ABSTRACT
Every two years, a large portion of Americans do not show up to cast a ballot in national elections. In fact, the United States trails many other industrialized countries in the percentage of eligible voters who actually cast a ballot. Compared to non-voters, those who vote regularly tend to be more politically extreme and opposed to legislative compromise. One potential solution to increase voting turnout is to make voting mandatory, with non-voters subject to a fine. Although compulsory voting would certainly increase the incentive to vote, some question whether democracy is strengthened by people voting when they have little information and are uninterested in the political system. In this chapter, the author explains how mandatory voting would be similar to other responsibilities of citizens, such as serving on jury duty or paying taxes. The author then discusses the practical implications of increasing turnout among more apathetic and non-partisan groups in society.
