Comments on: How to Fix Politics (kind of) https://dan.swartzentruber.ca/2010/11/how-to-fix-politics-kind-of/ Tue, 09 Nov 2010 03:36:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: Jon https://dan.swartzentruber.ca/2010/11/how-to-fix-politics-kind-of/comment-page-1/#comment-62 Jon Tue, 09 Nov 2010 03:36:40 +0000 http://dan.swartzentruber.ca/?p=150#comment-62 Lowering the voting age would have a minuscule effect on youth apathy I think. I think the issue is that politics just don't matter (directly) to most youth since they tend not to own houses/property, have very low income and are not effected directly by most of what politicians do. (yes this applies to a lesser degree to adults as well but I would argue that's part of the reason for adult apathy as well) The voter competency test would be a great idea in theory I think but there's no way in hell it can work in practice. You'd never get a test that everyone would agree is acceptable unless it was so basic as to barely eliminate anyone (such as if it was only composed of your example "what position are you voting for" question). I could think of other general questions which a competent voter should have to know but someone would argue they don't think a competent voter should have to know that. I totally agree with a ranking system for voting. I also totally agree that a lot of people would have trouble filling out that type of ballot correctly. So another good idea in theory but probably bad in practice. Lowering the voting age would have a minuscule effect on youth apathy I think. I think the issue is that politics just don’t matter (directly) to most youth since they tend not to own houses/property, have very low income and are not effected directly by most of what politicians do. (yes this applies to a lesser degree to adults as well but I would argue that’s part of the reason for adult apathy as well)

The voter competency test would be a great idea in theory I think but there’s no way in hell it can work in practice. You’d never get a test that everyone would agree is acceptable unless it was so basic as to barely eliminate anyone (such as if it was only composed of your example “what position are you voting for” question). I could think of other general questions which a competent voter should have to know but someone would argue they don’t think a competent voter should have to know that.

I totally agree with a ranking system for voting. I also totally agree that a lot of people would have trouble filling out that type of ballot correctly. So another good idea in theory but probably bad in practice.

]]>