More Representation, Less Radicalism : How Compulsory Voting Was Defended in Europe
Malkopoulou, Anthoula LU
(2021)
In Elections, Voting, Technology
p.213-233
- Abstract
- This chapter examines how the practice of compulsory voting was debated in Belgium and France at the turn of the twentieth century. Two principal arguments in favour of compulsory voting stand out. One builds on the concept of ‘true’, ‘exact’ and ‘mirror’ representation. Abstention, it is argued, creates a ‘false’ and ‘corrupt’ image of majority will; by summoning all voters, parliaments will be more representative, election results more credible, and democracies more legitimate. The second argument is that compulsory voting brings out the moderate vote. Radicals tend to either boycott elections or obsess about them. By contrast, abstainers are thought to be less passionate about voting, thus less radical in their views. Compulsory voting... (More)
- This chapter examines how the practice of compulsory voting was debated in Belgium and France at the turn of the twentieth century. Two principal arguments in favour of compulsory voting stand out. One builds on the concept of ‘true’, ‘exact’ and ‘mirror’ representation. Abstention, it is argued, creates a ‘false’ and ‘corrupt’ image of majority will; by summoning all voters, parliaments will be more representative, election results more credible, and democracies more legitimate. The second argument is that compulsory voting brings out the moderate vote. Radicals tend to either boycott elections or obsess about them. By contrast, abstainers are thought to be less passionate about voting, thus less radical in their views. Compulsory voting will prevent ‘turbulent minorities’ from being overrepresented and more influential than they deserve. As well as justifying compulsory voting historically, these arguments can also provide valuable conceptual resources for thinking about ways of countering the crisis of contemporary democracies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/9367bb4f-8f18-46f3-84ce-105da1b92f78
- author
- Malkopoulou, Anthoula
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-03-18
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- compulsory voting, radicalism, representation
- host publication
- A Century of Compulsory Voting in Australia : Genesis, Impact and Future - Genesis, Impact and Future
- series title
- Elections, Voting, Technology
- editor
- Bonotti, Matteo and Strangio, Paul
- pages
- 21 pages
- publisher
- Palgrave Macmillan
- ISBN
- 978-981-334-025-1
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-981-33-4025-1
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- About the book Compulsory voting has operated in Australia for a century, and remains the best known and arguably the most successful example of the practice globally. By probing that experience from several disciplinary perspectives, this book offers a fresh, up-to-date insight into the development and distinctive functioning of compulsory voting in Australia. By juxtaposing the Australian experience with that of other representative democracies in Europe and North America, the volume also offers a much needed comparative dimension to compulsory voting in Australia. A unifying theme running through this study is the relationship between compulsory voting and democratic well-being. Can we learn anything from Australia’s experience of the practice that is instructive for the development of institutional bulwarks in an era when democratic politics is under pressure globally? Or is Australia’s case sui generis – best understood in the final analysis as an intriguing outlier?
- id
- 9367bb4f-8f18-46f3-84ce-105da1b92f78
- date added to LUP
- 2020-03-23 16:47:50
- date last changed
- 2023-11-08 10:20:21
@inbook{9367bb4f-8f18-46f3-84ce-105da1b92f78,
abstract = {{This chapter examines how the practice of compulsory voting was debated in Belgium and France at the turn of the twentieth century. Two principal arguments in favour of compulsory voting stand out. One builds on the concept of ‘true’, ‘exact’ and ‘mirror’ representation. Abstention, it is argued, creates a ‘false’ and ‘corrupt’ image of majority will; by summoning all voters, parliaments will be more representative, election results more credible, and democracies more legitimate. The second argument is that compulsory voting brings out the moderate vote. Radicals tend to either boycott elections or obsess about them. By contrast, abstainers are thought to be less passionate about voting, thus less radical in their views. Compulsory voting will prevent ‘turbulent minorities’ from being overrepresented and more influential than they deserve. As well as justifying compulsory voting historically, these arguments can also provide valuable conceptual resources for thinking about ways of countering the crisis of contemporary democracies.}},
author = {{Malkopoulou, Anthoula}},
booktitle = {{A Century of Compulsory Voting in Australia : Genesis, Impact and Future}},
editor = {{Bonotti, Matteo and Strangio, Paul}},
isbn = {{978-981-334-025-1}},
keywords = {{compulsory voting; radicalism; representation}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
pages = {{213--233}},
publisher = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
series = {{Elections, Voting, Technology}},
title = {{More Representation, Less Radicalism : How Compulsory Voting Was Defended in Europe}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4025-1}},
doi = {{10.1007/978-981-33-4025-1}},
year = {{2021}},
}