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Why should the voting age be reduced
Why should the voting age be reduced
Disadvantages of lowering the voting age to 16
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I think the voting age should not be lowered to 13. Right now the minimum voting age is set at 18 years. When the US was founded, the minimum age to vote was 21 years, but after debates it was lowered to 18 years. When people reach 21, they are considered to be adults. Currently there are people talking about whether to lower the voting age to 13.
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
In chapter one, Wattenberg discusses the declining trends of Americans who regularly read newspapers between the 1960’s and present day. This can be attributed the aging patterns among generations who frequently read newspapers as well as with the use of technology rising. Reading the newspaper is a habit that either is or is not developed by the time one reaches voting age. With this, newspapers have become an older generation’s primary source of information, however, are still the best source for political matters. Younger generations tend to be more computer literate and have grown up with television and media more accessible to them than the previous generation. These trends not only reflect in American culture, but in other countries worldwide such as Italy, and Germany. Quoting a 2003 fox news interview of President Bush, Wattenberg illustrates the vast decline of newspaper consumption; even the U.S. President isn’t reading newspapers (11). Using tables throughout chapter one to illustrate the drastic differences within the last 50 years, the author exemplifies a 35% point decrease from 1957 to 2004. He speculates that perhaps young adults don’t like to read, but proves that is not the case as surveys have shown that education levels have risen overall, and access to books and reading has also increased over the years; thereby concluding that young people read, but do not typically read the newspaper. While there are several newspaper websites available, young adults do not frequently read those websites either. Although TV news information is not as detailed as it is in newspapers, young people have an ability to make up for their disinterest in newspapers by watching the news headlines (30). Chapter one makes a strong case...
In the late 1960’s to mid-70’s the legal drinking age was 18 because the voting age of 21 was lowered to 18. However, in 1984 a bill was passed that every state in the United States was to change the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Although this is a highly controversial topic many young adults believe lowering the drinking age back to 18 is best because if they may vote at the age of 18 then, they should be allowed purchase alcoholic beverages. In an article “Should the U.S. lower its drinking age?” written by Brandon Griggs introduces the pros and cons of lowering the drinking age. Griggs explains two generations ago young adults didn’t have to worry much about getting caught drinking or buying their way out to purchase alcohol. Nowadays
Considering the delegates that are currently running for office, a voter should have a vast level of understanding regarding the intentions of each and every candidate. Arguing whether to raise or lower the age limit for the right to vote has raised many speculations as to how it would affect the economy. There are pros and cons within both sides of the argument, but any decisions made by the powers that be will have an adverse effect on today’s society if it is placed in the hands of the younger generation. Therefore, raising the voting age to twenty-one is a better way of making sure that voters are more aware and would be more equipped to making a more sound decision rather than lowering
Since the 1890s, Canada’s voter turn-out has declined steadily, however, the decline in voter turn-out in the last several elections is one of great concern to Canada’s democracy. As a result, mandatory voting has gained the attention of many political scientists and political analysts. While there are good reasons to worry about Canadians’ diminishing voter turn-out, it is also fair to say that mandatory voting will not prove beneficial to the future of Canada’s democracy. Although mandatory voting will increase the voter turn-out, it will not create an informed voter base and neither raise a more politically knowledgeable society. Making voting compulsory is accompanied by both positive and negative outcomes, but in Canada, many fear that the negative outcomes outweigh the positives.
The age at which one is eligible to vote has been a source of heated discussions and debates. Should the voting age be lowered? Should it remain at age 18?
A political problem that has been argued over since prohibition is the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA). This is a controversial subject because many believe that the legal drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18 years old. “In the 1970’s the 26th amendment was passed which lowered the legal voting age, this caused 30 US states to lower their MLDA to 18, 19, or 20 which left 14 states with a MLDA of 21 by 1982” (Minimal Legal Drinking Age, 1). But reports later showed an increase in teenage car accidents in states with a lower MLDA; these states soon changed the MLDA back to 21.
Prevailing arguments that lean in the vicinity of adverse effects of mandatory voting laws have always been primarily fixated on two things. Firstly, the controversy between Canadian rights and duties. Secondly, the proclamation that it 's undemocratic to force individuals to vote. However, a phenomenon that is frequently repressed, is the notion that sustaining a democracy in any country builds upon the commonality between informed citizens to hold the government accountable. As voter turnout plummets, so does the rights of Canadian citizens, in a democracy that is slowly being scrutinized as a crumbling social order of equality and justice. Let alone, in a political culture amidst a perspective centralized around peacekeeping and freedom,
John Adams once said "You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." For many generations, our ancestors have fought for the right to vote. It started with the Civil Rights Act in 1964 which made it mandatory that white schools integrate black children into their institutions. The outcome of the 1964 election was a landslide, favoring the democrats, which broached the issue of civil rights legislation. In 1964 “only 7% of eligible black citizens in Mississippi were registered; in Alabama the figure was 20% (Kernell, et. al 2014, 162). The low voter turnout rate was because people of color were required to take a literacy test. This all changed when President Johnson
... equal system. The lower age could also encourage and interest youth much more in political processes and parties as now they would actually be able to impact the way they are governed and who is governing them. Politics would be much more noticeable in schools and the general knowledge of politics and the political process would drastically increase. The youth would also be more likely to develop earlier the skills and potentials needed in later life politically and even socially. In conclusion when all is said and done I, personally would like to say the voting age lowered to sixteen for many of the reasons above. There will be many people opposing this movement but I think it is time for the youth of Canada to be heard and if they wish they should have the opportunity to vote and express their opinions and choices.
One of the major issues that opponents of term limits have argued is that term limits are undemocratic. They insist that voters in a democratic society such as ours have the right to vote for whomever they wish. However, this entire line of reasoning is flawed. As the Supreme Court determined in Clements v. Fashing, “Candidacy is not a ‘fundamental right’,” meaning that not every person is eligible to run for public office. There are already limits on candidacy, such as age restrictions and residency requirements, that impede the people’s ability to vote for whomever they want. If these qualifications are not undemocratic, an additional qualification such as term limits cannot be considered undemocratic solely because of its limitations on
All 50 states have set the minimum legal drinking age to 21, although some states have made exceptions. Raising the drinking age to 21 in order to avoid teenage drinking has instead created excessive drinking in private places, therefore producing more danger (“Minimum”). The national drinking age was raised from 18 to 21 in 1984; it was not until 1988 that all 50 states had a minimum legal drinking age of 21 (Wechsler and Nelson 986). Drinking underage is permitted in certain circumstances in 45 of the states; 29 states allow it on private property under parental consent, 25 states allow it for religious purposes, and 11 for educational purposes (“Minimum”). Lowering the minimum drinking age is ineffective and would benefit the economy, it
Throughout the years, the age for consumption and purchase of alcohol has frequently changed. One of the many reasons it is now back to the age of 21, is because of past occurrences that have happened when the age was lower. Citizens, who believe the age should be the same as the voting age, are usually around that age, 18. Although the opinions of some people is to change the legal drinking age to the legal voting age, many disadvantages would occur if the legal drinking age was changed to 18, such as vehicle related accidents, alcohol poisonings, & unintelligent community related decisions.
In conclusion of my research and evaluations, there are just to many factors against lowering the age. Minors under the age of twenty one are mainly just too irresponsible and are at to many health risks. The minimum age of twenty one has worked for three decades so, why change it now?
The drinking age should be lowered because 18 is when you become an adult, there will be very fewer drunk drivers accidents, and teens will start to drink any way when they start to get addicted to alcohol.
In “You’re 16, You’re Beautiful and You’re a Voter,” author Anya Kamenetz states her belief that the voting age should be lowered to sixteen. Kamenetz gives several premises to her argument.