Date of Award
Spring 3-31-2025
Degree Type
Honors Thesis
Major
Politics
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Elisabeth Friedman
Second Advisor
Caitlin Kennedy
Abstract
This thesis examines the treatment of jury duty and voting in the United States through the philosophical framework of John Stuart Mill and Alexis de Tocqueville. While jury duty is legally mandated, voting remains optional, despite both civic responsibilities being foundational to democratic participation. This research explores the historical, theoretical, and practical implications of voting becoming compulsory in the United States, as it is in other democratic nations. The analysis includes a comparative case study of the impact of Australia’s mandatory voting to evaluate whether it could become compulsory in the U.S. Both philosophers offer insightful knowledge on the role of civic responsibilities to uphold representative democratic values, with Mill’s utilitarian emphasis on the common good and Tocqueville’s focus on self-interest and the role of exclusion evident in American laws. The findings suggest that compulsory voting, or an equitable voting system, could address inequities in representation and foster a more inclusive democracy.
Recommended Citation
Luttrell, Olivia Claire, "From Civic Duties to Democratic Mandates: The Theoretical Framework of Mill and Tocqueville on Compulsory Voting in the U.S." (2025). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 66.
https://repository.usfca.edu/honors/66
Included in
American Politics Commons, Applied Ethics Commons, Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, Law and Philosophy Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Law and Society Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Legal Theory Commons, Legislation Commons, Political Theory Commons
