A question of ignorance in politics

Just because their political views differ from mine does not make someone ignorant. Ignorant voters are ones who blindly vote for someone without knowing the issues. There are ignorant republican and democratic voters out there. I think you need to be able to at least know what some of the issues are before you vote.

 

I am by no means a genius, but as a political science major, I'd like to think I'm a little more knowledgeable than the average person on the subject of politics. That said, the bar's not set too high for me, because this country is painfully ignorant when it comes to politics.

And I think that's a major reason why America is in the position it's in today: Not nearly enough people care about politics, and the ones who do are low information voters. It also doesn't help that we have Super PAC's inundating the media with bullshit ads, further misinforming voters. It all starts with education

So, to answer your question, I'd say it's definitely dangerous that people vote ignorantly whether they're Democrats or Republicans.

 

People who are mostly ignorant of the truth in politics fall prey to biased advertisements and sound bites. On that respect, no they shouldn't vote.

However, they probably don't make a big enough difference to put a crappy candidate into office. The people who are as well-informed as they should be are likely voting for third-party candidates or voted in the major primaries, but their favorite selection wasn't ultimately chosen. So on that respect they are powerless in the face of the ignorant.

But after all that, ignorance isn't the worst thing ever. It should just be met with education, except that in politics people tend to have so many preconceived opinions that keeping an open mind is almost impossible.

 

Yes they are dangerous.

When the book comes that contains info and pro/con blurbs about each candidate and proposition, I read it cover to cover and write a list of who I like and what props I agree with. Then I do further research and make up a final list of votes that I then take with me to the polls to be cast. If I don't know about a certain item, I LEAVE IT BLANK.

Now, in STARK contrast, my mom votes only if I drag her out to the polls with me. I give a speech about maintaining our government, citizen duties, and the dream of other countries' subjects who would love the right to vote in a clean election.

She then proceeds to vote for people based on their name and whether or not they're incumbant. She voted for a guy because he had an Asian last name and quote "We don't have enough Asians in office".
D:

I live with her. It's hard to believe people exist like her, but she's there.

50% of American citizens don't vote. They don't think it counts. HALF that's HALF! 150 MILLION PEOPLE!

 

People have the right to vote regardless of weather or not they fulfill their duty to be an informed voter. There is nothing that can be done to stop them from voting, because someone will make a big deal about them being disenfranchised.
I do believe however that if you are going to vote, it should not be for a party but for a candidate that best fits your belief in how the country should be run. I create a spreadsheet for my self and list all the issues I feel are important. I then rank each candidate based on what they have said, and how they voted in the past.
I also respect people like my husband, who aren't interested, and don't want to be informed, so he chooses not to vote.

The scariest thing anyone ever told me about how they were going to vote, as "I'm going to vote for Hillary (Clinton), because she is hot." First, hot is not a word I would use to describe her. Second, looks should never be one of the criteria for deciding who is president.

 

I stopped believing in the electoral system a long time ago.

 

I believe in dictatorships as the most effective means of enacting legislation, but ones modeled off the USSR prior to Khruschev coming to power.

People should only be allowed to vote for candidates within one party. I believe only one party should rule.

With a dictatorship, the uninformed can't have a pestilent effect, because the differences between party members wouldn't be enormous like it is now.

 

Damn straight.

 

I have to reference British politics rather than American politics as I'm British! I also have to confess to some bias as I'm very actively involved with a political party.

So with all that clear ...

I think that the big danger is that as people become more and more apathetic about politics and don't vote or learn about the issues - the electoral system goes into a downward spiral where it becomes less and less democratic. Bankers, big business people, people brought up in an isolated world of privilege and a very specific political education don't stop voting - because they know about politics only too well and they know how to manipulate it to control certain parties and politicians to their own ends. Parties don't stop getting voted in when people stop voting, they just become less and less representative of the majority of people in the country.

I think with (genuinely rather than the insincere, political speak version of the phrase) all due respect for a very intelligent and thought-provoking thread, the question that we should be asking is not "should we stop people who are ignorant of politics voting" but "how do we educate, inform and empower a disenfranchised people so that they do not feel ignorant of politics and can exercise their right to a democratic say in how their country is run?"

 

Its not so much about ignorance of politics but general ignorance. Such as the fact that around half the US population thinks the world is sixth thousand years old. These people vote in the most powerful man in the world, scary.

Besides Obama is the only sane option in America. Is he a bit rubbish, yes. But the alternate is crazy christian president who thinks the world going to end soon.

 

Yeah, I definitely think ignorant voters can be dangerous. Every candidate needs to be scrutinised comprehensively to maintain a somewhat working system. Part of this apathy might be caused by the single-winner voting system I've thought, as it's because of that people have the "lesser of two evils" mentality (mainly talking about UK here), so don't bother voting for what they believe in, just whichever party they happen to disagree with less at the time. I think that could well engender a sense of apathy, since because it's essentially become a choice of 2 main parties people feel as though they don't need to do the thinking anymore. But then you go into the quandary of the merits of other voting systems...

I did read an argument that the public, though it's a risky move, should be given more political authority. When they're put in juries etc, they usually make very considered and rational decisions, so perhaps giving them political authority will train them to have more responsibility and more of an appreciation for politics, making them better voters or even a functioning govt eventually. So I think education and more participation are solutions as well.

 

I think all people should vote if they want to vote. And 'ignorant' people should be allowed to talk if they want to (though incredibly unhelpful and counter-productive we might think they are).

One problem is that most ignorance (bar flipping a coin) is a matter of degree, and I don't think there's a line you can draw which demarcates an acceptable amount of un-ignorance (yep, just made up a word). To make that judgment about others is arrogant, and ultimately amounts to considering some people's reasoning as illegitimate. Allowing for that conclusion, you have to concede your own reasoning as subject to that same possibility of being considered illegitimate.

Considering my thoughts, reasoning and even feelings are the closest thing to me, it's daft for me to accept that they are no less legitimate than yours. So, I would afford that same liberty to everyone else.

In practice, if the absolute amount of political knowledge voters have is low, then I agree it can be dangerous. However the solution isn't to suggest people shouldn't vote (I think that's too lazy), the solution is to educate.