Includes bibliographical references and index.

Voting as an ethical issue -- Arguments for a duty to vote -- Civic virtue without politics -- Wrongful voting -- Deference and abstention -- For the common good -- Buying and selling votes -- How well do voters behave?

Nothing is more integral to democracy than voting. Most people believe that every citizen has the civic duty or moral obligation to vote, that any sincere vote is morally acceptable, and that buying, selling, or trading votes is inherently wrong. In this book, the author challenges our fundamental assumptions about voting, revealing why it is not a duty for most citizens--in fact, he argues, many people owe it to the rest of us not to vote.