Some kind of Test before Voting?

[SteveRogers]

Ok we've had a few one-sentence responses, can anyone give an actual detailed answer here or will it be "No that is bad" "No it is a right" straight on down? Is the general level of discourse here a one-sentence statement of creed, or do people actually discuss things?

Why should voting be a right and not a privilege?

Why are poll taxes bad?

I think if we accept that there are in fact some people who are dumb, some who are smart, and the majority somewhere in the middle, well restricting the dumb ones from voting would help.

Shouldn't the burden be on you to provide an argument that linking someone's right to vote to their knowledge of inane trivia is a good idea? What does being able to name the capital have to do with whether or not one has valid opinions about issues facing their community?

[SteveRogers]

I would support this, but it would never happen. Why do so many feel
That uninformed voters are a benefit to society? If you don't understand basic civics
Should you really play a part in choosing the most powerful person on Earth?

Yes they should because that's how democracy works.

[SteveRogers]

I would support this, but it would never happen. Why do so many feel
That uninformed voters are a benefit to society? If you don't understand basic civics
Should you really play a part in choosing the most powerful person on Earth?

Yes they should because that's how democracy works.

"That's how democracy works" isn't really a good justification.

Why do you think that it is preferable to have people who aren't that smart voting?

Voting is just picking who will be leading our country. Basically hiring our government's managers.

Does Apple allow idiots to pick their managers, or do they only allow a very select group of people to pick their managers?

Do you think Apple would be better off if they allowed every person who was alive at age 18 to select their managers?

I don't see how anyone could imagine that allowing more idiots select the people who run our government could do anything but allow for worse people to be in those positions.

Well our country was designed to be a representative democracy. If only the educated elite were allowed to vote, we would cease to be a democracy. It sounds like you want to make the argument that an oligarchy or dictatorship would be better, so why don't you go ahead and make that argument? Why obfuscate with all this nonsense about civic education? Voting in an election isn't anything like being a major shareholder in a corporation because in an election each person has the same equal "share" or influence. One man, one vote.