Race And Voting

A few days ago I found myself reflecting on the significance of voting, especially in lieu of our recent class discussions. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but given recent trends I can only find more symptoms of weakness in the democratic election process.

This PEW analysis of data from the Census Bureau reveals that black voter participation rates reached record highs during the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. However, according to the theory of rational abstention it is often rational for voters to abstain from voting because the costs of voting outweigh the benefits. So why is the black voter participation rate increasing?

During the 2008 and 2012 elections Barrack Obama ran as the first black president. While the expected marginal benefit of a single individual would not compel him to vote for Obama, another missing benefit from voting just might. I think that many black Americans voted for Obama in order to avoid the markedly higher social pressure that was imposed on them by their fellow citizens. Some may argue that this is fine and that black Americans should vote for Obama because of his race. But I think that this argument is dangerous and often coincides with another commonly espoused view: Black Americans should vote Democrat.

I am worried what this means for the democratic election process in America. I always thought that democracy was a sign of freedom--an individual's right to express their opinion unhampered by the coercion of others. But today, I see the chains of social pressure indoctrinating and manipulating many Americans, reducing their freedom to truly express their views on America's political system. Perhaps the democratic election process is not the most salient indicator of a free society.