📋 WRITTEN ABILITY TEST (WAT)/ESSAY ANALYSIS GUIDE

🌟 Understanding Mandatory Voting’s Importance

Mandatory voting reflects the tension between individual liberty and collective responsibility. It is a relevant topic for B-school essays due to its implications for governance, inclusivity, and resource management.

📝 Effective Planning and Writing

• ⏳ Time Allocation: Planning (5 min), Writing (20 min), Reviewing (5 min).
• 📌 Preparation Tips:
  • Identify global examples and statistics.
  • Note contrasting stakeholder perspectives.

💡 Introduction Techniques for Essays

• 🔹 Contrast Approach: “While Australia enjoys over 90% voter turnout due to mandatory voting, global turnout struggles to cross 70%, raising questions about its necessity.”
• 🔹 Solution-Based Approach: “Declining voter turnout challenges democratic legitimacy. Could mandatory voting offer a practical solution?”
• 🔹 Philosophical Approach: “Can democracy thrive without active participation, or does enforced voting undermine its essence?”

📊 Structuring the Essay Body

• 🏆 Achievements: Highlight increased participation and reduced polarization using data from countries like Belgium and Australia.
• ⚠️ Challenges with Comparative Analysis: Discuss freedom of choice issues and enforcement hurdles, referencing Bolivia’s struggles.
• 🔮 Future Outlook: Suggest solutions like civic education and technology integration to enhance implementation.

✅ Concluding Effectively

• ⚖️ Balanced Perspective: “Mandatory voting addresses civic disengagement but needs supportive systems like education and simplified enforcement.”
• 🌍 Global Comparison: “While Australia exemplifies the success of mandatory voting, countries must tailor solutions to cultural and logistical realities.”

🔍 Analyzing Successes and Shortcomings

🏆 Achievements:

• Broader political participation.
• Reduced socio-economic disparities in representation.

⚠️ Ongoing Challenges:

• Enforcement costs.
• Risks of voter dissatisfaction due to coercion.

🌍 Global Context:

• 🇦🇺 Australia: Success story.
• 🇧🇷 Brazil: Balances enforcement with voter education programs.

💡 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• Develop comprehensive civic education campaigns.
• Use technology for cost-effective implementation.
• Tailor penalties to cultural sensibilities.

🖋️ Sample Short Essays on Mandatory Voting

⚖️ Balanced Perspective:

Mandatory voting enhances democratic legitimacy but risks coercion. Australia’s success highlights its potential, while cases like Bolivia underscore the need for localized approaches.

🛠️ Solution-Oriented:

Declining voter turnout threatens democracy. Mandatory voting, paired with robust civic education, can address this challenge effectively.

🌍 Global Comparison:

From Australia’s success to Bolivia’s challenges, mandatory voting offers lessons on balancing participation with individual freedoms.

🎓 Conclusion

This framework provides a robust guide for both GD and WAT preparation on this crucial topic.