I have a confession to make. I, a self-proclaimed politics junkie who receives a gazillion emails every day from the New York Times and the Washington Post… on purpose… didn’t vote. No, I didn’t neglect my state or national polls, but my college senate elections? Yup. I didn’t attend. And this is in the days where “attending” means logging online and taking five minutes to click my mouse a few times and choose representatives.
But I have a good reason, I promise. I didn’t have time. Plus, it’s my senior year, and honestly, though I know this makes me sound like an ignorant citizen of Drake, I don’t feel as though many policies that would get passed would affect me for long. I’m out of here next May. But it got me thinking–what’s our duty as citizens? Our American government was created and structured so that politicians and citizens alike could be selfish–that’s how it works–you vote for what you want, and politicians act according to those wants, and the wants of the three branches either coincide or collide and the separation of powers deals with things from there. But is that how we should vote? Just according to our wants? So if I feel as though a certain election has no application to me, is it okay for me to simply abstain from voting? Or is my duty to vote for what I believe to be best for others, regardless of whether I think it affects me or not? Or should I let them vote for themselves?
What do you guys think? Our nation was founded on the principle of voting–but how important is it? Are you a horrible citizen if you abstain? Is that okay? How important a role does voting even play these days? Do citizens have any say or have politicians with celeb status taken matters into their own hands entirely without considering public opinion?
What are your thoughts?
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