This was also a political move. Most of us agree that the right to vote is the very essence of democracy. Yet millions of Americans do not vote. Not when you consider that the benefits of elections are collective benefits. People enjoy the payoffs even if they have not helped to produce them by voting.
Universal suffrage gives leaders a reason to care about people s interests, opinions, and values.
But while it makes sense to demand the vote, it also makes sense not to use the right. A single vote is not likely to make much of a difference. Turnout Age and education have the strongest influence on voting. People with deeper roots in their communities are more likely to go to the polls. Voting and other forms of participation incur costs, but they also produce benefits.