the Myth of the Rational Voter

[Zygote]

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I suspect that many readers will just view me as "tone-deaf" to democracy. Whether or not the people know what they are doing, don't they have a right to choose?

I can understand when people make this argument about self-regarding choice. Even if an individual does not know his own best interest, I normally think that he should be free to make his own mistakes. The problem with irrational voting, unfortunately, is that people who do it are not "just hurting themselves." If the average voter is irrational, we all have to live with the consequences.

Every parent eventually asks his child, "If all your friends jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you?" I have an even more loaded question for those who refuse to second-guess the wisdom of the average voter: "If the majority said we all had to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you push people who refused to jump?"

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just an interesting read, http://www.cato-unbound.org/2006/11/...ational-voter/

[Skidoo]

What can be done in place of voting to accomplish the same intended purpose of improving one's representation in civic affairs?

[Zygote]

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What can be done in place of voting to accomplish the same intended purpose of improving one's representation in civic affairs?

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contractually organized groups, often called companies.