‘Stay woke,’ is today’s slang for encouraging others to become aware of what is going on in your community, at both the local and national levels. Similarly, political participation, where the people are actively involved in their government, has always been an important part of American history. The foundation in which this republic was built from, was due to the fact that Americans wanted to play an active role in establishing this country. Popular sovereignty, is the doctrine that the power lies in the hands of the people, who vote for representatives, who in essence, run the government. Therefore, the right to vote, is the greatest influence an average American citizen can have, and also enables each and every person to politically participate. It has become crucial that the citizens of this country stay aware of the different factors affecting their daily lives, so that order can be maintained, and future generations can hopefully, live better lives.
It is seen throughout America’s history, where people have fought for their rights, and have made it their responsibility to make sure they are guaranteed their natural rights. One right in particular, that both women and African Americans struggled to fight for, was the the right to vote. This has become a huge part of what it means to be an American citizen. It helps to empower the people aside from the government, giving them the opportunity to choose who they want as their representatives that make the laws they abide
One of the changes made to the Constitution was that slaves, women, and more citizens have the right of suffrage. In document #2, it states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged...on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude...on account of sex.” It also states, “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged.” Both of these were added to the Constitution because although throughout history, citizens were angry that some of them didn’t have the right to vote. After the 13th amendment, blacks viewed themselves as citizens and they expected to have the right of suffrage. Women didn’t view themselves below men in the social class so they fought for the right to vote by protesting and creating female activist groups. To be able to fix this problem, the Constitution was
The coming age of African Americans rights to vote was a remarkable time in history. This life-changing experience set new boundaries for the welfare of minorities in the United States. African Americans would be able to cast their votes on governmental issues, without becoming afraid of the harmful acts they may have to face.
When our country was founded, only property-owning White men were granted the right to vote. After the Civil War, when slavery was finally abolished, the Constitution’s Fifteenth Amendment prohibited “the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Only in the last century did the Nineteenth Amendment give women the right to vote. And a little over 40 years ago, the Twenty-sixth Amendment was ratified to expand the franchise by lowering the voting age from 21 to
From a political standpoint, the more people are given the right to vote, the more independent the country is. By 1776, at least 60% of white males could vote; by 1787, more had that privilege(source#10). In addition, unmarried women who owned property, such as land, had the right to vote, and some free black men, mainly in New Jersey. In 1791, Vermont was one of the first states to allow all men to vote regardless of their race and whether or not they owned property (source #5). The number of people allowed to vote is crucial to developing a newly born democracy, such as the United States in the late 1700s.
The American Constitution, as outlined in the Preamble, boldly defines its purpose as “We the People” (U.S. Constitution). Reasonableness suggests that the framers of the Constitution would provide appropriate legislation enhancing the citizenship’s right to actively participate in government via public elections given such a definitive statement expanding on the power of the people. However, American citizens do not possess a constitutionally protected right to vote. During the drafting period of the Constitution, only white male property owners could vote, however, voting rights have drastically changed throughout the history of the United States. Through amendments passed over the past two centuries, the Constitution has changed
Voting is a right that is given to all citizens by the 15th Amendment of the Constitution. Although the 15th amendment was ratified in 1870. It was not until The Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed that African Americans got to exercise their right to vote under the 15th amendment at the state and local level; which overcame the legal barriers that existed at those levels that was in place to prevent African Americans from voting.
The 1965 Voting Rights Acts were adopted because of the flaws found in the 15th amendment that interfered with the basic right to vote for many minorities. The ability to vote is one of the most powerful tools that the American people have to make a change within America. The power to vote is important because you can decide your own government and by choosing your own government you are voicing your ideas on how you want the country to be operated. The amendment that gives US citizens the ability to vote is the 14th amendment which defines what it means to be a citizen. Whereas, the 15th amendment was put in place to stop the discrimination of voting based on your color, race, or previous conditions of servitude.
In my opinion, it is one of the few ways Americans can express their political views and vote for the party that suits their interests. I am planning to vote in next election because I believe it is essential for the democracy, it prevents the minority from dictating the policies of a majority, and it is our duty to vote because our ancestors have fought for this right. In my opinion, these all reasons are pretty strong for an individual to realize the importance of voting.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 extended the rights of all eligible citizens to vote. But America has a long history of disenfranchisement. Woman were not allowed to vote until 1920, when the Constitution was amended to state "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 sex” (“The 19th Amendment”). In 1870, African American men were granted the right to vote in The 15th Amendment which stated, the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state
One day you'll sit down and wonder how did we get here, when did this happen, and why did this happen the way it did, and you will not be able to figure it out, because you decided not to vote, not to let your voice be heard. It is critical that we as African Americans become a well-informed group of individuals, and understand what we should vote for or what we should stand up for. Specifically being an African American it is important to vote because it is not only our right but our duty, for our predecessors fought for years for this right as did many others. Because we were not seen as equal, we were not given the same rights as our Caucasian counterpart. We live in a world where are given the right to vote and we have come a long way so, let our voices be heard. Our government, this democracy we live in does not dictate what we should and should not be allowed to believe.
In a modernized society that highly values civil rights and equality, it is paramount for every citizen of a country to vote. Throughout history, people of minority and many others have fought for the notorious right to vote, and some even putting their lives on the line. Thus, a blessing of compulsory voting will not only give everybody an opportunity to voice how their country would like to be governed, but also presents a fair representation of what people want. One shouldn’t discount compulsory voting to pose a havoc on civil rights, it grants everyone that right regardless of citizenship and class. Countries should adopt compulsory voting, as countries will govern better and citizens would be happier as their country would be controlled by how they like.
Voting has not always been as easy as it is today. It is interesting to examine how far America has progressed in its process of allowing different types of people to be able to vote. Voting was once aimed at a particular group of people, which were white males that owned their own property. Today, most people over the age of eighteen can vote, except for the mentally incompetent or people who have been convicted of major felonies in some states. The decline of voter participation has always been a debate in the public arena. According to McDonald and Popkin, it is “the most important, most familiar, most analyzed, and most conjectured trend in recent American political history (2001, 963)” The question is, how important is voter
For effective participation it enables individuals and minorities to promote and protect their identity and ensure respect for the dignity of their people and communities. Everyone should have a chance to vote it should not matter your race or religion that is where equality in voting comes in. Gaining enlightened understand, I feel that’s when the presidential candidates are running and are
Voting is a vital portion of conducting everyday life. Americans have more freedom than many other people in countries around the globe; therefore, it is pertinent to express that freedom in many ways. Up until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, many people of color, gender, and all other classifications in the United States fell under one umbrella: not having the ability to vote. (massvote.org) As far as Americans having the ability to vote, 218,959,000 people have the eligibility to vote as of August 16th, 2015. Out of that significantly large number, 146,311,000 are actually registered to vote. (statisticbrain.com) This large gap in people with the eligibility to vote, and actual registered voters, is very alarming. As an American, it is the right and duty of a citizen to exercise all attainted rights by voting in all elections, even if the favored party seems to lose to no avail. (theodysseyonline.com)
Voting is one of the most privileged rights anybody can have in America. Early in the years, women didn’t have the right to vote. According to the article Why Women Should Be Included in the Voting Rights Act, women had no right to elect representatives of their choice and they weren’t allowed to be elected. Women are the most under-represented people in the United States.