Voting age debate hits Australia

[grandmoon]

Austria has lowered its voting age to 16, and Scotland may follow for its upcoming independence referendum.

But Australia should not follow suit, according to an ANU academic.

Professor Ian McAllister said allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote would not make young people more politically engaged or create a fairer democratic system.

In his study "The Politics of Lowering the Voting Age in Australia: Evaluating the Evidence," Mr McAllister used data from the Australian Election Study survey to evaluate some of the most commonly used arguments for giving younger people the vote.

Mr McAllister said 18, or sometimes 17, was the age when young people gained the right to do many things, including marry and drive a car, so a similar rule on voting age was not inequitable.

He said there was no evidence young people would become more engaged with the political process if the voting age was lowered, and young people had no more politic al knowledge now than they did two decades ago.

"In terms of political interest there's been very little change over the past 25 to 30 years, which surprised me a bit because if you look at the expansion of tertiary education... to 30 per cent of the population, you'd expect young people to be more interested in politics, but in fact they're not," he said.

ANU Politics and International Relations undergraduate student Amy MacKinnon, 23, disagreed.

Ms McKinnon recently debated Professor McAllister on the subject of lowing the voting age, and she said allowing 16-year-olds to vote would fight voter apathy.

"I think we need to catch people at a really young age and really teach them what the consequences of their vote really is," she said.

Ms McKinnon said older people were more aware of how public policy could change their lives.

"They've owned a house, they've paid rent, they've had a job, they've been tax payers and they've really had to stand up and pay attention because it has effected them, I don't think young people are aware of how significant the debates going on in Australia are," she said.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/voting-age-debate-hits-australia-20130404-2h8ol.html#ixzz2P...

[carls*world]

Meanwhile, debates continually flow on about raising drinking age, driving age etc.

[*crikey*mate*]

"He said there was no evidence young people would become more engaged with the political process if the voting age was lowered, and young people had no more politic al knowledge now than they did two decades ago"

I'm not sure about this statement - I'm thinking it must be heavily covered in the new curriculum, because all of my kids seem to have a pretty good understanding of it - 

but if it's not in the curriculum (and I mean extensively) then if they lower the age, then it needs to be, because I do agree with the article where it says these kids have no life experience (although how many houses etc have most 18 year olds had?)

If they lower the age though, I can see a whole new target audience for the politicians to target to "attract votes". Ie - "vote for me and I will increase your youth allowance, or........"

That makes me wonder if it's just a doorway to create a whole new generation of sense of entitlement for government assistance. because, I wonder how many 16 year olds will really look to the long term, or the big picture, with the promise of a few extra dollars "for free" in their pocket today.

[shhh_its_me]

There should be an iq test and an ability to show that people understand what they are voting for and on before they can cast a vote. I'm sure if this was the case Labor would never win another election. 

[lind9650]

Well, it has happened before.

Whitlam has abolished compulsory National Service and lowered the voting age to 18 just to get the votes of the 18 to 21 year olds.

Thats all it is, fishing for extra votes.

Erica ?:|

[lakeland27]

 funny i dont remember it that way at all :^O its not as if the government is putting forward this proposal. advanced age is also an impediment to sound judgement at times.

the !Q test proposed by one of the posters is likely to have the opposite effect to the one they claim as well i'd say. 😛

[not_an_eloi]

votin' age was lowered, because conscripted men couldn't vote, prior to that.

[*crikey*mate*]

LOL LL - there was no way I was gonna touch that one..... hehehehe 

*cheeky grin*

[lakeland27]

LOL LL - there was no way I was gonna touch that one..... hehehehe 

*cheeky grin*

 fear of change and menzies- era pinko-fear are strong incentives for some in that group. this is evidenced by the use of such percieved smears in todays media commentary.. they know how to trigger those fears 😉

[lakeedge]

Trying to engage the twiterati & fbook users is a good thing but I feel that it's not going to work as most young teens don't even listen to the news, read papers, watch 4 corners or the drum or any other political forum.

They are not really engaged & therefore their vote would be purely on what their parents do.

I feel that many adults only vote because they have to & many vote for the "what's in it for me" mindset.

I feel that compulsory voting should be abolished.