Forced to Vote: Evalution fo the Effects of Compulsory Voting on Citizens

Arend Lijphart claims low voter turnout plagues democratic countries because it causes elections to be unrepresentative of the electorate. Therefore, he believes that compulsory voting is the only way to solve this ―unresolved dilemma.‖ Proponents of compulsory voting also argue that increased voter participation has positive effects on a country. This paper will not only evaluate the effects of compulsory voting on certain aspects of citizens’ welfare, but also citizens’ overall satisfaction with their life and government. In order to measure each of these elements, I will look at income equality, level of government corruption, and democracy ranking. I will also use the World Values Survey to compare the feelings of citizens towards their life and government in countries with compulsory voting to those of citizens in countries with voluntary voting. I hypothesize that there will not be significant differences between the two electoral systems.