UNIVERSITA’ DEGLI STUDI DI URBINO “CARLO BO” – FACOLTA’ DI LINGUE E LETTERATURE STRANIERE

ESAME DI LINGUA INGLESE II [LOC, CL 1, CL 2, CL 3] – AGOSTO 2012

2nd YEAR READING COMPREHENSION & COMPOSITION

The case for compulsory voting

The turnout of voters in local elections is often considerably low, but falling participation is not the fundamental problem facing British democracy. The far greater challenge concerns the growing inequality in turnout at the polls, which gives an unfair influence to those that vote. Electoral participation is falling fastest among the young and the least affluent. (1)_____ around 76% of voters from the top social class voted, compared with just 57% of voters from the bottom social class. This social-class gap has tripled since 1992, suggesting that the political voice of the well-off remains strong, while that of the poor gets weaker. The age-gap is even starker: younger voters are massively outnumbered by elderly ones, with 76% of those aged over 65 voting in 2010, compared to just 44% of 18-24 year olds. This gap between the voting power of the young and old has grown over time. Worse still, there is now clear evidence of a generation effect: those that don’t vote when young are less likely to develop the habit of voting when older.

The consequences of varying rates of electoral participation seem to have a profound effect on government policy. Worrying evidence from the US suggests that non-voters are much less well-represented than voters. Surely it cannot be coincidental that recent government spending cuts in the UK have disproportionately affected the young and the poor – precisely those groups that vote with least frequency. Why have there been cuts in the ‘Education Maintenance Allowance’ and increases in tuition fees, while for elderly people their free bus passes and discounts on winter heating payments have been preserved? Indeed the ageing of the baby-boomer generation is strengthening the power of elderly voters over younger non-voters. (2)_____ this means governments will probably continue to direct their scarce economic resources towards the health service and state pensions, at the expense of investing in other important areas.

Increasing electoral participation is not just a nice idea, it is something to be strived for, if elections should serve the needs of all citizens. So how can rates of electoral participation be increased, particularly among ‘hard-to-reach’ groups including the young and the poor?

Research demonstrates that the most effective – albeit controversial - way of boosting participation is to make electoral participation compulsory. This is currently the case in approximately a quarter of the world’s democracies, including Belgium and Australia, though in no case is voting itself required by law; what is mandatory is attendance at the polls. Not all of these countries actively enforce the legal requirement to turn out on election-day, but among those that do, citizens who do not attend the polling stations are usually punished with small fines. Countries that use such sanctions have turnout levels around 12-13% higher than ones where electoral attendance is voluntary. Moreover, countries that make electoral participation a legal requirement also have higher levels of satisfaction with democracy, lower levels of wealth inequality and less corruption. Compulsory turn-out at the polls may be sufficiently radical to shake into political action the younger and less affluent sectors of the electorate, but not too radical to be unacceptable to most citizens. After all, there are many 'compulsory' aspects of our lives, from going to school to annual MOTs, to jury service, to completion of the census.

(3)_____, many non-voters do not believe that today’s political leaders are responsive to their wants and grievances. Some say politicians have little incentive to respond to the views of groups which have low rates of electoral participation. The result is a cycle of disaffection and under-representation which can only be broken by change. Adding a small measure of compulsion to our electoral process would significantly help make our political institutions more universally representative and address the problem of growing political inequality.

Adapted from the original article by Lodge & Birch, The New Statesman, 28 April 2012

INSTRUCTIONS (N.B. Marks will be deducted if you fail to comply with these instructions !)

  • Time allowed: 3 hours totalDictionary allowed: mono- and bilingual
  • Write ALL answers (for parts 1 & 2) on the blank answer-sheet provided, and not on this question-sheet.
  • Use blue or black pen only. The use of correction fluid is not permitted.
  • Print your surname, first name and ‘Corso di Laurea’ (LOC, CL 1, 2 or 3) in the top right hand corner of each sheet of paper.
  • Write clearly, leaving narrow margins to the left and right of your text, and do both parts of the paper - (1) and (2).
  • Remember that you should support your answers with explanations and reference to the text, but express the ideas using YOUR OWN WORDS where possible. If you quote directly from the text, use inverted commas.
  • Put a single line through any pages of rough work before you hand in your work.

PART (1):

COMPREHENSION - Having read the previous text, answer the following questions basing your answers on the information given (do NOT write your answers on this question-sheet – ALL answers must be written on the blank answer-paper provided). Use your OWN WORDS where possible.

  1. The following expressions have been removed from the text. On your answer sheet, show where you think they should go by matching the letters with the numbers – e.g. a) 2; b) 3; etc.

(a)In an age of financial crisis

(b) As it currently stands

(c) At the last general election

  1. Which facts about electoral participation in British elections are given in the first paragraph?
  1. According to the article, what is the possible link between electoral participation and government spending?
  1. How does compulsory electoral participation work in many countries?
  1. How are today’s politicians viewed by many of the citizens who do not participate in elections? Why?
  1. Translation – translate into Italian the following passage, taken from the text:

Compulsory turn-out at the polls may be sufficiently radical to shake into political action the younger and less affluent sectors of the electorate, but not too radical to be unacceptable to most citizens. After all, there are many 'compulsory' aspects of our lives, from going to school to annual MOTs, to jury service, to completion of the census.

  1. Explain the meaning of the following sentences or phrases, rewriting them in your own words:

(a)the political voice of the well-off remains strong, while that of the poor gets weaker (paragraph 1, line 5);

(b)Increasing electoral participation is not just a nice idea, it is something to be strived for (paragraph 3, line 1);

(c)in no case is voting itself required by law; what is mandatory is attendance at the polls (paragraph 4, line 3)

  1. For each of the following words, find a term or expression in the paragraph indicated which is an exact synonym:

(a)costs (paragraph 2); (b) encouraging (paragraph 4); (c) complaints (paragraph 5)

  1. Which of the following statements support the ideas expressed in the article? (On your answer sheet, simply write the letter of each statement, followed by ‘Yes’ or ‘No’)

(a)Many young people don’t vote, but they will probably vote when they are older.

(b)Most citizens would find compulsory electoral participation too extreme.

(c)Electoral participation is not compulsory in most of the world’s democracies.

PART (2): WRITE A COMPOSITION (about 250 words) on ONE of the following titles ( It is not necessary to copy the title, but DO NOT FORGET to indicate “A” or “B” at the start of your composition):

A – Should electoral participation be compulsory, or should citizens be at liberty to decide whether or not to attend the polls and vote? Give your own reasons to support your answer.

B – Do many young people vote and take an interest in politics in your country? Do you think it is important that youngpeople in particular take an interest in politics? Give your own reasons to support your answer.