Description
In this assignment, you will make the case for the age you think people should obtain the right to vote. The 26thAmendment in 1971 guaranteed everyone the right to vote at 18 (previously, it was 21). Some states allow for voting in presidential caucuses and primaries if they will be 18 by the time the general election arrives, and a few cities have granted voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds for local elections. Before the 26th Amendment, there was a serious debate about the age of the vote, given young men and women were serving in wars but were not eligible to vote. However, since then, the right to vote has still been debated.
What does adolescent developmental research say about it? That is where you come in. In this assignment, you will draw on course materials and outside (credible) work to make the case for a particular age of the vote. Maybe you decide to keep it at 18, perhaps you want it 19, 20, 21, 16, 12, etc… The main point is that you use evidence to back up your stance.
The final product should be a 3-5 page, double-spaced paper. I do not deduct points if the paper is fewer than three pages (although typically, that means it lacks some detail) or more than five pages.
-Part 1:
In the first section I want you to summarize your stance on what the voting age should be. Make sure to include a few sentences on what you thought before this class started (i.e. pre-Spring 2024) on what age you thought the voting age should be.
Now I want you to turn to the age that you choose after reviewing course materials and thinking about the topic (i.e. you have your initial idea, you read through the course materials and other documents, what age do you now think it should be? Did it stay the same since before the class started? Change?).
Here you want to outline what the rest of the paper will be about. Include the age you selected and summarize the three main reasons you chose this age that you will discuss in-depth in Part 2.
Part 2:
Now summarize the three main reasons why you chose the age you did.
This should take three to six paragraphs.
For clarity, make sure to list your rationale.
You must utilize and cite at least four resources (peer-reviewed scholarly articles, reports, course materials).
Please contact me if you are uncertain if the resource counts.
The reasons must be backed up with rationale from course content and other materials.
For example, think about biological, social, and cognitive transitions and development; think about autonomy, peers, identity, school, and other aspects we have talked about or will talk about.
If you make the case of age based on things like enlisting in a branch of the military or something similar, make sure you still tie it to some aspect of adolescent development. Some policies are often noted outside of voting based on sound research and a hunch of what sounded right. Just because some guidelines don’t make sense doesn’t always mean voting should be the same way.
While your gut feeling about the age might have informed your thoughts before this class, what do you think now that you have been working through adolescent development?
Part 3:
In this section, you will pick at least one counterargument to your chosen age.
You need to draw on at least one course material or other resources in making this case.
Essentially, use these materials to make the case against your chosen age.
Close this section with a few sentences explaining why you still believe in your decision despite the argument against your chosen age.
This section does not need to be about defending age 18 but just the argument against your chosen age.
Part 4:
Write a 1-2 paragraph conclusion section describing the process for you to think about the voting age in the context of having to back it up with course materials (as opposed to general opinion on the matter that we usually use).
Important: Include a few sentences on how policymakers can decide on adolescent-affected policies in the future. For example, how might policymakers consider adolescent development research in shaping policies or including youth in democratic processes.
