Most at NYU say their vote has a price
By: Lily Quateman - Washington Square News November 14, 2007 07:29 PM EST
Two-thirds say they'll do it for a year's tuition. And for a few, even an iPod touch will do. That's what NYU students said they'd take in exchange for their right to vote in the next presidential election, a recent survey by an NYU journalism class found.
Only 20 percent said they'd exchange their vote for an iPod touch.But 66 percent said they'd forfeit their vote for a free ride to NYU. And half said they'd give up the right to vote forever for $1 million. But they also overwhelmingly lauded the importance of voting.
Ninety percent of the students who said they'd give up their vote for the money also said they consider voting "very important" or "somewhat important"; only 10 percent said it was "not important."Also, 70.5 percent said they believe that one vote can make a difference — including 70 percent of the students who said they'd give up their vote for free tuition.
The class — "Foundations of Journalism," taught by journalism department chairwoman Brooke Kroeger — polled more than 3,000 undergraduates between Oct. 24 and 26 to assess student attitudes toward voting. "The part that I find amazing is that so many folks think one vote can make a difference," Sociology Department Chairman Dalton Conley said. He added, "If we take them at their word, then perhaps they really think votes matter, and that's why someone might pay a year's tuition to buy theirs."
Sixty percent of the students who said they'd give up their vote for tuition also described their families' income as upper-middle or high. Their reasons for giving up their votes varied. "At the moment, no candidate who truly represents my political beliefs has a chance of winning a presidential election," one male junior studying film and television at the Tisch School of the Arts wrote on the survey.
"It is very easy to convince myself that my vote is not essential," wrote a female CAS sophomore. "After all, I'm from New York, which will always be a blue state." Other students wrote that they were disgusted by the thought. " I would be reversing history — a lot of people fought so that every citizen could be enfranchised," said a female in her second year at the Stern School of Business.
One CAS junior went even further, writing that "anyone who'd sell his lifelong right to vote should be deported."Lily Quateman reports for New York University's Washington Square News. Washington Square News is partnering with Campus Politico for the 2008 elections.
Would you give up your vote for anything? If so, what would it take?
46 comments:
Sarah Lambert
4th period
9th grade
NO! i would not trade my right to vote for anything in the world. That is the only say i get in what happens to me. If people stop voting then the government would have full control and nobody wants that. People would trade anything to have the right to vote like we do. That should mean something to us, not all people have this liberty.
LeAnn De Los Santos
3rd period
12th
I do agree with ms lambert! :)
People do take for granted what we have. The Right To Vote!
:)
Ashely Ambrosio
4th period
9th grade
No!!!I agree with Sarah, voting is the only say we get in who controls our country. Why would you give up your rights that so many people died for?? Many countries don't have a say in anthing that they say or do. I don't understandwhy anybody would give up their right to vote for anything!!
Landon Henderson
4th period
9th grade
I don't think that I would give up my right to vote. It is our only real saying in the gonernment. We are lucky to get the right to vote. Other places don't get that right.
Abigail Ham
4th period
9th grade
I agree with Sarah. We didn't have a revolution for nothing! Georgie and the other founding fathers would probably slap us if they heard about this. Jefferson probably rolled over in his grave. I'm pretty sure Samuel Adams would die of a heart attack for our stupidity. (That, or die of liver failure.) If people are so willing to give up their freedom to vote, then surely they wouldn't mind giving up free speech and freedom of religion either. Yep, that doesn't make much sense.
I agree with Sarah. One thing I would like to point out is that Americans have had this freedom for so long, that they take it for granted. For this generation, the right to vote has always existed, making its value decline in their minds. They know its history and yet they don't fully appreciate how powerful a single vote can be. They said that votes are very important and then said that they would trade it for a million dollars. How stupid.
(this is Natalie ham using abigail ham's google account)
Jiaqi Niu
4th period
10th grade
It depends on what I'm voting for, but technically speaking I would not trade my right to vote for most things in the world. People should continue to vote. Government power should be divided among the people as well as themselves. Not a lot of countries have the rights USA does and I think we should gratefully embrace that.
Sati Patel
6th Pd
I'd give up my right to vote for one year for a full ride to any school. In the upcoming election, i'm probably going to vote for the democratic candidate, now would that really make that much of a difference to vote democratic in TEXAS? I'm still going to vote in reality, but in our hypothetical situation, at least I would be getting something out of not voting.
I probably wouldn't trade my right to vote for a full ride to college. Maybe for an Ipod touch though.
Heather Wood
3rd Period
:[
Sadly, i would trade my vote for $1 million. I'm not a big politics person right now. Sooo...I wouldn't who or what to vote for. I'd hate to be that one person that randomly votes and messes up the whole thing.
I would give up my right to vote, considering that I currently have no right to vote. I don't know that when I had the chance to vote I would give it up, though. I don't really think that every individual vote counts for anything, because really, it doesn't. The house's votes are really all that matter.
Kali Elliott
4th Period
9th Grade.
I would like to say that i wouldn't give up my vote for a material price, however it's hard to say what i would or wouldnt do as i'm not in that situation. Regardless, a vote is a very important thing, and really can make a difference, so giving it up to me is out of the question.
I wouldn't give up my vote for a stupid bribe. I don't want to take advantage of the fact that many women took a lot of risks to gain suffrage for all future women.
Well, assuming i was eighteen and COULD actully vote, then it would be a tough decision. Thinking in the grand scheme i do not believe one vote of one "ordanary" person makes a differance. I feel that if a states vote coutns are that close it is likely that the that states members of the electoral colledge will vote for thier own canidate regardless of which canidate actualy had the popular vote. (that was a little confusing, so ill rephrase) i think that if a the votes for one state are close between two canidates then the electoral colledge members will vote for thier favored canidate instead of the canidate that won because the votes were so close.
So, if one vote doesnt make a differance why not trade it for something to better your economic situation?
Also, if someone is in extreme economic trouble, can you blame them for giving up a vote to try and keep themselfs off the street?
And as one student in the "article"(?) said, if there is no canidate that represents your views or that has a chance of winning, it seems foolish to waste that vote rather than get something worth while instead.
And in response to what the "CAS junior" said, yes voting is a right, but a right is not a responsibility, we have the freedome of speech, but with that we have the choice to remain silent. And forcing someone out of the country for selling thier vote is completely unconstitutional whereas someone remains completely within thier rights to give up thier vote for economic/material gain.
The only way that i feel selling your vote would be unconstitutional is if you changed your vote to another canidate rather than just refrained from voting and if everyone was offered the same oppurtunity to sell thier vote, because if only one region is giving the oppurtunity, it could effect the final result of the election if that region has a general support of one canidate.
Over all, given the right circumstance, i would sell my vote, but in nine cases out of ten, i would most certainly keep it.
Grant Curry
4th period
9th grade
Human Geography AP
Keti Tsereteli
4th period
10th grade
No, of course I would not trade it.
A million dollars, or any material possessions, for that matter, do not guarantee anything, since chance can take them away at any moment. In an instant, that million dollars can be worth nothing, while your right to vote, your freedom, does not have a price. By trading your right to vote, you would be trading your individual thoughts as well as your right to think what you want and when you want. You would be trading the one thing that no one but you can control.
Cydnee Prince
3rd Period
If Jake Gyllenhaal married me, with no option to divorce, I would gladly give up my right to vote. Otherwise, I'm not giving it up. Nothing else would be worth it. And oh yeah, a yacht.
Honestly though, something tells me my luck is so terrible that I won't get Jake Gyllenhaal or the yacht. And in addition to that tragedy, I live in Texas, which means my liberal vote won't matter for crap anyways. All unless of course, we start electing presidents based on popular vote. But no doubt, I love the idea that the people have some kind of say in the way they live their lives. Trading our right to vote for whatever it is, is absolutely ludicrous.
Rockie Nolan
3rd period
I wouldn't trade my right to vote for an ipod - maybe a million dollars to give it up once... but I would never give up the right forever.
Obviously, if this were to happen on a wide scale, the government would be complete choas, and have no structure - basically doomed for destruction. However, if it were only me, and I was getting something that would really help me out later on [money, tuition, etc]... I'd probably take the greedy, un-American way out.
Sarah Morgeson
3rd period
11th grade
I would not trade my vote for anything. If I gave up my vote, I give up my right to complain about what the government is doing. I at least want some say in who this country is run by!
No; I would not give up my right to vote for anything. I believe that one vote can make a difference. In even thinking of giving up the right to vote, is saying that you do not care about what happens to this country. Though the people who would give up their right to vote would be the very first to complain when things do not go the way they want them too.
Anjelica Savedra
4th period
9th grade
No!i would not trade any of my votes for anything. The way i vote tells me of what happens. I will not stop voting because what if i stop then something very bad will happen. There are people out there in the world that would trade anything to get a vote like the others do. There is not a lot of people that have the liberty to vote.
Giving up the right to vote for simple things like a trip or an Ipod seems totally silly to me. And San Antonio City Council Member Art Hall is the best example that truly every vote counts. I think it is really ridiculous that most people who wanted to trade their vote considered voting as very important. So why should they trade it? This seems really ignorant.
Personally, I wouldn't give up my voice in our political system. If I didn't believe my vote was of value, it would be easier to relocate to a non-demcratic country. Many young people share the view of "one vote won't make a difference", meaning- their vote has little impact. I agree, that one vote isn't much. However, we forget that there is more than one person voting, and that large numbers of one-votes do make a difference. How many minority-groups through history thought it imporatant that they be allowed an equal say? That immeasurable stat should clue us in that our one vote might matter.
Stephen Puente (Period 6)
Johnny C.
3rd Period
11/12th Grade
I would sell my vote for Rock Band for the 360, 50 million dollars, a box of sour skittles, and a new car. I agree with Sarah not all people have that liberty, but then again, not all people have a box of sour skittles or 50 million dollars.
And On A Side Note...
I would like to see that "CAS Junior" try and deport me.
Chandra Carpenter
3rd Period
12th Grade
While I think my vote matters, I don't think it will tip the scales in an election. You have to think about the electoral college too. Since the government isn't offering me many options besides loans for college, I would definitely accept a year's tuition in exchange for a vote. Coming face to face with the cost of college is more than a little shocking, and I might forget to vote anyways.
No, I would not give up my right to vote because one vote does mean something. Every vote is important. Some people may think that there one vote doesn't mean anything and just dont vote, but think of all the other millions of people who think the same way. It adds up. Just think if everyone voted then we would get the president the people truly want and not just who the people that voted want.
I wouldn't trade my vote for anything. Our right to vote is priceless, and should be treated as such. Even though this is my opinion, I do understand why some would give up their right to vote for college tuition or a million bucks. I think it all depends on where your priorities are.
No, i would not trade my right to vote for anything. Especially something as miniscule in value as an iPod or something. The right to vote is a major part of our country's foundation, and no one should disregard it as an object of apathy.
I wouldn't trade my vote for anything. I mean your vote is "your say" in what happens in your country and in everything around you. if you were given anything to trade for it, you depend on it to be there and you don't realize it couldn't be taken away. your vote entitles you to be a part of the decisions your country makes, even if it is only one vote.I would say i agree with dylan and what he said of all the votes adding up. if we all think are votes don't count, we will have no say in what happens to us. BY voting, we get a say in the matter and should be glad. Especially since we are so lucky to have this right at all, let alone the choice to use it.
Yes, I might trade my vote for, say, stopping genocide, but an ipod touch? What on earth is the world coming to? It makes me angry when people say that one vote doesn't matter. That one vote matters when everyone gets the mentality that their vote does not count. Believe it or not the numbers do start to add up. People who have not voted have no right to complain about our country because they made absolutely no effort to try and change things.
No, i would not trade my right to vote for anything. Especially something as miniscule in value as an iPod or something. The right to vote is a major part of our country's foundation, and no one should disregard it as an object of apathy.
Johanna Bauersfeld
4th period
11th grade
I would probably give up my right to vote for somthing like a million dollars. The rigth to vote means diffrent things to diffrent people. America is about freedom so we have the freedom to choose not to vote. It really all comes down to how politicaly active a person is to how much there vote means to them.
For anything that is mentioned in this article I would not trade my vote for any of it! Games and technology are changing so fast that it would not be worth it a year later you might not play the game or you might get the new iPod holographic video phone, and your vote that potentially impacted history was for something that you possibly used less than a year. To get my vote it would have to be something that is forever like an entrance in to Heaven or something like that. My vote has the potential to make a note in history so I sure as heck better get something that is permanent, beneficial, and enjoyable out of my trade!
Robert Marshall
3rd Period
Senior 08
Chelsea Huffhines
4th Period
9th
Voting is an extremely important part of our country, and I believe that each individual truly does matter.
However, if I was offered something that could literally change my life, such as a full ride to college, I would trade it. I feel bad saying that, but honestly, that would open up so many different doors for me. Now, I would never trade it for something as minute as an iPod, but full college tuition, I wouldn't be able to resist.
I don't think one single vote in an election where there are no outstanding candidates for me could equal the life-changing opportunity of going to college anywhere for free.
I agree with Sarah. There's no way I would ever give up my right to vote. If people stop voting, our country will be come less of a democracy, and no one will have a say in their own future. Voting is sacred to our rights as Americans. I'd never give it up.
Annie Henderson
4th period
9th grade
Mollie Marie Garza
U.S. Government
6th period
senior
I don't think i would trade my vote for anything, but then again i haven't been offered anything for it either. I say i wouldn't though because your right to vote is your one chance to change the world... and i wouldn't want to miss that.
Jessica Kaskie-4
I may trade my right to vote for a million dollars...but there could be a catches to that.
If I trade in my right to vote, then my other rights may be at risk, and the rights of other people, so what good would money be when I am not living in a free nation anymore? Plus, voting isnt that important to me simply because I'm a minor.
you need to update man.
-alan
I don't think anyone should exchange their right to vote forever. Maybe there is a candidate that will one day seem like "the perfect candidate" for America, and the person who exchanged their vote for an iTouch will have a broken old worthless iPod and no chance to make a difference.
Then again, it's every person's own choice on what they feel is worth giving up...
Cassie Cummins
4th period
11th grade
Considering that i'm not going to vote this upcoming year, I would give my vote away. I'm not into politics enough to make an educated vote, therefore I wouldn't go off and vote and mess things up. I wouldn't trade it for an i-Phone, but probaly the money.
Austin Moore
3re Period
I believe that the right to vote is indispensable. I have waited a long time for the oppurtunity to vote, and i would trade virtually nothing to have a say in who and how my government is run.
Glen Jones
3rd period
I'm gonna be honest, there's a lot of things that I would trade my vote for. I'd trade my vote for cash, an ipod touch, or probably anything with good value. I don't think one vote makes a difference in a national elction anyway.
I would not give up my right to vote because it is my chance to have a say in the workings of the American goverment.(Not that my single vote counts for much, but it still makes me feel important:)!!!,but if everyone felt like their vote didn't matter then we would be in trouble. My opinion is that a single vote might not be important but voting as a whole is essential to our political system and therefore a privilige.
This is Michael Maeker!!!
Candace Balderas 6th period
Well i believe that voting is extremely important and that without the right to vote, especially with bush in office, we might as well be living in Cuba. But at the same time, if i were offered tuition, i would jump at it. College is not cheap... and i am not rich. As for giving up my vote forever, i couldnt do that. You never know what could happen in the future and the right to vote is your only way to be heard. I fully intend to vote when im 18, however, im not convinced that one vote can decide the president. Then again, when you combine millions of people with that same belief, well....there goes your problem.
I would not give up my right to vote because it is my chance to have a say in the workings of the American goverment.(Not that my single vote counts for much, but it still makes me feel important:)!!!,but if everyone felt like their vote didn't matter then we would be in trouble. My opinion is that a single vote might not be important but voting as a whole is essential to our political system and therefore a privilige.
This is Michael Maeker!!!
I AGREE WITH ASHLEY! NO I WOULDN'T GIVE UP MY VOTE!! BECAUSE THAT MEANS IT GOES TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!! AND THAT PERSON MAY VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT AND DOES THE U.S. BAD!! I MEAN...WHO DOES THAT??
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