Interest Groups, Parties, Voting
The human rights of an individual play an important role in his or her everyday life. The right to life, liberty, equality, and property are just some of these inalienable rights that an individual holds for the very fact that he or she is a human being. It is essential that these human rights are being practiced and protected. The right to vote is among the ways by which an individual could safeguard his or her human rights. In this sense, every vote counts because it is the means wherein the people give the government the authority to preserve and protect their human rights.
The social contract clearly exemplifies the need of the people to give up some of their rights in order to maintain peace and order. This is due to the fact that individuals tend to have conflicting interests that usually become the cause of misunderstanding and conflict among them. As a result, the social contract embodies the idea of popular sovereignty wherein the consent of the people is the real source of all political power. In this sense, voting provides a way that enables the people to give their consent to authorize those they will elect in the government (Rousseau and Cranston, 1968). Election is also an important form of democratic control of the government especially since democracy operates under the principle of “majority rules.” Election serves as a mechanism that allows the people to have control over the government because they have the liberty to choose the officials that they will put in power. At the same time, election also limits the tenure of the government so as to prevent abuse of power (Rousseau and Cranston, 1968).
The 2000 Presidential election clearly shows that every vote indeed counts. This is due to the fact that President George W. Bush only narrowly won the election with 271 votes as compared with his opponent Al Gore who garnered 266 votes. This close election exemplifies that every vote is an essential deciding factor in putting a certain person in the White House.
Reference
Rousseau, J.J., & Cranston, M. (1968). The Social Contract. London: Penguin Classics.
