Is voting a privilege or right?why do u think a good majority of americans don't vote?(there's more open this

Question

Is voting a privilege or a right? why do you think a good majority of americans do not vote and what can we do as a society to encourage mroe people to vote?
hey people this is one of my hw questions and i need help for this questions answer. please provide answers correctly.
THOSE WHO WILL ANSWER THIS QUESTION CORRECTLY WILL BE CHOOSEN AS THE BEST ANSWER!!gud luck!!
i reall apreciated you help.thanks!

when answering please describe...

Answer 1

Voting is a right secured by the Constitution. There are many reasons people don't vote:
1. Apathy - they don't care.
2. Laziness - may care, but don't want to put in the effort
3. Don't think their vote counts or will have any effect
4. Aren't old enough
5. Have been disenfranchised (in some states convicted felons cannot vote).
6. Have had negative experience voting in the past (being hassled at or near the polling location or being treated poorly based upon some discrimination.
7. Forgetfulness
8. Lack of transportation
9. Work does not make accomodations.
10. Feel like they don't know the issues or candidates so voting wouldn't be educated.
11. Dislike all of the candidates.

Answer 2

Voting is a Constitutional right that is also a privilege, but in my opinion, it is a responsibility, which means you take it seriously and you do it conscientiously. You don't base your vote on commercials, or whether or not you like the candidate's name (sorry, I am still amazed at the cretin who posted an earlier question -- that wasn't really a question -- complaining about Barack Obama's name!)

Americans have become complacent. They do not realize that rights can be lost. Look into the example of Brandon Mayfield. He is the Portland attorney wrongly implicated in the subway bombing in Spain. A converted Muslim, Mr. Mayfield was profiled and his family was terrorized by the U.S. government under the protection of the Patriot Act. Google Mr. Mayfield, and you will find plenty to support the argument that Americans are willing to let their rights be taken away. The U.S. Constitution protects us, yet the "Patriot Act" is in effect! I will paraphrase Ben Franklin here: "Those who would give up Liberty for the sake of Security, deserve neither Liberty nor Security." Look that one up too. He said it better, and it might be useful to your assignment.

I am glad that you, as a young person, are paying attention to this issue. I work in a public high school and remind students all the time that they must be vigilant about protecting the rights they have as Americans.

Another example: the presidential election that put George W. Bush into power. So few people voted, and how has history been affected by this man attaining the presidency? (Illegally, in my opinion.)

Another idea for you to research: the requirement of the so-called "double majority" to pass certain mandates. If a majority of eligible voters do not turn out to vote on an issue, that issue fails, even if it won with a majority of the votes that were cast. Confusing, isn't it? Ask your teacher to explain it, then ask yourself if it seems constitutional.

Answer 3

I think that voting is a privilege and a right because it is good that all people are allowed to vote. But I think it is a right because well, we have a right to do so. A privilege and a right have a very thin line in between them. But I think that a way to get more people to vote would be to have someone with the same views as George w Bush to run for president. Then I highly doubt that there would be a very large percentage of people that do not vote.But as a society to encourage more people to vote we should make people more aware of the Issues. If they pay more attention to how the people running are going to improve America as a country.Then there will be more people wanting to vote instead of voting because they live in this country.

Answer 4

Voting is the right of every citizen in a free country. HOWEVER, I don't agree that the voting age in this country should be 18. At the very least I think the voting age should be 25. That way people who are out of school, who have jobs, who pay their taxes, and who have a little bit of life experience can decide what's best for this country! Not some teenager barely out of high school who has yet to learn that just because you play the sax on late night TV, that doesn't mean you're qualified for office!

Answer 5

Voting is a privilege, look at the parts of the world who have just come around to doing a vote. Looking at the number of drop-outs in high school, the number of kids walking around with their clothing half falling off, etc. I would say that they do not vote because they are not thinking at all! We need better programs from grade 7-12 that teach the difference between freedoms we have in our country that do not exist in the rest of the world for the most part. Ignorance is not bliss!

Answer 6

IMHO, voting or not voting is both a right AND a privilege; both. You can exercise your right to vote, but I exercise my right NOT to vote. Why? Well, I never feel like I have all the information I need to make a well informed choice. Politicians have horrible reputations for their words and their actions being in-congruent, and that will make MANY people apprehensive about voting. We all want to make the right choice.

Beyond this though, I'd exercise my right to vote if ONLY the government honored MY right to privacy. Anyone who registers to vote relinquishes their right to privacy, because now ALL that personal info goes into a PUBLIC (not private) database for anyone to see, free of charge, at any time. Between the lack of honesty from our representatives, and the lack of respect for the privacy of our citizens, less and less people will vote.

Excellent question; I look forward to reading more of the responses!

Answer 7

This letter was sent to the Straits Times and soc.culture.com as a response to the letter from Ms Chua Lee Hoong

Dear Madam,

I refer to your article "It's your duty to vote, but it's not a right " published on 25 April 2001.

I think your argument which based on literal sense of the written Constituition, is totally flawed. A "privilege" must be "given". If voting is a "privilege", then who is the initiator of giving that "privilege"? The government in power?

Although it is not written in the Singapore Constituition that it is the citizens' right to vote, the spirit of the Constituition is very well represented in our National Pledge, to build a "Democratic" society with EQUAL RIGHTS for everybody (i.e. Equality). And if such equal rights do not include the equal rights in voting, then what other rights would be meaningful to our National Pledge of a Democratic society?

Voters voted in the government that gives them (the ruling party) the "privilege" to run the country. That is why the public elected government is always considered "public servants", as the voters are their masters that granted them the privilege to run the country. How could those who had enjoyed the gift of the privilege from the people, in return grant the givers (i.e. voters) the privilege to vote?

If voting is a privilege granted to us, then it is up to us to decide whether we want to enjoy such privilege. If that is so, how could it be a compulsory duty for us to exercise our privilege to vote? Isn't it obvious that these contradict the theory of "Voting is a privilege"? I have never heard of any privileges that make them compulsory to anybody to accept.

In fact, in your own article, you have subconsciously contradicted your own stand. I quote, "The price of the air ticket and the time consumed is the price you pay for the right to vote." Yes indeed. It is the price for us to pay for the RIGHT to vote, not PRIVILEGE to vote.

For any interpretors of Constitution, it is important for them to take into consideration the Spirit of those people who drafted the Constitution and not only on the wording used in the written Constitution itself.

If Singapore is set to be a communist country, then it is only natural for anyone to assume that the majority of the people will not have their rights to vote. Only the minority has the privilege to vote. However, our Constitution clearly dictates that we will be a democratic society that naturally will mean every good citizen of this land will have the right to vote. Voting is a right, not a privilege in a democratic society. Of course, I really hope that you will treat this country of ours as a democratic society.

Answer 8

Because either you don't fully understand the issue and how it might and might not effect you and the ones closest to you. Most things being voted on aren't simple and to the point there's too many aspects that only a lawyer or person that can gain for himself or his company which usually doesn't benefit the majority of the people that vote. Not knowing where and when voting is done.

Answer 9

Voting should be a privilege because some people make a very uneducated decision when voting.

Society can encourage people to vote by doing the American thing, paying them, or a tax break

Answer 10

It is a right to vote in the country. Unfortunately it is a privilege most do not take advantage of, and then complain about our country!!

At the last election I was the only one out of 15 people that I work with that voted. They did not want to stand in line!! Crazy insane to me!!

I had the privilege to stand in line for 1.5 hours, and vote!!