Did You Say that Voting is Ridiculous? : Using South Park to Teach Public Choice

This note describes an approach to teaching the public choice perspectives on voting using an episode from Comedy Central's animated television show, South Park. The episode titled, “Douche and Turd,” demonstrates the near-zero value of an individual vote, the intrinsic value individuals place on the act of voting itself, problems arising when voters must choose amongst undesirable candidates rather than issues, and the role of political campaigning; and mirrors public perception regarding the 2004 presidential campaign between George W. Bush and John Kerry