Self-Interested Voting
It’s election day in the United States. Fang still hasn’t made up her mind who to vote for. It’s been a long cycle, and the two main contenders are all but tied in the polls. They both have extensive political experience, and would most likely make equally effective Presidents if elected. So, for Fang, it comes down to their policy platforms.
On the one side, Governor Candi Date represents a party that seeks to raise taxes on the wealthy to support programs for the poorest of the country’s citizens. Governor Date had much success enacting policies like this in her state. For instance, she levied a heavy tax on the top 10% of earners to expand government-provided healthcare programs for the unemployed. On the other side, Senator Hope Full represents a party that seeks to slash taxes on the wealthy, who provide large donations to her party and her campaign. Senator Full has had much success getting bills with policy measures like this to be voted on in Congress. For instance, she recently sponsored a bill that proposed a flat rate of income tax for all earners. This would be a radical change from the current graded income tax system whereby those who earn more pay a higher percentage of their earnings. Senator Full’s bill didn’t pass, but it’s the kind of policy that she has promised to enact if she and her party win in the election.
Fang is a wealthy professional who makes around $130,000 a year. That puts her in the top 10% of earners and so she would be subject to the kind of tax increases that Governor Date would be likely to implement. Moreover, she’d have to pay significantly less tax if Senator Full wins the election. Fang thinks that she is well off, but could use the extra money. She has an expensive mortgage, and two children who will soon be going to college; she wants to help pay their tuition. Moreover, she has debt from previous medical bills. Fang is not at immediate financial risk, but the extra money from Senator Full’s likely tax cuts would allow her to clear her debts and better help her children.
While this speaks in favor of voting for Full, Fang is conflicted. She believes it extremely important for everyone to have access to healthcare; if she hadn’t had healthcare when she was previously ill, she would now be bankrupt instead of merely in debt. Governor Date’s policies are unlikely to help her personally—they’ll make her worse-off financially—but Fang thinks voting for Date is the morally correct decision. Fang has asked her friends for advice and gotten two conflicting recommendations, both of which sound plausible to her. In favor of Date, she’s heard that voting is an action like any other, to be morally evaluated on its own merits. But, in favor of Full, she’s heard that the whole point of representative democracy is to vote in your own interest.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Is it morally wrong to vote in your own interest at the expense of others?
Is it permissible to vote for a candidate even if you think that’s not the morally correct decision?
Would Fang be hypocritical if she voted for Senator Full? Does that matter, morally speaking?
