Quote Originally Posted by Aristotle View Post
That assumes high voter turnout is actually a virtue. It isn't.
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If we let kids have a vote on the "ice cream vs. broccolli" issue, that would certainly increase participation in family decisions. But would it really be best for the kids?
Optional voting is: You have twenty kids in the room. You ask for a show of hands - who wants ice cream? who wants broccoli? and you weigh them against each other.

Compulsory voting is: You have twenty kids in the room. You ask each of them whether s/he wants ice cream or broccoli.

I don't think either option would be considered responsible parenting. No; the rule is set externally. The children don't get to choose which adult makes the decision, either; even that is usually set externally.

If high voter turnout isn't a good thing, the next question is: Is it intrinsically a bad thing? And if so, is there some ideal voter turnout, or should we follow Asimov's lead and decide all of the nation's politics based on The Voter - the one single person that Multivac decides is perfectly representative?