persuasive speech

persuasive speech

The Importance of Voting in a Democracy

1. The Power of Your Vote

Your single vote possesses an enormous power in the destiny of our country. With your vote, you can decide the quality and nature of life that future generations will have. Your vote represents you and when you fail to vote on issues that are important to you, you are giving up your chance to influence the policies and politicians that will be shaping your future. Don’t underestimate the impact of your decision not to vote – it is still a decision not to exercise your right as a citizen to influence the course of government. By voting, you are actively participating in a democratic government. Voting gives you the power to make a positive change for the future of the United States. On election day, millions of Americans head to the polls to cast their vote in hopes of making a difference. They vote because they believe their individual vote can make a difference. And it can. Elected officials are public servants. They work for the electorate. An elected official needs your vote to get – or stay – in office. Your vote is the best way to get an elected official’s attention. With your vote, you can support a candidate or issue you approve of, or you can vote to prevent a candidate or issue you disapprove of from coming into power. Voting is the most effective way for citizens to be assured that those who are elected will be working on their behalf. As a citizen, it is your duty to help select the candidates and policies that will run the country. You also have a responsibility to stay informed of current issues and to vote for the candidate who best represents your views. Voting keeps the concept of government “by the people” alive. Elected officials at every level of government make decisions that have an impact on the lives of citizens. When so much is at stake, it is important to try to influence things in the direction you feel would be most beneficial for the largest number of people. Your vote is your voice. It is a chance for you to make your mark on society and work towards the common good.

2. Ensuring Representation and Equality

A 2000 study by J. Merrill and T. Rudolph used aggregate state-level data from the Current Population Survey in an exploration of the relationship between voters and public policy. The results of their study suggested that voters are generally more realistic in their policy preferences than non-voters of a similar demographic and that representatives are more responsive to the voters. Voting is a way for citizens to communicate with their policymakers and express their needs, and so we would expect that the greater the turnout among various income and educational attainment levels, the more closely government policy will reflect the needs and interests of the people.

Voting also plays a critical role in ensuring the representation of the electorate’s needs and demands. In a democratic society, the government is perpetually cycling; as a result, there are an array of changing issues that government officials must take care of. When a representative is aware that the majority of their electorate either supports or opposes a certain issue, they have a better idea of how they should vote on the issue and what they should say when advocating their position. Voting enables the people to voice their opinions on the current state of affairs and how they think the government should handle those issues. If a large enough portion of the population is dissatisfied with the way an elected official is representing them, they can vote for the opposing candidate as opposed to the incumbent in an attempt to create change. Taking into account the opinion of the people is the job of a representative in a democratic government, and an understanding of what his constituents want is the only way to effectively carry out his duties.

3. Influencing Policy and Decision-Making

When policy makers are considering policy options, they will often look to public opinion to see what is the best way forward. They have been known to conduct inquiries if an issue is particularly pertinent. These inquiries often call for public submissions, where the views of the general population can be made known. In current times, policy makers have employed focus groups to gauge public opinion. All of these methods are designed to find out what the public wants. But the most direct and effective way for the public’s views to be considered is when they vote for a political party. This is when the public can express their opinion on how things should be done, by throwing their support behind the party whose policies most reflect what they want. Because the ultimate aim of any policy is to make things better, voting ensures that policy makers are guided by the wants of the public, because anything that is beneficial is likely to increase public support for the policy.

Every vote cast has an influence on policy decision making. Effective policy making is essential to any democracy. Democracy is characterized by responsiveness and a willingness to change in response to the needs of the population. Policy change is essential in both bettering the quality of life within a society, as well as taking remedial action when something is not right. Without policy change, there can be no progress. It provides solutions to problems and, in doing so, moves the community forward. It is a method for implementing goals and provides a framework for the desired future of a population, while catering to the needs of the current situation. Voting is the most effective way of ensuring that policy and decision makers are considering the views and needs of society while they are carrying out policy decisions.

4. Strengthening Democracy and Civic Engagement

People who do not vote are marginalized in politics. It is easy to see that voting is a form of political voice. But those who do not vote also lose a form of political voice. How can the interests and preferences of non-voters ever be represented in the political process? The answer is they are not represented. Empirical research shows that voters have quite specific policy preferences and that policies are more likely to reflect the interests of voters than non-voters. So not only are non-voters unlikely to have their say in who forms the government, they are unlikely to influence the government’s policies. Non-voters may find that the conduct of elected officials is unlikely to reflect their interests. This can lead to a vicious cycle where political alienation leads to abstention, which in turn leads to greater alienation.

In convincing other people to vote, the strongest argument to use is the link between those who vote and the fundamental health of a democratic system. At a very basic level, a democracy is said to be a system whereby the people rule. If too few citizens participate in the decision-making process, then a few people rule and the system is an oligarchy, not a democracy. If the link between the rulers and the ruled is a key democratic principle, voting is the mechanism that establishes the connection.

5. Overcoming Apathy and Complacency

Because many young people and new voters are not politically involved and fail to exercise their right to vote, it is especially important to overcome the factors of apathy and complacency. Encouraging this segment of the population, as well as the electorate as a whole, to adopt a more conscientious and responsible attitude towards voting requires a re-education on the importance of voting and the potential consequences of not voting. One must not take voting for granted, it has been hard-earned, suffers continual threats and, in some cases, has been reversed for certain groups or individuals. A conscious decision not to vote is a decision to hand one’s power over to others and given the nature of the democratic process, to be governed by the decisions of the majority, irrespective of how wise or how harmful those decisions may be. Apathy and non-voting among those who are uninterested or content with the current state of affairs represents an approval of the status quo and a willingness to be governed by others. Since it is arguable that self-governance is the most fundamental principle of democracy, the right to vote has intrinsic worth as a promoter of political equality and the most effective means of achieving a government that is responsive to the wishes of the governed.