I’m Mike Fitzsimmons with commentary on 920-KXLY….
Sometimes it seems that American voters don’t seem to have a clue what they’re doing. Do voters pick the best or the worst candidates in elections?
Do they know the relevant information that would enable them to and be good at making decisions? If they don’t, then the selections voters make are essentially just like rolling dice. A number of studies suggest that in America, voters really don’t know much about what they are doing.
Do they know the relevant information that would enable them to and be good at making decisions? If they don’t, then the selections voters make are essentially just like rolling dice. A number of studies suggest that in America, voters really don’t know much about what they are doing.
Political scientists seldom talk much about this reality because it isn’t popular to call voters ignorant, let alone, stupid. It just isn’t politically correct to point out that many voters don’t have a clue what candidates are talking about when they debate issues. It might offend some people if one were to show evidence that when many voters are asked about which candidates support specific positions on various issues, they must admit that they really don’t know, yet they will cast a ballot nevertheless. A relatively small number of voters actually qualify as well informed. Most voters are more or less informed, and many are completely uninformed. All of these people vote.
I do not, nor would I ever, advocate any kind of a voter intelligence test, although when I hear some voters express themselves, the concept is tempting. You have the right to vote in America whether or not you know anything about the candidates or the issues in the election you plan to help decide. But isn’t there a social obligation, if not moral obligation to be an informed voter? Shouldn’t a person who chooses to vote, consider himself or herself to be under a duty to fellow citizens to take elections seriously enough to become an informed voter? Doesn’t a responsible person seek to understand what he or she is doing, especially of their conduct will have a profound impact on other citizens? Maybe we should think about this before we cast a ballot in 2012.
With commentary on 920 – KXLY, I’m Mike Fitzsimmons
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