Here in the U. S. its age 18. do you feel this is a good age to allow people to vote? Personally I feel you should be allowed to vote when you start paying taxes
You know back in the founding time, only land owners could vote. Which in a way made sense, because they were the ones who would have to pay to run the country. There was no income tax, and people voting who had no problem to vote to raise taxes on the others would be an issue.
I like the idea that you have to pay taxes to be able to vote, those who don't... obviously love the idea of voting for people to raise taxes on others, not themselves.
Then again, someone might even give up their right to vote if it means they have to pay zero taxes. Wouldn't that be a interesting choice now.
I've never liked the idea that people who have no dog in the game, get to vote on raising taxes for others, be it property taxes or for Democrats who love to raise taxes then give that money to others in wealth transfers.
I think there needs to be a constitutional amendment that says the government CANNOT tax one person or entity and give the money to another person or entity.
This would stop the government from giving money to big businesses or taking it from one person and giving to another. It would stop the wealth transfer socialism... but still allow usage socialism.
Usage socialism is like a gas tax, you only pay it if you use it, it isn't a wealth transfer from one paying taxer payer to someone else.
As I said to someone who asked a similar question, I think 18 is the perfect age because if you are old enough to serve your country, you should have a say in its’ governance! By the same measure, if you are not a full citizen ie: you cannot serve your country, or even sign a contract… you are definitely not old enough to vote! Besides, I was 16 more recently than most here, and I vividly remember just how immature most 16 y/o guys are, and a great many girls too. I definitely would never want the future of our nation resting on the decision of 16 y/o’s
I'm actually conflicted, but I answered 21 because our braisn don't finish developing until 25, and ideally we would wait until age 25 to vote, so we really aren't going to be making optimal voting decisions at 18, and 16 would be even less likely to make good decisions. Ler's be honest, we were all morons at 16. But I'm conflicted because 16 year olds can work and pay taxes, so it seems fair to be able to vote. And since most voters are idiots. Most adults are hardly smarter than most teenagers, so would it really make much of a difference if 16 year olds could also vote? I'd need more research I think before I decided. Perhaps we should just try lowering or raising the age in different states or cities and testing out how it goes.
But ultimately, I think 21 is still a better age because finishing high school IS NOT enough education to prepare people to vote, so age 18 is too young. At 21, we've all either finished college, are almost done, or have been out of high school long enough to work and learn how the world really works. That should be plenty of preparation to vote as wisely as possible.
If you're not going to allow a 17 year old to vote on how the country is run, you shouldn't be allowing them to join the army and get sent off to die, trying to defending.
And no, adding any other criteria would be a terrible idea - it reminds me of "Starship Troopers", where you have to join the military before you're considered "a citizen" and allowed to vote, have children, hold public office, etc.
Basing the system on taxation would be perhaps the worst idea imaginable - the rich would just decide that they'll enact the kind of policies that ensure they will stay rich, and ensure that the poor stay poor, and there's nothing the poor can do about it, because they're too poor to pay taxes and therefore vote.
Aside from being an awful and undemocratic idea, it would also lead to constant revolutions / anarchy, as there are a lot more poor people than there are rich people, and the only thing stopping the poor from just forcefully taking everything from the rich, is the acceptance that the government can do the same thing without any of the violence, through taxation.
Opinion
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Whenever I think about this question, I always feel the younger the better. 16 is a good age because most politicised people in life start this process around 16/17/18 but in a democratic society if you give one 16 year old the vote, you have to give all 16 year olds the vote. I suppose a fair assumption would be that they would only go out and vote if they were interested.
Legal restrictions , I can see the premise of paying taxes as a stipulation but like any argument there will be cases of "Well I didn't mean to take the vote from them". I am thinking in the term of Irish law say a person who was ill all their life being paid sick benefit would be deemed as never paid taxes but would receive credits. So if you say anyone who has paid tax or received , you are very close to everybody over that age. I am not American so do not know the current process, I am presuming it is citizenship for Presidential elections and legal status for all other elections. I would be okay with that , it is not perfect but like democracy it is flawed not perfect. You never know when one day a voting restriction may affect you or someone you know. Like say , going into extreme example , I am 53 and people decide to question the right of the elderly to vote.
Sorry went off on a bit of tangent there.
If an 18-year-old is considered old enough and responsible enough to fight and die for their country, then that should be the age they are allowed to buy firearms, tobacco, alcohol and vote.
If even ONE of these is deemed too much responsibility and cannot be done until age 21, then it should be 21 for ALL these things, not just some.
The argument behind ALL age-restricted activities is usually something along the lines of "we need to ensure they are old enough and RESPONSIBLE enough to do this activity". Basically, these boil down to judgement calls on the part of the individual at that age. The SAME EXACT 18 year-old we trust to fight in the military will have the SAME EXACT mental capacity and judgement for ALL age-restricted activities and purchases.
Personally, I believe the right to vote, buy tobacco, alcohol and firearms should be the exact same, whether it is 18 or 21. There should not be one age for one and another for this that or the third. I believe that age should be 21, which is the legal age one must reach to enter law enforcement in many parts of the country.
Age of majority. In England that's 18, the same age you can buy alcohol. Now I know some pseudo-advanced countries don't allow alcohol until you're 21 and still think execution is a deterrent to crime despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The problem right now in America is that certain elected officials want to take the vote away from people who are likely to vote against them, ignoring the constitution they swore to uphold and in fact calling for the repealing of the 26th amendment - despite saying amendments are sacred, like the 2nd...
You make a good point! Technically, kids with jobs earning over the poverty line are being taxed without representation. When i was young, my checks were taxed but i got everything back when i filed my returns. Is that not how it works anymore?
Or are you just saying BECAUSE the taxes are taken out and used BEFORE they’re returned, that those kids should have representation?
I’m not against the voting age being reduced, but i am FOR a series of tests before you get your voting privileges. Seems like kids would actually have an advantage since one of the tests would be over history and government. Ell oh ell!
21 is the highest semi-realistic age. But I would prefer 30. By 30 most people start to understand how things work. Even at 21, most people have extremely little knowledge and understanding of things. At 18 they don't know shit. Every 18 year old out there will look back some day and admit that it's true.
Also, only people who own property should be allowed to vote on property tax. I've moved around a lot. When I was renting, especially when I lived there for less than a few years, I never voted on property taxes. I didn't think it was my place to vote for someone else to pay taxes when I wouldn't be paying them myself.
I like the paying taxes and owning property rule for voting, as it establishes you have a stake in the community your welding power over.
Even still people should not be allowed to vote until their brain has finished developing around 25.
18 is far too young and frankly so is 21 the only reason went that young was because military needed kids still undeveloped enough to talk into charging a machine gun nest. How on Earth is being talked into charging a machine gun nest a positive qualification for voting in a sane country?
18 years seems a reasonable age to me. A legal age must be set anyway, and why not the legal age of adulthood? Seems logic to me. Sure some people may already be able to emit a responsible vote at a younger age, while some older people will probably never be mentally responsible to vote.
Answer G may still be worth considering in certain circumstances (Only people who work and pay taxes or have paid taxes should be allowed to vote), but I'm not sure a population would live in peace with that idea.
It should be the age, you guys think gives you the best chance in elections.
This is like when libs floated the idea of a standard of education for voting. what is the point of whining? Turn out your voters or appeal to a larger portion of the electorate.
There are a lot of mistakes being made in these comments. The US is a Federal Constitutional Republic. The US Constitution is supposed to be the supreme law of the land. NOT a majority opinion. That Constitution was amended in 1971 by the 26th amendment setting that age at 18. This is only coming up because the Gen Zs voted democrat heavily. Some believe this was because of the student loan forgiveness that has now been blocked by the Federal Courts. Since I don't share my political views on this website I will stop here and will NOT say my position on the voting age.
If paying taxes is a criterium... how is it, that the super-rich are allowed to vote?
When I was 18 myself, I did not have a full political understanding. 21 then looks a little better to me.
However: also the young ones are a part of society - it would not be right to ignore them. So I'd like to see them represented in a separated fraction; not with full legal options, but with a voice to be heard.
Well, if we go by when you pay taxes, that could be as young as 14. Some states legally allow you to work that young and if you work, you may be taxed on your income.
Personally, I don't believe voting should be restricted by age. I'd prefer it have three qualifications 1.) You are governed by the body you are voting for. 2.) You pass a test of factual answers regarding the policies on the poll, to prove you actually know what you're voting for. 3.) You have a diploma or degree proving you are educated regarding the political system used in your state or nation.
Most people vote pretty much blind. I believe this to be extremely detrimental to our nation. I find knowledge and understanding to be far more important than age, so I don't much see a reason for an age restriction at all.
I put "pay taxes = right to vote". You should be able to decide where your money goes.
I also think being young shouldn't disqualify you from voting. People say things about brain development or immaturity, but on the other end of the spectrum we have senile people who can't drive, are barely able to take care of themselves (or cannot) and who have outdated ideas about society who are allowed to vote. I think it's fair to let younger people have a voice since these older people have a voice. Some of the older people are going to vote on things that are going to be implemented and effect the younger people, but the older generation some of those voters are going to die of old age before they feel the effects of their choices! It's the young people who have to live with the decisions.
If fucked up old white guys can send you to the front lines of a bullshit military action for no real reason other than profit, you should be able to vote at whatever age THAT is! And when and if you return from said experience of being shot at, you should be able to legally buy a freaking drink!
18. The problem in the USA isn't the voting age. As Tytler put it, "A democracy (in context a representative democracy like we have) cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury." Our We have too many leeches wanting free stuff at the expense of others.
Keep it at 18. Everything should just be lowered to 18 tbh like drinking, smoking, rental cars. The 21-25 rules are just stupid. People are adults at 18. They aren't little kids anymore. At that age I had a son and a husband that was joining the military. I was a fully grown woman at that age. It would be ridiculous to not allow a 18 year old to vote when they have their whole life together.
it has to be 18 because that's the age they can draft although no one was drafted since 1975 but a draft could happen they came mighty close in 2004-2005... so if it's 21 it can't be because you can send men and women to war at 18 but can't vote...16 your not really an adult yet and you may be persuaded by something stupid a politican may throw out there
I voted g. If you work and pay taxes and take care of yourself and your life you should be able to vote. American citizens only though. I don't care if you have a visa or a green card or whatever. American citizens who work and don't collect snap or hud etc should be allowed to vote
I honestly also think an IQ test should be completed before voting.
Most people would hit the anon button with this reply, but since I'm not a snowflake... go ahead and attack me hounds
Let's face it until you are working for a living you haven't the maturity that comes from supporting yourself in a place to live etc and the ambitions to improve your situation.
So it should be then that you get to vote across the Western countries.
18 is young enough but, maybe it SHOULD be reverted to 21. Part of the reason it was lowered to 18 was because, at that time, we were sending 17 and 18 year old KIDS over to Vietnam to risk being killed and a lot of people felt that, if they're old enough to be shipped over there to risk their lives for that bullshit war, they should also be old enough to get the right to vote, too!
Just move EVERYTHING to 21. Voting, buying alcohol/tabacco/MJ, gambling, driving, joining the military and voting. Everything.
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