I voiced concern that my particular question might not apear in the FAQs, but they still couldn't help me. It's enough to make a young person cynical about the political process. Right now, colleges all across the country are abuzz with little booths staffed by volunteers telling students to register to vote. The standard line is that if you don't vote, your voice will not be heard, and the government will be unresponsive to your needs. I maintain that the exact oposite is true.
Voting sends the wrong message to politicians.
It tells them that voters buy into the present system. It tells them that voters aprove of their behavior. It gives them a mandate. A mandate to exercise even more power over our everyday lives. A mandate to continue to levy taxes that combine to take nearly 50 percent of the average worker's paycheck.