For those new to the English language, “apathy” means that someone doesn’t care. “Ignorance” means that someone doesn’t know. Now I’m going to steal (and tweak) an old Wayne and Shuster joke and ask, “Why doesn’t our government do something about voter ignorance and apathy?
They don’t know about it, and don’t care.”
Here’s another word I re-learned in my first political science class:
legitimacy
A government lacks legitimacy if its state’s people feel there is no right for the government to wield power. An easy, and modern example of an illegitimate leader would be the rule of Robert Mugabe (who just held a sham election).
There is something to be said about not voting in enough numbers, to actually withhold the appearance of legitimacy from an otherwise democratic government. Alberta’s provincial election, and the last few federal minority government elections are arguably signs that Canadians no longer feel their government(s) is/are legitimately the ruler of our people. And if the government isn’t who is in charge of us, just who is running the show, and has the support of Canadians? Wayne Gretzky perhaps? Tim Horton’s?
John Gormley’s radio show often has callers (and the host) proclaiming that if someone doesn’t vote, they don’t have the right to complain about the government. In fact it’s something I’ve thought true, and is something I’ve heard in my family’s home as well. Now, I’m not so certain, because it certainly is tempting to say that the deafening silence at the ballot box, is as powerful as the votes for non-winning parties. Yet, that silence is meaningless in the current political discourse in the country, and so it lacks legitimacy.
Oh, the irony; how do the silent confirm their support for change? How can we sort their silent voices from the dead left on voter rolls, or the ignorant and apathetic? Do we have to tell them apart for that group’s message to matter to the elected leaders, and for them to matter to us, the voting electors?
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Andrew | 02-Jul-08 at 11:42 pm | Permalink
Wow, really good post. Very thought provoking. I can’t say I thought about non-voting that way before.
Saskboy | 02-Jul-08 at 11:53 pm | Permalink
Thanks Andrew. Have you thought of not voting before, or rather voting?
John Murney | 03-Jul-08 at 1:13 am | Permalink
Great post Saskboy!
“Oh, the irony; how do the silent confirm their support for change?” You answered your own question - silence is deadly for elected politicians, politically speaking.
Louise | 03-Jul-08 at 1:45 pm | Permalink
“Alberta’s provincial election, and the last few federal minority government elections are arguably signs that Canadians no longer feel their government(s) is/are legitimately the ruler of our people.”
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I think it’s completely the opposite. Having lived in Alberta for many years I think I can attest to the grassroots feel Albertans have for their government. In all the time I was there, I only heard one or two socialistic kind of people whining about Uncle Ralph, and those kind of people were scarce as hens teeth. Albertans have no problems with their lifestyle or standard of living, and THAT is why they don’t turn out in droves on election day. Sometimes the stuff found in poli-sci textbooks just doesn’t apply, the pontifications of PhD’d tenured professors notwithstanding. If it ain’t broke, no need to fix it.
Saskboy | 03-Jul-08 at 2:03 pm | Permalink
Louise, have you considered that it was rare for you to hear complaints either because of the company you kept there, or possibly those people feel their livelihoods could be threatened if they spoke out? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying there *could* be other possibilities.
“Sometimes the stuff found in poli-sci textbooks..” are from well studied and wise people who have examined politics globally and so have learned certain truths about how people react to governance.
The bottom line is that we have a system that is supposed to be democratic, and yet we really don’t know officially if the representatives are who the majority of people want in power, because the majority of people don’t vote for the people in authority. Our only formal evidence is the lack of revolts in recent history.
I think the system is broke, because having so many people being so disinterested in our nation is a bigger threat to national security than any outside force could impose.
Louise | 03-Jul-08 at 2:59 pm | Permalink
Absolutely not, Saskboy. I met hundreds of people from all walks of life. The unemployment rate was next to zero. People slinging hamburgers at the drive-throughs were making two or three dollars above minimum wage and finding people willing to do that work was a challenge. I stand by my position about university professors. They live in ivory towers and haven’t got much street sense, I’m afraid. They may know about other parts of the world, perhaps, but if that’s what they think about Alberta, they obviously haven’t had the opportunity to look out their window up there on the 10th floor. Apathy perhaps, but that doesn’t always mean alienation or a sense of powerlessness or disconnect. I can, and I really believe, does mean contentment with the status-quo.
BTW, I’ve never not voted. My kids, on the other hand, I don’t believe have ever voted and I pretty sure the reason for that is they are not riled up about anything and are pretty much indifferent to politics. When things are not right, that’s when a plurality of folks get active.
Louise | 03-Jul-08 at 3:02 pm | Permalink
“I can, and I really believe, does mean contentment with the status-quo.”
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Not quite sure what I was trying to say there, but if you leave out the first three words it makes sense.
Louise | 03-Jul-08 at 3:30 pm | Permalink
What was the voter turnout in previous Saskatchewan elections?
The voter turnout for the 2007 general election was 76.02%
The voter turnout for the 2003 general election was 70.95%
The voter turnout for the 1999 general election was 65.50%
The voter turnout for the 1995 general election was 64.59%
The voter turnout for the 1991 general election was 83.22%
The voter turnout for the 1986 general election was 82.12%
The voter turnout for the 1982 general election was 83.90%
The voter turnout for the 1978 general election was 79.44%
The voter turnout for the 1975 general election was 80.28%
The voter turnout for the 1971 general election was 83.22%
Federally, it might be a different story, but I think that is largely because of Canada’s chronic problem with our geography which causes very different interests to manifest in each of our several very distinct regions, and I frankly don’t think that is ever going to be resolved. I think it’s a minor miracle that we have stuck together for over a century already. (Well, over half a century, if you include Newfoundland. ;-))
Saskboy | 03-Jul-08 at 3:34 pm | Permalink
What was the Popular Vote for the Sask Party? 55%?
So 76% * .55 = ~42% of the eligible voters chose our majority government. Great system? Maybe, maybe not.
Louise | 03-Jul-08 at 4:03 pm | Permalink
Saskboy, the only place where you get 99% voter turnout is in places like Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. In other words, where it’s rigged.
Like I said, if there were really hot issues at stake people would turn out. Pie in the sky idealism is fool’s paradise. If you are hoping for something better, you’ll never find it.
Saskboy | 03-Jul-08 at 4:54 pm | Permalink
I’ll tell Australia you thought so
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout
Luna | 05-Jul-08 at 3:30 pm | Permalink
how do the silent confirm their support for change?
Spoil your ballot. That’s what I’ve done in certain cases. Civic elections in particular. Write on them, “This is the joke ballot, right?” or “These are my only choices?!” Write in “None of the above”. Write in your own name. Or Homer Simpson.
I have to agree with Louise to some extent though. I do think that some people don’t vote because of complacency. They’re happy enough with whatever happens, so who cares, right? I know my brother has said almost exactly that. He’s never voted, ever. He’s 31. Other people just figure it doesn’t make a difference anyway, they’re all the same schmucks. But I do think complacency plays a part.
Saskboy | 05-Jul-08 at 3:36 pm | Permalink
However, I think the people who are ‘all the same schmucks’ are the ones who don’t vote, and would never run for any office [or help someone who is]. It takes courage to run, and a minimum of courage to vote (in most parts of the world it can even be life threatening). Complacency is a huge factor in my opinion, and very few who don’t vote are doing so out of some conscious and principled protest. Canadians (for the most part) just don’t know how good we have it, and our complacency will one year turn over power to some very bad people.
I think I’m going to have to ask a very important question to people I meet in the future who don’t vote. “What would it take to get you to vote? What would inspire your interest?”