Nothing is more integral to democracy than voting. Most people believe
that every citizen has the civic duty or moral obligation to vote,
that any sincere vote is morally acceptable, and that buying, selling,
or trading votes is inherently wrong. In this provocative book, Jason
Brennan challenges our fundamental assumptions about voting, revealing
why it is not a duty for most citizens--in fact, he argues, many
people owe it to the rest of us not to vote. Bad choices at the polls
can result in unjust laws, needless wars, and calamitous economic
policies. Brennan shows why voters have duties to make informed
decisions in the voting booth, to base their decisions on sound
evidence for what will create the best possible policies, and to
promote the common good rather than their own self-interest. They must
vote well--or not vote at all. Brennan explains why voting is not
necessarily the best way for citizens to exercise their civic duty,
and why some citizens need to stay away from the polls to protect the
democratic process from their uninformed, irrational, or immoral
votes. In a democracy, every citizen has the right to vote. This book
reveals why sometimes it's best if they don't. In a new afterword,
"How to Vote Well," Brennan provides a practical guidebook for making
well-informed, well-reasoned choices at the polls.
Les mer
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781400842094
Publisert
2013
Utgiver
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Antall sider
232
Forfatter