ترجمۀ سیاسی – متن ۵

ترجمۀ سیاسی – متن ۵

یکشنبه، ۱۵ فروردین ۹۵

That representative democracy does not really reflect popular opinion is clear to all who are willing to look at facts rather than engage in philosophical speculation or recite empty slogans. The principal arguments which may be offered to substantiate this view are that (1) voter turnout in democracies is low; (2) the masses of people are poorly informed on issues, and allow experts to rule; and (3) people are easily manipulated to believe what the ruling classes want them to believe.

Voter Turnout: One of the facts of voting behaviour is that there is always a significant proportion of the voting population which does not vote. This is true for the United States, France, Britain, as well as other countries. In the United States, for example, only 55.3 percent of the voting-age population actually voted in the 2004 presidential election. On some referenda, as few as 10 percent of the electorate cast ballots. To be sure, some people do not vote because they are ill or occupied, but many people choose not to vote. Why? Voting behaviour studies show that the people who do not vote are disproportionately composed of the economically poor and relatively uneducated. Many of these people do not vote, because they feel that voting does not mean anything, and they consider themselves powerless to deal with an intensive political system. Clearly the representatives do not reflect popular will. If anything, they reflect the will of the more affluent members of the society.