Enfranchising 16-17 Year Olds Flashcards
Has progression been made?
2014 Scotland gave 16-17 year olds vote from precedent of indyref
2020 wales gave 16-17 vote
In 2019 Labour, Lib Dem and Green manifesto, and private member bill caused debate, but no vote held
1A: no taxation without representation
16 and 17 year olds can be taxed if they have a job, can leave full time education to start apprenticeship, can work up to 20 years with part time education/training, join the military etc.
If they serve the country, why shouldn’t they give a say on the direction it’s heading
1B: immaturity
Likely still live with parents/guardians and must either be in full or part time education, so dependent on members of society and govt. so not fully immersed members of society with same respbonsjbilities as an adult, can be naive in choices and don’t have experience with understanding the political world/rhetoric
2A: lack of representation
Issues such as the climate are much more salient amongst youth as they threaten future, being able to actually exercise electroral power would force long term thinking and therefore better policy. Perhaps the chances were squandered by 14 years of conservative leadership who knew the youth were unlikely to vote in their power.
April 2025 voting intentions as of statista : 6% of 18-24 year olds voted CON, 39% Labour, CON increased with age and LAB decreased
Same trend in 2019 - 59% of 18-24 voted Labour, 21% CON
2B: represented by parents:
Representation of 16-17 year olds is deferred to parents who likely share the same interests, and will support the interests of the child. E.g. even a more conservative family economically may support abolition of student loans if it means child can access a higher level of education, will also be concerned for environmental issues particularly if their child is engaged in the issue and is respected, mitigating the issue of immaturity.
Also may just vote along their families lines, so actually reduces legitimacy and pluralism from parental pressure, is that plural voting?
3A: engaging people in politics
In the 2014 indyref, 75% of 16-17 year olds voted, higher than the 54% of 18/24 year olds, proving the novelty of voting for the first time with newly granted rights encouraged participation.
According to studies , this continued, voters who first voted at age 16-17 voted in higher proportions than that of voters who first voted at 18+ in Scottish Parliament election 2021
This proves it is not just a novelty and it is a genuine method of increasing participation, perhaps due to the discourse an election will create amongst social circles
3B: habit of abstaining in West Minister?
If voting can be described as a habit, so can abstaining
Scotland could be a case of becoming particularly invigorated by the idea of an independent Scotland, something that their parents could have instilled by nationalism or a natural tendency to rebel. In Westminster elections, the same instinct to rebel actually seems to abstain
Due to the same distrust in Uk govt youth in Scotland had, only 39% of 11-18 year olds asked in an ipsos poll said the winner of elections matter
In 2019 47% of 18-24 year olds voted compared to 74% of 65+
So already a trend of apathy and dissolution in youth towards west minister, would only increase to 16/17 year olds
2B: re
