages for the past fifty years. This begs the question, what factors have contributed to this?
A few thoughts from this end:
-The lack of trust in government
-The media's role in picking winners and losers months before the election takes place
-The existence of only two parties to choose from on ballots, both of which have throughout history been equally evil and corrupt
-The electoral vote, the idea that "my vote doesn't matter"
-Corporations
-Government secrecy/lack of transparency
What are some possible solutions to these problems?
-Get rid of the electoral vote and just go by the popular vote
-Allow the people to be more involved in democracy. There is a direct wall of secrecy between the government and the people that started right around the time Truman was President.
-Spending cap on campaign donations, only allow individuals to donate and cap that amount per person, per quarter, per year
Suggestions? I'm not just saying convince people to vote for Ron Paul..but convince people to just get out there and vote in general for whoever they please.