Post by Administrator on Sept 1, 2012 12:49:19 GMT -5
Anyone who's watched a Man-on-the-Street entertainment segment, in which simple political questions are asked of passersby, has no doubt been left appalled at the base ignorance of the average citizen. Many adults are hard pressed to name even the Vice President; and their understanding of key issues is at best tenuous and superficial.
It's doubtful if many of these people vote at all--and they might not under any system, in which case, their ignorance is largely irrelevant. But whether or not that ignorance is also irreversible is an entirely different question.
We live in a representative democracy, where other people may vote on their behalf--both the politicians they themselves elect, or their fellow residents within the same voting districts. Under a direct democracy, where significant local issues would be in play with every election, and no elected representatives would exist to gridlock them, more citizens would perhaps realize--albeit after a few undesirable initiatives were passed--that ignorance and apathy were no longer luxuries they could afford.
It's doubtful if many of these people vote at all--and they might not under any system, in which case, their ignorance is largely irrelevant. But whether or not that ignorance is also irreversible is an entirely different question.
We live in a representative democracy, where other people may vote on their behalf--both the politicians they themselves elect, or their fellow residents within the same voting districts. Under a direct democracy, where significant local issues would be in play with every election, and no elected representatives would exist to gridlock them, more citizens would perhaps realize--albeit after a few undesirable initiatives were passed--that ignorance and apathy were no longer luxuries they could afford.