If you basically like your country’s political system as it is, then voting helps keep it that way. Having large numbers of people at polling places at election time is a show of trust and civic participation. It means that we’re still invested in our institutions and political traditions. Even if your vote doesn’t count much to sway outcomes, your presence at your neighborhood polling place is visible to your neighbors and does increase the sense of community participation.
Of course there are compelling arguments that “civic religion” is a bad thing, but if you think it’s a good thing, then showing up to vote does help.
Having large numbers of people at polling places at election time is a show of trust and civic participation.
I suspect that the opposite is true. It seems to me that people would be less likely to vote if they trust their fellow citizens to make the right choice and believe that the political system is fine. Turnout was at its highest in 40 years in 2008, in spite of the fact that most people agree there was a profound amount of political distrust and acrimony in that election.
If you basically like your country’s political system as it is, then voting helps keep it that way. Having large numbers of people at polling places at election time is a show of trust and civic participation. It means that we’re still invested in our institutions and political traditions. Even if your vote doesn’t count much to sway outcomes, your presence at your neighborhood polling place is visible to your neighbors and does increase the sense of community participation.
Of course there are compelling arguments that “civic religion” is a bad thing, but if you think it’s a good thing, then showing up to vote does help.
I suspect that the opposite is true. It seems to me that people would be less likely to vote if they trust their fellow citizens to make the right choice and believe that the political system is fine. Turnout was at its highest in 40 years in 2008, in spite of the fact that most people agree there was a profound amount of political distrust and acrimony in that election.