Reform Essay: Voting Age PDF

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My essay was about lowering the voting age. TA gave me a good grade on it. Worked for a long time on it. Teacher was Dr. Hibbing...

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Voting rights in America have always been a struggle. Courageous individuals have had to voice their opinions in order to give rights to women, people of color, and so on. I believe that the legal voting age at the moment does not reflect who should actually have the right to vote. 16-year-olds in America have jobs, drive cars, pay taxes, etc. They are affected by the policies and politicians in this country just as much as 18-year-olds and anyone above that age. Something must be done to protect the rights of these young adults. Repealing the 26th amendment and allowing people older than the age of 16 to vote will boost voter turnout, improve civic habits, and shape our country the way it is supposed to be. Simply put, lowering the voting age is not a brand new concept. If we take a look back in time, we can see that the American people have been fighting for voting rights for decades. During World War II, when the minimum military draft age was 18, the voting age was 21. Back then, Americans thought that if teens were old enough to go fight in a war then the same teens should have the right to vote in elections. In the Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell, Oregon won the states the right to set the voting age for state and local elections. There was great dissatisfaction among the people following this verdict. It didn’t make sense for 18-year-olds to be allowed to participate in a national election but not in any state elections. This called for an amendment to offer some consistency to the public. After going through Congress and quickly being ratified, the 26th amendment was passed, allowing 18-year-olds to vote in federal, state, and local elections. Lowering the voting age is something that America has accomplished before and can do again. Currently, a proposal for changing the voting age is underworks in Congress: H.J.Res. 23. It’s an amendment proposal that would repeal the 26th amendment. The first version was

proposed in August of 2018 and has not yet made it to the House of Representatives. Once the bill reaches the House it will have to be approved by the Senate and then ratified by the State Legislatures. The specifics of the bill itself are very simple. It states: This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to lower the minimum age for the right to vote from 18 to 16. Once it is ratified, all people above the age of 16 will be allowed to vote in elections nationwide. Many other countries have a voting age of 16 already in place. Brazil, Scotland, Austria and more than a dozen more have a lower age requirement than America (Astor, 2019). In Scotland specifically, results from lowering the voting age has proven to be positive. First off, it was found that “the levels of political interest in the independence referendum amongst those younger than 18 was very similar to that of the adult population” (Omondi, 2017). 16 and 17-year-olds are just as interested in taking part in politics as those that are older than them. Many people in Generation Z- anyone born between 1997 and 2012- have access to news and political developments due to the growing media. Therefore, building more interest among younger people. Norway experimented with lowering the age as well. They found that “58 percent showed up to the polls — more than first-time voters ages 18 to 21” (Crockett, 2016). These 16 and 17-year-olds are interested and ready to use their rights. If this structure was applied in America, the buzz about the new amendment would likely attract many new voters to participate. Austria saw positive effects after lowering the voting age to 16 as well. It helped with introducing politics to people at a younger age, making civic participation a habit (Pleschberger, 2018). Something similar to this could happen if America implemented a lower voting age. Civic habits need to built at a younger age so that it becomes a life-long routine. These other countries

don’t have a lower voting age for no reason. They see the positive effects it brings to their political system. There are many myths when it comes to arguments from the other side of this issue. One is that people below the age of 18 don’t have a reason to vote in elections. However, 16-year-olds in America have the ability to drive, work, pay taxes, donate blood, and more. The laws that politicians implement affect the lives of 16 and 17-year-olds just as much as any other citizen. A New York Times article says “As expressed by the teenagers leading local voting-age campaigns, the rationale is that between climate change, gun violence, student debt, and other issues, they do have enough skin in the game” (Astor, 2019). Not only are these people affected by these issues, but many are at the forefront of the campaigns for them. One of the biggest issues for many 16 and 17-year-olds is gun control. America has seen in recent years how our lack of gun control has damage schools across the country and normalized gun violence for young children. The kids that are enrolled in these schools should be permitted the right to elect the politicians that play a role in these gun control policies. When it comes to taxes, 16-year-olds are affected just as much as anyone else. Lowering the voting age would “prevent “taxation without representation,” which was the whole point of the Revolutionary War. 16-year-olds can legally work and be taxed, but cannot currently vote” (2018). Many that oppose lowering the voting age argue that these teenagers are not mature enough to vote in elections. A professor at Rutgers University says “knowledge of 16 or 17-year-olds about government is about the same as for 18 and 19 year olds” (2016). Nowadays, more highschools are implementing classes and lessons in order to educate students about the political process. It is also important to note that most 18 year olds are still in highschool just like 16 and 17-year-olds. Some also argue that these

new voters will simply copy their parent’s vote. Others suggest that if a parent and child disagree on a vote then the child will be chastised. One article debunks this saying, “It happens to adults. It happened to an adult friend of mine who turned 18 shortly before the 2016 election and whose parents bullied him into voting for their preferred candidate. It happens within marriages, too” (Piper, 2019). I would also argue that if this the way people parent- berating their child because of their political views- then the issue is the parenting, not the system. America’s turnout rates are at an all time low but repealing the 26th Amendment would generate much higher voter turnout rates. This has been shown in Takoma Park, Maryland. After lowering the voting age for local elections Takoma Park found that “the first election that teens were able to vote the overall turnout rate was 11 percent while the teen rate was 44 percent” (McLaughlin, 2018). This is a major boost. If this was enacted nationwide, this statistic could be true for the entire country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, voters age 18 to 29 were the only group to show a notable increase in turnout in 2016. Younger voters, especially in this day in age, are more inclined to use their political voice. With new media campaigns encouraging new voters to play a part in elections, statistics are showing the rise in engagement. A study conducted by Portland University found that “turnout in 10 of America’s 30 largest cities was less than 15%” (Portland State University, 2016). If the government doesn’t implement something to increase these rates soon, political engagement will be a thing of the past. A lower voting age would also improve civic patterns among the American people in general. NextUp, an organization that encourages people to have a political voice, says “we know that when people develop civic habits at a younger age, they’re more likely to stick” (2018). As an adult in America, civic duty is largely an important part of life. However, what’s

even more important is being able to create an awareness of one’s own civic duties early on in life. A study conducted by Cambridge University declared that “most citizens are habitual voters or habitual nonvoters” (Pultzer, 2004). Therefore, beginning to vote early on in life can create a habit, providing stronger civic engagement later in life. Most of our habits are also formed while we are living at home when we are 16 and 17. According to the Washington Post, there’s also a “trickle up” effect that a lower voting age has. The article says, “parents vote because of their children — both to set the example and to keep up with their civic habits” (Dahlgaard, 2018). This claim was made after examining the effects of a lower voting age in Denmark. Allowing 16-year-olds to vote would give parents and children the chance to influence each other, encouraging participation in elections on both sides. Some of those that are opposed to lowering the voting age argue their views from a partisan standpoint. It is no secret that many young voters lean toward the left. In recent years, people in Generation Z have been at the front of many left-wing campaigns. More and more young people have spoken up about gun control, abortion rights, LGBTQ equality, etc. A study by the Pew Research Center claims, “Generation Z- diverse and on track to be the most well-educated generation yet – is moving toward adulthood with a liberal set of attitudes and an openness to emerging social trends” (Parker, 2019). Social media has played a huge role in politics and has the power to influence everyone. It’s allowed for many young adults to see politics in a new light and get information from different viewpoints. That being said, the newest generation has shown in studies that many of Generation Z lean toward the left. The Pew Research Center found that “on views about race relations, Gen Z Republicans are more likely than older generations of Republicans to say that blacks are treated less fairly than whites...43%

of Gen Zers, compared with 30% of Millennials and roughly 20% of Gen Xers, Boomers and Silent” (Parker, 2019). Another finding from the study was that “52% of Gen Z Republicans say they think the government should be doing more to solve problems, compared with 38% of Millennial Republicans and 29% of Gen Xers, 23% of Republican Baby Boomers and 12% Silents” (Parker, 2019). It can be assumed that if the voting age was lowered, more of the newest generation would vote and shape policies. This is imperative to acknowledge because outdated policies aren’t what we need in our country. The laws that we put in place by the politicians we elect should reflect what the people want. Repealing the 26th Amendment will do more for our country than one might assume. The New York Times reports that, “in 1939, support for lowering the voting age was near where it is now: 17 percent. By 1967, that number was 64 percent” (Astor, 2019). We are still in the early stages of this fight. Raising awareness about what good lowering the voting age will bring will help encourage Congress to further along this process. We can improve voter turnout, civic habits, and more if we allow these capable individuals to vote.

References Are Teenagers Mature Enough to Vote? (2016, March 28). Retrieved from https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/are-16-17-mature-enough-to-vote/3247882.html.

Astor, M. (2019, May 19). 16-Year-Olds Want a Vote. Fifty Years Ago, So Did 18-Year-Olds. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/us/politics/voting-age.html.

Crockett, Z. (2016, November 7). The case for allowing 16-year-olds to vote. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/7/13347080/voting-age-election-16.

Dahlgaard, J. O. (2018, March 1). Analysis | The surprising consequence of lowering the voting age. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/02/28/the-surprising-conse quence-of-lowering-the-voting-age/.

GovTrack.us. (2019). H.J.Res. 23 — 116th Congress: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States extending the right to vote ... Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hjres23 McLaughlin, D. (2018, November 21). The Case for Lowering the Voting Age. Retrieved from https://campaignlegal.org/update/case-lowering-voting-age.

Omondi, S. (2017, September 12). Legal Voting Age by Country. Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/legal-voting-age-by-country.html.

Parker, K., Graf, N., & Igielnik, R. (2019, January 18). Generation Z Looks a Lot Like Millennials on Key Social and Political Issues. Retrieved from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/01/17/generation-z-looks-a-lot-like-millennials-onkey-social-and-political-issues/.

Piper, K. (2019, September 20). Young people have a stake in our future. Let them vote. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/9/10/20835327/voting-age-youth-rights-kids-vo te.

Pleschberger, J. (2018, September 11). What does voting at 16 change? The case of Austria. Retrieved from https://www.euronews.com/2018/09/11/what-does-voting-at-16-change-the-case-of-austria .

Plutzer, E. (2004, March 3). Becoming a Habitual Voter: Inertia, Resources, and Growth in Young Adulthood: American Political Science Review. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/becomi ng-a-habitual-voter-inertia-resources-and-growth-in-young-adulthood/9EA1F561496D714 346491B25B0D52239.

Vote16. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nextuporegon.org/vote16/.

Who Votes For Mayor?: A Project of Portland State University and the Knight Foundation. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.whovotesformayor.org/....