Rational Voting in European Parliament Elections: A Critical Reply to Wolkenstein

Abstract

This essay is a critical reply to Professor Wolkenstein's recent article (2020) "Epistemic Barriers to Rational Voting: The Case of European Parliament Elections." Professor Wolkenstein offers a theoretical account by answering the question of whether voting in European Parliament elections, which is the only election for a supranational parliament on the world, can be rational. By analyzing three scenarios in which voters have different reasons to vote, the article argues that even though casting a rational vote is possible in EP elections, voters face more epistemic and motivational barriers to be able to vote rationally in comparison to national elections. Concomitantly, the article suggests that the existence and increasing level of the salience of transnational party groups might help people to cast a rational vote in EP elections by alleviating the epistemic and motivational burdens on the voters' shoulders. In the following paragraphs, I will present a brief review of the article alongside a critical assessment of it by providing comments and suggestions.