Description
Write a paper on the issue of universal or compulsory voting. The goal of this paper is for you to thoroughly explain the experience of jurisdictions that have mandatory voting and outline both their process (how they do it) and the outcomes (voter participation, impact on democracy, and citizen opinions). After you have completed and shown that research (section 2) then you will present arguments in support and against compulsory voting in America (section 3 and 54). Section 5 will be your personal opinion and why. Please include if your opinion on this topic changed as a result of your research.
Structure your paper in the following format:
I. Overview of the issue/Introduction
II. Other countries with compulsory voting
III. A comprehensive argument in support of compulsory voting
IV. A comprehensive argument against compulsory voting
V. Conclusion/Your personal opinion on compulsory voting. Has that opinion
changed at all as a result of your research? If so, why?
The papers should be a minimum of five pages and a maximum of seven pages following generally accepted double-spaced formatting. Please follow all traditional rules for citations, using either APA or Chicago style. If you draw from outside sources, please include a bibliography.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running head: COMPULSORY VOTING
1
Compulsory Voting
Name
Institutional Affiliation
COMPULSORY VOTING
2
Compulsory Voting
Overview of the Issue/Introduction
Elections perform important functions for strengthening democracies and voting is a
central part of the process (Brennan & Hill, 2014). Accordingly, compulsory voting is thought as
a solution to the issue of decreasing turnout. As such, majority of the democratic regimes often
regard participating in national elections a right of nationality. Other nations also consider the
aspect of participation as a citizen’s civic responsibility. However, in some nations, especially
where voting is regarded as a duty, voting during elections is compulsory and highly regulated
by national constitutions and electoral laws (Brennan & Hill, 2014). Other countries even go as
far as imposing sanctions to non-voters. Therefore, compulsory voting is not a new concept, as it
has been practiced in several countries since 1892, when it was first introduced in Belgium.
Nevertheless, compulsory voting has been practiced in different countries for a number of
reasons, including traditions, colonies, as a way of preventing the purchase of votes, as well as a
method of increasing voter turnout rates. This paper, therefore, discusses the countries that use
compulsory voting and the arguments for and against the practice.
Other Countries with Compulsory Voting
Most of the nations with Spanish heritage are likely to make their voting compulsory. In
the nation of Switzerland, most of the cantons who had adopted the compulsory voting system
had prevailing traditions of forced political participation, including legislations that compelled
members to wear swords to cantonal assemblages (Birch, 2009). Furthermore, some of the
Belgium leaders considered compulsory voting as the means to ending vote buying, which was
similarly the same motive for adopting compulsory voting in Thailand. Noticeably, party
competition and politics have also played a vital function in the acceptance of compulsory voting
COMPULSORY VOTING
in most countries. For instance, in both Greece and Belgium, majority of the upper-class
members regarded compulsory voting as a way of curbing outsized influence of the working
class (Birch, 2009). Moreover, in the Australian case, the ruling Labor ...
