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View Full Version : Does low voter turnout help or hurt the State?




TheBlackPeterSchiff
04-25-2012, 07:49 PM
Federal, State, and Local.

Does low voter turnout help or hurt the government? Does it matter?

If we got 80-90% voter turnout on every level of govt do you think we would have "better government" (if there such a thing)

Zippyjuan
04-25-2012, 08:19 PM
Low voter turnout favors those with the biggest number of hardcore supporters. That side only has to energize their own base and can ignore the voters in the middle of the political spectrum. That means less moderation and power to a few.

MikeStanart
04-25-2012, 08:44 PM
Considering there's a lot of stupid people; I'm not quite sure if it helps.

thoughtomator
04-25-2012, 08:47 PM
turnout = legitimacy

If one claims the government has the consent of the people, but can't show even a tenth of the people actually consenting to it, then it cannot claim to be the legitimate wielder of powers delegated by the people.

MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2
04-25-2012, 08:55 PM
turnout = legitimacy

If one claims the government has the consent of the people, but can't show even a tenth of the people actually consenting to it, then it cannot claim to be the legitimate wielder of powers delegated by the people.


Agreed. I once had a polsci professor mention that voting implied your consent to be governed. And while I reject that idea (just like I reject shit like social contract theory), I have never cast a vote since that was not for a libertarian, or Paul.

People not voting sounds to me like they feel powerless to affect the outcome, and that is bad for those who want to claim legitimacy.

kuckfeynes
04-25-2012, 08:58 PM
I don't think it means anything for the government. All governments will attempt to self-preserve at any cost. No one is just going to voluntarily forfeit the interests being protected by it. I think it just means that people have accepted that the game is rigged against them, and nothing can be done about it. Past a certain threshold, however, they WILL do something about it, and it won't be via a voting booth. So I would say it really depends where the people and government are in that continuum of oppression.