If you do vote, you have a moral obligation to do it well. You must do it with competence.  “You don’t have an obligation to be a surgeon,” Brennan says, by way of comparison, “but if you are going to be a surgeon, you have a duty to be a competent surgeon.  You don’t have an obligation to be a parent, but if you decide to become a parent, you have an obligation to be a competent one.  I think the same holds true for voters.”

Assistant Professor Jason Brennan – Georgetown University

Decisions Decisions

With an election coming, Georgetown McDonough researchers analyze America’s brand of democracy.

September 28, 2012

Georgetown University – McDonough School of Business

By Chris Blose

Every day as we approach November, “I endorse this message” campaign ads become more prominent and prevalent on national television. Political pundits ramp up their rhetoric. The 24-hour news cycle fills with campaign stops and candidate quotes. The pollsters ready their daily data. Polling places roll out the red, white, and blue bunting. All of these signs mean it is time for Americans to do what they do every four years: vote for the president.

The decision — along with the election of national, state, and local candidates — holds real import. The outcome will affect the country’s policy direction for the next four years, if not longer. Such a subject deserves serious, rigorous thought, and not just by the voters making decisions.

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