What Are The Arguments Against Compulsory Voting For And Against Essay

Compulsory Voting: For and Against is a unique book as it portrays two well-explored sides of an argument regarding compulsory voting, or the government making the act of voting an enforced obligation rather than a right with optional exercise. Jason Brennan is a Georgetown philosopher who makes the argument against compulsory voting while Lisa Hill is an Australian political scientist who argues for this potential policy. Brennan exposes the flaws of many arguments made to support compulsory voting and explains why he believes it would not be an effective policy in the democratic environment of the United States. Hill expands on the arguments for compulsory voting and attempts to highlight the benefits that may result from it. Because Australia utilizes compulsory voting, she often cites the success of her countries use of the policy as positive evidence. Brennan introduces his argument by making a qualifying statement. He believes that compulsory voting is simply not acceptable …show more content…
For example, for the many citizens who are adamant about their voting rights and hold strong opinions when it comes to elections, voting lotteries would raise great concern. If they were not chosen, these individuals would feel cheated and underrepresented. Because of this, they would more than likely not agree to such a policy. Another possible pothole in Brennan’s voting lotteries is the monetary compensation. While it is understandable to provide an incentive when making an individual responsible for an action he or she did not volunteer for, it presents the problem of where this money would come from. This “solution” would either add to the nation’s ever-growing debt or result in a tax increase, which more or less are never received