Today, millions of individuals will enter ballot booths across the country and cast their vote for the next President of the United States. Women and men of all ethnicities will vote, as will the rich and poor. And so will Democrats, Republicans and Independents. With a few exceptions (e.g. convicted felons), every American citizen has the right to vote, no matter their race, sex or political ideology. Voting is the great equalizer. One person, one vote. That’s the promise of American citizenship.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t always been this way. In 1868, the 14th Amendment granted all white males voting rights. African-American men and other non-white men gained the right to vote two years later through the 15th Amendment. The 19th Amendment extended the franchise to women in 1920, less than one hundred years ago. And finally, it was extended to all those over the age of 18 in 1971 by the 26th Amendment.
In their book, “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,” Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson explore the source of America’s unrivaled prosperity. Their book—along with a whole host of political science and economic scholarship—suggests that the economic prosperity of a country is highly dependent on the country’s political and economic institutions.
I’ll borrow an example from their book to illustrate the importance of political and economic institutions to a country’s success and prosperity. On the Mexican-American border, “the City of Nogales is cut in half by a fence.” On the United States’ side of the fence, the average household income is about $30,000, most residents have at least a high school diploma and the government offers programs like Medicare to provide financial support to the elderly in retirement. On the other side of the fence, the citizens of Nogales, Mexico, have an average household income that’s about one-third of their American neighbors’ income in Nogales, Ariz. Crime is rampant, and workers with at least a high school education are scarce. What’s more, there’s widespread corruption in government and the infant mortality rate is high.
So, what’s the cause of the great disparity in the standard of living and economic prosperity between these two cities? I’ll give you a hint: it’s not the people. Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Mexico, share the same culture, geography and, essentially, the same people.
It turns out that the political and economic institutions within a county are far more important than geography and culture in determining the economic prosperity of that country. The United States has political institutions that prevent the government from arbitrarily expropriating land or stealing a business’ profit. The U.S. government also provides quality sanitation, infrastructure and educational institutions. Nogales, Mexico, underprovides these services to its citizens, resulting in a less educated, healthy and efficient citizenry, and lower economic productivity.
Countries with inclusive political institutions—that is, political intuitions that protect all citizens’ civil liberties in addition to affirming all-inclusive voting rights—are more successful, as measured by prosperity, and well-being indices. That’s why the United States has experienced so much success since its founding.
Those who vote have their interests represented. Those who don’t vote don’t have their rights represented in Washington. It’s as simple as that. It is our moral responsibility as citizens of the United States to cast our vote today. Not just to have our voice heard in Washington but to affirm this nation’s inclusive political institutions.
Now go get your vote on people!
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