The bleak prospect of living in a country governed by one of the major-party presidential candidates seems to bolster arguments against voting. Declining to participate in this year’s deeply unsatisfactory election may signal a preference for “none of the above” while denying personal sanction to the many wrongs and injustices governments mete out in our names. Not voting is a time-saver, too.
But non-participation in the vote may be an unwise option. Voting doesn’t just elect a candidate: it may signal to a variety of important audiences what direction the electorate would like the country to take. Perhaps voting is the best option available, even if other candidates and other systems of government would provide more liberty and prosperity. Failing to vote may waste personal power.
Is the best choice to vote one’s conscience, vote strategically, or not vote at all?
Happy Women’s Equality Day! On this day in 1920, women were granted the right to vote when the 19th amendment was certified by law. In honor of this occasion read Cato research on feminism and women in the libertarian movement.
“A so-called “libertarian moment” can only be helped along by expanded appeal among women, and among feminist-minded folks of all genders. Individual rights are at the heart of feminism. It’s time for libertarians to reclaim that.” — Elizabeth Nolan Brown at libertarianismdotorg
“A libertarian must necessarily be a feminist, in the sense of being an advocate of equality under the law for all men and women.” — David Boaz in huffingtonpost
Prophetic in the insightful analysis it revealed when first published in 2012, The Libertarian Vote: Swing Voters, Tea Parties, and the Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal Center provides details on the millions of American voters who are now the subject of major news stories on the growing influence of libertarian views and factions on the upcoming midterm elections, domestic policies, foreign policy, and much more. The dominating theme of political commentary over the past decade has been that we are a polarized, red vs. blue nation, but between 10 and 20 percent of American voters do not fit squarely into these boxes. The Libertarian Vote offers some of the most authoritative insights available on this large and influential block of voters.
Replacing Obamacare: The Cato Institute on Health Care Reform contains the work of over a dozen national experts who have dedicated their professional lives to enabling effective health care reforms. Issued in 2012, this nearly 800 page work represents the Cato Institute’s best work on Obamacare, focusing on how free markets can make health care better (with an extensive chapter offering a detailed proposal for replacing Obamacare), more affordable, and more secure. By the book’s conclusion, you will clearly understand how the solid, proven solution set forth in Replacing Obamacare can lead to real health care reform.
Want to see The Cato Institute at South by Southwest? Vote for our panel on Operation Choke Point & alternative currencies (like bitcoin!): j.mp/1ystQLS
Can you imagine being denied a bank account just because some bureaucrat disapproves of your job? That’s exactly what’s happening to individuals targeted by “Operation Choke Point.”
Many targeted businesses and individuals are turning to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and dogecoin in order to survive without access to the traditional banking system.
What can be done about Operation Choke Point, who is being targeted, and what implications does this hold for the future of cryptocurrencies?
So, what can you do? 1. Vote for our panel here: j.mp/1ystQLS 2. Share a Facebook post and tweet about voting…or just retweet this. 3. Invite your friends to our Facebook Event and ask them to vote too. 4. Reblog this Tumblr post and ask your followers to vote for us and share the good news.
The more votes we get and “social buzz” we create, the more likely we are to be picked.
Learn more about the panel and vote here: j.mp/1ystQLS
A D.C.-based public policy research organization (or "think tank") dedicated to the values of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.
