The numbers can be measured in various ways: by the percentage

30 May The numbers can be measured in various ways: by the percentage

canadian goose jacket American Voter Turnout canada goose outlet authentic Lower Than Other Wealthy Countries canadian goose jacket

Canada Goose Jackets The most obvious measure of citizen participation in the democratic process is voter turnout how many people vote and canada goose outlet canada goose jacket outlet uk who they are. The numbers can be measured in various ways: by the percentage of registered voters who actually voted, by canada goose outlet us the percentage of those citizens old enough to canada goose outlet near me vote who voted or by the percentage of eligible voters who canada goose outlet seattle voted. Regardless of which metric of eligibility you use, the United States has one of the lowest voter turnouts of any of the comparator countries, while Australia and Belgium have the highest. Canada Goose Jackets

canada goose clearance sale The high canada goose outlet in montreal voter turnout in Australia is due to its strictly enforced laws; no shows at the polls are fined. Belgian law has a provision for disenfranchising voters who repeatedly fail to appear at the polling station. While this legislative pressure to turnout works in Australia and Belgium, mandatory turnout laws go against America’s cultural canada goose outlet uk sale grain. After all, as the saying goes, “not voting is a vote,” and making it mandatory would strike most Americans as removing a right. Moreover, people driven to the polls out of fear of a fine will vote with an indifference that in no way advances meaningful participation in the democratic process. canada goose clearance sale

canada goose coats This opens a different question, why don’t so many Americans vote? There are countless explanations: absence of trust in government, the degree of partisanship among the population, lack of general interest in politics, institutional barriers to voting, convenience, and a failure of faith in the true effect of voting. canada goose coats

canada goose black friday sale Convenience impacts voter turnout. In the United States, in all but one state, voters must go through a separate registration process before voting, and the vast majority of states do not allow Election Day registration. This two step process register, then vote is more complicated than the process canada goose outlet winnipeg in many other countries and discourages some Americans from voting. In Austria, Canada, Germany, France and Belgium, voter lists are generated from larger population databases or by other government agencies, thus simplifying the voting process. For example, Germans who are eighteen or older on voting day automatically receive a notification card before any election in which they are eligible to vote. In Canada, the income tax returns are used for voter registration. In the United Kingdom, every residence receives a canada goose kensington parka uk notice of those registered within the household, and canada goose parka outlet uk additional voters can be registered by mail. canada goose black friday sale

canada goose By eliminating America’s two step process of first registering and then voting (something that is not a common practice in other countries), voter turnout would increase. The voting canada goose jacket outlet store process can be further simplified by generating voter lists based canada goose outlet miami on such preexisting government information as driver’s licenses, income tax returns, and juror registration information. After all, using government run population databases to develop voter http://www.canadagoosesalesus.com lists has succeeded in Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, and Canada. canada goose

canada goose store Until America eliminates this two step process, allowing for Election Day registration would help increase voter turnout. Voter turnout in 2000 was about 15 percent higher in states that had Election Day registration than in those that did not. canada goose store

cheap Canada Goose There are other measures that can also be taken to increase voter turnout. With “inconvenience” often cited as a reason for not voting, it’s time to move to electronic voting and enhanced absentee voting including voting by mail to enhance the convenience factor. Oregon has embraced convenience in two major ways: first, by offering many ways for voters to register, including online, and second, by passing a 1998 ballot initiative requiring that all elections be conducted canada goose outlet winnipeg address by mail. cheap Canada Goose

canada goose coats on sale Electronic voting is also likely to increase participation by younger voters. Across most nations, younger citizens are less likely to vote than older voters. With canada goose outlet 80 off the United States being one of the youngest countries among its competitors, it seems reasonable that electronic voting could have a significant impact on the younger, more tech savvy American voters. India (not one of the competitor countries) has succeeded in holding national elections canada goose parka outlet using computer canada goose outlet store new york technology that was developed, is owned, and is canada goose outlet orlando operated by the canada goose outlet location Indian government. government can aspire to do as well. canada goose coats on sale

canada goose deals A key goal in Measure of a Nation is to compare the United States to other wealthy countries, with the idea being to identify which countries are canada goose outlet washington dc performing the best in each area of interest: health, safety, democracy, education and equality. In each of those areas, the countries that are performing the best are examined to determine which best practices might be canada goose outlet london applied here in America. Leading countries were labeled Stars and lagging countries were labeled Dogs. canada goose deals

Canada Goose online In order to do this analysis, we selected the subset of countries that are both wealthy (nominal GDP per capita over $20,000) and canada goose factory outlet have a population greater than 10 million (upper third of national populations, no city state countries) as a comparison group. This comparison group consists of 14 canada goose outlet kokemuksia countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, The Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Canada Goose online

canada goose clearance This article is based on excerpts from the recently released book The Measure of a Nation: How to Regain America’s Competitive Edge and Boost Our Global Standing: canada goose clearance.