Should Expatriates Vote?

It is contended that preserving expatriates' enfranchisement rights is essentially incompatible with democratic ideals. Although political inclusion is a fundamental component of democracy, it is asserted that some criteria for ascertaining inclusion are flawed; it is noted that the primacy of the concept of self-determination has resulted in the principle of unrestricted inclusion in contemporary democratic governments. Nevertheless, it is stressed that some critics believe that inclusion should be limited to those with an affected interest in a nation's politics, while others support restricting inclusion to actual national subjects. Four arguments that support the extension of enfranchisement rights to expatriates are introduced & subsequently repudiated; although expatriates contend that local & national events in their native homelands continue to affect their lives, it is maintained that affected interest is an inadequate argument for retaining one's political rights. Therefore, it is concluded that enfranchisement should be extended only to those subjects whose lives will be directly affected by a government's decisions. J. W. Parker