ipl-logo

Should Voting Laws Be Allowed To Vote In America

523 Words3 Pages

Throughout American history we have gradually permitted different groups of Americans to vote. Many would argue that we have greatly expanded the right to vote in America and we are well on our way to authorizing as many people to participate in our democracy as possible. Though we have expanded voting rights, we have a dark history in our country of voter suppression that is still a contentious debate today. No longer are there poll taxes or literacy tests, instead they have been subtlety replaced by photo ID laws and impediments to voter registration. In a way today’s voter suppression is the new face of Jim Crow. Those most affected by voter suppression are the marginalized groups in society that have been targeted since the dawn of time. But have trends in voting rights always been this way? I argue that trends in voting rights fluctuate from progress to regression and that this pattern still holds true today. …show more content…

In 1776 the Declaration of Independence is signed and the right to vote during the Colonial and Revolutionary periods is restricted to white, free, male property owners over the age of 21. This amounted to 6 percent of the adult population at the time and continued the legacy of white supremacy and bourgeois dominance. (Keyes, Millhiser, Ostern, & White, 2012) In 1787 the United States Constitution was adopted and it provided our country with its structure as well as its fundamental political and civil rights. The Bill of Rights included various freedoms but absent was the right to vote. This vacancy allowed states to decide who voted and how, inevitably keeping the status quo of only allowing white male landowners to vote. The lack of requirements on the Federal level to regulate voting is one of our most important historical events and has implications to today. (Dogra,

Show More
Related
159 Words | 1 Pages

The whites thought that sooner or later if we let them vote that they’re going to take over. The Jim Crow Laws system stopped the blacks from voting. That caught the Civil Right leaders and that brought attention to Mississippi. That made it acceptable for that 7% of black people to vote. In Document B which was a “Freedom Summer Pamphlet.”

Read More
1397 Words | 6 Pages

This amendment affected the nation positively and negatively. Now the nation has many more votes. Not just the people who are rich, have the vote. Now, there, “‘can be no one too poor to vote.’... the right of all U.S. citizens to freely cast their votes has been secured” ("Today in Civil Rights History:

Read More
562 Words | 3 Pages

During the “Age of Jackson” in the 1820’s, the argument over whether or not to expand American suffrage was a conflicting one. Those who opposed the expansion of suffrage argued that it was a “dangerous expansion of democracy”, while those who favored the expansion believed it to be morally correct and helpful to the democratic system. Those who favored the expansion of American suffrage believed it to be a natural right that should be utilized by able white men. This expansion of suffrage was believed to lead to a stronger and healthier American democracy.

Read More
281 Words | 2 Pages

Meaning that African American men could vote, but during 1776 only people who own land can vote Just a little after 1870 Susan B. Anthony was arrested because she tried to vote and she was a woman, major differences spark between then and now, 2016 anyone over 18 can vote. Whether you are a man or a woman. In 1776 size population changed drastically the population was around 2.3 million, but only a couple years later the population of the U.S. was over 3 million. As you can see time changes many things.

Read More
226 Words | 1 Pages

We see multiple successes of voting equality attempted through amendments, however, the Supreme Court’s decision on Shelby County v. Holder has pushed back years and years of effort for voting rights. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling was in Shelby County’s favor, stating that the Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional along with Section 5. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr, who wrote the majority’s opinion, said that the power to regulate election was reserved to the states, not the federal government. As a result to the court’s decision, the federal government can no longer determine which voting law discriminates and can be passed. After the case, many states had freely passed new voting laws; the most common voting law states passed

Read More
420 Words | 2 Pages

We often assume that the reason behind the low voter turnout in the U.S. is due to institutional challenges (i.e. voter ID laws, registration, costs). Therefore, reformers most often focus on offering and improving various forms of convenience voting to increase turnout. Skeptics such as Graeme Orr argue that “voting whenever, from wherever, is a ‘lifestyle’ option.” Another skeptic, Adam J. Breinsky, argues that convenience voting has “perverse consequences on election reform” and that encouraging political engagement is more valuable than pursuing institutional changes. Although convenience voting offers flexibility and comfort, it is imperative not to overlook what Election Day is supposed to be: a communal event.

Read More
66 Words | 1 Pages

To accomplish social equality and justice has been a long controversial issue in U.S. history. Voting Rights Act of 1965 should be understood as a tremendous accomplishment today because it not only represent a symbol of the triumph of fighting social injustice, but also open the first gate for African American and minority to strive for more political power in order to create a “great society.”

Read More
412 Words | 2 Pages

In 1787, I would not have voted to ratify the constitution because it did not list anything that would protect my natural rights, only giving government more power than necessary. Before the Constitution was written, the American Colonies were under the unfairly exaggerated control of the British Monarch. From 1775 to 1783, America fought against Britain driven by the goal of becoming an independent nation; the Americans won this war and obtained their natural rights as people - people meaning white male, property owners. Regardless of whether people’s rights were defined and protected in the Constitution, my rights would not have been, since in most Americans’ eyes, I would not have been a “person”, but only a woman. However for some white

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

The 15th Amendment (Amendment XV), which gave African-American men the right to vote, was inserted into the U.S. Constitution on March 30, 1870. Passed by Congress the year before, the amendment says, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Although the amendment was passed in the late 1870s, many racist practices were used to oppose African-Americans from voting, especially in the Southern States like Georgia and Alabama. After many years of racism, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to overthrow legal barricades at the state and local levels that deny African-Americans their right to vote. In the

Read More
529 Words | 3 Pages

“ While compulsion of any kind is a restriction, so is the compulsion to drive only on the right side of the road.” ( “Is It Time To Consider Mandatory Voting Laws? Worsening Voting Statistics Make a Strong Case.” by John W. Dean.) One way voter turnout can increase is by compulsory (required) voting.

Read More
279 Words | 2 Pages

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a large portion of Americans were restricted from civil and political rights. In American government in Black and White (Second ed.), Paula D. McClain and Steven C. Tauber and Vanna Gonzales’s power point slides, the politics of race and ethnicity is described by explaining the history of discrimination and civil rights progress for selective groups. Civil rights were retracted from African Americans and Asian Americans due to group designation, forms of inequality, and segregation. These restrictions were combatted by reforms such as the Thirteenth Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, the Fifteenth amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, etc. Although civil and political

Read More
484 Words | 2 Pages

Although technically people of color had the right, white people were making it very difficult to register. When African Americans went to register they would be tested continuously, something white people never had to deal with. Only two percent of African Americans in the south could vote. Before the march from Selma to Montgomery there were many protests to try to gain fair voting rights. One man, Jimmie Lee Jackson was killed at a peaceful protest by a state trooper.

Read More
1821 Words | 8 Pages

Even though the government adopted the Voting Rights Act in 1965, African Americans’ suffrages were still restricted because of southern states’ obstructions. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was important for blacks to participate in political elections, but before this act was passed, there were several events led to its proposal. The government gave African Americans’ the right to vote by passing the 15th Amendment, but in the Southern States, blacks’ suffrages were limited by grandfather clauses, “poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic restrictions” (ourdocuments.gov). As times went on, most African Americans couldn’t register their votes.

Read More
1151 Words | 5 Pages

America is regarded highly in the world, due to its economic, political, as well as social development. As countries mature politically, voter turnout is expected to increase. This is the case for most industrialized nations who experience an average voter turnout above 70%. However, it is troubling to see that America still lags below 60% in voter turnout. Viewed as one of the healthiest democracies in the world, the United States is always referred to as an example that other countries should follow.

Read More
417 Words | 2 Pages

The right to vote was a privilege given to only a particular group of people in the past. The right to participate in the judicial system to some is an honor. This process allows people to voice and chose who they want in office or what issue they want to support. Voter Id laws are incorporated into our society as a form of control in order to keep people silent. Voter id laws are under controversy because the law is viewed as being discriminatory against minorities.

Read More

More about Should Voting Laws Be Allowed To Vote In America

Related Topics

Open Document