I'm thinking that fostering a social environment where people are well educated on average and make well informed decisions, is the much more preferable option than simply compelling them to cast a ballot in order to check their name in some list somewhere, and say they've fulfilled their "social obligation", and thus wash their hands.

I agree. The problem with focusing this much on elections is that in a healthy liberal democracy, involvement in the civic and political system is something that should be year-round, not just on election day.