Civic equality

Question 1

What were King’s three main arguments for equal voting rights?

Answer 1

Legitimacy, Epistocracy and Expression of Dignity.

Question 2

Legitimacy: How did racist laws come about?

Answer 2

Racist laws are the result of suppressing black voters in the USA - discrimination of black voters not allowing them to vote

Question 3

Legitimacy: How does this discrimination undermine legitimacy?

Answer 3

American democracy suffered illegitimacy because it denied some of its citizens the right to vote meaning the black people had their minds “made up for me”.

Question 4

What are King’s epistocracy argument for civic equality?

Answer 4

Excluding Black people from the vote means all their knowledge and experience is being removed from the democratic process.
Their understanding of poverty, segregation and discrimination is not included in democratic decisions.
The more knowledge brought into a decision the better the decision
Black people’s exclusion violated the epistemic value of democracy.

Question 5

What are King’s arguments for civic equality as an Expression of dignity?

Answer 5

Franchise not only provides legitimacy and greater epistemic value but also sets the president for voters’ voices to be valuable.
Those disenfranchised are told they have less value as they don’t have their voices heard.
Everyone should have franchise so that they can share in equal decision-making for their democracy.