Votes At 16
Youth Enfranchisement and the Renewal of American Democracy
Abstract
At a time when American political institutions are under intense criticism and facing internal and external pressures, Americans must identify opportunities for changing the status quo. Rather than reject the system as fatally flawed, Niall Guy Michelsen argues that lowering the voting age to 16 will decrease the voting gap between the college and non-college citizens. Increasing voter turnout will make the American electorate more representative of the country and add needed voices to political debates. Dr. Michelsen analyzes the nature of voting habits and concludes that too many citizens start their adult lives as non-voters and become habitual non-voters as a result. Using voter turnout data and demographics, Dr. Michelsen shows that lowering the voting age to 16 would help both college-attending and non-college-attending young adults develop voting habits and raise voter turnout.
Schlagworte
Costs of Voting Voting Voting Resources Voting habits Voting laws suffrage vote at 16 voting at 16 voting enfranchisement youth enfranchisement- 1–4 Introduction 1–4
- 117–134 Chapter 6 Wrapping Up 117–134
- 135–146 Bibliography 135–146
- 147–150 Index 147–150
- 151–152 About the Author 151–152