VOTING FOR CREDIT
by Herbert I. London
Benador News
October 26, 2004

Recently faculty members at universities across the nation have decided to award credit for students who vote. At Penn State University sociology lecturer Vanitha Dayananda offers extra credit to students in her class who show proof of having voted.

"I have noticed over the years that American students are less interested in politics, unlike European (students) or students in India," Dayananda writes. "So I have been giving an incentive to vote by giving them extra credit because of their apathy. I also want them to appreciate and realize the privileges of a democratic society."

At Drew University American literature professor Merrill Skaggs has made voting in the November 2 election mandatory for her class. "I cannot think of a more urgent time for student votes than this election. If students do make a change through their voting power, people will notice. Seize your power," she said.

Low voter participation among college age students has been a source of media lamentation for some time, but offering college credit so that students will vote is bizarre to say the least.

I can imagine a situation in which my grandfather who never missed a vote in his 85 years receives a college degree for going to the polls.

I am also dismayed by Professor Skaggs belief that students "must" vote. Needless to say with her seemingly activist agenda it is clear what outcome she expects from student voting. But what if students want to register dissatisfaction with the candidates by not voting. Isn't it reasonable to assume that some people who do not vote are dissatisfied with the options?

Voting can be construed as a civic duty. Yet one is neither rewarded for nor compelled to vote. It appears that some professors have lost their way. Seized by their own enthusiasm, they have lost a sense of what voting means.

It may well be that American students are less serious about politics than their European counterparts. But if one looks at the result of student voting in Europe it is hard to believe Americans would be satisfied with Chirac and Schroder as their leaders.

At the moment colleges offer credit for life experience, effort, sincere expression and cries de coeur. For some, it is only natural that voting should be a credit bearing experience as well. Students, however, who receive this credit, are being given a distorted view of reality. The reward for voting should be psychic uplift. Presumably one recognizes and acts on his civic responsibility.

Many university professors in their zealous desire to engineer social policy have arrogated to themselves a role inconsistent with professorial duties. They want to remake society in their own image using student pawns as the instrument for this goal.

Students should vote because they want to do so, not because they must vote or because credit blandishments are offered. It's time for students to rebel against faculty manipulation. Now there's a rebellion I could support.

Herbert London is president of Hudson Institute and the John M. Olin Professor of Humanities at New York University. He is publisher of American Outlook magazine and author of the recently published book, Decade of Denial (Lexington Books), he's reachable through http://www.benadorassociates.com/.