tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17206839.post7862547988356582230..comments2023-09-09T09:26:22.175-04:00Comments on Andrew Samwick's Blog: Yes, You Should VoteAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13514024573333057559noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17206839.post-25819071661990918322004-11-02T23:32:00.000-05:002004-11-02T23:32:00.000-05:00Professor, your idea strikes me as one of the best...Professor, your idea strikes me as one of the best posited reasons for young people to vote; it certainly is a drastic improvement over the scare tactics or silly pop culture employed by the folks at Rock the Vote.<br><br>I think there's one problem with your suggestion, though. If I were a young voter, uninformed and therefore apathetic, where would I get the political inspiration to vote merely for the sake of making myself part of a more vocal constituency? I think that the person most likely to adopt this complex political assertion would not be the person who would remain uninformed.<br><br>Granted, you could argue that the point isn't to have students decide this for themselves; they should just vote because they are told, and it will be justified because it is ultimately to their benefit. But I don’t think this resolves what is inherently wrong with these "get out the vote" campaigns in the first place. They herd voters into the polls like political bosses of old with little regard to the political principle underlying the election.<br><br>Thanks, though, for elevating the debate about voter turnout. I like it much more than P. Diddy’s suggestion: “Vote or Die”<br><br>- Nick Desai ‘08Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17206839.post-88753900659604257242006-11-07T08:44:00.000-05:002006-11-07T08:44:00.000-05:00Your first point--that multiple races appear on ea...Your first point--that multiple races appear on each ballot and this increases the benefits of voting--is a good one and has gone unmentioned by Landsburg et. al.<br><br>But your last point--"I think that greater voter turnout, particularly among the young, would add some balance to the way the elected officials pursue their policies."--doesn't seem particularly relevant here. <br><br>I agree that higher turnout among any group correlates with more political clout. But we are considering the incentives facing the marginal individual. It can't be the case that the vote of a single extra 18-year-old will change the rate of turnout in the 18-24 age group significantly, if at all. But you seem to assume it would. Why?Giant Stepnoreply@blogger.com