The voting age should be raised

[The Illusion]

The reason I ask is that I'm wondering if the majority of 18 year-olds in our current society (not the way the society was 20 or 50 or 100 years ago) are sufficiently mature and independent to make such an important decision as who should be elected to government office.

I think it's a fairly generally known fact that young children generally reflect their parents' political views (if it isn't, then this can be a debate point). At some point as adults, we develop our own independence and may no longer share political views with our parents (many of course do share those views, but they arrive at those views independently; in other words, not just because it's what their parents told them to believe). What I'm unsure of is when during the developmental continuum from adolescence to adulthood do people stop taking their parents' view of the world and politics for granted and make independent political decisions?

Given that in other areas of life, indicators of independence seem to appear at a later age than historically (for example, adult children living at home with their parents over the age of 18, still dependent on their parents for financial support, or college students still having their parents come resolve their problems rather than doing it themselves), are 18 year-olds sufficiently independent to perform a function as important as voting, or are they only replicating their parents' votes? (You may disagree with the premise of this statement as well.)

You'll notice, I'm not working from hard data here, but my personal impression of changes in society and maturity of 18 year-olds. Hence, the poll and opportunity to discuss and present both supporting and opposing views.

Above, I probably should have defined majority...simple majority, 2/3 majority, overwhelming majority? I've chosen not to. If the difference would sway your opinion from yes to no, or vice versa, then choose unsure and explain.

Now that I've set up the general question, I'd like to put one restriction on the discussion. Discuss the merits of raising the voting age or keeping the status quo only as they apply to the maturity, independence, education, etc., of people in that age grouping, and not with regard to whether they are permitted or required to do other things at that age. For example, "If they can be sent to war at that age, they should vote," would not be a valid argument in this debate: make the assumption that whatever we set the voting age at, all related responsibilities that require that level of maturity would also be subject to revision as well.

I'll urge those who are around the age of 18 or nearing it to please not simply react to having to wait longer to vote. I tend to think the teens participating on this forum are more mature than the general population, so take into consideration your peers, classmates, etc., and think about whether enough of them have the maturity to make their own informed decisions when it comes to voting to merit keeping the age at 18. Don't worry, I'm not running off to lobby Congress to pass a new law, just thought it would make for an interesting non-partisan discussion.

Read More Here: Should the voting age be raised? Text - Physics Forums Library

I would have to agree with that poster for several reasons. First off, she was correct when she says that children/teens tend to go along with their parents' political views. This would not be something I would want happening in the voting system. I would want Children/Teens (Teens are children to me) to be able to have the mental maturity, which is not gained until age 25, to vote on issues that concerned them.

Second, some teens are not educated enough to be able to be independent in their thinking styles and maybe influenced by the media - moreso than people over the age of 25. The voting would be disrupted if teens were voting merely for what their parents want them to be voting for.

What do you think?

Jamie

 

[del]

i think you're full of shit.

thanks for asking, and have a pleasant evening.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The reason I ask is that I'm wondering if the majority of 18 year-olds in our current society (not the way the society was 20 or 50 or 100 years ago) are sufficiently mature and independent to make such an important decision as who should be elected to government office.

I think it's a fairly generally known fact that young children generally reflect their parents' political views (if it isn't, then this can be a debate point). At some point as adults, we develop our own independence and may no longer share political views with our parents (many of course do share those views, but they arrive at those views independently; in other words, not just because it's what their parents told them to believe). What I'm unsure of is when during the developmental continuum from adolescence to adulthood do people stop taking their parents' view of the world and politics for granted and make independent political decisions?

Given that in other areas of life, indicators of independence seem to appear at a later age than historically (for example, adult children living at home with their parents over the age of 18, still dependent on their parents for financial support, or college students still having their parents come resolve their problems rather than doing it themselves), are 18 year-olds sufficiently independent to perform a function as important as voting, or are they only replicating their parents' votes? (You may disagree with the premise of this statement as well.)

You'll notice, I'm not working from hard data here, but my personal impression of changes in society and maturity of 18 year-olds. Hence, the poll and opportunity to discuss and present both supporting and opposing views.

Above, I probably should have defined majority...simple majority, 2/3 majority, overwhelming majority? I've chosen not to. If the difference would sway your opinion from yes to no, or vice versa, then choose unsure and explain.

Now that I've set up the general question, I'd like to put one restriction on the discussion. Discuss the merits of raising the voting age or keeping the status quo only as they apply to the maturity, independence, education, etc., of people in that age grouping, and not with regard to whether they are permitted or required to do other things at that age. For example, "If they can be sent to war at that age, they should vote," would not be a valid argument in this debate: make the assumption that whatever we set the voting age at, all related responsibilities that require that level of maturity would also be subject to revision as well.

I'll urge those who are around the age of 18 or nearing it to please not simply react to having to wait longer to vote. I tend to think the teens participating on this forum are more mature than the general population, so take into consideration your peers, classmates, etc., and think about whether enough of them have the maturity to make their own informed decisions when it comes to voting to merit keeping the age at 18. Don't worry, I'm not running off to lobby Congress to pass a new law, just thought it would make for an interesting non-partisan discussion.

Read More Here: Should the voting age be raised? Text - Physics Forums Library

I would have to agree with that poster for several reasons. First off, she was correct when she says that children/teens tend to go along with their parents' political views. This would not be something I would want happening in the voting system. I would want Children/Teens (Teens are children to me) to be able to have the mental maturity, which is not gained until age 25, to vote on issues that concerned them.

Second, some teens are not educated enough to be able to be independent in their thinking styles and maybe influenced by the media - moreso than people over the age of 25. The voting would be disrupted if teens were voting merely for what their parents want them to be voting for.

What do you think?

Jamie

Teens do NOT go along with their parents on voting. A shit load of teens are very left leaning Liberals at that age. As they grow and mature and learn the realities of life a fair number realize the liberal slant is ignorant pap and become more conservative.

What is that saying?

If your not a liberal when your young you have no heart, if your not a Conservative when you mature you have no intelligence.

 

[Article 15]

No.

 

[Barb]

The reason I ask is that I'm wondering if the majority of 18 year-olds in our current society (not the way the society was 20 or 50 or 100 years ago) are sufficiently mature and independent to make such an important decision as who should be elected to government office.

I think it's a fairly generally known fact that young children generally reflect their parents' political views (if it isn't, then this can be a debate point). At some point as adults, we develop our own independence and may no longer share political views with our parents (many of course do share those views, but they arrive at those views independently; in other words, not just because it's what their parents told them to believe). What I'm unsure of is when during the developmental continuum from adolescence to adulthood do people stop taking their parents' view of the world and politics for granted and make independent political decisions?

Given that in other areas of life, indicators of independence seem to appear at a later age than historically (for example, adult children living at home with their parents over the age of 18, still dependent on their parents for financial support, or college students still having their parents come resolve their problems rather than doing it themselves), are 18 year-olds sufficiently independent to perform a function as important as voting, or are they only replicating their parents' votes? (You may disagree with the premise of this statement as well.)

You'll notice, I'm not working from hard data here, but my personal impression of changes in society and maturity of 18 year-olds. Hence, the poll and opportunity to discuss and present both supporting and opposing views.

Above, I probably should have defined majority...simple majority, 2/3 majority, overwhelming majority? I've chosen not to. If the difference would sway your opinion from yes to no, or vice versa, then choose unsure and explain.

Now that I've set up the general question, I'd like to put one restriction on the discussion. Discuss the merits of raising the voting age or keeping the status quo only as they apply to the maturity, independence, education, etc., of people in that age grouping, and not with regard to whether they are permitted or required to do other things at that age. For example, "If they can be sent to war at that age, they should vote," would not be a valid argument in this debate: make the assumption that whatever we set the voting age at, all related responsibilities that require that level of maturity would also be subject to revision as well.

I'll urge those who are around the age of 18 or nearing it to please not simply react to having to wait longer to vote. I tend to think the teens participating on this forum are more mature than the general population, so take into consideration your peers, classmates, etc., and think about whether enough of them have the maturity to make their own informed decisions when it comes to voting to merit keeping the age at 18. Don't worry, I'm not running off to lobby Congress to pass a new law, just thought it would make for an interesting non-partisan discussion.

Read More Here: Should the voting age be raised? Text - Physics Forums Library

I would have to agree with that poster for several reasons. First off, she was correct when she says that children/teens tend to go along with their parents' political views. This would not be something I would want happening in the voting system. I would want Children/Teens (Teens are children to me) to be able to have the mental maturity, which is not gained until age 25, to vote on issues that concerned them.

Second, some teens are not educated enough to be able to be independent in their thinking styles and maybe influenced by the media - moreso than people over the age of 25. The voting would be disrupted if teens were voting merely for what their parents want them to be voting for.

What do you think?

Jamie

Policy effects 18 year olds in ways that change their lives forever, and sometimes ends those lives. The reason for the 26th Amendment was because of these facts. You're not likely to get any support for denying them the right to vote any more than you'd get in advocating a poll tax, or a test of some kind. All these things were struck down as unconstitutional, because they are.

 

[publicprotector]

Ignore the shit heads, the question that you should be really asking is are politicians as a whole so corrupt and the system employed to get them there so corrupt that it dose not matter what the age of the voter is as it has no consequence to those who are in power.

First off, the belief that we have a fair and just system of politics is just that, its a belief, abit like religion, where people just believe in an idea but not requesting any proofs of validity of same. No, all politics and politicans whomever they may be in whatever country in whatever time are corrupt and bought off by the parasite.

Its just an illusion, nothing more, the best thing people could do right now is to not vote at all in any nation that has the right to vote. Because that would bring the system down and that would facilitate change, hopefully for the better.

 

[noose4]

age does not make one mature, if you can join the military at 18 you can vote at 18. if being mature enough was a requirement regarding having the vote there would be plenty of middle aged people who wouldnt be allowed to vote.

 

[Barb]

"Now that I've set up the general question, I'd like to put one restriction on the discussion"

I would like to add that the restrictions are BS, as the reality is not going to change, and discussing anything needs to reflect the reality of what is discussed, or the conversation is hypothetical, and therefore not applicable in any meaningful way to the original question.

 

[caela]

If you wouldn't let them vote at 18 then they shouldn't be able to join the armed services at 18 either. After all if they don't have the mental maturity to read about, and recognize the consequences of casting a vote then they certainly don't have the maturity to understand the consequences ( up to and including their deaths ) of signing their life over to Uncle Sam either.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Raise the age? Don't know about that. Maybe pass a test showing you're competent to vote . . . that I could get on board with. Of course, it would have to be administered to all, not just the youth.

 

[The Illusion]

Ignore the shit heads, the question that you should be really asking is are politicians as a whole so corrupt and the system employed to get them there so corrupt that it dose not matter what the age of the voter is as it has no consequence to those who are in power.

First off, the belief that we have a fair and just system of politics is just that, its a belief, abit like religion, where people just believe in an idea but not requesting any proofs of validity of same. No, all politics and politicans whomever they may be in whatever country in whatever time are corrupt and bought off by the parasite.

Its just an illusion, nothing more, the best thing people could do right now is to not vote at all in any nation that has the right to vote. Because that would bring the system down and that would facilitate change, hopefully for the better.

One of my grandfather's famous quotes is that He wont vote where his vote wont count anyway. I guess I never agreed with him up until recently when I began seeing the statistics thrown here and there and hearing other people's views on the matter. After I got both sides, I am firmly believing that voting is corrupted. I am also under the impression that a lot of voting comes from influence from family and friends - not independent attitudes toward the candidates. I mean, not ALL people vote from being influenced, but a lot of people do - especially the younger generation....simply because they are in a time in their life where they are trying to "fit in" and want to go with the "in" crowd just like in their highschools.

Jamie

 

[The Illusion]

If you wouldn't let them vote at 18 then they shouldn't be able to join the armed services at 18 either. After all if they don't have the mental maturity to read about, and recognize the consequences of casting a vote then they certainly don't have the maturity to understand the consequences ( up to and including their deaths ) of signing their life over to Uncle Sam either.

I dont think anyone should join the military until they are age 21 or higher..possibly higher. But then again, I would HATE it if my children joined the military at ALL...thats just a mother's point of view.

Jamie

 

[Emma]

Raising the legal voting age would require a Constitutional Amendment. Good luck with getting that passed... since 18 - 25 year olds have the right to vote

 

[mattskramer]

After what happened in the 2000 presidential election in some districts in Florida, I’ve nearly come to the conclusion that those people wanting to vote must have a basic IQ test (perhaps in logic and reasoning) and acquire a minimum score. Butterfly ballots are not that difficult to figure out.

 

[Luissa]

Ignore the shit heads, the question that you should be really asking is are politicians as a whole so corrupt and the system employed to get them there so corrupt that it dose not matter what the age of the voter is as it has no consequence to those who are in power.

First off, the belief that we have a fair and just system of politics is just that, its a belief, abit like religion, where people just believe in an idea but not requesting any proofs of validity of same. No, all politics and politicans whomever they may be in whatever country in whatever time are corrupt and bought off by the parasite.

Its just an illusion, nothing more, the best thing people could do right now is to not vote at all in any nation that has the right to vote. Because that would bring the system down and that would facilitate change, hopefully for the better.

One of my grandfather's famous quotes is that He wont vote where his vote wont count anyway. I guess I never agreed with him up until recently when I began seeing the statistics thrown here and there and hearing other people's views on the matter. After I got both sides, I am firmly believing that voting is corrupted. I am also under the impression that a lot of voting comes from influence from family and friends - not independent attitudes toward the candidates. I mean, not ALL people vote from being influenced, but a lot of people do - especially the younger generation....simply because they are in a time in their life where they are trying to "fit in" and want to go with the "in" crowd just like in their highschools.

Jamie

If they want someone else to decide for them how to vote that is their own problem. It is someone's right to vote for whomever they want for whatever reason they want. You can't put restrictions on voting, we did that once and it didn't work out so well.
And like someone else said if you can be military and die for our country then you should be allowed to vote. If young men have to register for the draft on their eighteenth birthday than they should be allowed to register to vote.
I registered to vote the day I turned eighteen and the first time I voted was an hour after I had all four of my wisdom teeth out, I was a senior in high school and already understand what it meant to be allowed to vote. If you want young kids to take responsiblty, you don't take it away.

 

[Missourian]

It would be nice if folks proved they had some clue as to WTH was going on before they were allowed to vote, but I can assure you that is never going to happen...and not only because it is illegal.

Our elected leader are dependant on ignorance to retain their offices.

And that's both parties equally, not just one of the other.

 

[caela]

If you wouldn't let them vote at 18 then they shouldn't be able to join the armed services at 18 either. After all if they don't have the mental maturity to read about, and recognize the consequences of casting a vote then they certainly don't have the maturity to understand the consequences ( up to and including their deaths ) of signing their life over to Uncle Sam either.

I dont think anyone should join the military until they are age 21 or higher..possibly higher. But then again, I would HATE it if my children joined the military at ALL...thats just a mother's point of view.

Jamie

That's not necessarily a "mothers" point of view...it's YOUR point of view. I'm a mother myself and if my daughter chooses to join the military I'll support her decision to do so. There are certainly some advantages to it (job training, GI Bill for school etc.) along with the disadvantages. I'll make damned sure she reads everything she has to sign though so that she really knows and understands what she's getting into.

 

[Cecilie1200]

The reason I ask is that I'm wondering if the majority of 18 year-olds in our current society (not the way the society was 20 or 50 or 100 years ago) are sufficiently mature and independent to make such an important decision as who should be elected to government office.

I think it's a fairly generally known fact that young children generally reflect their parents' political views (if it isn't, then this can be a debate point). At some point as adults, we develop our own independence and may no longer share political views with our parents (many of course do share those views, but they arrive at those views independently; in other words, not just because it's what their parents told them to believe). What I'm unsure of is when during the developmental continuum from adolescence to adulthood do people stop taking their parents' view of the world and politics for granted and make independent political decisions?

Given that in other areas of life, indicators of independence seem to appear at a later age than historically (for example, adult children living at home with their parents over the age of 18, still dependent on their parents for financial support, or college students still having their parents come resolve their problems rather than doing it themselves), are 18 year-olds sufficiently independent to perform a function as important as voting, or are they only replicating their parents' votes? (You may disagree with the premise of this statement as well.)

You'll notice, I'm not working from hard data here, but my personal impression of changes in society and maturity of 18 year-olds. Hence, the poll and opportunity to discuss and present both supporting and opposing views.

Above, I probably should have defined majority...simple majority, 2/3 majority, overwhelming majority? I've chosen not to. If the difference would sway your opinion from yes to no, or vice versa, then choose unsure and explain.

Now that I've set up the general question, I'd like to put one restriction on the discussion. Discuss the merits of raising the voting age or keeping the status quo only as they apply to the maturity, independence, education, etc., of people in that age grouping, and not with regard to whether they are permitted or required to do other things at that age. For example, "If they can be sent to war at that age, they should vote," would not be a valid argument in this debate: make the assumption that whatever we set the voting age at, all related responsibilities that require that level of maturity would also be subject to revision as well.

I'll urge those who are around the age of 18 or nearing it to please not simply react to having to wait longer to vote. I tend to think the teens participating on this forum are more mature than the general population, so take into consideration your peers, classmates, etc., and think about whether enough of them have the maturity to make their own informed decisions when it comes to voting to merit keeping the age at 18. Don't worry, I'm not running off to lobby Congress to pass a new law, just thought it would make for an interesting non-partisan discussion.

Read More Here: Should the voting age be raised? Text - Physics Forums Library

I would have to agree with that poster for several reasons. First off, she was correct when she says that children/teens tend to go along with their parents' political views. This would not be something I would want happening in the voting system. I would want Children/Teens (Teens are children to me) to be able to have the mental maturity, which is not gained until age 25, to vote on issues that concerned them.

Second, some teens are not educated enough to be able to be independent in their thinking styles and maybe influenced by the media - moreso than people over the age of 25. The voting would be disrupted if teens were voting merely for what their parents want them to be voting for.

What do you think?

Jamie

Teens do NOT go along with their parents on voting. A shit load of teens are very left leaning Liberals at that age. As they grow and mature and learn the realities of life a fair number realize the liberal slant is ignorant pap and become more conservative.

What is that saying?

If your not a liberal when your young you have no heart, if your not a Conservative when you mature you have no intelligence.

Adolescence is the time of life when people, as part of the process of becoming adults, begin to question everything their parents do and say. This applies to politics as much as it does to religion, etiquette, life goals, and whether or not to clean their bedrooms.

As for whether or not 18-year-olds are mature enough to be allowed to vote, I personally question whether a lot of 40-year-olds are mature enough to vote. Doesn't matter anyway, because the voting age wasn't dropped to 18 on account of maturity.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Ignore the shit heads, the question that you should be really asking is are politicians as a whole so corrupt and the system employed to get them there so corrupt that it dose not matter what the age of the voter is as it has no consequence to those who are in power.

First off, the belief that we have a fair and just system of politics is just that, its a belief, abit like religion, where people just believe in an idea but not requesting any proofs of validity of same. No, all politics and politicans whomever they may be in whatever country in whatever time are corrupt and bought off by the parasite.

Its just an illusion, nothing more, the best thing people could do right now is to not vote at all in any nation that has the right to vote. Because that would bring the system down and that would facilitate change, hopefully for the better.

By all means, PLEASE do not vote.

 

[Cecilie1200]

If you wouldn't let them vote at 18 then they shouldn't be able to join the armed services at 18 either. After all if they don't have the mental maturity to read about, and recognize the consequences of casting a vote then they certainly don't have the maturity to understand the consequences ( up to and including their deaths ) of signing their life over to Uncle Sam either.

I hate to break it to you, but one of the reasons men in their late teens are so valued in the armed forces is BECAUSE they're not entirely mature mentally. Men in late adolescence/early twenties tend toward recklessness, a certain disregard for personal safety, and a curious notion of invincibility, all of which is very useful in a soldier.