Captain Carrot, I dont see that kind of laziness. Most consumers, and by most, an overwhelming majority, make their purchases based on some sort of criteria and not purely at random/which is the shiniest, especially when the purchase has a very high cost.
Whether they make the best choice or most informed choice is can be difficult to determine, but they put in enough effort to satisfy their own peace of mind. For some that is more thought and effort than others. It will always depend on the particular issue at hand, but I think most people would put in a greater effort for elections than they do for choosing a candy bar or a six pack.
Whether they would put in the same effort as they would to purchase a house or car? I would hope so, but even my idealism has its limits. And a house or car is probably more important to the average person that an election. They have to deal with the result of their purchase everyday. Their vote often has less relevance day to day, but it is still not a decision to take lightly, and I do not believe that most would. YMMV.
That’s not what I find happens here. As people must vote, they do take the trouble to be more informed. My experience is that the level of political debate and knowledge is far higher here than in, eg, the US or the UK.
Yeah, but your example of cost is not comparable. It’s (usually) very easy to tell how much something costs when you’re in a grocery store; they almost always have tags by the items telling you how much the whole thing is and how much it si per unti of measurement (oz., liquid oz., pill, whatever). On ballots, all you see are th candidates’ names and the party affiliations. It doesn’t say how they stand on any issues when you’re at the polls. Informed purchases can be made with information at the store. Voting, not really.
Product advertising ,just like political advertising, obscures the truth.We have to take time to discriminate products A major purchase should take time and information gathering. How many do it. Many don’t. That is their loss .
How many will take the time to vote wisely. However does that mean they should not be allowed to vote. Maybe we need a pop quiz at the polls to see if the voter did his homework. Who can determine how much you need to know to vote wisely?
The whole concept is fraught with danger. Mandatory voting will give us sadly,the government we deserve.
Australian election campaigns are heavy-duty, in-your-face affairs (much like US ones, I guess) that can run for up to six months before a major election. There would be very few people who wouldn’t know the issues, controversies, platforms, and policies of the candidates come polling day. In fact, you could almost argue that an unemployed, no-hoper couch potato could understand the issues better at the end of a campaign than, say, a doctor who works a sixty hour week.
Interestingly, Australian studies have shown that mandatory voting slightly favours the Left and is a disadvantage to the conservatives. I’m surprised the SDMB doesn’t jump at it. (But I’m a conservative who likes mandatory voting - go figure)