Impact

Given How Little Effect You Can Have, Is It Rational to Vote?

For far too long, the accepted wisdom among scholars of politics has been that the interests of the individual and the interests of society are not in harmony when it comes to voting. The American economist Anthony Downs, in his foundational book An Economic Theory of Democracy (1957), argued that a truly rational individual, who knows that her vote is highly unlikely to tip the outcome in favour of her preferred candidate, should not bother to cast a ballot.

About The Author

Aeon

Aeon is a digital magazine of ideas and culture. Since September 2012 they have been publishing some of the most profound and provocative thinking on the web. They ask the big questions and find the freshest, most original answers, provided by leading thinkers on science, philosophy, society, and the arts. Aeon was founded in London by Paul and Brigid Hains. It now has offices in London, Melbourne, and New York. Aeon is a not-for-profit and operated by Aeon Media Group Ltd., committed to big ideas, serious enquiry, and a humane worldview. That’s it.