For a nation that seems ready and willing to invade others with the intention of spreading our system of democracy, we don't do a very good job of practicing it ourselves. I don't mean to say that we're being secretly oppressed by a shadow government hell-bent on maintaining the illusion of citizen rule. Our system of government, flawed though it may be, remains a marvel of citizens participation in government rarely seen throughout history. What I mean is that we, the people, do a poor job of realizing this fact and putting our privilege to good use.According to the Federal Elections Commission's Electoral and Popular Vote Summary, only 122 million people exercised their right to vote in the 2004 presidential election. That's well under half the country. That's pretty sad. Whether our system works or not, our soldiers are killing in its name all over the world and taking more than a few hits themselves. With this in mind, it seems like poor form to continue ignoring our privilege.

Now, I haven't sunk far enough into a mentality of self-deprecation to attribute our lack of participation to laziness. That's the stereotypes talking; the European image of a fat and complacent America. Nope. I still believe that we are a comparably well-educated, ambitious and perceptive nation with no shortage of politically motivated activists. However, I do believe that it is this same sense of perception that has turned more and more citizens away from the ballot box.

As I see it, the fundamental principle behind our system is that the citizenry will have a say in the direction of our nation by the power of their individual votes. It sounds great on paper, but what happens when people start becoming unsure of exactly what they're voting for?

As politicians pander to more groups, moving toward an ambiguous centrist platform, it becomes harder for voters to remain confident in their own decisions. Politicians have a history of betraying their constituents, riding their votes into office and then selling out to more politically profitable interests. This kind of political pandering is nothing new, but after 232 years, it's bound to begin eroding the people's confidence in the system.

In recent elections, this kind of concern has manifested itself in the form of "flip-flop" accusations, most notable in 2004 when Republicans were attacking Democratic nominee John Kerry. In that case, the accusations were frivolous and overblown attacks on the senator's sense of flexibility, but the truth is that drastic shifts in policy before and after elections may be contributing to the decline in voter participation.

A prime example can be found in my op-ed from last week, in which I scolded Barack Obama for his shift in policy over the summer months. Surely some people who voted for him in the primaries feel betrayed and even outraged that their liberal hero shifted so far to the center.

What happens the next time a candidate comes along, spouting the same rhetoric? Whether that candidate stays true to his ethos or not, it's unlikely that he'll get those same voters to support him.

So, though I don't support some people's decision to abstain from voting, I can certainly understand it. It may not be out of laziness that people don't vote, but rather a fear that their votes won't count, or worse, be used in the support of an atrocity. What's worse is that as the more perceptive and practical minds desert the system, they will be leaving it in the hands of extremists and simpletons who can be swayed by the power of a 15-second television ad.