In generating his situation for the alter in his Feeling piece “If the 18-Yr-Olds Get the Vote …” (July 7, 1968), Andrew Hacker, a governing administration professor at Cornell College at the time, challenged the media’s portrayal of young Americans as political radicals or countercultural hippies. But he also pointed out how the technology from the ’60s differed from their parents.
Together with reading Mr. Hacker’s post, students can find out much more about a movie he talked over, “Wild in the Streets,” which exploited this stereotypical image of youth. Browse this overview of the 2016 DVD or observe the primary trailer, embedded earlier mentioned.
College students may possibly think about the following queries just after reading through Mr. Hacker’s posting:
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In accordance to Mr. Hacker, what had been common perceptions and misperceptions of 18- to 21-calendar year-olds in 1968? How are they identical or unique from perceptions of younger folks now?
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What arguments does Mr. Hacker make in favor of decreasing the voting age? Do you find them powerful? Why or why not?
With the founding of the Youth Franchise Coalition (Y.F.C.) in 1969, a national group was set to drive for youth voting legal rights. At their to start with meeting, users of the Y.F.C. read from two longtime advocates of the decrease voting age: Senator Jennings Randolph, Democrat of West Virginia, and Senator Birch Bayh, Democrat of Indiana. The article “Younger Lobby Team Chided on Militancy” (Feb. 6, 1969) summarizes the senators’ message about youth society, politics and voting. What are they worried about, and what do they want the Y.F.C. associates to do about it? What do you think about the senators’ information?
The upcoming 12 months at Senate subcommittee hearings on reducing the voting age, a number of witnesses criticized the stereotyping of youthful Us residents in the media. Do we see this kind of media framing of young folks nowadays?
Strategies for lowering the voting age
The Youth Franchise Coalition represented the end result of a 30-year effort and hard work to decrease the voting age. Bringing jointly college student and youth organizers with adult allies, the Y.F.C. labored at the federal amount to insert an amendment to the U.S. Structure. They also supported point out-level campaigns, which labored to attain state constitutional amendments. The to start with results was in Georgia in 1943.
The post “Decrease Voting Age Sought for Condition: New Group Asks Franchise for 18-Yr-Olds” (Jan. 15, 1967) reports on the marketing campaign in New York, aimed at the state’s 1967 constitutional convention. After studying the article, learners can go over the pursuing concerns.
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What was the purpose of the Reasonable Franchise Coalition in New York? What steps did it require?
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What tactics did they pursue to realize every single of those people techniques towards their intention?
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You can also take into consideration what arguments John Patrick Conroy, the founder of the coalition, made for decreasing the voting age.
States’ rights or federal power?
Seeking at the issues included in acquiring each state to go legislation, such as New York, proponents of decreasing the voting age pushed Congress to enact a uniform voting age throughout the nation. But this was controversial. At stake was the connection concerning states’ rights and federal electric power, an concern that originated with the nation’s founding.
Advocates of states’ rights, citing Post I, Portion 2 of the U.S. Structure, argued they experienced the proper to determine the minimal age for voting in their states, not Congress. These in favor of congressional action cited Article I, Part 4 of the U.S. Constitution. They thought that the energy to control elections belonged to the states in the to start with instance, but that Congress “may” move in at essential situations, as occurred with the 15th and 19th Amendments.