We have parliamentary elections in a moment, possibly the most crucial since 1989. They're all over the media, on the Internet, in everyday conversations. We hear, we read who's allied against whom, who hasn't agreed with who. The announcement of the only ones on the lists evokes emotions equal to the group's draw for the elimination of the Mundial football. Elections, elections, elections, and what place do voters have in this organization race and politicians?
Once the warlords needed men/subjects as “gun meat”. And due to the fact that they fought a lot, they needed it. Now politicians request citizens as "electoral meat". And that the elections are erstwhile all 4 years, they only remind themselves of voters erstwhile all 4 years. Then we hear from everywhere: Go to the election! – politicians, journalists, parish priest, NGOs, everywhere.
But despite these calls and reminders, citizens increasingly do not go to elections. This varies from country to country, but the downward trend is common. According to a survey a fewer years ago for the 28 European Union countries, the average voter turnout, calculated for the fresh elections to their national parliaments, was 66.5%, up to 13.6% little than in 1990. The lowest is in Romania (41.8%), and the highest in Malta (93%). In the group of countries with the highest electoral attendance are Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg and Belgium, with the lowest attendance being Slovenia, Romania, Portugal, Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria.
So many statistics. Does advanced voter attendance show advanced quality democracy? – Let us look at this on the example of Denmark and Spain, countries with an exceedingly advanced (from another EU countries) participation in elections.
The Danish have large assurance in politics and politicians and a advanced rate of democratic satisfaction. Going to elections there is inactive considered a civic duty. They besides have a low, due to the fact that only a 2-percent electoral threshold, which makes it much easier to win parliamentary seats (Folketing) a tiny party. This in turn gives voters the chance to find something for themselves in a wide political offer and mobilises them to participate in the elections. A large number of parties compete on the political stage, from left to right.
There are many political parties in Spain too, but, unlike Denmark, they show small willingness to cooperate and compromise. Despite the advanced electoral attendance in general, it is the lowest among young voters throughout the European Union and so far the politicians have not succeeded.
For any time, any political scientists felt that the declining voter turnout was evidence of the ripening of democracy, and excessive attempts to mobilize voters may have mediocre results. In proof of this thesis was reminded of elections in the Weimar Republic, erstwhile thanks to the large mobilization a very advanced turnout was achieved, but it turned out that the NSDAP voters were most effectively mobilized and it was this organization that uploaded the elections to the Reichstag. However, the concern and concern of the systematically falling electoral turnout is now overwhelming, and a group of non-election citizens are increasingly being examined throughout Europe; who are they, why do they not vote? How do we get them to vote? There is besides an crucial problem: what are the political effects of mediocre election turnout? The answers to these questions are as many as the researchers of the problem, which is simply a lot.
As for 1 researcher, they agree: expanding electoral attendance is evidence of deep crisis of typical democracy. The most common reason for electoral abstinence is discouragement of politics and political parties. Even in a unchangeable democracy like Germany, the government trusts only 66% of citizens, and political parties do not trust as much as 82%. A large group is not curious in politics at all. Participation in elections is no longer considered a civic duty, attachment/loyalty to its own political organization is falling. Among the voters, the number of those who make decisions at the last minute and usually trust on independent candidates increases.
The image of the voter is rather akin in all European countries. According to fresh SWPS studies, University of Humanities "electoral participation in Poland is linked to the social structure. It turns out to be the most gender-related (women vote little willingly), age (most frequently middle-aged, young and older people vote little often), education (the higher the participation, the more frequent), wealth (the mediocre are more passive) and frequency of spiritual practices (regular practitioners are more willing to vote more frequently).’
Frank Decker, a political scientist, prof. from Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn points out the problem of representativeness of elected groups (parlamists of various levels) and governments created by them. The lower the turnout, the little votes/electors the government can trust on. The problem is further exacerbated by disproportionate electoral systems, in which many votes are completely or partially wasted (no electoral threshold reached).
Only a tiny number of voters can stand behind the ruling parliamentary majority. If voters from marginalized social strata do not vote, their interests are not represented at all due to the fact that politicians and parties will not deal with them. But they will be curious in populists who say they have simple solutions to even the most hard problems. Populist, nationalist parties are already across Europe, their representatives are sitting in many national parliaments, including in Europe.
Politologists agree that reforms of the law and electoral strategy are essential to reconstruct these marginalized non-voting voters to the political system. Failure to do so can lead not only to the strengthening of populism and nationalism, but even to social unrest.
There are a fewer ideas for a greater voter turnout. Clearly, broad political/citizen education is most effective. But it's a tedious and costly road, starting with kindergarten. Unfortunately, it is frequently indoctrination alternatively of education, like in Poland.
Another way is to vote. This is the case in respective countries, specified as Australia, Brazil, Liechtenstein, Turkey. It is besides in Belgium, but there is no longer a legal punishment of €50 for non-election; however, about 90% of citizens go to elections.
Does compulsory voting strengthen democracy? I don't think so from Turkey.
There are besides proposals that the number of parliamentarians depend on election attendance. The smaller the Members. This would encourage politicians to become more active in working with voters.
Interesting investigation was done by Christopher Bryan and Gregory Walton of Stanford University before the 2008 presidential election. Namely, they tried to find how best to address voters in the campaign. In 3 rounds of research, they questioned respective 100 people and found that the call "Become a Voter" resulted in 90% of the election turnout, while the call "vote" only 79% of the response. People like to be talked about, noticed in person, and not only to be a more indeterminate crowd, what it is to go to elections.
I personally very much like the thought of replacing elections with a draw of national representatives. If not replaced completely, then do so at least erstwhile subtracting peculiarly important, controversial decisions.
This was done, among another things, in Ireland to find whether gay couples can marry. Politicians did not want to, but they were besides afraid to make specified a decision, and a referendum, just in specified a case, in a powerfully Catholic country could divide and antagonistize society. Representatives of all social groups were invited to participate. 99 people were selected to include people of different ages and backgrounds; from homemaker to university professor, from individual to manager. For weeks they met in Dublin, listened to experts, but besides powerfully opposed representatives of the Church, debated, sought consensus. Result: 80% of the selected participants said YES!
Until these or another electoral inventions start trying in Poland, quite a few water will flow in Wisla. So let's call for Christopher Bryan and Gregory Walton: Citizen, become a voter!
