Should the voting age be changed to 16+?

Because the majority of 16 year olds, if they even cared to vote, would vote for all of the wrong reasons.

Not to mention the opportunity for adults to take advantage of this and sway them to vote in a certain direction.

They'd really just be used as tools, preventing them from making informed decisions on their own, not that many are able to do this anyway.

I know I wouldn't want these kids on KMC voting on how a country should be run.

Huge decision......too huge for most 16 years to deal with.

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Originally posted by InnerRise
Because the majority of 16 year olds, if they even cared to vote, would vote for all of the wrong reasons.

Not to mention the opportunity for adults to take advantage of this and sway them to vote in a certain direction.

They'd really just be used as tools, preventing them from making informed decisions on their own, not that many are able to do this anyway.

I know I wouldn't want these kids on KMC voting on how a country should be run.

Huge decision......too huge for most 16 years to deal with.

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

alright, but what variable involved in aging from 16 to 18 changes any of these problems?

Are these not issues with people of any age? If not, why?

Originally posted by inimalist
alright, but what variable involved in aging from 16 to 18 changes any of these problems?

Are these not issues with people of any age? If not, why?

Yes, it can be an issue with people of any age, but specifically with 16 which is what this thread is about.

Just "TIME" I guess. I can't imagine that huge of a change from 16-18, but there is a change. The younger you are the greater the leap in age difference and this changes as one gets older.

I guess any growth, even the slightest bit b/t 16-18 is better to have when voting then what you start out with at the ripe ol' age of 16.

Not to mention one can go to war for their country at the age of 18, so I suppose they see it as only right for one to be able to vote at 18 as well.

There is a difference.

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Originally posted by InnerRise
I can't imagine that huge of a change from 16-18, but there is a change.

If I can talk neurologically for a minute (lol)...

there are MASSIVE changes that begin at about 16 years and end roughly around 25 years in the brain. These changes are brought about by more intense and complex social situations. The jump between 16 and 18 is huge, as is the 18-25. If one REALLY wanted to make a neurological argument about voting age, 25 would seem a more empirical number.

Well I guess you answered your own question concerning why 18 would be more appropriate than 16 being that you yourself state that there is in fact a huge difference between the 2 ages.

Although if I might add, I'm sure the correlation between changes in the brain and practical changes is hardly congruent.

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Originally posted by InnerRise
Well I guess you answered your own question concerning why 18 would be more appropriate than 16 being that you yourself state that there is in fact a huge difference between the 2 ages.

I made an argument that might support the raising of the age. I don't think it is convincing enough to say that it is more appropriate for people at any age to vote, since there is no evidence that the lack of neurological development that a 16 year old has compared to a 25 year old changes the quality of their political opinions.

Originally posted by InnerRise
Although if I might add, I'm sure the correlation between changes in the brain and practical changes is hardly congruent.

nope, the new brain areas that form are crutial to the interpretation of complex social hirearchies and situations. They are thought to form cued by interaction in situations that are highly complex because of social rules.

As someone who is now 23, I can say that there is a HUGE gap between 16-18, 18-20, 20-23, ect. This is the time of ones life where MAJOR ideological and personality issues are formenting, because of new neurological brain mass 😉

Then why even bothering ask this question:

Originally posted by inimalist
alright, but what variable involved in aging from 16 to 18 changes any of these problems?

...if you have all of the answers?

Unless you're saying that none of what you said changes any of the problems and if so then why say it at all?

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

What if to get voting rights, you had to a take a test that tested you on politics...just lightly. The test should make sure the voter knows enough about political termonology and current political topics to be considered a competent voter.

If someone were to pass this test...age would not matter.

In my opinion, being an informed voter would be much more important than what age you are. This wouldalso mean that the person would have to be able to read and write well enough to understand the questions being asked.

If this were done, would Bush have been elected the second time around?

Originally posted by dadudemon
What if to get voting rights, you had to a take a test that tested you on politics...just lightly. The test should make sure the voter knows enough about political termonology and current political topics to be considered a competent voter.

If someone were to pass this test...age would not matter.

In my opinion, being an informed voter would be much more important than what age you are. This wouldalso mean that the person would have to be able to read and write well enough to understand the questions being asked.

If this were done, would Bush have been elected the second time around?

Originally posted by dadudemon
What if to get voting rights, you had to a take a test that tested you on politics...just lightly. The test should make sure the voter knows enough about political termonology and current political topics to be considered a competent voter.

If someone were to pass this test...age would not matter.

In my opinion, being an informed voter would be much more important than what age you are. This wouldalso mean that the person would have to be able to read and write well enough to understand the questions being asked.

If this were done, would Bush have been elected the second time around?

That wouldn't be democracy. The vote being cast has to be the vote, uninformed or otherwise, of the person casting it. The flip side of this is that there are crimes you can commit, and the consequence of which is loosing the right to vote. But, the right to vote is something we all have, not something we earn.

Originally posted by Devil King
That wouldn't be democracy. The vote being cast has to be the vote, uninformed or otherwise, of the person casting it. The flip side of this is that there are crimes you can commit, and the consequence of which is loosing the right to vote. But, the right to vote is something we all have, not something we earn.

It is still democracy...just not everyone person who is a citezen will be able to vote...I can't vote because I am not registered at this moment...so this must not be a democracy..

Having to pass a test to vote is a totally different matter from not being registered to vote.

Originally posted by Devil King
Having to pass a test to vote is a totally different matter from not being registered to vote.

But don't I have to pay to become registered? isn't that a form of discrimination?

Originally posted by dadudemon
But don't I have to pay to become registered? isn't that a form of discrimination?

No. I've never had to pay to register to vote.

Originally posted by Devil King
No. I've never had to pay to register to vote.

I just checked....no money required...but I still have to fill out paper work. (That means someone could fill it out for me...I just have to sign. This means being literate still doesn't matter. I also want people to be politically literate before they can vote.)

Originally posted by dadudemon
I just checked....no money required...but I still have to fill out paper work. (That means someone could fill it out for me...I just have to sign. This means being literate still doesn't matter. I also want people to be politically literate before they can vote.)

Tough break for both of us, innit?

But, what is politically literate?

you're familiar with the issues?

Indoctrination?

You can pick out the wives of this political candidate or that one?

Who makes the descision? That's what Bardock was talking about in his response to your post.

Originally posted by Devil King
But, what is politically literate?

you're familiar with the issues?

Indoctrination?

You can pick out the wives of this political candidate or that one?

Who makes the descision? That's what Bardock was talking about in his response to your post.

I know...it is really too abstract of a concept to really test on.

I just hate the fact that a person who thinks Saddam Hussein is still alive and Bush is saving America from Saddam Hussein's terrorism should not be voting.

Originally posted by dadudemon
I know...it is really too abstract of a concept to really test on.

I just hate the fact that a person who thinks Saddam Hussein is still alive and Bush is saving America from Saddam Hussein's terrorism should not be voting.

Originally posted by Bardock42
Should check the statement in your second sentence there.

Needs a couple of comma's. Only a German wouldn't understand it without commas. 😛