Why would anyone want to become a politician? It seems to me to be a lot of hard work. First, you have to figure out how to speak your mind without committing to anything concrete. You must dig up mud on your opponents while hiring document shredders to make sure that no one can find that photo of you with that prostitute 30 years ago. And when you finally get elected, you have to learn how to navigate the corruption and scheming that fills Capitol Hill.
This is not always the case. At all levels of government, it isn't hard to find examples of politicians that break the mold of negativity and corrupt behavior. U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, for example, is well known both around the state and at the national level for his direct speech and iconoclastic voting habits. More and more, however, voters buy in to this rather cynical view of our political system.
In recent memory, a broad cross-section of the populace has succumbed to voter apathy. Voter turnout in the United States hit its last peak in the 1960 presidential election, with about 62% of eligible voters appearing at the polls, and dropped as low as 50% in 1996, although it has enjoyed a slight turnaround since then. The declines in other countries have been even more severe. Between 1990 and 2000, voter turnout in Great Britain has dropped from 75% to 47%.
What causes this turning away from the cornerstone of our political process? Some researchers have pointed to institutional problems, such as barriers to voter registration or a lack of access to the voting booths on Election Day. Others have pointed to social processes, such as a belief that individual votes don't matter, or a general sense of cynicism towards candidates.
Studies have largely agreed with the latter view, although the former is widely agreed to be easier to fix. Countries with multi-party systems have consistently shown a greater turnout than those without. Races with a party geared towards the working-class tend to have greater participation than those that only have so-called ""big tent"" parties to choose from.
How can we fix these things? Mandating voter registration and participation, or at least coupling it with events such as paying taxes that have a much larger participation record, can go a long way. Some have even suggested making Election Day a national holiday. Efforts should be concentrated on convincing individuals that their vote always matters. Severe punishments should be available to use against those that try to restrict voters from reaching the polls.
Of course, what voters do once they enter the booth is another issue. While some voters, of course, choose to educate themselves about the candidates and their views, others vote strict party lines or choose the person with the most attractive face or name.
On top of that, there are mounting concerns (as I've expressed in a previous column) that the candidate that John Q. Voter selects is the candidate that is recorded by whatever voting machine is employed.
But these issues can be solved. All we need is a government that truly believes that it needs to represent its people.
If Keaton Miller, a junior majoring in math and economics, changed his name to Kickass McAwesomePants, would more people vote for him? Let him know at keatonmiller@wisc.edu
