I turned 18 right before the 2000 US presidential election. I stood in line to cast my vote against George W. Bush. My vote was negated by a corrupt court. It hurt. I've never given a shit about voting since, although I've always participated in the dreadful act, as I can't seem to break the habit. Or, I feel indifference toward voting, but I'd feel worse not voting. That said, I think democracy has its upside, and I'm glad that you are able to participate in yours. It still beats the hell out of the alternative.
The US isn't a democracy. It's a republic. EDIT: The "it's a republic" comment was meant to point out my superior intellect and immense knowledge of all political issues. If any of you ever need any advice on who to elect as the next PotUS, just message me. Spoiler: You need to vote for Ron Paul. Damn those who think the government should have control over healthcare, we're not Canada. We need to keep our ideals separate. This is all just some master plan to merge the US and Canada into a super-country that will rule North America. People will then rebel in retaliation to the merger, and a violent war will be waged from either side of the border. Hockey pucks will be found lodged into Americans' skulls; there will be a note left in the victims' breast pocket reading "I'm sorry." Canadians will be found lying on the side of the road, dying. Cholesterol overdose from the invasion of American fast food. No apology. This is war.
If you're talking about that study, there are some serious methodological problems with it. First an foremost, it simply assumes that because government actions are more likely to align with the interests of the wealthy than those of the larger population, the wealthy must wield the power, while, as they say in the study, it is largely accounted for by the massive status quo bias of a bicameral legislature and the other checks and balances of the federal government.
I turned 18 right before the 1992 US presidential election, so I stood in line to cast my vote against George H. Bush. My vote helped keep that shitheel to one term. It was glorious. I've given too much of a shit about voting since, although deep down in my heart I know that I'm definitely not the "swing" that actually decides elections. That said, I've voted absentee for pushing twenty years now which means the wife and I sit down with our ballots and a bottle of wine and go through the literature several weeks before we need to. If I still lived up by my uncle's I'd go over to his "election parties" where the entire clan assembles to hash shit out drunk. It's pretty awesome as my cousin is a radical left-wing prepper and my pseudo-aunt worked for the US Chamber for 30 years. My kinda blood sport.
I recently watched a documentary on George H Bush and first of all, skip it, but there was one interesting part..When he was asked to comment on Ross Perot and what he did for that election, Bush refused and said the only thing I can say is that "I don't like him, I don't like him one bit." -The entire documentary he's affable and grandfatherly, with a pleasant enough demeanor then Perot is mentioned and his whole face changes. -hatred.
Every generation needs a Strom Thurmond, I guess. I just wish mine hadn't been goddamn Ralph Nader.
Never heard of a court nullifying someone's vote here in India before, or anywhere for that matter. It is good to vote and keep oneself engaged in the socio-political structure. I somehow gives a -gasm to debate on something very much physical and current. Agreed! Democracy beats the hell out the alternative most of the time, if not all.
Ah, let me clarify. It wasn't my vote specifically. In 2000, the people of the US elected Al Gore as president. I voted for him. The Supreme Court then decided that a subset of ballots in Florida didn't count (because of some tortured legal logic), thus allowing George W. Bush to have a majority of votes in Florida. Because of our crazy electoral system, this allowed Bush to win on a technicality, even though Gore had many more total votes (and more in Florida, although some were disallowed, as I stated). It was the kind of thing that the US would have condemned outright had it happened in your country or anywhere else. Here, it was business as usual.
I suppose part of why I'm so gung-ho about voting may be that the very first election I participated in was one in which a few votes DID make a difference - the Webb vs. Allen race in 2006.