A new study out of Yale found that “only 3.5% of US voters would cast ballots against their preferred candidates as punishment for undemocratic behavior.” Such behaviors included gerrymandering, press restrictions, etc. Results did not vary for either party (Government Executive, 2020). This study implies that voters may be choosing their own party affiliation and values over democracy itself. Researchers noted this may have to do with political polarization, with each candidate becoming so separate each other, that the voter has too much to lose by not voting their party and votes them regardless of democratic values.
This makes us ask the question, do Americans still care about Democracy? Or is it now simply a two-party system that is putting party loyalty above any other values? Does this mean America could change from a Democracy to a new political system in the coming years if we remain on this trend?
Sources
News article: https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/08/most-us-voters-value-party-over-democracy/167914/
1 comment:
Thanks for posting! Great quote from a great book, "How Democracies Die" -- that is relevant to what you posted:
"The fundamental problem facing American democracy remains extreme partisan division -- one fueled not just by policy differences but by deeper sources of resentment, including racial and religious differences. America's great polarization preceded the Trump presidency, and it is very likely to endure beyond it (Steven Levitsky, How Democracies Die).
Post a Comment