Two arguments for child enfranchisement
Date
2012
Authors
Lau, Joanne
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Volume Title
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Abstract
The right to vote is fundamental to democratic citizenship; it is one of the most important badges of political and legal equality. However, we deny it to children, generally without discussion. After exploring conceptions of 'political capacity', I launch two arguments. The first is the Symmetry Argument: whatever level of capacity we use for the disenfranchisement of children should be used in symmetrical fashion to disenfranchise the elderly. The second is the Argument from Domains: if we attribute responsibility to children in the legal domain, we should also attribute it to them in the political domain. If we do not actually disenfranchise the elderly, we must find a good reason why we displace that symmetry. I discuss such objections and show why they can be refuted or disregarded.
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Keywords
Keywords: Children; Enfranchisement; Political capacity; Symmetry; Voting age
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Source
Political Studies
Type
Journal article
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Restricted until
2037-12-31
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