Julia Maskivker forcefully argues that every democratic citizen has a duty to cast an informed vote. Doing so contributes to a beneficial collective activity that improves others' lives. In making this argument, Maskivker offer powerful challenges to those pessimists who see voters as invincibly ignorant, who find individuals' votes insignificant because they have only a negligible impact, or who argue that there is nothing "special" about voting, since it is only
one among many way to advance the public good. This book is a powerful and well-written corrective to recent skepticism about democracy and the value of political participation. It deserves a wide readership.
Julia Maskivker is Associate Professor of Political Science at Rollins College. She is a political theorist whose research includes issues on distributive justice, equality, and democratic theory.
