Literacy Test Research Paper

Americans are fortunate enough to have the right to vote, so we should take opportunity to be heard. “...many Americans do not vote” (Doc BE). Some Americans do not take the chance to vote. For example, “Since World War II, no presidential election has ever involved 65% or more of registered voters!” (Doc BE). Voting is important because, “People express their consent or disapproval in many different ways” (Doc BE).

However, the government officials could have fought for these tests by saying that the tests made sure that voters understood who and what they were voting for. The Alabama test B and C especially would be very easy to fight for due to the fact that it actually went over what could pertain to what was on the ballot. While the other tests were just focused on if they had obtained an elementary education, officials obviously knew that all of the rich white people were able to receive an education. The arguments for those tests would be more focused on how those who vote should have an education so that they’re able to read about the problems that the laws are focusing on and what the newspaper is reporting on possible politicians running. They might have also said that those without an education does not have the skill to think critically and understand what is going on in the government due to them having a laboring job instead of someone who's a doctor or lawyer. However, the literacy tests were not the only standardized methods in the south to help African Americans to not be able to vote, there was also the application itself that helped the white people defer the African American’s away from

The core values all citizens of the United States share are liberty, equality, and democracy. One right that falls under these guidelines is that of equal representation in the political atmosphere, namely voting. Undoubtedly, many Americans would consider the ability to vote fairly and freely a fundamental right granted by the Constitution. However, one would be amazed to realize that the right is not specifically stated anywhere within the original Constitution, any of its provisions, or the Bill of Rights. There are centuries of history and legislation that allows Americans the right to represent themselves as a “government by the people, for the people,” (Lincoln) like they do today. A long history of struggles to define what a citizen is, and by extension who has the right to vote, through various acts and amendments culminated to form a very structured and organized method in the election of a president.

Taking the Louisiana Literacy Test was frustrating to say the least. With only ten minutes to get through thirty questions, I felt rushed, uncomfortable and full of self doubt. I can’t believe you had to get every single one of them right to be able to vote. Did people they wanted to vote receive an answer key in the mail to prepare, or did the people who graded the test overlook some wrong answers for those they desired to vote? I thought I did well. I then proceeded to look up some answer keys online and realized that I got three wrong, which was infuriating because I thought I followed along with the instructions carefully, or as carefully as I could in ten minutes. After watching the video of the Harvard students not being able to pass

The United States of America is supposed to be a land of freedom where one can exercise the right to have various liberties that are not found in many other countries around the world. Among these liberties is the right to vote in a democratic government. Voting is a privilege in the United States that should not be taken for granted; many countries do not have the luxury of choosing who they want to represent them in government. Or if they do, they have in place a system that is called compulsory voting. Compulsory voting is a system in which voters are obligated to come to their designated polling place on Election Day to place a vote. If

In “Race and Beyond: Why Young, Minority, and Low-Income Citizens Don’t Vote,” Sam Fulwood claims, “Regardless of whether a favored candidate won or popular ballot initiative passed, our nation suffered because of the number of people who didn’t vote at all” (par. 2). I agree with Sam Fulwood and I believe it is so unfortunate that Americans don’t use this right. Voting is one of the most valuable possessions that Americans are given and yet they do not use. Many of the countries around the world do not grant voting rights to their citizens. These countries either have a dictatorship or kingdom which prevents citizens from voting. People need to understand the sufferings of those people who struggled for this right. When the United States

Since the United States of America established itself as its own self-governing country, one of the things that caused it to be salient and stand out from other countries is its relentless insistence on functioning as a democracy. Wars and protests have occurred so that every type of people, whether it was women or African Americans, may be granted the right to vote. Having a say in the American government is an honor and a privilege bestowed upon American citizens when they reach the age of eighteen. However, in recent years, statistics have shown that voter turnout and participation in recent elections has been rapidly and steadily declining, causing the United States to have the lowest voter participation in the world (“Is the System

One reason I feel it is important to vote would be because our country is known for being a democracy. Democracy means that the people of the said country chooses or votes for who is elected for anything and who they think would best represent them when the time came. The people of the United States have the decision of who is elected and what happens in our country. The United States is not a country founded upon monarchy, that is a reason why we vote. We can make our opinions known for who or what we want to see come out of this country by voting. If we did not have the privilege to vote or the privilege to have an opinion then we would not be a free country. When people do not vote, they most times regret it because they would have liked

Voting. What is voting? Voting means to bring awareness, to bring change, to be the part of the movement, and to be a responsible citizen of the country. Voting is a primary right and a duty of every citizen of the nation to being responsible for the change happening all over the nation and the world. Most citizens in any country are middle working-class families; the problem they are facing should solved by any of the president or government such as equal pay, low wages, job security, employment rights and similar problems.

Since the days that our ancestors and founder fathers have made our country a constitutional republic, we have followed our laws and rights with much joy. This also includes our right to vote for who can be in charge of our country. When it was first suggested, everyone thought it was an amazing privladge, but is this dwindling as the years go by? The answer is yes, many people decide every couple of years that it is useless to vote, because our government is a representative one, but what if I told you, that your own home town isn’t?

WHY SHOULD WE VOTE?We live in a federalist democracy which means we elect certain individuals to represent us in local, state and federal government. While some people may argue that it’s not worth making the effort to vote either because they do not like the candidates (consider our present predicament in the current presidential 2016 candidate selection), or they don’t trust government no matter who wins an election, I, for one, believe that it is absolutely essential for every eligiblecitizen to vote. Voting is a right, but it is also a personal and social responsibility. Our country was founded upon the principle of free and fair elections. We must protect the right of voting, forif we do not vote then we are not participating in the process our founding fathers fought so

Voting and having a sufficient number of eligible voters actually cast a vote to elect government officials is critical for the proper functioning of government in representative democracies like the United States.

The Constitution has granted the people of this great nation many rights, however, it has also burdened them with responsibilities. One of said responsibilities, that many people tend to avoid, is voting. In fact, roughly 45% of the people who were eligible to vote, a significant amount, chose not to vote. These people should definitely reconsider because of two main reasons. For one, struggle, blood, and tears were put into the point that everyone could vote. We fought a war so that we could vote, there were other movements, such as the women’s right’s movement, that were in place just so that everyone could vote. Why waste that effort? It is a privilege to vote, as the majority of the world’s population does not have this right. Even with

If we lived in a country such as China or North Korea we would not even have the option to vote and I think it is important to recognize that we live in a country where we at least have an option to vote. Going to the polls may be seen as an inconvenience to some, but in countries where they do not even have the option to give some sort of opinion, the United States appears to be a fortunate society. We are lucky to not only be able to vote in local and state level elections, but to have a say in congress members and president as well. Of course the election system is different at all levels of government but is it better to have no say at all or to at least try and make a difference. Not voting is completely a personal choice however I feel as though you are not entitled to complain about the government or the state of the country because you didn’t make an effort to voice your

Citizens, politicians, and officials have been in heated debates on whether Americans are capable of handling their responsibilities that are given just for being a citizen. Voting is a personal choice for Americans. The fears of losing rights and freedom have been present for many decades and centuries. Everybody is concerned that citizens may not be as free as they once were. People fought hard to make every American citizen free. Citizens who complain that our government is not perfect and is not doing well for the United States are people who usually do not even vote. One vote can make a difference. Citizens are extremely concerned with our rights and freedom, but do not even attempt to make a change. Citizens are