Are You Too Uninformed to Vote?
Tuesday, 31 July 2007 by Jacob TomawJonah Goldberg asks if there should be a test to determine competency for voting. He opens with a set of possible questions,
Can you name all three branches of government? Can you name even one? Do you know who your congressman is? Your senators? Do you even know how many senators each state gets?
On Independence Day, Joscelynn and I talked about this. We ultimatly came to the conclusion that a test would be unacceptable. However, we think encouraging people generally to vote should end and discouraging the uniformed to vote should likely begin. I don’t think low voter turn out is inhearantly bad.
For fun, let’s assume we are creating a test. What questions would you like to see your fellow citizens know in order to vote?
(Note: The political nature of deciding what to test is probably reason enough to not have a test.)
Posted in Election, politics
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July 31st, 2007 at 18:28
Following from Bryan Caplan’s work, a test of economic literacy would probably be appropriate.
Or, for simplicity’s sake, one question: Do you think your vote matters? Anyone answering in the affirmative would be hopelessly naive, and so could be safely excluded.
July 31st, 2007 at 19:52
A few ideas for questions:
1. Who put the “bop” in the bop-she-bop-she-bop?
2. What does this have to do with the price of eggs in China?
3. Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?
4. What came first, the chicken or the egg?
And the most important question…which must be answered verbally immediately after eating a peanut butter sandwich sans milk:
Who shot Alexander Hamilton?
August 1st, 2007 at 12:24
Didn’t they used to have tests like these? Didn’t they successfully keep most African-Americans from voting? Wouldn’t a re-introduction of such tests again keep underprivileged people from voting (living in the Bronx Ghetto, I can tell you it would effect mostly African-Americans here, lest you believe things have changed significantly).
Now, forcing my students to have to pass that test before they enter my class (and retake it before they leave) would sure make my life a whole lot easier.
Ah, Zach, your comment makes me smile and laugh. I always tell my students that liberalism is the oligarchy’s way of making the little people feel happier so that they work more productively.
AWAAAON BWWUUUR!
Chris
August 1st, 2007 at 15:41
2. What does this have to do with the price of eggs in China?
Duh! We have to vote for people who will pressure China into revaluing its currency so that Chinese eggs become more expensive.
Can I please have my vote now?