D#8, HW#3 - Ch 7 Activities

What is my rhetorical situation?

What are the benefits and disadvantages of lowering the voting age in America from 18 to 16?

Purpose:
My research is intended to inform and promote awareness regarding the benefits and disadvantages of lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in the United States.

Audience:
My research will target parents in the hopes of motivating them to become more involved. It will also be aimed towards teachers to reinforce the importance of educational efforts on civics and democracy. The research will also enlist politicians to interact and advocate with youth early.

Personal Context:
My personal interest is that I am an American citizen that feared voting for many years. I would have been able to proudly contribute to democracy had I been educated and had the opportunity to participate in the voting process earlier in life. I now vote regularly as it is not only a privilege but my right as an American citizen.

Generating responses to your research question?

What are the benefits of lowering the voting age in America from 18 to 16?

Benefits of lowering the voting age:

1. Better education opportunities with organizations, such as Kids Voting USA.
2. Establishing a habit early will increase voter turn-out.
3. Politicians having to face real issues and being help accountable.
4. Better & stronger communities as youths are invested.
5. Youths perspectives are unique to their situations and issues at 16-17 years of age.
6. Teenagers are already making critical thinking decisions by driving, working jobs, and paying taxes while going to school.

Disadvantages of lowering the voting age:

1. 16-17 years olds are not knowledgeable enough to understand the intricate issues and their seriousness.
2. Cities and States would incur an additional ‘debt’ to ensure educational needs are met and voting equipments are set up for teenage usage.
3. The expectation of 16-17 year olds actually voting is low due to the current standings of 18-24 year olds.
4. Politicians currently are not held accountable for decisions made for educational programs and budget cuts concerning youths.
5. Teenagers do not understand taxes and are not vested in democracy like adults are.

*** Need to determine (referring to AB’s) which positions would my audience be more interested in (I believe each of them are equally important) and which positions I could defend to my audiences (these would be the benefits.)

Drafting a Thesis Statement:

Precise Claim: The voting age in America should be lowered from 18 to 16.

Reasons/Blueprint:
Youths have better educational opportunities to learn about voting.
The voter turn-out would increase and establish early voting habit(s).
Politicians would be held accountable for youth issues.
Youths are invested in enhancing the communities they live in.
Youths perspectives are unique to their age-group issues.

Complete Thesis Statement:
The voting age in America should be lowered from 18 to 16 because youths have better opportunities to learn about voting, establish early voting habit(s), increase voter turn-out and enhance the communities they live in.

Understanding My Warrants:

Claim: The voting age in America should be lowered from 18 to 16
Reason: because youths have better opportunities to learn about voting and establishing early voting habit(s)
Warrant: Early voting habit(s) would be established with education by lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in America.

Claim: The voting age in America should be lowered from 18 to 16
Reason: because youths have better opportunities to increase voter turn-out
Warrant: Voter turn-out would increase with youth involvement by lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in America.

Claim: The voting age in America should be lowered from 18 to 16
Reason: because youths have better opportunities to enhance the communities they live in
Warrant: Communities would become stronger with youth participation by lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in America.

Developing Rebuttals:

Rebuttal:
Teenagers lack the intelligence and life experience to make informed decisions.

Counter:
Educational opportunities are more readily available for 16-17 year olds than 18 year olds.
Organizations such as Kids Voting USA encourage parents and teachers to educate and be more involved with teenagers and civic responsibilities.
Most teenagers drive and/or work paying jobs, enabling further development of critical thinking.

Rebuttal:
Voter turn-out is very low with 18-24 year olds that won’t change by lowering the voting age?

Counter:
Most 18 year olds are usually focused on graduating, obtaining higher paying jobs, applying to colleges and possibly leaving home to attend college, while on the other hand, the average 16-17 year olds are rooted to the communities they live in.
Many parents will be more involved conversing with teenagers about political issues, increasing voter turn-out on two fronts (adults & teenagers.)

Rebuttal:
This will cost the tax-payers, city and state too much money to implement.

Counter:
Many teenagers are tax payers too.
Developing teenagers to vote early would make most communities stronger.
“How would this cost money?”