advocating for 16 year olds to vote

QUESTION

advocating for 16 year olds to vote

You will be asked to apply your growing psychological knowledge to identify and propose a solution to some problem. This project will require you to nurture your critical thinking and communication skills. You are also required to summarize and disseminate research information by creating an infographic-a single page with information about a certain topic.

Rubric for Application Paper

General Information

This paper is a chance to practice the critical thinking and application skills you have gained. The purpose of this paper is to use research to identify and propose a solution to some problem. In order to do this, your paper should have the sections listed below. You can lose points if the paper is not at least 3 pages long. You should not use quotes, unless absolutely needed, and you need to be cautious to avoid plagiarism.

The paper should be written as a persuasive letter to someone who can change things, and should use a professional tone. You can choose to send the letter if you wish for extra credit.

The paper needs to be double spaced, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 point font and no extra spaces after paragraphs.

A) Introduction (2)
-Who are you and why are you writing? Include a set-up sentence (such as “I believe that X is a problem, Y is a potential solution to X, and you are likely to be able to implement Y.” Or something). (1)

-Define the key terms. Assume the audience is educated but not in psychology. (1)

B) Defining the Problem (6)
Describe the social issue you are discussing. Use empirical research and/or government statistics as well as course material. In at least 3 paragraphs, using material cited on your reference page, you must:

-Problem Statement. Say what the problem is (e.g. Children are not exposed to enough unicorn-focused media. Here are the stats on how much media is unicorn focused vs how much is not. Here are stats on specific subgroups that are particularly at risk) (2)

-Scholarly Support. Provide support that it is a problem, and that is has lasting negative effects (e.g. Children who are exposed to unicorn-focused media show these benefits. Children in general show detriments in those areas, suggesting a strong need for more unicorn-focused media) (2)

-Developmental Effects. Discuss how/why the problem affects specific age groups (e.g. Children, 3-8, are particularly prone to X problems, which can be solved by watching unicorn-focused media. Because of Y theory, it is likely that children at this age will reap the most benefits from an intervention, whereas children who are older will already have formed X problems. Brain plasticity is also very high at these ages, increasing the likelihood of positive effects. Economically, children at this age are more likely to enjoy unicorn-focused media meaning that if we create such media for this age group, it is likely to get parent and child buy in) (2)

C) Proposed Solution (6)
-Proposed Solution. What is your proposed solution? Describe in detail what you think a potential solution is. Describe how this would look in the real world. How would it be funded, who would need to be involved, etc. (3)

-Scholarly Support. Describe research/course concepts that support your solution working. (3)

D) Conclusion (2)
-Briefly summarize the problem and solution. (1)

– Describe why the person you are writing to is the best fit for the job. Entreat the person to take action. (1)
IT NEEDS TO BE IN LETTER FORMAT AS IF I WRITING TO SOMEONE WHO CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN FO 16 YEAR OLDS TO VOTE

Subject	Law and governance	Pages	4	Style	APA

Answer

Name

3222 13ths Street NW

Washington, DC 20010

Date

Mr. Trayon White Sr.

Councilmember

Ward 8

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20004

Dear Councilmember White,

As a resident of Washington DC, I am a passionate supporter of the bill to lower the voting age to 16. I believe that the minimum voting age being 18 is a problem because most of the adults usually don’t show up in large numbers during elections for they are not concerned much about the day to day running of the government. I believe lowering the voting age limit to 16 is a solution to increase the ratio of voters who turn up because youths are more involved in politics and how it affects them. Mr. White, you are likely to be able to implement this policy because you are the chairperson in the committee on recreation and youth affairs. You have also been known to enjoy being a community leader, thus becoming you a role model for many youths in Ward 8 and the nation’s capital.

The youth aged between 16 and 18 years are ineligible to vote in the U.S., raising a heated debate both in the mainstream media and other media. According to Astor (2019, May 19) of The New York Times, campaigns to lower the age to vote led by youths have been constant since 2013 rights to vote in municipal elections in Takoma Park, Md. were given to 16- and 17-year-olds. Yet polls taken found 84 percent of registered voters opposing 16-year-olds to vote and 75 percent opposed to 17-year-olds. Further, Nirappil (2018, November 13) in the Washington Post connotes that the proposed legislation for lowering the voting age to 16 for district residents was declined by the D.C. council. The effort to make the nation’s capital the first jurisdiction to allow 16-year-olds to vote in the presidential elections felt a blow when lawmakers voted 7 to 6 to introduce the bill. Thus, there have been forces fighting against 16- and 17-year-olds voting.

Young people under the age of 18 are expected by the law to follow it yet they have no say in making the law. They are expected to follow adult laws, which on failure, they face adult consequences. Mandal (2011) posits that it is a possibility for cases to be transferred to adult criminal courts from juvenile courts in every state in the U.S. while some states automatically transfer all offenses by 16- and 17-year-olds. This poses hypocrisy when telling these young people that they are mature people when they make mistakes but naive when they want to vote. Moreover, these young people are expected to abide by tax laws. People under the age of 18 pay income tax with no representation of say on how it is spent. Therefore, since these young people are expected to abide by adult laws, they should have a say in the matter as well.

Experience and knowledge are not criteria for eligibility in voting. Douglas (2020) holds that 16-year-olds are capable of making deliberative decisions like 40-year-olds. Although there is no requirement for voters to have political knowledge, young people can be as informed as older people because they are the ones in school learning and gaining political knowledge. According to Mandal (2011), the Senate Judiciary Committee, when renewing the Voting Rights Act in 1975, did not see why reasons for preventing citizens from participating in decisions affecting them directly. The environment of 16- and 17-year-olds is directly and indirectly affected by the decisions of the leaders in power.

The age limit to vote should be lowered to 16 because it will improve the lives of youths, develop a passion for young people to lead, and help increase voter turnout. Young people have a right to air their opinions making their interests taken seriously. They are impacted by issues such as corporal punishment laws, the government’s long term debt, and environmental degradation more than anyone else. If they had a direct say in the matter, these issues could be addressed to improve their lives. Further, young people have shown interest in voting as seen by the four times higher turnout rate of voters under 18 years to those over 18 when Takoma Park, Maryland lowered the voting age to 16. When the age limit is lowered, many young people will feel engaged and show up in large numbers to vote to lead to a more engaged and better-informed democracy. Their involvement in politics will stir up the desire for most of them to pick up leadership roles molding them to become better future leaders while still young.

Youth aged between 16 and 18 years are ineligible voters in the U.S., yet expected to follow the law without having a say in making it, claiming they do not have political knowledge nor experience. Lowering the voting age to 16 will improve the lives of youths, develop the passion for young people to lead, and help increase voter turnout, thus, a more engaged and better-informed democracy. Mr. White, you are the right man for the job because you have been known to enjoy being a community leader making you a role model for many youths in Ward 8 and Washington DC. Being the chairperson in the committee on recreation and youth affairs, I believe you will have a greater influence on the subject and help the 16- and 17-year-olds be eligible to vote.

Sincerely,

Name

This question has been answered

References

Astor, M. (2019, May 19). 16-Year-Olds Want a Vote. Fifty Years Ago, So Did 18-Year-Olds. New York Times.

Douglas, J. A. (2016). In Defense of Lowering the Voting Age (Draft). University of Pennsylvania Law Review Online, 165(1), 5.

Douglas, J. A. (2020). Lowering the Voting Age from the Ground Up: The United States’ Experience in Allowing 16-Year Olds to Vote. In Lowering the Voting Age to 16 (pp. 211-230). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Mandal, S. (2011). Top Ten Reasons to Lower the Voting Age – NYRA. NYRA. https://www.youthrights.org/issues/voting-age/top-ten-reasons-to-lower-the-voting-age/

Nirappil, F. (2018, November 13). D.C. Council declines to take up bill to lower voting age to 16. Washington Post; The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/should-16-year-olds-be-able-to-vote-for-president-in-the-nations-capital/2018/11/12/f2c32d34-e699-11e8-b8dc-66cca409c180_story.html