Voting Responsibility
Critical Analysis
According to the data from the table above, what portion of Americans see voting as a fundamental right for every citizen that should not be restricted?
Explain which of the following two choices you agree with more: voting is a fundamental right for every citizen that should not be restricted; or voting as a privilege that comes with responsibilities and can be limited?
Describe how political party affiliation impacts Americans’ views on voting rights and restrictions?
What do you think best explains the broad partisan gap in beliefs about voting rights?
Explain whether the Constitution actually grants Americans a fundamental right to vote?
Do you think that if the the people who think voting rights can be restricted, thought that their own rights were likely to be restricted, that they would still support the idea that voting rights can be restricted?
Based on the data from the table below,* describe how race impacts Americans’ views on voting rights and restrictions?
The Constitution took effect in early 1789 after the first federal elections. It did not include an express protection of the right to vote, and it was left to the states to determine who was eligible to vote in elections. For the most part, state legislatures generally limited voting to white males who owned land. It wasn’t until 1870 when the 15th Amendment was ratified that the right to vote was drastically expanded at least in the Constitution’s text by ensuring the right to vote could not be denied based on race. Yet, in 1870 although the Constitution forbade states from denying voting rights, it did not affirmatively give voting rights to all Americans. Describe some of the Americans who were still denied the right to vote in 1870.
Describe the Amendments to the Constitution that eventually granted voting rights to even more people?
Explain whether the Constitution should be amended to grant all Americans an affirmative right to vote?
Learning Extension
Scroll through this interactive timeline of the evolution of voting rights in America.
Action Extension
Contact your U.S. House Representative and let them know what you think about adding an amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing and affirmative right to vote.
