In the United States, as well as in most Western countries, some of the so-called “defenders” of democracy praise ancient Greece as the cradle of the democratic system when it is convenient for their rhetoric.  In the modern world, universal suffrage is a very divisive concept, seen by many as a human right, contrary to what ancient Greeks believed. In countries such as the United States, depending on the state, convicted felons lose their right to vote either temporarily or permanently.  If voting is a human right, as some people imply, then should it be taken away at all?

Many believe that universal suffrage tends to focus on the quantity, not the quality, of voters.  Those who do not support universal suffrage see voting not as a human right but as a civic responsibility, an obligation of their citizenship.  An example of civic responsibility is that, in most countries, particularly in Western countries, there is a specific part of society that must register for the military selective service at the age of 18.  Originally, in the United States, members of this particular group of society were only required to register for military service at the age of 21.  The 26th Amendment (ratified in 1971) lowered it to 18 years old during the Second World War because the United States military was stretched thin and needed more bodies.  If there was a need for more bodies, the amendment should have made it mandatory for the other group of society to register for military service as well, instead of lowering the age for those who were already required to register.  Obviously, most Americans required to register for military service do not want that.  But the point here is that for those who believe that voting is a human right, full rights should come with full obligations.

To amplify this point, Costa Rica and Iceland abolished or do not have a standing army. Therefore, and rightly, these countries no longer serve as non-permanent members (elected every two years) of the United Nations Security Council.  No responsibilities, no rights.

“The government you elect is the government you deserve.” ― Thomas Jefferson.  This quote brings back the point made above.  By focusing on the quantity instead of the quality of voters, we can only bring to power, for the most part, bad politicians.  Too many voters repeatedly say that they do not care about or are not interested in politics, but they go on election day and vote.  It is like hiring someone to work at your house without doing a background check and then being surprised when one day all your valuables disappear. Universal suffrage is not exactly synonymous with democracy.  For the most part, in the West, voting is not mandatory; therefore, demanding people exercise their civic responsibilities to vote when they are not interested is not democracy.  Not scrutinizing all possible major candidates for a government seat is not democracy.  Mass voting by people who do not even know the basics of government, such as the three branches, is not democracy.

In the real world, we know that “everyone” who wants to vote can vote.  In a better world, only qualified citizens, after passing a series of civic tests, should be able to vote.  Making sure voters send the most qualified politicians to Congress and Parliament is the responsibility of all of us.  This is only possible if voters themselves are also qualified, and this is democracy.

By Luis de Andrade