Democracy?

It’s strange how myths develop to the point where thay become part of the language. The USA is referred to as “The home of the brave; the land of the free”.

If freedom is defined as having the capacity to participate in the democratic process, perhaps our cousins stateside had better have another look at their definition.

A brief examination of some simple comparative statistics is revealing –

National Voter Turnout in Federal Elections: 1960–2010

This grid provides information about voter statistics, including age of voting population, voter registration, and turnout.

Year	Voting-age population	Voter registration	Voter turnout	Turnout of voting-age population (percent)
2010**	235,809,266	NA	90,682,968	37.8%
2008*	231,229,580	NA	132,618,580*	56.8
2006	220,600,000	135,889,600	80,588,000	37.1
2004	221,256,931	174,800,000	122,294,978	55.3
2002	215,473,000	150,990,598	79,830,119	37.0
2000	205,815,000	156,421,311	105,586,274	51.3
1998	200,929,000	141,850,558	73,117,022	36.4
1996	196,511,000	146,211,960	96,456,345	49.1
1994	193,650,000	130,292,822	75,105,860	38.8
1992	189,529,000	133,821,178	104,405,155	55.1
1990	185,812,000	121,105,630	67,859,189	36.5
1988	182,778,000	126,379,628	91,594,693	50.1
1986	178,566,000	118,399,984	64,991,128	36.4
1984	174,466,000	124,150,614	92,652,680	53.1
1982	169,938,000	110,671,225	67,615,576	39.8
1980	164,597,000	113,043,734	86,515,221	52.6
1978	158,373,000	103,291,265	58,917,938	37.2
1976	152,309,190	105,037,986	81,555,789	53.6
1974	146,336,000	96,199,0201	55,943,834	38.2
1972	140,776,000	97,328,541	77,718,554	55.2
1970	124,498,000	82,496,7472	58,014,338	46.6
1968	120,328,186	81,658,180	73,211,875	60.8
1966	116,132,000	76,288,2833	56,188,046	48.4
1964	114,090,000	73,715,818	70,644,592	61.9
1962	112,423,000	65,393,7514	53,141,227	47.3
1960	109,159,000	64,833,0965	68,838,204	63.1

*Source 2008 election results: http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2008G.html.

Interesting stuff – I’m too lazy to do the maths, but it looks like participation in Presidential ballots (Bold) averages about the mid fifties, and congressional elections score in the high thirties.

Think about it. Only one Yank in two elects the President, and only one in three his/her congressional rep. This is the home of freedom as expressed by participation in the democratic process?

Given the control the Yanks exert over the rest of us through their military and economic power, I humbly suggest that if the Septics are too lazy to get off their bums and vote, then maybe residents of other democracies who are affected by American power should get a vote if they wish. Seems only fair.

Comparing the USA with other democracies is even more revealing -

Turnout in national lower house elections, 1960–1995
Country	Compulsory	№	Turnout
Malta	N	6	94%
Chile	N	2	93%†
Austria	N	9	92%
Belgium	Y	12	91%
Italy	Y (not enforced)	9	90%
Luxembourg	Y	7	90%
Iceland	N	10	89%
New Zealand	N	12	88%
Denmark	N	14	87%
Germany	N	9	86%
Sweden	N	14	86%
Greece	Y (not enforced)	10	86%
Venezuela	N*	7	85%
Czech Republic	N	2	85%
Argentina	Y	12	83%
Brazil	Y	3	83%
Netherlands	N**	7	83%
Australia	Y	14	81%[35]
Costa Rica	N	8	81%
Norway	N	9	81%
Romania	N	2	81%
Bulgaria	N	2	80%
Israel	N	9	80%
Portugal	N	9	79%
Finland	N	10	78%
France	N	9	76%
United Kingdom	N	9	76%
South Korea	N	11	75%
Ireland	N	11	74%
Canada	N	12	74%
Spain	N	6	73%
Japan	N	12	71%
Estonia	N	2	69%
Hungary	N	2	66%
Russia	N	2	61%
India	N	6	58%
Switzerland	N	8	54%
Poland	N	2	51%
United States	N	18	48%***
*Compulsory voting until 1998
**Excludes pre-1968 elections, when voting was compulsory.
***Turnout rates during the period ranged from 55% for general election years, to 40% to off-year elections (those for which the presidency was not on the ballot).
Statistics from Mark N. Franklin's "Electoral Participation", found in Controversies in Voting Behaviour (2001). Includes only "free" elections.
†Excludes pre-1989 elections. Sources: Electoral Service, Election Qualifying Court. Voting is no longer compulsory in Chile.

Of the group of nations listed the USA ranks lowest, behind the likes of Romania, Poland and Estonia.

Given the apparent belief held by many Americans that their country is the bastion of democratic principles, I find that passing strange.

What is even stranger is this report in today’s Fart of the Nation.*

It seems that partisan and discriminatory laws are in place in some US states that make it virtually impossible to register to vote if you are poor, disabled, or elderly. Sure, these laws are being challenged, but their existence provides an interesting insight into the American definition of freedom.

It sure isn’t mine.

* The Australian 

Update - To get around Rupert's firewall on that link, do a Google search on  "Tough new voting laws threaten Barack Obama election by: David Weisbrot".