Why SHOULDN'T the voting age be lowered?

Question

I need to do a paper on the topic and I need both sides of the 'fight' but have only been able to find why it should be.

Answer 1

I once had a Driver's Ed teacher express the opinion that because a car was so dangerous, and teenagers were such dangerous drivers, sixteen-year-olds would be less dangerous in the voting booth than behind the wheel of a car. At the time, I agreed with him. Now I have come to the conclusion that if the driving age were 50, fifty-year-olds would be dangerous behind the wheel of a car. As far as 16-year-olds voting, I'm not sure they'd do a much worse job than their elders.

Answer 2

Please most teenagers can even dress themselves and what makes you think they would take the time to research the issues or do a background search on potential candidates.

As it is most voters hear some talking head throw out a catchy phrase and it is excepted.  There is a lot more involved in voting for a candidate.

Answer 3

To argue against lowering the age to 18:

The age of 18 is just an abitrary cut off point.  Generally, the law provides that those below 18 do not have the capacity to prosecute or defend legal actions or make binding contracts.  Additionally, the criminal justice system treats them differently as wel.  Obviously the very young have not learned or matured enough to make such important decisions, but what's the big difference between someone 17.9 and 18 years old?  Not much, but you have to draw the line somewhere.  Therefore, as a society we protect and limit the rights of children.  And we simply chose 18 as the line.

Answer 4

18 is the age of majority, at which time a person is considered responsible for him- or herself.

The voting age should only be lowered if everything else that goes along with the age of majority... ability to enter into contracts, parents no longer required to support the child, draft registration, etc. is also lowered.

Answer 5

OK.  Let me come up with a couple of reasons.  Now, don't think that I believe all these reasons, I am just trying to help you out.  

1.  Younger voters would be influenced by non-issues more.  They are more prone to vote based on irrelevant information (have you ever watched the Kids Choice Awards on Nickelodeon, they vote for really stupid stuff just because it is "popular".)

2.  They are not yet of the age that they are contributing to society, they are not working and paying taxes, so they do not have the right to make the decisions.

3.  They don't have enough experience to understand the issues (such as social security).

4.  They would be too heavily influenced by their parents, thus really just giving a parent with more kids more votes.

Hope that helps a little.

Answer 6

If they lower the age of voting they should lower the legal drinking age too. Lets see how crazy things get after that!  Might as well legalize marijuana too!

:o

Answer 7

How far down should the age go? 18 is the age of consent for almost everything.

Answer 8

Really think about how immature most of America is before 18.

Seriously the average guy at 18 is still immature and irresponsible with money let alone choosing the leader of our country...

Answer 9

I don't know many people under the age of 18 that get into politics, so for them voting  doesn't really make sense. In all country's, elections are very important and people that do follow politics don't want someone with no knowledge of the candidates or parties to vote.

Answer 10

To me there are no reasons for not lowering it

Answer 11

Why Should It? 18 seems to be the age of responsible adults, who care about the process! Do you really want a bunch of Hanna Montana aged Kids up the in the voting booth, who don't know, and don't care, and taking it all as a joke? (no affiance to Mylie Cyrus, just using her age as a reference)

Answer 12

18 is an age that requires a higher level of maturity that you can recieve from anyone else. They have a higher understanding what their vote will do to benefit the country, and exactly how important it is. Teens who are younger are sometimes short-sided, or vote sarcastically. I am a sophomore, with a few friends who's levels of thinking will generally result in an idiotic vote.

             On the other hand, there are those younger people who's lives will be affected as much as anyone in the country. The "intellectuals" of the adolescents realize this and know that their input should count. They also posess a level of thinking that people of no other age can, and this level of thinking can usher forth a deeper understanding of who the best candidate really is.

Answer 13

Do a test. Ask a political question on YA and then have the person give their age. That should answer your question and scare you half to death.

Answer 14

The answer is relatively simple. Most 18 year olds are barely qualified to vote as it is, their minds are filled with the c**p spouted by their HS and college instructors plus most still live at home with their parents, why compound the problem we currently have with ignorant voters by lowering the voting age even further?

Why on earth would I want MTV watching, Video game playing, mouth breathing, non taxpaying slackers to have any say in the future of this country ?

Answer 15

I think it should be RAISED to 21 because by then the voters have been out of high school a few years and are no longer under any cushy delusions and have lost their idealistic views on the way things SHOULD be and understand more about how they ARE.

Answer 16

There was a crazy movie back in the mid '60's called "Wild in the Streets". A bunch of young rebels put LSD into the DC water system, getting the Congress stoned and had the Constitution amended to lower the voting age to 12.

It was a great flick. See if you can find it and you will have all the argument you need.