How can we engage more people in the democratic process?

Question

I will be asking questions to help create dialogue around this and many other important topics so please add me to your Answers Network so that we can begin exchanging ideas and hopefully make changes that will benefit the future.

Answer 1

the sky is falling, the sky is falling, please look up the sky is falling.        Don't listen to chicken littles.  The greatest thing in our world is young enthusiastic minds if it can be done you'll do it.

Answer 2

Mandate voting. If that's too extreme, give a tax break to those who vote.

Ideally, people would also have to pass some sort of knowledge test before voting. Failure would result in them not being allowed to vote and suffering whatever penalties resulted (penalties in the case of mandated voting,  no tax break in the case of tax breaks for voting). But that's a bit utopian and a bit Big Brotherish.

Answer 3

ugh - bless you honey and good luck.

Answer 4

Mandate voting.

Answer 5

The site you need for you and all your contacts is myverdict.net

Answer 6

How to engage more people in the democratic process? That is like the alchemist seeking to turn lead into gold. It is a sad to state that too many citizens can recite the past decade's worth of Superbowl winners or who wore what dress to the Oscars.

A better question to ask is what is the biggest threat to American Democracy and Freedom.

I would say that Meredith Dennis, A high School student in New Mexico summed it just right. She believes it is Apathy. I urge you to read her winning Speech from the VFW's Voice of democracy Scholarship program.

Answer 7

I have never understood how simply adding more numbers would change anything. I think if we were given better choices, more would participate. How can you convince someone to go vote for Bush or Kerry? That is not a democratic process. It is only one step above voting for Castro or Castro. And everyone knows the third parties have absolutely no chance, so why bother at all? I think if we ALL sat home on election day it might help. Let them rule without the consent of the people.

Answer 8

Nothing, hopefully.

Are you sure you want those people voting?

Just get a job, and don't worry about it.

Answer 9

Voting all week, or at least fri, sat, sundays.