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Should voting age be reduced
Consequences of lowering the voting age
Consequences of lowering the voting age
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THE VOTING AGE
How did the senators and the mayors of each state rose to their power? It all came from the power of the citizens, and that is to vote. Voting is one of the rights given to us from the law. In the course of history, several reforms were made about the age limit of voting until it was limited to eighteen years of age. However, there has been a lot of arguments recently about lowering the voting age further to sixteen. According to the first article, the voting age should be maintained, and I completely agree with the writer of the first article. Even if the voting age would be moved to sixteen, the percentage of voters would decrease further and the government should focus more on making the people participate and using their voting rights.
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Based on the statistics, it is implied that even at a legal age, these young adults are not even interested in voting, so why would the voting age limit be decreased? It is not related to the voting percentage at all because there are other things to give focus more. In the second article, although the elderly can influence the voter turnout more based on percentage, if the government can influence more of the young adults to vote, then there would be more voters. The voter turnout is not the focus here, rather how can each and everyone be made to vote. The age limit must not be moved simply because the government should focus more on two things: educating the young people with their power to vote and making voting for other people
It’s very unsettling to know that there was a six percent decrease in young voters (ages 18-29) in the 2012 election compared to 2008 (Circle Youth data). In 2007 the National Conference of State Legislatures publicly released a report and data set on voter turnout in democratic countries. This is a quote from that report titled Getting out the Vote, “It should be noted that in 1972, 18-year-olds were added to the eligible voting population, thus decreasing the percentages. Nonetheless, voter tu...
The first support Kamenetz argues is, the 2008 presidential campaign brought in the most voters under the age of 29 in history. If the voting age would be decreased, there would be more voters under the young adult category. There would be an increase of voters, including those under the age of eighteen.
We knocked on the door of the off-campus apartment, as it opened we were confronted with the heavy stench of alcohol. A young girl was passed out on the living room floor, a pile of empty beer cans filled the kitchen sink, and the deafening music rattled the window panes. A group of girls managed to stumble past us. They waved goodbye to the host, who was handing drinks to me and my sister. It was not my first time drinking. In fact, everyone there was quite experienced – after all, it’s college. Half of the guests were completely drunk, and I had no problem with it. That is, until later that night when my sister locked herself in a room with a guy she had met only a week before. This prompted me to seriously consider the effects of alcohol. Would my sister have been able to see the danger of the situation had she been sober? Would the absence of alcohol have prevented the events of that night from occurring? These questions, along with the vivid memory of that night, fueled my examination of the complex social problem of underage drinking.
Lawmakers should not consider lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. Despite the deep value this country places on freedom, personal liberties, and personal responsibilities, the data shows that public safety is greatly at risk if the drinking age were to be lowered to twenty-one. A variety of groups believe that the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen deeming that the twenty-one law is unconstitutional. On the opposing side, people agree that the law helps to protect our young people and the communities where they live.
If the voting age is lowered, it is true that a higher voter turnout would be a result. Other countries such as Belgium, Germany, and Austria have a lower voting age and enjoy a higher percentage of voter turnout. Belgium ranks at 93% voter participation, while the U.S. trails behind at just 38% turnout in congressional elections. These facts seem to indicate that a lower voting age has a direct impact on voter participation. However, there is no concrete proof that a lower voting age directly impacts voter turnout. I believe the problem lies deeper than age.
Turning 18, one becomes an adult, however there are still many things that are restricted and not allowed until one reaches an even older age. The most controversial today is the minimum legal drinking age. Much like in the 1920s, when prohibition was established by the 18th amendment and all alcohol was banned from the United States, underground binge drinking occurred resulting in the opposite of what the law was intended to do. Then in 1933, the 21st amendment overturned that law, making alcohol legal again. Further down the timeline, in 1980 Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was founded to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy. From their efforts, the federal government put in place a law that would revoke ten percent of any states highway funding who did not have their minimum legal drinking age set to 21. Immediately in 1984, all states raised their legal drinking ages to 21 in fear of being withheld the funding. Today, 30 years later, the law is still in place, however a debate has sprung up in support of lowering the drinking age back to 18. The group Amethyst Initiative, which has gained support from prestigious universities such as Dartmouth, Duke, and Virginia Tech, started this uproar. Through this, the question emerged, should the legal drinking age be lowered back to 18, and what would result if it happens? There are three positions on this issue. Position one wants to keep the drinking age as is, like Matt Nagin in “Top 3 Reasons Why the Drinking Age Should Not be Lowered.” Position two wants the legal drinking age to be lowered back to 18, like Dale Archer M.D. in “The Pros and Cons of Drinking at 18.” And position th...
Imagine for a moment that senior citizens were denied the right to vote. Imagine senior citizens being thought of as too incompetent to vote because some senior citizens are senile. Can you imagine such a large percentage of the American public being denied the right to vote – simply on account of their age? It cannot happen in America, right? Not in a free country, a country where the people control the government, not the other way around? It can happen. It does happen. Only, it does not happen to senior citizens – once they get the right to vote they keep it for life. It happens to young people – people below eighteen years of age. Youth are denied the right to vote solely on account of their age.
For example, Alaska only has 1 representative, California has the most in the USA. Members are elected by the people for 2-year terms, all terms running for the same period of time.. Both the Senators and the Representatives must be residents of the State from which they are chosen. In addition, a Senator must be at. least 30 years of age and must have been a citizen of the United States.
Teens are expected to follow the law, right? So why don’t we have any say in making it? The legal voting age in the United States should be changed from 18 to 16 years old. Teenagers want to display their voices, gain civic responsibility, and choose how their government runs.
At first the minimum voting age was being considered was 16 years.The last debate dealt with lowering the voting age to 13 years. Reducing the minimum voting age from 18 to 13 years has a lot of disadvantages with this change. Disadvantages of lowering the voting age to 13 are there are important decisions that a thirteen year old can't make. Voting decisions are very important and a 13 year old
The article states young people read less newspapers and listen to less news on the radio. The statistic frames it as if younger people are not as aware of current events. In reality, younger people are simply less likely to use such methods to get their news. The author fails to mention the statistics of how many people and what demographics read internet news publications. The best way to increase voter turnout among young people is to demonstrate how their vote does matter. Since young people do not tend to vote, the demographic is small so their voice is suppressed. This discourages younger people from voting, further suppressing their voices. In order to increase turnout the cycle has to be broken. As the article states, teaching and encouraging voting at a young age through school is a possible solution. Education is a useful tool to build the foundations of voting habits. The trend of millennials and voting is rather misleading. It is not so much that younger people care less, it’s that they have different perspectives and attitudes. Even though some people choose not to vote, I am excited to be able to vote next November and be and take advantage of the liberty we are given as
To lower the voting age only seems like a good idea. "According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, only 38% of voters in the 18 - 24 age group voted in 2012". "In 2012, 62% of the youngest voters showed disinterest in the political process by not voting". Having younger voters would be beneficial as long as, we can have better turnouts. America ranks at the bottom of developed nations in turnout. If we can't even get the legal aged citizens to vote, How do we expect to get younger people to? One would think that pushing the headline that " Your vote matters." , would drive everyone to make a change. To have there voice heard. I unfortunately can't see a good enough reason to not give our young ones a chance to make a difference. "Austria, One
Lowering the voting age to 16 will allow for a higher voting percenting from the younger audiance. Young children learn more about todays politics from government classes to know who they want to vote for. The first passage it states that only 38% of voters from the age 18 - 24 voted bringing the age down to 16 - 24 will have a much higher voting percentage; and as well as decreasing the age limit teaching the younger groups how to get involved
Lowing the voting age would instantly increase the number of voters, by 70 to 80 %. 18 to 16 years of age will improve voters turnout, laws, and more law makers ideals. However in other countries,voting at a young age is at a very high particpation. Amercians rank at the lowest, although we are the the land of the free and the land of the braves. Voting at a young age will also, put our country at risk. Law makers will be brieving under age voters to vote for them for exchange of gifts. All sorts of things mite happen, to our country due to the fact most young people from the age 16 to 18 are not responsible. Most of my essay sounds a bit silly , but the facts are true. Having younger voters to vote is a very good ideal if you ask me. There
Denying youth the right to vote isn’t the same as denying women or racial minorities, according to opponents, since in a few years young people will grow up and be able to vote. Why go through the trouble to lower the age to 16 when after two years they’ll be able to vote anyways? Were it that simple, then perhaps, but it isn’t. Would it be acceptable to limit the right to vote to those with a certain income, reasoning that it is a flexible standard, those will less income must only work harder or wait till they too make enough to vote? No it wouldn’t. Voters vote based on their individual circumstances, when those circumstances change often so do their voting habits. The concerns of a 14-year-old are different than that of a 24-year-old, just as the concerns of a poor man differ from that of a rich man. The beliefs and priorities of 16-year-olds as a class are unique to them; we cannot expect former 16-year-olds to have as accurate a perspective as those who are currently that age. If we care at all about the needs and desires of youth, they must be allowed to vote for