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Capacity-testing as a means of increasing political inclusion

Abstract
Some competent political actors, primarily young people and the cognitively impaired, are excluded from political participation by modern liberal democratic states. This exclusion occurs because the means utilized by states to distinguish between competent citizens (who must be included) and incompetent ones (who may be excluded) are imperfect. They include age restrictions on enfranchisement and, commonly, legal restrictions on enfranchisement for those with cognitive disabilities. Capacity-testing provides a means to improve on these existing mechanisms for exclusion. It is not, however, often suggested, nor seen as viable. Here, I argue that we should utilize capacity-testing to more effectively include capable citizens in our democratic practice. I defend a particular scope and kind of capacity-testing against common objections.
Type
Journal Article
Type of thesis
Series
Citation
Munn, N. (2012). Capacity-testing as a means of increasing political inclusion. Democratization, published online on 28 April 2013.
Date
2012
Publisher
Routledge
Degree
Supervisors
Rights
This is an author’s accepted version of an article published in the journal: Democratization. © 2013 Taylor & Francis. Full text is embargo until November 2014.