A Device We Deserve
A Device We Deserve*
Whenever my dad is upset at the evening news, he quotes George Bernard Shaw: “Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”¹ This always strikes me as disturbingly true. If we are to embrace democracy as collective self-rule, we must accept the logical conclusion that democracy is what democrats make of it and face the consequences.
The question, then, is how we can make the best of that device?
I look at what has been unfolding in my home country, Bulgaria - seven parliamentary elections within five years, voter turnout down to 34.4% in June 2024,² radical parties on both the far left and far right gaining ground³, while most of us watch from the sofa.
Doesn’t it follow that the right to vote should also be an obligation?
In countries where voting is mandatory, turnout is indeed higher, elected governments have a broader base, and the risk of capture by well-organized minorities or wealthy interests is reduced.⁴
Isn’t that a good enough reason?
I will claim it is not and that the reasoning is more dangerous than it first appears.
The easy objection is about liberal freedom: forcing people to vote may be compatible with democracy in some technical sense, if democrats decide collectively that they want to live in a society without basic freedoms, including the freedom not to vote, this will still be, strictly speaking, a democracy, but not the one I would endorse or advocate.
There is, however, a deeper objection. Making voting mandatory, threatening non-voters with fines or sanctions, will damage precisely the bond between citizens and democratic government that makes democracy worth having.⁵ A democracy sustained by threat may secure higher turnout, but not the thing that turnout is supposed to represent.
Democracy is not just a device or a procedure. It is a type of society where people have not only the right, but also the willingness to govern their common affairs.⁶ This willingness requires genuine effort, a readiness to set aside convenience and self-interest (say, to read a book or go dancing, rather than vote). Force cannot produce it. What it produces instead is resentment.
The real challenge, then, is not how to compel people to vote, but how to make them want to. This probably begins with teaching the importance of voting at school. But none of this will succeed if people don’t have the material conditions to exercise their vote - the time, the energy, the practical conditions to participate.⁷ If they are overworked, exhausted from childcare and other domestic responsibilities, they would not only lack the will to participate in political life, but will experience the obligation to vote as oppressive, as something that adds to already impossible burdens.⁸ This would not make people embrace democracy. On the contrary, it will alienate them from it.
Bulgaria does not need a law that forces its citizens to the ballot box. It needs a society worth voting for. No fine has ever built one.
References:
1. Shaw, G.B. The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism. London: Penguin, 2009 [1928].
2. Central Election Commission (Bulgaria). 2024. Results from the Elections for National Assembly, 9 June 2024. Sofia: CEC. https://www.cik.bg
3. Freedom House. Nations in Transit 2024: Bulgaria. Washington, DC: Freedom House, 2024. freedomhouse.org.
4. Lijphart, A. “Unequal Participation: Democracy’s Unresolved Dilemma.” American Political Science Review 91, no. 1 (1997): 1–14.
5. Habermas, J. Between Facts and Norms. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996.
6. Tocqueville, A. de. Democracy in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
7. Azmanova, A. Capitalism on Edge: How Fighting Precarity Can Achieve Radical Change Without Crisis or Utopia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2020.
8. Diamond, L. “Facing Up to the Democratic Recession.” Journal of Democracy 26, no. 1 (2015): 141–155.
*This paper was written for The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition, 2026 in category “Argumentative”
I really enjoyed reading Ivan Karadanov’s essay. It feels polished, intellectually serious, and written with a voice that sounds distinctly personal and reflective. Ivan takes a clear stance against mandatory voting, and I appreciate how he frames democracy as a “device” that reflects the quality of citizens’ engagement. The Bulgaria example is especially strong, because it grounds the argument in a real political context rather than staying purely theoretical. I also think the essay’s structure is compelling, because Ivan uses rhetorical questions to draw the reader forward and then pivots into a “deeper objection” that goes beyond the typical freedom argument. In terms of strengths, I see a clear thesis direction, strong argument development, logical flow, and persuasive language that feels controlled rather than emotional.
For improvement, I think Ivan could make the thesis even sharper by stating it plainly earlier. The argument builds beautifully, but some readers may want a direct one-sentence claim near the beginning that signals exactly where the essay will land. I also want slightly more explicit explanation of the mechanism behind “resentment” and “alienation.” The idea is powerful, but I want Ivan to illustrate how compulsory voting changes behavior in practice, such as protest voting, disengagement, or compliance without deliberation. Finally, the counterargument is present, but I would like Ivan to give the pro-mandatory side one additional strong point, such as reducing capture by extremists, then rebut it more directly so the essay feels fully airtight.
I recommend refining the thesis into a clear sentence early, then adding one concrete example of how coercion can raise turnout while lowering meaningful participation. I also recommend tightening a couple of transitions so the essay’s shift from freedom to the deeper objection feels even more seamless. Lastly, I would end by circling back to the opening Shaw quote in the final lines, because Ivan already has the perfect framing for a full-circle ending that would make the conclusion feel even more memorable.