ASSESSMENT

Activity 1: Cast a vote

Question: In our democracy, voting is seen not only as a right but a civic duty. A rule-utilitarian
would argue that we ought to vote in order to maximize the benefits of democracy. However,
many young people adopt an actutilitarian philosophy, reasoning that their vote will be only
one in millions and will be unlikely to have any effect on the outcome or consequence of the
election. What would happen if every voter adopted this line of thinking? Discuss the two
utilitarian approaches/theory regarding whether we ought to vote.

Voting gives us the ability to make the government better or worse, choose individuals
that can affect the lives of the citizen of the country or an area. If we make bad choices in
voting we might end up with racist, corrupt, sexist and homophobic leaders. Economic
opportunities may not materialize. We might spend our taxes on ill-conceive stimulus plans and
entitlement programs that do little to stimulate economies or alleviate poverty. We also might
have overregulation in some places, under regulation in others, and a lot of regulation whose
sole purpose is to ensure unfair economic advantages for special interest. Voting is morally
significant. Voting changes, the quality, scope, and kind of government. The way we vote can
help or harm people. Electoral outcomes can be harmful or beneficial, just or unjust. They can
exploit the minority for the benefit of the majority. They can do widespread harm with little
benefit for anyone. So, in this book, I argue that we have moral obligations concerning how we
should vote. Not just any vote is morally acceptable. With all that being said we can determine
how a vote can affect the common interest of others, if all of us carry the mindset that our
votes won’t matter it would actually matter its not just one vote anymore. Knowing that you
yourself is thinking like you must likely to realize that it is possible that you’re not the only one
thinking like that so we must give importance to our vote more. If we go with the rule-
utilitarian approach, paying attention to who to vote becomes an act of helping other people
for it is for the common good, it gives us the sense of duty that we must choose a righteous and
dependable individual attain happiness for everyone. However if we go with the act-utilitarian
approach, it may be convenient for one but if all have the same mindset it may cause a huge
blow to many peoples life.