The History of Compulsory Voting in Europe

Malkopoulou, Anthoula

doi:10.4324/9781315777399

Cited by 15 publications

(27 citation statements)

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“…In tracing the history of compulsory voting in Europe, Malkopoulou notes that one of the previously unremarked reasons why states adopted this measure was that it was seen as leading to more moderate outcomes (Malkopoulou 2015). Likewise, empirical research on more recent periods confirms that contrary to the fears of some, there is no systematic link between rules mandating electoral participation and support for far-right parties (Birch 2009, pp.…”

Section: Democratic Norms Empirical Realities and Approaches To… 19mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Mandatory turnout is such a coordination mechanism (Hill 2006;Brennan and Hill 2014), practised by approximately a quarter of the world's democracies. Partisan interest has historically been one of the driving forces behind the adoption of compulsory voting, but normative concerns have also been prominent (Birch 2009;Malkopoulou 2015). There is also evidence that compulsory voting was installed in some contexts to strengthen democracy and reduce electoral malpractice (Birch 2009).…”

Section: Approaches To Improving Turnoutmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The notion that voting is a political obligation is deeply embedded in liberal thought (Lacroix 2007;Malkopoulou 2015). In Considerations on Representative Government, John Stuart Mill writes that 'His vote is not a thing in which [a person] has an option; it has no more to do with his personal wishes than the verdict of a juryman.…”

Section: Democratic Political Obligationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Democratic Norms, Empirical Realities and Approaches to Improving Voter Turnout

Birch

2017

Res Publica

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Though falling turnout in recent decades has been recognised as a problem for democracy, the solutions that have been proposed have mostly been drawn from the realms of the marketplace and society, rather than that of democracy. The inadequate empirical theory that subtends many policy initiatives designed to improve turnout accounts for why these initiatives have largely failed to achieve their stated aims. I argue that electoral participation should be seen through the conceptual lens of collective action, and that this approach suggests mandatory electoral participation as an equitable and effective coordination device. I further argue that compulsory turnout offers a good fit with democratic norms of equality, rights and political obligation.

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Section: Democratic Norms Empirical Realities and Approaches To… 19mentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Approaches To Improving Turnoutmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Democratic Political Obligationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Democratic Norms, Empirical Realities and Approaches to Improving Voter Turnout

Birch

2017

Res Publica

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“…It is a basic right of EU citizenship in accordance with Article 24 of the TFEU. In 2010, the European Ombudsman registered 2,667 complaints and processed 2,727, 27 % of which fell within his mandate; 17 similar to the European Ombudsman, under Article 227 of the TFEU, the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions may take up a complaint from an individual on any subject that falls within the EU's areas of competence. Unlike the European Ombudsman, however, the complaint can relate to the behaviour of a national or local authority and not merely EU institutions;…”

Section: The Racial Equality Directive Provides An Example Where Varimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is therefore unsurprising that EU Member States do not share a common approach, even in fields covered by the directive such as retention periods, let alone on issues not covered by the directive, such as who ultimately covers the cost of the obligatory data retention. 17 The Commission concluded that historic communications data were important in criminal investigations, and that therefore the EU should continue to support and regulate data retention as a security measure.…”

Section: Data Retentionmentioning

confidence: 99%