by Andy » Jan 26, 2006 @ 11:53pm
No, as voter turnout falls, the expected value of voting rises. Eventually, you find some sort of equilibrium. The current equilibrium suggests that 30-40% of people think voting is worth the effort. My simple calculation shows that the logical value of voting is not the whole picture; people seem to enjoy voting for some non-rational reason. I suspect the missing factor here is mostly the illusion of democracy.
"If you don't vote, you can't complain about politics"
-- Paraphrasing several idiots
People don't quite seem to understand the realities of our 'democracy', a supposed for-the-people government. The average person seems to think that their vote actually makes some sort of difference. That is the illusion of democracy.
Your vote is mathematically guarenteed to mean practically nothing. Combined with the actual voting patterns, and the societal machinery which generates them, it is likely to mean a whole lot less. That is the reality of democracy.
The reality is that our society, and every other society that will ever exist, is run by the elite. The bottom line is that to the people at the top, the voting mass is a force. A force that can be controlled via carefully calculated exposure, largely through the media (which you,or your buddies, own) you can essentially define the nature of the masses.
If you really want to "make a difference" through American politics, manipulate the common person. American politics is a tug-of-war for the hearts and minds of stupid people. For every 'free-thinker' or rational voter, you're going to have 100 idiots persuaded by Bill O'Reilly's diatribes -- and another 100 idiots persuaded by Michael Moore's.
So, back to this illusion of democracy: that it is somehow more noble than other forms. Well, I'm not so sure about that; and I would recommend that everyone truly challenge that assertion. I'm not so sure it's so different as most people seem to think. Gotta go to class.