...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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...Absurd to vote as a 16 years old teenager, or is it? ”It’s a bizarre way to reinvigorate democracy” It’s under consideration in Scotland to lower the voting age to 16 years. But I wonder if it's too early? It can be discussed to a great extent, whether it would be positive or negative - but it's definitely a move in the right direction, at least to the youngsters. That’s what Philip Cowley, University of Nottingham, says about the thoughts of lowering the voting age. I simply believe that lowering the voting-age would gain more political insight and thoughts – but what for? Is it perhaps a bit too early? Has a 16-17 year old gained enough political experience and insight? That’s hard to say in general terms, but I definitely think it would be an interesting point of view lowering the voting-age. 16-17 year-old are in the democratic sense, just as mature as a 90-year-old, and maturity has never been a criterion for granting the right to vote. When young people are 16-17 years old, they have, usually, completed the compulsory education that society offers them. They have been taught history, social studies, English and other subjects, which enables them to act as responsible citizens. The 16-17 year olds constitutes only a small percentage of the population, which would mean that their votes won’t have the biggest impact on the election results. In contrast, the youngsters would maybe feel more valued by the state - influence creates credibility and appreciation -...
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...independence referendum should set a precedent for any future border poll. This wasn't exactly a surprise - Sinn Fein has long advocated lowering the voting age. Apart from the principled argument put forward by Sinn Fein's Megan Fearon on the BBC's Sunday Politics that such an initiative will help young people connect with their politicians, there's another reason why nationalists might favour votes at 16. The latest statistics produced by the Department of Education in May show that the religious breakdown of Northern Ireland's 300,000 school pupils was 51% Catholic, 37% Protestant with the rest defined either as other Christian, non-Christian or no religion. Whilst in these changing times it's dangerous to assume that someone's religion equates to their politics, it's easy to see why nationalists might draw more heart from these statistics than unionists. Which makes it more of a surprise that the Ulster Unionists have decided to support lowering the voting age. Perhaps the UUP was sensitive to all those commentators who used to stereotype the party as a bunch of grey men in grey suits. But now, whilst DUP politicians like Christopher Stalford and Alastair Ross express their opposition to change, the Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs believes giving 16-year-olds a say would help address the "disconnect between the electorate and what is happening in Stormont". It's not an absolute divide between the two unionist parties, as the North Antrim MP Ian Paisley has made...
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...There has been a recent argument made concerning whether the voting age is sufficient and whether or not it should be lowered to the age of sixteen. Many people believe that the voting age should be unaltered due because of maturity levels and not meeting the educational standards. However, I propose that the voting age should indeed be lowered. One factor affecting my judgment is the fact that many sixteen and seventeen year olds already act similarly to adults, looking at the fact that they pay taxes and drive. Another reason includes the fact that at age sixteen, teenagers are in their prime education period. Furthermore, voting is a way to hook the younger viewers and use their education to get them involved in current events. Because of...
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...legal drinking age should be twenty one or eighteen. In the year of 1980 a law was passed that changed the minimum legal drinking age from eighteen to twenty one in order to decrease the amount of car crashes and fatalities and to keep alcohol out of the hands of an "irresponsible" age group (Ruth Streeter). Since the raising of the drinking age, more harm has been done than good and the drinking age should be lowered back down to eighteen, given some restrictions and changes. While each state was given the option of whether or not to support this act, the government threatened to cut highway funds if the states kept their drinking age to eighteen. It is strange that an eighteen to twenty year old can vote for our Nation's leader, risk their life fighting for our freedom, and be viewed as an adult, yet still cannot sit down and have a few drinks. At the age of eighteen one is considered an adult. This title of "adult" basically gives people the opportunity to make life changing decisions like voting, buying tobacco products, getting married, signing contracts, serving on juries, having abortions, and being drafted into or joining the military. Scientists claim that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain in which controls judgment is not fully developed until the mid twenties, which then leads to people against lowering the drinking age to claim that opportunities new "adults" take on are not necessarily needing full judgment like unsafe drinking would. So voting for the president...
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...Today, the consumption of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21 is generally illegal across the United States; however, there are some states that have exceptions allowing underage consumption of alcohol in certain circumstances. Underage drinking is allowed if done on private premises with parental consent or for religious purposes. In Ruth Engs’ opinion, based upon her research, “as a nation we have tried prohibition legislation twice in the past for controlling irresponsible drinking problems. This was during National Prohibition in the 1920’s and State Prohibition during the 1850’s. These laws were finally repealed because they were unenforceable and because the backlash towards them caused other social problems. Today we are repeating history and making the same mistakes that occurred in the past. Prohibition did not work then and prohibition for young people under the age of 21 is not working now” (Engs). On many campuses around the country, led by the so-called Amethyst Initiative, the legal drinking age continues to be a controversial issue since it is believed that “twenty-one is not working” (Sanghavi). The old familiar argument is that turning 18 bestows the rights and responsibilities of adulthood such as voting, serving on juries, getting married, signing contracts, joining the military, buying cigarettes, watching porn and upon prosecution, trial as an adult. If adults from the age of 18 are trusted to do all of these things, they should also be trusted...
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...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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...Eighteen Years Old yet Not Old Enough The term legal drinking age refers to the earliest age at which a person can legally consume alcoholic beverages within particular jurisdictions. This age differs from country to country and in certain cases from state to state within a country. The Minimum Legal Drinking Age or the MLDA, in the United States as of today is twenty-one years. Lowering the MLDA is a touchy subject to many because people do not quite see the benefits that would come of it. Living in the United States, when a person turns eighteen years old, they are considered to be an adult and gain many rights and responsibilities. The MLDA should be lowered to the age of eighteen to coincide with those rights and responsibilities and be able to help benefit our country. A person is legally considered an adult once they have turned eighteen years of age. Parents of these teenagers are no longer held responsible for their teen’s actions. At that point in every young adult’s life comes along with many responsibilities and also many rights that a person deserves to have. Having the right to vote for who represents our country and local affairs, the ability to buy cigarettes and get married without having a parent’s consent, being able to serve our country by joining the Army forces and risking their life in battle, gaining the responsibility of serving jury duty, and also being prosecuted as an adult for an offense. All of these things a person inherits once they have turned...
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...3/24/2013 Argumentative research paper Why Not Change the Drinking Age Back to 18? In the United States of America you are considered a legal adult at the age of 18 years old. You have all the major rights of a fully grown adult, voting, enlisting in the military, buying a house, buying tobacco products and many more. However there is one right that was taken away from the 18 year old adult back in 1984. In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was put into place which changed the legal minimum drinking age from 18 years old to 21. Does this law mean that you are not really a mature adult until you are 21 or should the drinking age be brought back down to 18 when you receive all the other rights of a mature adult. It makes perfect sense that this right should be returned to young adults for plenty of reasons and also holds potential solutions to one of the nation’s biggest alcohol related problems. What does it mean to be an adult? United States law states that you are legally considered an adult at the age of 18. It makes sense right? You can buy a house, enlist in the U.S. military, get married and loads of other rights you don’t have until the age of 18. But United States law also states that all states must enforce a legal minimum drinking age of 21. We are the only major nation to have such a high drinking age. The drinking age wasn’t always this high though. On July 17th 1984 the national minimum drinking age act was passed which meant that 18 year old young adults could...
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...Brian Basic Should the Drinking age be reduced? The drinking age goes way back in history. Drinking began to be considered a problem around the 1900’s. When the government decided to pass the 18th amendment in 1919 alcohol became prohibited throughout the United States. This amendment forced all alcohol underground. The crime rate started to rise drastically throughout the country. The crime rate rose because people were buying and selling alcohol illegally. As a result of all the problems evolved, in 1923 the 23rd amendment repealed the 18th amendment abolishing the banning of alcohol from the United States. That established the modern drinking age, but the age was not the same in all of the states. The states government had the freedom of being able to assign what they felt were a good age for people to start the consumption of alcohol. Most of the states chose the age of twenty-one, but several states allowed the purchase of beer to be at eighteen. "The political failure of general Prohibition meant that American adults would increasingly focus justifications for alcohol policy less on the perils of drunkenness and more on the tenuous concept that adults can drink properly but youths cannot or should not" (Males 190). This lead to much discussion over the drinking age and the debate will go on for years to come. Throughout this debate, it lead to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, which lowered the United States drinking age to eighteen. After this act was...
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...UNIT 2 Answer Key CHAPTER 5 IV. Section 4: Party Organization A. Structure Federalism, nominating B. Organization at the National Level 1. convention 2. chairperson C. State and Local Organization 1. election, caucuses 2. wards Prereading and Vocabulary 2 1. should cut back on expensive government programs Sample definition: Conservatives believe in cutting costs and government programs. 2. came to vote Sample definition: The electorate is the group of people who are allowed to vote. 3. voted at the polling place, elementary school Sample definition: A precinct is a small area from which all the residents report to vote at one location. 4. wards 5. bipartisan 6. nominate 7. Liberals 8. resign CHAPTER 5 Section 1 Reading Comprehension 3 1. Answers for rankings will vary. Historical basis: The two-party system is rooted in the beginnings of the U.S., when the ratification of the Constitution gave rise to the first two parties. Tradition: Most Americans accept the idea of a two-party system simply because there has always been one. Electoral system: Since only one winner per office comes out of each election, voters have only two viable choices—the candidate of the party holding office or the candidate with the best chance of replacing the current officeholder. Voters tend to think of a vote for a minor party candidate as a wasted vote. Republicans and Democrats work together in a bipartisan way to write election laws to make...
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...African American Studies Final Question Answers M5Q1 NOTES: 1. Which of the following best describes Henry David Thoreau's response to Brown's raid? |1.|Thoreau praises Brown and seeks to defend his memory against those who viewed him as a murderer or insane man| |2.|Thoreau is horrified by the violent methods Brown used, arguing that violence will turn many Americans who oppose the extension of slavery against the abolitionists| |3.|Thoreau argues that Brown should not be put to death as this would cause sectional strife and lead to a civil war| |4.|Thoreau is one of many abolitionists who plea for Brown's life to be saved| 3 points Question 2 1. Which of the following best summarizes the letters John Brown wrote to his family while in prison? |1.|Brown is very hopeful that his wife and remaining children will come visit him| |2.|Brown calls upon his sons to continue his work. Although he speaks in very vague terms, it is clear that he hopes they will launch another slave uprising so that his death will not be in vain| |3.|Brown is upset at the fact that some of his children are ashamed to be sons and daughters of the man who planed the raid at Harper's Ferry| |4.|Brown does not write any letters to his family members while in prison, a fact John Earle makes plain in his introduction| |5.|Brown is upbeat and speaks in mostly religious terms about how there is no need to grieve for their father| Question 3 1. Which of the following is TRUE regarding John...
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...is the Black Liberation movement, which demands an end to the prejudice and discrimination that has made blacks second-class citizens. The immediate appeal of the black liberation movement and its initial, if limited, success made it a model for other oppressed groups to follow. We became familiar with liberation movements for Spanish-Americans, gay people, and a variety of other minorities. When a majority group— women—began their campaign, some thought we had come to the end of the road. Discrimination on the basis of sex, it has been said, is the last universally accepted form of discrimination, practiced without secrecy or pretense even in those liberal circles that have long prided themselves on their freedom from prejudice against racial minorities. One should always be wary of talking of "the last remaining form of discrimination." If we have learnt anything from the liberation movements, we should have learnt how difficult it is to be aware of latent prejudice in our attitudes to particular groups until this prejudice is forcefully pointed out. A liberation movement demands an expansion of our moral horizons and an extension or reinterpretation of the basic moral principle of equality. Practices that were previously regarded as natural and inevitable come to be seen as the result of an unjustifiable prejudice. Who can say with confidence that all his or her attitudes and practices are beyond criticism? If we wish to avoid being numbered amongst the oppressors...
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...The House of Lords an effective institution? an effective institution? Introduction Since the reform of the House of Lords in 1999 by Tony Blair’s ‘New Labour’ government, the status and legislative scope of the ‘upper house’ has steadily risen. Its role as a ‘revising chamber’, scrutinising bills sent to it from the House of Commons, is an important one. However, unlike upper houses in many modern democracies such as the Senate in the USA, theoretically it cannot stop, and at best can only delay, legislation sent from the Commons. As a largely appointed chamber, doubts remain as to its legitimacy and as recently as 2012 the government tried to replace the Lords with a largely elected chamber. This initiative however failed, perhaps partly because MPs were worried that a wholly elected Lords might in the future question the primacy of the Commons. Task Objective * This task requires you to explore the workings of the Lords and consider how effective it is as a parliamentary body. * It will ask you to consider whether the House of Lords should be reformed further. * It will guide you through a range of reading material and pose key questions for you to post on as you complete each section of reading. Task 1: Overview of Functions____________________________________________________________________ You can get a very quick overview of the role and work of the House of Lords by skim reading the following pamphlet and watching the YouTube clip: http://youtu...
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...grievances on a national scale because of the twin problems of mass violence and fraud that have become central elements of the history of elections and of the electoral process in the country (Gberie, 2011). Despite the marked improvement in the conduct of the 2011 elections, the process was not free from malpractices and violence (National Democratic Institute, 2012). Thus over the years, electoral processes in the history of Nigeria’s democratic governance have continued to be marred by extraordinary display of rigging, dodgy, “do or die” affair, ballot snatching at gun points, violence and acrimony, thuggery, boycotts, threats and criminal manipulations of voters' list, brazen falsification of election results, the use of security agencies against political opponents and the intimidation of voters (Bekoe, 2011). Despite the vital place that election holds in democracy in this 21st century, the organization of free and fair elections remains a real challenge for new democracies in West Africa, particularly Nigeria (Reynolds, 2009; Hounkpe & Gueye, 2010). The political process leading to democratic governance has been misconstrued by...
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