[The E]

IMHO, not all the people who have the right to vote should have it. I know it may seem weird, but I wish there were serious exams all citizens should pass if they want to vote.

You fail democracy.

Forever.

Please turn in your voting priviledges now.

[Nuclear1]

IMHO, not all the people who have the right to vote should have it. I know it may seem weird, but I wish there were serious exams all citizens should pass if they want to vote.

You fail democracy.

Forever.

Please turn in your voting priviledges now.

What?  Is it too much to ask that people choosing the most important offices in a country actually KNOW how a country works?  Democracy works best when the people have some civic education and are aware of the ramifications of a politician's policies.  I get so sick of seeing people getting elected purely on the waves of "COMMUNISM IS EVIL!"

Maybe if we'd had some educated voters back in 2000 and 2004 we could've spared the world 8 years of Bush...

[The E]

Right. An exam for citizenship.

Simple question, what criteria should be used to define your ability to vote? What questions are you supposed to ask to determine whether or not someone understands the system? How do you determine whether someone really understands what's going on or just recaps what he remembers from whatever lessons in civics he got?

[Nuclear1]

I'm not saying an exam for citizenship.

Here in the US we've got a Congressionally-funded civics education program that's available for a large majority of high school students in their final year.  Making classes like that mandatory for graduation would be a good first step.

And maybe a couple of history or economics classes to help people determine the difference between communism, socialism, social democracy, democratic socialism, capitalism, fascism, et al. so that people don't blindly follow what a politician says.  If we depend on political parties or mommy/daddy to teach kids about how politics works, we're never going to break the Cold War mindset here in the US.

I'm just tired of my comparatively-informed vote being overridden by some idiot who doesn't know the difference between the three branches of government and votes for a party just because daddy did.  Unfortunately...there's a lot of people like that in this country.  That's not a democracy--that's rule by the idiots.

[Scotty]

Service guarantees citizenship!

[The E]

I'm not saying an exam for citizenship.

Here in the US we've got a Congressionally-funded civics education program that's available for a large majority of high school students in their final year.  Making classes like that mandatory for graduation would be a good first step.

And maybe a couple of history or economics classes to help people determine the difference between communism, socialism, social democracy, democratic socialism, capitalism, fascism, et al. so that people don't blindly follow what a politician says.  If we depend on political parties or mommy/daddy to teach kids about how politics works, we're never going to break the Cold War mindset here in the US.

I'm just tired of my comparatively-informed vote being overridden by some idiot who doesn't know the difference between the three branches of government and votes for a party just because daddy did.  Unfortunately...there's a lot of people like that in this country.  That's not a democracy--that's rule by the idiots.

But that is different (and altogether more reasonable) from what Mobius was suggesting. To recap (in a non-stupid colour), he said:

IMHO, not all the people who have the right to vote should have it. I know it may seem weird, but I wish there were serious exams all citizens should pass if they want to vote.

[Nuclear1]

Well, it wouldn't hurt if we made every person take the citizenship test like immigrants do...I'm willing to bet most Americans couldn't pass it.

If we expect that kind of knowledge out of people who weren't born here, can't we expect it out of the people who were?

[Mobius]

But that is different (and altogether more reasonable) from what Mobius was suggesting. To recap (in a non-stupid colour), he said:

IMHO, not all the people who have the right to vote should have it. I know it may seem weird, but I wish there were serious exams all citizens should pass if they want to vote.

No, it's not different. It's exactly what Nuclear1 is saying.

[Snail]

Actually I agree with Mobius. Some people shouldn't be allowed to vote for the same reason minors aren't allowed to.

ie. they're stupid

[TopAce]

The problem with such restriction is that it'd harm minorities the most. Minority groups, who have less access to good education due to their low financial status, will be excluded.

[Snail]

Yeayeah i'm not being serious

[Mobius]

The minimum knowledge to vote doesn't require an uber education. School, newspapers and some books would be well enough.

And those who don't know anything probably aren't even interested on voting.

[Snail]

And those who don't know anything probably aren't even interested on voting.

No, people who don't know jack **** about the world often hold extremely strong political views precisely because of their misconceptions. It's what makes them so funny to laugh at.

[The E]

But that is different (and altogether more reasonable) from what Mobius was suggesting. To recap (in a non-stupid colour), he said:

IMHO, not all the people who have the right to vote should have it. I know it may seem weird, but I wish there were serious exams all citizens should pass if they want to vote.

No, it's not different. It's exactly what Nuclear1 is saying.

No, it's not. You said "People should pass an exam to be allowed to vote." Nuclear said "People should pass an exam on citizenship to be allowed to graduate from school." If you cannot see the difference between the two positions, you should not post in this thread.

[Mobius]

The two things are connected, and I don't see anything wrong with it that could prevent me from posting here.

[Snail]

[General Battuta]

ugh this thread is stupid

Any and all plans for selective disenfranchisement, no matter how well intended, always fail. The reason is that there are systemic biases which cause certain groups to be selectively disenfranchised. In the US, blacks would disproportionately lose the vote; so would Hispanics. They would then lose the ability to vote on policies that effect their welfare, causing a death spiral.

The_E is right. Universal suffrage is the only way to go.

[Mobius]

That is a serious risk but I think it can be prevented. Just use accurate tests which don't make any cultural differences and the job is done.

[TopAce]

How does culture come into the picture? Can you elaborate on what you mean?

[The E]

That is a serious risk but I think it can be prevented. Just use accurate tests which don't make any cultural differences and the job is done.

Yeah, right. As if such a thing exists, or could exist.