President Trump, addressing the recent Mandatory Government service controversy there are serious measures that need to be taken. In order for our country to have an equal and moral foundation for civic participation, all angles must be properly accounted for. Mandatory Government service, in theory, sounds like a good idea, however, asserting your rights in the form of Government service should not be necessary. As a citizen of this country, there is a moral obligation to serve to the best that you can and at your own will. By making it mandatory rather than a choice you take away space for personal achievements. For instance, Bill Gates donates his money for the reason that it challenges the norm and makes him even more notable, mandatory …show more content…
The use of mandatory government service takes advantage of the youth. The educational opportunities that are available to young adults, especially between the ages of 18-21. Ilya Somin of the Wall Street Journal writes on behalf of young adults who get no say, “There are many elderly and middle-aged people who can do the job just as well as 18-21-year-olds can, if not better.”(Doc 4) The older generations are the ones who receive the most government compensation, especially after retirement. This is not to say that older people must be subjected to the burdens that are created when forced to sign up for mandatory service, however preying on the young is unfair. In fact, though they lack political involvement or incentive to voice their opinions, mandatory service should not be a punishment, rather it should be reinforced. As a young adult you are still trying to figure your alliances out, are you republican or democrat? Are you aligned with your parents? Somin addresses the question, “Why then the focus on the young? I suspect it is because they are politically weak. Research shows that 18-21-year-olds are less likely to vote, less likely to engage in political activism, and have lower political knowledge levels than any other age group” (Doc 2) Political activism and the freedom to express your beliefs are what make America the country of freedom, though the younger generations lack the political incentive they are still an essential part of society. Pondering the idea of having “trigger-happy” youngsters behind the wheels of our government sounds disastrous. Spending too little time on politics should not be used as punishment but rather more people should learn to place politics behind them and see the greater good. In fact, if you consider how much life experience the elderly have had you may be a proponent as well. “Many elderly people are healthy enough to perform in strenuous
A More Perfect Constitution A More Perfect Constitution is a book by political analyst and professor at the University of Virginia Larry J. Sabato. In it, Sabato scrutinizes 23 aspects of the United States Constitution and provides detailed solutions to make up for its weaknesses. Two examinations, that of the natural-born citizen requirement to become president, and the prospect of a required national service program are of particular interest for further thought.
I feel that just how the youth have found a way to be heard and grab political attention there should be other ways to share the stories of older
Letting a new age group vote will help show the diversity that is among them. In the article Shin writes about how “some opponents said that young people barely old enough to drive a car don’t have enough perspective to vote.” This argument is valid because it is true that many young voters don’t have the experience to vote. It can still be undone by the fact that only informed individuals are willing to vote at such a young age. This is done through the fact that many young voters were prompted by this new right, to go out and seek the information needed to be well informed
Throughout history, countries are inevitably pulled into conflicts that result in war. These conflicts usually occur because of interests in: economic gain, territorial gain, religion, and nationalism. America, like every country, needs a military to defend itself, especially when tensions arise in other parts of the world and when militia numbers start to decrease. This then allows the government to draft its population to serve in the military. People argue that young men and women’s bright lives are often cut short, and not allowed their Constitutional right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, but there are many benefits for the nation and the individual by serving one’s country.
Ever since the early 1940s, young men across the country have been forced to enlist in the selected services. Regardless of these men’s plans for the future, it was expected of them to lay down their lives for their country. While the military draft was intended to strengthen the American army, it also strengthened the arguments made by antiwar protestors. Why should people have to die for a cause they do not believe in? This was the question numerous American citizens were asking themselves throughout the entirety of the Vietnam War.
The most visceral critique is that mandating voting is just un-American. Yet jury duty, the draft, going to school, and taxpaying all have been compulsory without being called communist (OK, three out of four). At issue is what makes something American — and what makes liberty liberty. The Revolution and the framing of the Constitution were not about the right merely to be let alone or to do whatever one pleased. They were about our liberty to govern and represent ourselves.
It makes complete sense for people to be able to vote if they are old enough to be sent to war. The change in voting age is a very important event that happened because of the Vietnam
If the age was lowered to vote, i think many kids would take advantage of their
A person should vote because they believe it is their duty as a citizen and because they belief in the process. Many people point out that elders tend to vote more often but I respectfully point out that older people have a habit of dying off at a fairly regular basis. Disenfranchisement with the establishment can be a life long mindset, indeed it may be that the system of government is creating groups of people who believe that voting is a waste of time, an idea that may be planted at a younger age. Once upon a time you had to be older than 18 to vote, many debates were held over the pros and cons but eventually the age restriction was lowered and it has had little ill effect on our society. I believe that lowering it further, to an age where many teenagers are considering their future and how best to prepare for it would have a dual benefit of forcing American youths to focus on planning their lives and building rapport with our system of
Younger people shouldn’t be forced to serve in the military because it violates their liberties, enough people already volunteer, and mandatory draft should be preserved for time of war. Forcing people to enlist in a military draft is a violation of personal liberties that are supposedly guaranteed in America. There are many young people who think of joining the military as their dream already, so there is no need to make more enlist. Lastly, a draft should be preserved for during time of war.
In the last election, controversial Melbourne Radio Commentator Derryn Hunch, an outspoken critic of Compulsory Voting, was elected as Senator of Victoria. He has famously never voted and has vowed to introduce legislation to scrap Compulsory Voting in Australia. His election into the Senate has raised the question of whether Compulsory Voting promotes Democracy or surprises the Freedom of Individuals. Critics of Compulsory Voting argue that Voting is a Civic Right, rather than a Civic Duty. This means that while citizens can exercise their voting rights, they should not be obliged to if they believe it undermine their other rights such as Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion.
In Austria, where the voting age has been lowered to 16, two thirds of the 16-18 year old age group voted. This proves that if we were to reduce the voting age, it could encourage younger citizens to become even more politically aware and even inspire some to pursue a career in politics. Personally, I think it is an unfair assumption that all millennials are considered to be narcissistic when certain studies have shown that they are intensely passionate about global warming, the corrupt government of North Korea and other pressing issues affecting the whole world. Granted, you do not often see two teenagers arguing over whether this year’s budget aided global warming research or not, but these young Australian citizens have their own way of expressing their political views. They start petitions online, call out politicians on social media and even go out to protests, standing up for what they believe in.
Everyone has the right to vote, but many don’t take that opportunity. In the article “Should Voting Be Mandatory?” Eric Liu tells us that “mandatory voting would prompt more Americans to pay attention to the choices;” people usually never pay attention to their choices, and then complain about it later when everything has already happened. (Par 5). Mandatory voting means that every citizen of the age of 18 and above that has a right to vote must vote.
Imagine your 16 year old self. Would you not want to be voting in elections and make the right decisions towards politics? States in America are already lowering the age when you can vote to 16. Turn out of US voters below 25 at presidential elections fell from 50% in 1972 to 38% in 2012. The Asia-Pacific Economics Blog notes the young demographic is some of the most engaged, and by extending it to a younger age could fuel their passion for many years.
The debate as to whether a country should have mandatory military conscription has been discussed and practiced in places all over the globe. For the United States, implementing this would have several benefits from which the country could profit on. With this required aspect, there could be a promotion to the nation’s unity in which people would have a sense of equality to one another. Also, it would ensure all receive basic skills to place themselves further within other job careers. Finally, the mandatory service brings better awareness and participation with the government.