The Lifeboat Theory Of Voting

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A strong example often used against compulsory voting is the lifeboat theory. The theory states that there are 11 people on a lifeboat with no navigator, map, or compass, and their supplies will only last long enough for one attempt at a journey to safety. Every person in the boat develops a guess as to the direction to land and safety, but no one is entirely sure if any of their theories will work. The situation is so dire that the occupants of the lifeboat decide that everyone should be able to vote on the suggested paths. However, only one person decides to cast a vote because they are the only one that feels certain of one specific theory. The rest of the occupants are unsure, knowing that just because they can vote does not mean that they …show more content…

Each voter would have to take a test prior to voting to assess whether or not they are actually voting for what they want or just voting because they now are required. Otherwise, the vote of the informed citizens will be cancelled out by the vote of those who are not informed and that would not properly reflect on any group’s desires. Many forced votes would be picked randomly, or whoever comes first on the ballot. Recent work suggests that compulsory voting has no noticeable effect on political knowledge or interest, (Engelen and Hooghe, 2007) nor any evident effect on electoral outcomes (Selb and Lachat, 2007). Democratic rights are founded upon the belief in people’s ability to make rational judgments. If a citizen is rational, and voting is in their own best interest, then there isn’t a need to force them to vote. A common argument for compulsory voting is that it is a citizen’s duty to vote and not free-ride on the outcome of an election. A moral and political duty that is simple compared to the other obligations of citizenship, like paying taxes or attending jury duty. Voting is very different. Five constitutional amendments mention the right to vote, but nowhere is voting defined as a civic duty in the Constitution. Jury members are mandated to listen the case

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