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Factors that affect voting turnout
Factors that affect voting turnout
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The definition of civic duty is the “responsibility of the citizen” (Self, 2016). Civic duty and civic responsibility has been a concept for a millena. “Civic responsibility man have started with Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus in 519 B.C.” (Self, 2016). This idea of civic duty dates back to Ancient Rome. When in 1787, the constitution declared, “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union…” (Baltzell, 2016) it brought attention to the fact that our country is run by its citizens. We, as a people, have the authority and job to watch after our great nation and make sure it protects all of its citizens. Accepting those around us and being an informed voter are part of our civic duty.
As Americans, our responsibilities are as follows;
Be
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This has done great things for Americans. Since the 1970s students have raised their acceptance rate of a gay teacher to 52% to 85%. (“Getting Nicer. 2015). By doing this we increase our likelihood of protecting the amendments that protect one another. Another one of our responsibilities is to protect our country and the Constitution that makes it the land of the free. Serving in the military is the main way to do this and it’s an astounding way to ensure the safety and future of our country. If we want our country to protect us we must protect it. We need to pull together and protect our rights. Protecting our rights means protecting all of our rights as Americans. We need to take into account what will be best for America as a whole. Not just the individual liberties of singular people. We need to focus on the big picture. Our country is founded on civil service. Things such as the army, policemen, judges, and juries. Without these things our country could not function the way it does. A huge portion of our country functioning is …show more content…
These people who were uneducated, the majority of them voting for Trump, saw in Trump what they’ve seen in no other candidate, and that was was that he’s not a politician. They, not having a college level understanding of the multifaceted organization government is, do not understand what all it takes to be president. Candidates with a political background will have more experience with how government works and thus be a better president. Having a higher percentile of educated Americans will increase the turnout at polls. The more research they do the more likely they are to find something they’re very passionate about and they will also realize the importance of voting. Of the country’s 232 million eligible voters only 134 million of them voted. That’s only 57% of eligible voters voting. (Gould, 2016) Americans need to get out and vote more. We need to band together and educate ourselves on the matters that affect us and other Americans. Instead of valuing personal liberty more than the freedoms of the whole, we need to step back and look at the big picture, fully taking in the consequences of our actions of how we vote, or if we don’t at
Thus, inactivity in voting threatens the very legitimacy of our government. In the recent November 7, 2013 midterm election, a few counties reported a mere 4% of eligible voters actually participated, in some cases, in voting for a policy referendum that would affect how millions of dollars would be spent in the coming years.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Few issues will motivate Americans to put down their cheeseburgers and pick up a shotgun faster than the threat of infringement upon their civil liberties. The right to choose what toothpaste to buy, what color socks to wear with those sandals, or what spiritual doctrine to follow, is fiercely defended by both conservatives and liberals alike. In fact, this commitment to personal liberty is what defines us as Americans, and sets us apart from the rest of the world (even if only in our own minds). This attitude is embodied in our presidential rhetoric:
“Illiterate citizens seldom vote. Those who do are forced to cast a vote of questionable worth. They cannot make informed decisions based on serious print information. More frequently, they vote for a face, a smile, or a style, not for a mind or character or body of beliefs. Sometimes the can be alerted to their interests by aggressive voter education
There is an intrinsic divide in American democracy, with the educated politicals on one side and the less educated politicals on the other side. It shows the deep estrangement that wounds both ways. The less educated fear they are being governed by a bunch of intellectual snobs that know nothing of their lives and experiences. The educated fear their fate hangs in the hands of a bunch of obtuse, know-nothings who have an unimpressive and illiterate
According to a study done by Nonprofit Vote only “an estimated 58.7% of eligible voters turned out to vote” ("Voter Turnout" ) in 2012’s presidential election, which is below the 62% that was achieved in 2008. (Ginsberg 306). According to the United States Census Bureau in 2012 71.2 percent of Americans reported that they were registered to vote, but only 61.8 reported that they actually did so. ("Voting and Registration"). While each source didn’t report the exact same statistics in America these percentages are considered highs in political participation. Even worse, in midterm elections voter turnout is normally closer to 33% and even lower for any local elections. (Ginsberg 306). While we may consider any of those statistics good for America, looking at world democracies we are trailing far behind, in many “European countries and other western democracies [the] national voter turnout is usually between 70 to 90 percent.”(Ginsberg 306). The question is then asked why don’t American’s vote, which is then an...
Duty is defined as a responsibility, a moral or legal obligation. As Americans, we are obligated to
Everyday we have the chance to make her own opinions and give reason to our own voice. We have the chance to live in a country that encourages freedom in society, which separate ourselves from any restrictions imposed upon by authority, actions or any political views. liberty is the power we possess to act as we please through freedom and independence. But what happens when we choose to give away our basic liberties for temporary safety? Benjamin Franklin once stated, “They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Those who decide to give away their personal freedoms for something that is temporary do not see the value in the long-lasting gift called freedom. In
Other duties include obeying the law, serving on a jury when summoned, paying taxes, voting, etc. The role of a good citizen does not end at fulfilling their duties, it begins. We must also advocate for recognized injustices in society that call for
One of the greatest problems America faces is the uninformed voter. Jonah Goldberg wrote an article in which he said, "The ignorance of the typical American when it comes to politics is often staggering." He does not mince his words in saying that he believes that normal people of society are not fit in knowledge to the extent of making a just decision of who should act as President. He is not the first to believe this however. The notion that society must be protected from itself when it comes to electing officials goes back to Ancient Greece.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once said “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” In America’s society today, some are willing to sacrifice their civil liberties in order to gain protection and security over some potential threat. Especially after the events of September 11th and several attempted bombings in U.S. cities. This sacrifice of individual freedoms such as the freedom of speech, expression, the right to information, to new technologies, and so forth, for additional protection is more of a loss than a gain. Citizens of the United States deserve equal liberty and safety overall, as someone should not have to give up one value in order to gain another. This concept of individual right goes beyond the simple idea of “individual comfort.” Personal liberties cannot be surrendered and are not to be compromised since these liberties are intangible. Individuals should not have their personal liberties exchanged for national security because individuals are guaranteed protection to these rights.
If we all hold ourselves accountable for our actions and strive to achieve above and beyond, but for the purpose of the common good of society, we will not only be setting a good example for one another, but helping out those who are struggling. There should never be a reason for not trying to excel according to Beecher in Source No 2. According to source No. 3 from the Josephson Institute of ethics, one should “do what they are supposed to do”. If one has a good understanding of the outcome of their actions and the impact they have and they accept it then they are upholding their civic duty. This is similar to Abe Lincoln’s thoughts in his message to congress on Dec 1, 1862 when he said, “In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity” (Source No. 1) . Here it can be agreed that our actions impact our future, thus, it is important to make sure that what we are doing is upholding our good standards of our constitution. Source No. 4 also proves that we are makers of the pie. In this it breaks down the meaning of responsibility and compares it to our the true meaning of our constitution being our basic given rights as humans...such as the freedom to move, and feel and
There are a number of reasons why this freedom needs to be protected. The number one and most important is to keep the individuality of the American people from becoming controlled by the Government.
America is the odd one out when one looks at its political activity. An article from the Huffington Post explicitly shows the current apathy toward voting. The United States as of 2012 sat at a measly 38 percent voter turnout. The United States’ political participation rates vary by class.
So to what extent citizens have a moral or political obligation
The right to Life, Liberty, and Security, is one of the most important citizen rights that you can have. With the right to life, it means that any individual has the right to live, and shouldn’t be killed by anyone. With the right to Liberty, it means that we have the right to be free, and do almost anything we want. Lastly, the right to security means that you are guaranteed to be protected the best way possible, while you are in that country. Even though it is just one of many rights, they all fall under the right to freedom. Which everyone just wants the right to do what they want, and to stand up for what they believe in. Everyone should have the right to freedom, as well as the right to life, liberty, and security.We felt that this right was the most important because it summed up the rights that we need as citizens. Like the right to not be enslaved, can count as the right to Life and Liberty. So in our opinion, the right to Life, Liberty, and Security, is the one that should be one of the first applied rights to our lives. The next few paragraphs will describe how we feel on these particular rights, as well as examples of how these rights are being violated all over the world.