Citizens, not political ‘consumers’

When I agreed to participate in a Vote 16 Summit on Parliament Hill, I expected to hear all the reasons for and against allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal, provincial and/or federal elections. And I did hear that. Much stronger, however, were concerns about the state of democracy in Canada. Concern came from voices across the political spectrum and from leaders on a wide range of issues. It was not about foreign interference – Canadian interference and apathy need our attention. Low voter turn-outs at election time are a symptom of a much deeper loss of trust and confidence in the way we are governed.

Healthy democracy and good governance do not just happen. It will take a strong intentional focus on the active exercise of citizenship across Canada to change both individual behaviours and systems that do not serve us well. While changing the electoral system itself remains unfinished business, other factors also need urgent attention.

Civic education

Students in several provinces can leave high school without any civic education and many find the current courses irrelevant. Surveys show that many adult Canadians cannot answer the questions newcomers have to answer to become citizens. Basic literacy about how to exercise our citizenship is essential for a healthy democracy.

Subtle voter suppression

When low voter-turn-out is in the best interests of political parties with power, there is no incentive for them to encourage everyone to vote, rather than just their supporters. This leads to more alienation and makes it easier for power-hungry political party leaders to manipulate elections and say they have a mandate from the people for their own agendas.

Excessive partisanship

There is something fundamentally wrong when 14-year-olds who join a political party get to vote for party leaders, but other teens have no voice at all in public policy decisions that affect their lives and our collective future. Not only is that unjust; from an early age it makes politics a sport of choice for the few who join highly partisan political parties focused on power and control for themselves more than on the common good of all. That in turn shapes the gaming nature of our news and political discussion.

Disinformation

Lack of information is one problem. Distorted information is worse and thrives in our social media world. Correcting disinformation, wherever it surfaces, rather than just allowing deliberate distortions to spread, is one key way to exercise responsible citizenship.

Consumers, not citizens

At a deeper level, political talk in Canada treats voters as consumers interested in goodies for ourselves rather than citizens who want a society that works for all. Appeals to self-interest work, and they work even better if politicians can make us angry and blame “the other guy.” What we lose in that kind of politics is much greater than any individual gain. Only citizens who join forces to push back and insist on talking about the common good, not my personal benefit, can stop this trend.

Strengthening democracy

It was interesting to hear, at the Vote 16 Summit, that countries who have extended the vote to include young people have seen increases in meaningful participation at all levels, including by their parents. And the fears about young people voting have not proven true. Many good reasons for extending the vote in Canada can be found on the website of Vote 16. This is just one step of many to build a healthy democracy in Canada, which is critical for our future.