Situation 5: Votes for sale
I strongly disapprove of this situation. By selling a vote in any democratic society the voter is actually voting for governmental corruption, complete economic segregation, and the eventual destruction of the entire democratic system of government. Likewise, the buyer of votes is indirectly making the statement that they deserve complete political control over everyone simply because they have money. Not only does the buying of votes completely undermine democracy, it completely destroys the possibility of fair government of any type.
Another reason that I disapprove of this situation is that any politician who buys votes most likely has two main reasons for doing so. Either they can't get enough people to vote for them, a condition which entails massive public disapproval resulting from major flaws in the candidate, or they think that the best way to win people over is by paying them off, which indicates a basic corruption of character that is most likely very deep rooted. Both of these factors, as well as any other reason a candidate may have to behave this way, unmistakably reveal total unworthiness of the holding of any political office.
In view of these ideas, there is no way to run a fair government without prohibiting the practice of selling votes. Not only is prohibition absolutely necessary, but complete prohibition is the only possible way to be sure that the democratic process is upheld. Perhaps the best way to bring about this total prohibition is not only by laws, but also by making the people of the country aware of why this is such a problem, thus making the selling of votes not only illegal, but also socially unacceptable. This, fortunately enough, seems to be the very case in our society today.
Deciding which things in any society are to be bought or sold is always a very complex task, if it is to be decided at all. First of all, the decision must be based on what is best for the people. This is probably the most important factor in making the decision. Secondly, the most commonly accepted morals of the population must also be taken into careful consideration. Finally the need for the product or service proposed for sale must also be assessed. Granted, the situation at hand is given enough thought, if the decision is carefully based on all of these factors, and the results are attentively monitored for problems, it should be possible to make the correct decision on the issue of what should be bought or sold in a society.