Every four years the citizens of the United States of America come together to vote and elect the President of the United States. Voting in any type of election is important because it voices our opinions in selecting important leaders and officials and overall policies. Voting helps the person to decide what will they see done for themselves in the future depending leader who has the same views as you. The voter also is able to voice their opinion in future policies that will come into effect in the nation.
Throughout the history of the United States the right to vote has been the most cherished constitutional rights that many have fought for to have. Election Day in the United States is the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. Election Day this year happens to be this upcoming Tuesday, November sixth. This Tuesday I do plan to vote in the Presidential Elections. There are many reasons on why I plan to vote not only in these elections but the elections to follow as well.
Voting is important in the nation we live in today. From the time the constitution was formed voting was a right given to citizens of the United States that gave them the opportunity to voice their opinion in our government system. Voting is a way for a person to speak ones mind and let ones voice be heard. When voting one is telling elected officials how we fill about a particular policy or other important issues our government should address. A persons voice is their vote and one needs to make it official by voting.
This is a reason why I am voting, to let my voice be heard and have my say in government policy and have the ability in having a vote in who will run our country. Throughout the history of the United States people have fought to have the right to vote. By voting one honors the history of this country. One also honors the path this country took to have the right to vote for all peoples not only the select few. This is one of the reasons why I am voting, to honor our countries history and vote for those who fought for this right and those who still fight for the right to vote.
The last reasons why I plan to vote are because it provides change for our own lives and others, change for the present, and change for the future. When one votes one not only votes for the issues they believe in but others whom one shares those same views with. Voting can effect changes that we are now faced with, like high taxes. This example of high taxes can be seen how people are paying high taxes and when enough votes go for lowering tax rates the rates are lowered through this voting process. When we vote our policies won’t only effect the present but the future as well.
Throughout history many changes have been made to our system of government can be still seen today. These are the reasons why I plan to vote. Every citizen of the United States has the right to vote and should exercise this right because of these reasons I’ve explained. Author Martin P. Wattenberg of Is Voting For Young People, gives many reasons on why young people don’t vote. Some of my reasons and my decision for voting do contrast with Wattenberg’s explanation for reasons why young people don’t vote.
Wattenberg’s reasons for why young people don’t vote are in my view true. Wattenberg writes that young people are less politically informed. He mentions the idea of the newspaper. The newspaper is a vital source that many people use to keep up with government and politics especially in time of elections. Wattenberg’s argument is that young people are not reading newspapers not only because of how technology has changed but simply because they do not choose too.
Wattenberg writes, “Today’s young adults can potentially learn a tremendous amount about politics from newspaper Web sites, if they so choose, but it would appear that very few are choosing to do so. ” (Wattenberg 26) Wattenberg is saying in this statement that its not that the young are not reading the newspaper because they have an alternate source to have the same information a newspaper has, but that some young people simply have lack of interest in elections. I can agree with Wattenberg in a sense. I do not read the newspaper to keep up with Presidential debates and election news.
I use an alternate source such as televised news or Internet news web sites to keep up with these. Wattenberg’s evidence about news consumption, media habits, and technology does approximate my outlook on voting and the American Political system. Wattenberg does bring out compelling evidence about some problems with news consumption, media habits, and technology. Wattenberg describes how televised news networks have a lot of potential but it goes under utilized in an America where entertainment matters more.
In America today, television networks all have an eye set on the ratings they get from the viewers. Viewers are interested in entertainment and being amused. Few young adults watch television when politics is on. Wattenberg mentions, “When politics is on, young people are off somewhere else, or are reaching for the remote control” (Wattenberg 29). As I see myself as a voter who gets information from news and internet news that can potentially be biased, I question myself if the reasons I am voting for the topics or issues are valid or not.
Wattenberg’s evidence does affect my outlook of voting and the political system because it makes me question where one can truly get the non-biased information. I believe Wattenberg is correct about the reasons young people do not vote. In my experience, some of my fellow peers do not plan on voting. Wattenberg is correct when he states, “Young adults today can hardly challenge the establishment if they don’t have a basic grasp of what is going on in the political world” (Wattenberg 55). Many of my peers do not follow politics and have no interest in participating in the upcoming election.
Today, many young adults are preoccupied with their social lives and education and do not have voting as a priority. They lack the knowledge of how important the role of voting plays in our nation. When one does hear political information about politics this has a reaction to shape ones reasons for voting. The information received may affect one personally and have a direct impact on the individual. This shows how if a person hears information false or not can affect how that person is going to vote or not and the reasons for voting in that way.
Wattenberg’s explanation for why young people do not vote is clarified through his evidence. In our nation voting is for all citizens above the age of 18. How I see the issue of young people voting being a problem is what I disagree with. Whether it is young people not being allowed to vote or old people not being allowed to vote, only well informed people should vote because those are the ones with the knowledge that know what is really going on in our system.
