by Peter Ruzzo

Created on: August 22, 2010   Last Updated: August 23, 2010

Voter apathy in America exists because the electorate wants instant gratification. We are a results-oriented society and we want answers to all questions and issues immediately. Democracy is not that simple though.

The founders of the Constitution never intended to extend the right to vote beyond the property owning classes. Property owners were considered virtuous, thoughtful people with interests beyond the masses who did not own property. Perhaps they, the framers of the Constitution, predicted that the majority of citizens would not vote. It wasn’t so much that a perceived apathy among the masses played a role in their decision to limit the right to vote, as it was their perception that the masses were not capable of making informed decisions that would summarily affect their decision.  That being said, and to possibly rectify the short sightedness of the founding fathers, the Constitution has been amended 3 times in order to extend voting rights. These amendments were adopted during historically important periods for the development of our democratic system. However, while our Constitution has provided for the expansion of the electorate, voter turn out is still very low and is actually decreasing.

Democracy is predicated on the willingness of the people to make informed decisions about elected leaders and vote based upon these decisions. Based upon statistics of voter turn out in the last 9 presidential elections, less than 60% of the registered electorate voted. Even less turnout occurred when the incumbent was running for a second term.[1]  Why people don’t go to the polls is anybody’s guess, but there are reasons why apathy exists in America coupled with our tendency to want instant gratification. A shift in policy, the perception of political leaders and the nastiness of political races, might have something to do with the abysmal turnout.

Participation in democracy requires understanding, research and thought. Voting is not something you do because you can. It is a right and responsibility of shared power between those who lead and those who are led. A governmental policy shift over the last 50 years has reflected a willingness of government to play more of a role in the lives of the electorate and that has galvanized the electoral population. The electorate has become more aligned with a political ideology. But, one size does not fit all. As the political parties of today seek to win votes, they tend to paradoxically,

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