Hi, My name is Kristel and I’m planning to write about the voting age in Sweden. One of the many things I like about Sweden is that it is a democracy. What I do not think is good for a democracy is big decisions made before you are ready to take the responsibility and consequences it can bring. There has been an on-going discussion in Sweden about the voting age, and if it should be lower than 18 years old, which is the current voting age in Sweden. I would like to highlight the arguments for and against lowering the voting age. For example, on the one hand some people think that the teenagers would their votes more seriously if they would be able to vote at the age of 16. On the other hand, elections that are held in schools show that the average 16 year old is more likely to vote at non-democratic parties. It would be interesting to discuss this issue and hear about the situation in Italy. What is the voting age in Italy, for example?
So, the question is; is the average 16 year old mature enough to make such an important decision as this?
In response to Kristel. Hi Kristel! We have read your post and we have found it very interesting. In regard to your question, the situation about voting age in Italy is the same as in Sweden. Historically, the issue of fixing the legal age for voting has had a long history. After the Second World War, the age necessary for voting was 21 years old. Afterwards, since 1976, people who were 18 years old can express their right to vote. An important hot topic which is discussed also in Italy is lowering of legal age for voting. This could let young people become more involved in political issues and at the same time to make the politicians become more interested in youth problems. We agree with this proposal because teenagers nowadays know much more about the problems of our society. Howewer, it is very important for young people that they are not influenced by some dangerous ideologies but rather that they develope their own opinion. Giulio & Fabio
In response to Kristel Hi Kristel! We are Francesca and Federica. First, here in Italy we have the Senate and you have to be 25 years old to have the right to vote for it and the House of Representatives for which you have to be 18 years old. Sincerely we haven't heard anything about any proposal to lowering the legal age to vote. We think that it's not necessary to do it because what can you expect from girls and boys who spend their time surfing Facebook or playing with the playstation? what can you expect from boys and girls who don't read books and newspapers? Here in Italy the major concern of boys and girls is becoming a tv star. Perhaps we don't have to worry about the possibility to lower the legal age for voting but we have to help them to mature as adults and independent thinkers. Federica and Francesca
In response to Kristel Hi Kristel! This is Claudia and Debby from Pisa! Now we are in class and we find this topic very interesting. The legal age for voting is 18 years old in Italy too. We think that this age is the right one because before that most teenagers aren't ready to make such an important decision by themselves. We also think that in this particular moment it isn't good to give this responsability to young people: they could be influenced by teachers, parents and people without scruples. A right choice could be to introduce political meetings (without any ideological position, i.e. neutral) between classes at school. This could help teenagers to be ready to vote at the right time. Debby's sister is 18 years old. She is smart and open minded; she reads newspapers and she has already her political opinion. On the contrary a lot of her friends are not interested in this issue and are not proud to have this important right. This is because school but also families must play an important and active position in young people's political education, because voting is not only a obligation but also a right.
In my opinion (Claudia) the legal age for voting shouldn't be lowered because with regarding to my personal experience, when I was a teenager I wasn't interested in the matter, I was concetrated on my studies and I wouldn't have had any idea how to vote. I've matured my personal political opinions gradually during the years, and I'm very proud to have done this path by myself. Well, I would like that all young people to have this feeling.
I (Debby) agree with Claudia. When I was 16, for example, my only interests were studying and going out with my boyfriend. I was reactive during political discussion, but maybe not mature enough to vote. The first voting experience was one of the most important moments in my life: I was an active player on the political ground. Thanks to my family, my boyfriend and my school I was ready to choose. If a 16 year old boy has already a political idea, he will keep it in his mind until the right time and will mature it.
Being eighteen is very important in our society: we can get our driving license, vote and start to think about University or work. So it represents an important step in everybody's life.
AS Debby and Claudia ended their comment; being 18 in important as you are allowed to do loads of things. although I have to say that most (not all)18-year-olds today are very immature that I think that many of these age limits ought to be raised even further. My husband has two younger sisters who are just above 18, and if they were to vote today, Bill Kaulitz and some guys from Gossip Girl would rule this country. I'm just glad they're not interested in politics. My accual point is that, like Kristel said, many 16 to 18 year olds would vote on parties that souted them for the day and would probably not vote a democratic party. Not being able to grasp the politics could have severe concequences for a country.
Hi, My name’s Giusy and I’d explain you my opinion about legal age for voting. Currently in Italy the voting age is 18 years old and it’s the age when everyone becomes responsible of yourself in juridical field. In short, the government considers an individual 18 years old as a citizen adult and able to decide on collective life of his country. I think that personal maturity it’s more important than general age for voting. So questions are: When does everyone mature? What does maturity mean? A young 16 year old could be more mature than an eighteen-year-old and viceversa a young 25 year old couldn’t be ready to decide on important affairs.
Hi everybody, I'm agree with you when you say that teenagers are often not so interested in political issues. In our mind 18 years is the threshold between youth and adulthood; 18-years-old men/women become liable for their actions, can drive a car, can vote. In your opinion, can young people became responsible before if their age for voting is lowered? Maybe might teenagers, if they can vote when they are 16 years old , approach before to political issues? In my opinion it is right to vote at 18 years old but it's also a good idea that younger people can vote, as somethimes it happens, for example in Italy few years ago, only to suggest political party candidates.
I think that the voting age should not be lowered because at the age of 16 a lot of people are not mature to vote (the problem is that also a lot of people over 18 years old are not mature to vote because they are simply not interested in the political decisions of their country..)
Very often young people are influenced by a lot of ideologies and usually they follow one ideology only because a friend follows it, they haven't a critical way of thinking. So I think that the age of 18 is good to be the voting age, also because the age of 18 it's a simbolic passage to adult life.
Hi everyone! I’m glad you all think that my subject is interesting and you all have very interesting comments. It’s very interesting to hear about how it works in Italy and that it is a hot topic in Italy. I understand what Giulio & Fabio means when they write “This could let young people become more involved in political issues and at the same time to make the politicians become more interested in youth problems” about lowering the voting age. At the same time I share Melindah’s view of the issue when she writes that if ”many 16 to 18 year olds would vote on parties that suited them for the day and would probably not vote a democratic party”. It is a difficult issue and there is no easy answer to it, but thank you all for sharing your experiences!
The issue you proposed is really interesting and topical in the present political debate. I shall start my post with a question: is it possible for a 16 years old guy to have a political knowledge which allows him to express a fair and aware vote? I don't think so.. I mean, It is too early to introduce a lower age limit than 18 years old, at least for political elections.
Moreover, I'd like to introduce the distinction between local and political elections, namely when we vote for municipal, provincial and regional representative assemblies (in Italy we call these local institutions Comune, Provincia and Regione) or when we chooce our delegates in the Italian Parliament. As my friends wrote, the legal age for voting for the lower House (Camera dei Deputati) is 18, whereas a person must be 25 to express his vote for the upper House (Senato della Repubblica).
Regarding to local elections,so far the minum age is also 18. Neverthless, I think it would be beneficial to lower this legal age for local vote. I'm going to explain why. Local institutions are those which are more decentrate and close to the population, so their decisions have direct implementation in the life of a comunity and usually involve problems which are more easily understandable by young people such as managing of night life, trafic regulation, school system...
So, the administrative vote for people younger than 18 is desiderable, especially to make teen-agers aware of their responabilities and to improve their political conscience.
11 comments:
Hi,
My name is Kristel and I’m planning to write about the voting age in Sweden. One of the many things I like about Sweden is that it is a democracy. What I do not think is good for a democracy is big decisions made before you are ready to take the responsibility and consequences it can bring. There has been an on-going discussion in Sweden about the voting age, and if it should be lower than 18 years old, which is the current voting age in Sweden. I would like to highlight the arguments for and against lowering the voting age. For example, on the one hand some people think that the teenagers would their votes more seriously if they would be able to vote at the age of 16. On the other hand, elections that are held in schools show that the average 16 year old is more likely to vote at non-democratic parties. It would be interesting to discuss this issue and hear about the situation in Italy. What is the voting age in Italy, for example?
So, the question is; is the average 16 year old mature enough to make such an important decision as this?
In response to Kristel.
Hi Kristel! We have read your post and we have found it very interesting.
In regard to your question, the situation about voting age in Italy is the same as in Sweden. Historically, the issue of fixing the legal age for voting has had a long history. After the Second World War, the age necessary for voting was 21 years old. Afterwards, since 1976, people who were 18 years old can express their right to vote.
An important hot topic which is discussed also in Italy is lowering of legal age for voting. This could let young people become more involved in political issues and at the same time to make the politicians become more interested in youth problems.
We agree with this proposal because teenagers nowadays know much more about the problems of our society. Howewer, it is very important for young people that they are not influenced by some dangerous ideologies but rather that they develope their own opinion.
Giulio & Fabio
In response to Kristel
Hi Kristel! We are Francesca and Federica.
First, here in Italy we have the Senate and you have to be 25 years old to have the right to vote for it and the House of Representatives for which you have to be 18 years old.
Sincerely we haven't heard anything about any proposal to lowering the legal age to vote.
We think that it's not necessary to do it because what can you expect from girls and boys who spend their time surfing Facebook or playing with the playstation?
what can you expect from boys and girls who don't read books and newspapers?
Here in Italy the major concern of boys and girls is becoming a tv star.
Perhaps we don't have to worry about the possibility to lower the legal age for voting but we have to help them to mature as adults and independent thinkers.
Federica and Francesca
In response to Kristel
Hi Kristel! This is Claudia and Debby from Pisa! Now we are in class and we find this topic very interesting.
The legal age for voting is 18 years old in Italy too. We think that this age is the right one because before that most teenagers aren't ready to make such an important decision by themselves.
We also think that in this particular moment it isn't good to give this responsability to young people: they could be influenced by teachers, parents and people without scruples. A right choice could be to introduce political meetings (without any ideological position, i.e. neutral) between classes at school. This could help teenagers to be ready to vote at the right time.
Debby's sister is 18 years old. She is smart and open minded; she reads newspapers and she has already her political opinion. On the contrary a lot of her friends are not interested in this issue and are not proud to have this important right. This is because school but also families must play an important and active position in young people's political education, because voting is not only a obligation but also a right.
In my opinion (Claudia) the legal age for voting shouldn't be lowered because with regarding to my personal experience, when I was a teenager I wasn't interested in the matter, I was concetrated on my studies and I wouldn't have had any idea how to vote. I've matured my personal political opinions gradually during the years, and I'm very proud to have done this path by myself. Well, I would like that all young people to have this feeling.
I (Debby) agree with Claudia. When I was 16, for example, my only interests were studying and going out with my boyfriend. I was reactive during political discussion, but maybe not mature enough to vote. The first voting experience was one of the most important moments in my life: I was an active player on the political ground. Thanks to my family, my boyfriend and my school I was ready to choose.
If a 16 year old boy has already a political idea, he will keep it in his mind until the right time and will mature it.
Being eighteen is very important in our society: we can get our driving license, vote and start to think about University or work. So it represents an important step in everybody's life.
Debby and Claudia
AS Debby and Claudia ended their comment; being 18 in important as you are allowed to do loads of things. although I have to say that most (not all)18-year-olds today are very immature that I think that many of these age limits ought to be raised even further. My husband has two younger sisters who are just above 18, and if they were to vote today, Bill Kaulitz and some guys from Gossip Girl would rule this country. I'm just glad they're not interested in politics. My accual point is that, like Kristel said, many 16 to 18 year olds would vote on parties that souted them for the day and would probably not vote a democratic party. Not being able to grasp the politics could have severe concequences for a country.
In response to Kristel.
Hi,
My name’s Giusy and I’d explain you my opinion about legal age for voting. Currently in Italy the voting age is 18 years old and it’s the age when everyone becomes responsible of yourself in juridical field.
In short, the government considers an individual 18 years old as a citizen adult and able to decide on collective life of his country.
I think that personal maturity it’s more important than general age for voting.
So questions are:
When does everyone mature?
What does maturity mean?
A young 16 year old could be more mature than an eighteen-year-old and viceversa a young 25 year old couldn’t be ready to decide on important affairs.
Hi everybody,
I'm agree with you when you say that teenagers are often not so interested in political issues.
In our mind 18 years is the threshold between youth and adulthood; 18-years-old men/women become liable for their actions, can drive a car, can vote. In your opinion, can young people became responsible before if their age for voting is lowered?
Maybe might teenagers, if they can vote when they are 16 years old , approach before to political issues?
In my opinion it is right to vote at 18 years old but it's also a good idea that younger people can vote, as somethimes it happens, for example in Italy few years ago, only to suggest political party candidates.
Maria
In response to Kristel.
I think that the voting age should not be lowered because at the age of 16 a lot of people are not mature to vote (the problem is that also a lot of people over 18 years old are not mature to vote because they are simply not interested in the political decisions of their country..)
Very often young people are influenced by a lot of ideologies and usually they follow one ideology only because a friend follows it, they haven't a critical way of thinking.
So I think that the age of 18 is good to be the voting age, also because the age of 18 it's a simbolic passage to adult life.
Matteo
Hi everyone!
I’m glad you all think that my subject is interesting and you all have very interesting comments. It’s very interesting to hear about how it works in Italy and that it is a hot topic in Italy. I understand what Giulio & Fabio means when they write “This could let young people become more involved in political issues and at the same time to make the politicians become more interested in youth problems” about lowering the voting age. At the same time I share Melindah’s view of the issue when she writes that if ”many 16 to 18 year olds would vote on parties that suited them for the day and would probably not vote a democratic party”.
It is a difficult issue and there is no easy answer to it, but thank you all for sharing your experiences!
Hi guys,
The issue you proposed is really interesting and topical in the present political debate.
I shall start my post with a question: is it possible for a 16 years old guy to have a political knowledge which allows him to express a fair and aware vote?
I don't think so.. I mean, It is too early to introduce a lower age limit than 18 years old, at least for political elections.
Moreover, I'd like to introduce the distinction between local and political elections, namely when we vote for municipal, provincial and regional representative assemblies (in Italy we call these local institutions Comune, Provincia and Regione) or when we chooce our delegates in the Italian Parliament.
As my friends wrote, the legal age for voting for the lower House (Camera dei Deputati) is 18, whereas a person must be 25 to express his vote for the upper House (Senato della Repubblica).
Regarding to local elections,so far the minum age is also 18. Neverthless, I think it would be beneficial to lower this legal age for local vote.
I'm going to explain why.
Local institutions are those which are more decentrate and close to the population, so their decisions have direct implementation in the life of a comunity and usually involve problems which are more easily understandable by young people such as managing of night life, trafic regulation, school system...
So, the administrative vote for people younger than 18 is desiderable, especially to make teen-agers aware of their responabilities and to improve their political conscience.
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