What justifies electoral voice? J. S. Mill on voting
What justifies electoral voice? J. S. Mill on voting
Mill advocates plural voting on instrumentalist grounds: the more competent are to have more votes. At the same time, he regards it as a ‘personal injustice’ to withhold from any one ‘the ordinary privilege of having his voice reckoned in the disposal of affairs in which he has the same interest as other people.’ But if electoral voice is justified by its contribution to good governance, why would it be an injustice to deny the vote to those whose use of it would disserve this end? I propose the dual justification view to resolve this tension. Mill holds that electoral voice is to be justified in two complementary ways: both as communicating a person’s interests and perspective in order that they be accommodated in policy deliberations, and as advancing a vision of the common good and influencing the policy of the legislature.
J. S. Mill, voting, representative government, democracy, plural voting, egalitarianism
Turner, Jonathan
77bf1341-0dac-491a-b689-b0faeb2bc76b
Turner, Jonathan
77bf1341-0dac-491a-b689-b0faeb2bc76b
Turner, Jonathan
(2024)
What justifies electoral voice? J. S. Mill on voting.
Mind.
(In Press)
Abstract
Mill advocates plural voting on instrumentalist grounds: the more competent are to have more votes. At the same time, he regards it as a ‘personal injustice’ to withhold from any one ‘the ordinary privilege of having his voice reckoned in the disposal of affairs in which he has the same interest as other people.’ But if electoral voice is justified by its contribution to good governance, why would it be an injustice to deny the vote to those whose use of it would disserve this end? I propose the dual justification view to resolve this tension. Mill holds that electoral voice is to be justified in two complementary ways: both as communicating a person’s interests and perspective in order that they be accommodated in policy deliberations, and as advancing a vision of the common good and influencing the policy of the legislature.
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Mill on voting (Mind) FINAL 07.02.24
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Accepted/In Press date: 7 February 2024
Keywords:
J. S. Mill, voting, representative government, democracy, plural voting, egalitarianism
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Local EPrints ID: 487010
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/487010
ISSN: 0026-4423
PURE UUID: e14e2f55-8c48-4061-99ec-a94e3987e090
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Date deposited: 09 Feb 2024 17:39
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 07:29
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Author:
Jonathan Turner
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