Voting today. The introduction of universal suffrage in the 19th and 20th century meant a triumph of individualism and rationalism. Now that the extension of the franchise has ceased to be a problem, is is the equality of voters and the directness of the ballot that are being threatened by the activity of party machines, trade unions, pressure groups, etc.
Examples from majority and P. R. systems are given. The problem is whether one vote should have one value or occupational groups should have an extra weight as such in parliamentary assemblies. There seems to be some hesitation to introduce functional representation in legislation, though members of occupational groups may indeed,
by their influence on parties, have that extra weight which is denied to ordinary voters. In modern society this unequality in electoral matters coincides with a growing power of economic associations and may therefore, in a certain sense, be justified. Universal, equal and direct suffrage seems to have been only a short episode in Western history.
