Authors libby rittenberg 827
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$1,000 to you. But $1,000 is a benefit to you of voting only if it is your vote
that determines the outcome.
The probability that any statewide election will be decided by a single vote
is, effectively, zero. State elections that are decided by as many as a few
hundred votes are likely to be subject to several recounts, each of which is
likely to produce a different result. The outcomes of extremely close
elections are ordinarily decided in the courts or in legislative bodies; there
is no chance that one vote would, in fact, determine the outcome. Thus, the
$1,000 benefit that you expect to receive will not be a factor in your
decision about whether to vote. The other likely benefit of voting is the
satisfaction you receive from performing your duty as a citizen in a free
society. There may be additional personal benefits as well from the chance
to visit with other people in your precinct. The opportunity cost of voting
would be the value of the best alternative use of your time, together with
possible transportation costs.
The fact that no one vote is likely to determine the outcome means that a
decision about whether to vote is likely to rest on individual assessments
of the satisfactions versus the costs of voting. Most people making such
decisions find the costs are greater. In most elections, most people who are
eligible to vote do not vote. Public choice analysis suggests that such a
choice is rational; a decision not to vote because the marginal costs
outweigh the marginal benefits is calledrational abstention.
Rational abstention suggests there is a public sector problem of external
benefits. Elections are a way of assessing voter preferences regarding
alternative outcomes. An election is likely to do a better job of reflecting
voter preferences when more people vote. But the benefits of an outcome
Attributed to Libby Rittenberg and Timothy Tregarthen
Saylor URL: />
Saylor.org
827
