...Lowering the Voting Age This election year was very intense, many kids in my generation was interested in politics and was eager to vote. The excitement and anticipation of finding out the next president was one of those on the edge of the chair, biting your finger nail moments. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the voting age should be lowered. The voting age should be lowed to at least the age 16 or older. If you let a 16 year old teenager behind the wheel of the car then we should definitely be able to vote! Just like any other American, us young Americans would like for our voice to be heard too. "No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a choice in the election of those who make the laws under which ...we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined.” - Wesberry v. Saunders. So In this paper, I’ll answer the question WHY? Why should the voting age be lower? There are many pros and cons to this argument. Okay, adults consider us to young “responsible” adults. What they consider us to be and what they say we our which are “irresponsible kids” are totally different. There is research that shows that “young “responsible” adults” or “irresponsible kids” can make reasoned decisions, our voting age remains two years above most age restrictions. Sixteen year olds are mature enough to make important decisions such as voting. Our bodies are fully develop to be an adult, we have been educated for at least...
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...Voting Age Matthew Clayton states in an article that “...Having the right to vote is widely recognized as one of the most important legal rights within a democracy.” (Wing and Clayton 534) With suffrage being an imperative democratic right, the questions of whether there should be a minimum voting age and if so, what age that should be set have quickly become central political issues. In 1971, the United States ratified the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, eliminating the age standard of twenty-one and granting eighteen year olds the right to vote. This was due to the realization of the double standard that eighteen year olds were old enough to be sent to fight for their country, but not old enough to vote for the people who represented it. A similar situation is occurring today, as American citizens under the age of eighteen pay taxes, drive cars, abide by the laws, are affected by the decisions of politicians, etc., but are denied the right to vote. These citizens are perfectly capable of making informed decisions and fulfilling the duties of a registered voter. Being affected by political decisions just as much as someone over the age of eighteen, citizens as young as the age of sixteen should be granted the right to vote. (Wing and Clayton 536) At the youthful age of sixteen, one can accomplish much more than they could at a prior time in their life. In most states, a sixteen year old can become emancipated from their parents, obtain a work permit, hold a job, choose...
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...Lowering the voting age is… One reason the voting age should be lowered is it would increase voter turnout. Aside from more ballots being cast, lowering the voting age would teach Americans at a young age on how to vote and why it is important which will increase voter turnout immediately and in the long run. Many other countries have lowered the voting age and it has proven to increase voter turnout. Lowering the voting age would also increase voter turnout among parents. Families will be engaged in conversation and parents will be urged to vote due to the enthusiasm of their children. Another reason the voting age should be lowered to sixteen is how stationary teenagers are. At age eighteen, most young adults leave the home and community...
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...Voting Age, Should it be Lowered? Or Raised? As of right now, the legal age to be able to vote is 18, in the United States, many questions are going around if the legal voting age should be lowered since kids been arguably more politically active then they’ve been before. The voting should stay as 18 for countless of reasons, when a person turns 18 they’re no longer considered a kid, they’re considered an adult and they’re things they’re allowed to do that makes them feel more of an adult, voting being one of them. Voting is a great privilege a person earns when they are of age, and lowering the legal age of voting would make everything less interesting or exciting when people turn 18. Turning 18 is a breakaway from being a kid to becoming an adult and the privileges that come with being an adult should be given to them at 18. Lowering the voting age would take away that privilege that comes with becoming an adult and it would take away the excitement. Another reason why we shouldn’t lower the voting age is that not every 16 year old is into politics, yes they’re...
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...Megan Mahan Mrs. Keeth English II 1 November, 2017 Title The voting age in the United States should be lowered from eighteen to sixteen years of age. Lowering the voting age can increase the turnout of citizens who participate in electing officials. Once a teenager turns eighteen, they usually do not vote because they are off to college. Chris Lee states that eighteen year-olds do not have the time to vote because they are too busy in college, so they are less likely to vote when they get older (par. 7). If a teen does not vote until eighteen, though, it lowers the rate of voting because they are most likely not to vote ever or consistently. In the article “Lowering Voting Age could Increase Turnout” states “Many college-age students don’t pick up that habit because they live far from where they might be eligible to vote” (par. 8). Therefore, lowering the voting age can help get more people voting the older they get....
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...Voting rights have been a topic of discussion all on its own throughout the history of the United States. From the 15th, 19th Amendment, to the 26th Amendment, the limitations of suffrage has been altered on numerous occasions to meet the demands of the time. Based on this, many argue that the voting age should be lowered from 18 to 17 years of age. There is a plethora of pros to the idea of lowering the voting age to 17. For starters, “once you vote, you are more likely to vote again.” Voting early can be beneficial to the positive habitual action of voting itself. It’s been found that a 16 year old’s political knowledge is on par with that of a 21 year old’s. From this, one can deduce that the potential for high schoolers to “improve...
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...lowered. The current voting age is adequate although changes can be made. Well informed, mature voters are the key to making good choices when election time comes around. Lowering the voting age would create problems that America does not need to deal with. The main reason the voting age should not be lowered is there is an excessive amount of people below the age of 18 are not responsible enough to vote. Voting should be taken very seriously, since it decides who holds office in America. A great deal of young students do not grasp the gravity of casting a ballot. Is every single high school student fit to vote? Of course not. Can they become adequate voters as time passes? Absolutely. Trusting 16 year old trouble makers and class clowns to make a mature decision is not a great idea. These same kids, however, may grow up to be productive, mature citizens. Any age less than 18 is simply too low to allow to vote....
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...Voting Age In 1870 the fifteenth amendment was passed granting suffrage to men of color. Fifty years later the nineteenth amendment was passed granting suffrage to women, and another fifty years after that the twenty sixth amendment gave eighteen year olds right to vote. All of these amendments were steps toward ending discriminating, but the United States has one last step. If the America is going to truly provide equal representation for all people then it ought to grant suffrage to those of age 16 and up. Before proposing that the voting age should be lowered it is necessary to examine the arguments of those opposed. Those opposed to lowering the voting age make three main arguments. The first being that teens under the age of 18 lack the maturity and brain development to make an informed decisions for themselves. The second argument contends that voter turnout among young people is already dismal and lowering the voting age would have negligible effects. The last argument claims that there is no valid reason...
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...SHOULD THE VOTING AGE BE LOWERED IN THE US? Running head: SHOULD THE VOTING AGE BE LOWERED IN THE US? Should The Voting Age Be Lowered in the US? Name Institution Should The Voting Age Be Lowered In The US? Voting age refers to the minimum age requirement for one to participate in a given general election. According to the American Constitution, the minimum voting age is set to be at the age of eighteen years old (Schmidt et al., 2014). However, there have been several debates aimed at lowering this age to sixteen years old with many American citizens arguing that sixteen years is the stage where people gain much freedom. However, on the contrary, the big question remains unanswered, “Is a sixteen-year-old mature enough to understand the dynamics of politics and democracy?” Lawrence (2014) eludes that lowering the voting age from eighteen years to sixteen will translate to a higher turn out during the voting period. Pragmatically, most young people are vibrant with new ideas, and they are always on the lookout for any leaders that will bring about change unlike the old. He further adds that at this age, the teens are much focused on developments and bettering their future. Also, going by this argument is George, who concludes that lowering the voting age will result in having more leaders who are accountable for their actions (2015). Sometimes people forget that age does not necessarily...
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...“A teenage brain is not just an adult brain with fewer miles on it (Jensen 1).” According to Neurologist Frances E. Jensen, teens are not mentally developed, thus it can make them incapable of making crucial decisions. When it comes to voting, teens cannot always be trusted with America’s fate. Since many teens are not interested in the world of politics, they are improbable to be concern of what is happening. At the age of 16 and 17, teens are not able to make crucial decisions yet, therefore, how are they going to be able to make the right decision for the nation? Despite the reasons for lowering the voting age to 16, lowering the voting age to 16 is a catastrophic mistake because teenagers are easily swayed, are immature, and are irresponsible. The fact of the matter is that teens are easily swayed, which makes lowering the voting age to 16 unacceptable. “This leaves teens easily influenced by their environment and more prone to impulsive behavior, even without the impact of souped-up hormones and any genetic or family predisposition (Ruder 1).” According to Harvard Magazine, teens are likely to be swayed by influences such as school, friends,...
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...the voting age changed, people who wouldn’t be in power will probably will make it to power. The voting age of 18 should not be changed to 16. People at age 16 have no political interest most of the time. They wouldn’t vote anyway due to the lack of knowledge. The percentage of voters then will decrease even more due to a larger voting population, but the same amount of voters. This means voting will not change, so there is no point of changing it. Another problem may arise of the younger ones is that they only vote to vote. Due to lack of knowledge of politics, most of the younger people won’t have a preferred candidate. They still might vote, though, just because they can. This might cause the wrong...
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...about it, wouldn’t it be interesting if teenagers were allowed to vote at 16! States determine at what age their voters can vote at. Lowering the voting age to 16 from 18 can be very beneficial in different ways. They can be the voice of their parents, if they are unable to vote. Peer pressure is already common in high school, if all the popular students are registering to vote, other student will want to vote. If teenagers start voting as soon as they can, it will turn into a habit that will continue for future elections. Students at this age are already learning about the government, so why not make help make a difference in their local or federal government when they turn 16 years old. What about teenagers who are not from politically active families, since ‘others predicted that the 16- and 17 year-olds most likely to vote from politically active homes,” (Shin) will definitely participate in voting during the elections? Undocumented parents don’t have much of voice when it comes to voting, by lowering the voting age limit, their children will get a...
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...Should The Voting Age Be Reduced In US? [Student’s Name] Institution This paper intends to explore the advantages and limitations of lowering voting age in US. It entails an internet conducted research from journals and articles that expound this topic. Voting is a crucial human right. It gives young, old men and women to control in the way they are governed. An election helps to give the overview of our democracy. In countries such as UK has established commissions such as The Youth Citizenship commission to ensure that young people are reengaged in political process. In order to support the motion , mostly in federal elections the youth aged 18-24 years do not vote thus need to advocate for lowering of the voting age from 21 years to at least 18 years so that to engage youth in politics. Engaging youth in politics through allowing them to vote when they are as young as eighteen years could encourage them to serving citizens. This also could help in making politicians be accountable young voters as the count for their success. In addition many nations have lowered the voting age such as Brazil and Nicaragua and have experienced advantages of lower voting without any limitations. Local and state government’s decision affect young people thus it is important to help them have a voice over these decisions. This can only be enhanced through giving them the right to vote for their leaders. Since youth below the age of 18 years work and they are taxed...
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...examine the situation and surrounding events in depth to discover a better way of doing things. One such ethical dilemma is the legal age to vote in elections. The Constitution The twenty-sixth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees every American “the right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age” (The National Constitution Center, n.d.). In America the legal adult age is considered 18 years. As an adult, an 18 year old will pay taxes on income he or she has earned. They pay sales tax on items they have purchased. They are old enough to drive a car and to join the military. These are the arguments many have given in favor of lowering the voter legal age form 18 years to 16 years, but there is another side to the story – one of opposition to lowering the age and in favor of returning the legal age to voting rights to 21 years of age as originally set forth by the United States Constitution. The United States Constitution was adopted in 1789, at which time voting was reserved for male property owners ages 21 and older. The Fifteenth Amendment, passed in 1870 gave voting rights to all males over the age of 21, while the 19th Amendment finally extended voting rights to women. In 1971 the legal voting age was dropped to 18 by the ratification of the 26th Amendment, which was adopted in reply to protests from students in opposition of the...
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...chronologically challenged decision makers”(Bryne). Voting age and privileges have changed many times in the past and now is the time to change it again. Putting a cap would help let younger people decide their own future. Younger adults deserve to have a say on what they want because not everyone else takes into consideration to younger kids. Voting age should be changed to a younger age such as 16 and/or have an age limit of around 87 in the United States. Even though voting age has changed in the past, we have not really taken a look into putting a cap of around 87, also young adults are very much part of the community and they deserve a say. Voting age/privilege has changed a lot in...
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