Ruth-Ann O'Donnell- Touchstone 1.2
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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English
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by ColonelPorcupinePerson852
Ruth-Ann O’Donnell
Sophia Learning
English Composition II
16
TH
December 2023
Research Question: Should the United States extend the legal voting age to 25?
Working thesis statement:
The United States should raise its voting age to 25 to capitalize on individuals' developmental maturity, reduce susceptibility to impulsive or externally influenced choices and foster mental health care in young adults to ultimately enhance the quality of electoral outcomes
Detailed Outline
1.
Working thesis in Introduction:
The United States should raise its voting age to 25 to capitalize on individuals' developmental maturity, reduce susceptibility to impulsive or externally influenced choices and foster mental health care in young adults to ultimately enhance the quality of electoral outcomes
1.1.Hook with a statement of comparison of the voters by age that shows young adults being the least likely to participate in electoral voting
1.2.Stress on the critical importance of this decision and the ramifications of what could occur if done impulsively or based on external biases such as familial or social
Source:
2.
A comprehensive recap of the history of voting in the United States
2.1.An Explanation of how the current legal age of voting got implemented
2.2.An overview of the 26
th
Amendment
2.3.An exploration into the role the 26
th
amendment played concerning why the legal age got changed from 21 to 18 2.4.A brief look at the war that influenced this change 2.5.A look into the requirement of property ownership and tax paying qualifications for those who wanted to vote and what motivated the change regarding this law.
2.6.Examples of the evolution of this law, including proposed challenges
2.7.Close this section with the argument that voting laws historically have evolved and will continue to do so due to societal norms and expectations
Source: History, 2020
Source: History, 2021
Source: The Charlotte Observer, 1971
Source: Old enough to Fight, Old enough to vote, 2020
Source: The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, 1971
Source: Restoring felons' voting rights, 2023
3.
Psychological/Physiological Maturity
3.1.An overview of what physiological and psychological changes occur from young adults to age mid 20s, regarding the brain and how it affects decision and impulse control
3.2.Insight into the importance of developmental maturity before being able to vote
3.3.A brief comparison of impulsivity between early 20s and mid 20s
3.4.A brief comparison on how decisions change as we get older
3.5.Explanation of how life experience can impact and allow a more deliberate and reflective voting decision
Source: Steinberg, L., Albert, D., Cauffman, E., Banich, M., Graham, S., & Woolard, J. (2008). Age differences in sensation seeking and impulsivity as indexed by behavior and self-report: evidence for a dual systems model, 2008
Source: How Decision-making changes with Age, 2022
4.
Societal and Familial influences
4.1. The pervasiveness of appeals to emotion in political campaigns and policymaking, strategies aimed at younger demographics
4.2.Look into the temptation by certain political groups to lower the voting age to capitalize on young and impressionable minds to secure votes
4.3.Familial effect on children, family voting behaviours affects younger voters decisions making an inherited vote vs a thoughtful deliberate voting choice
4.4.Oversimplified Party Loyalty, “vote red or blue no matter who” mentality
4.5.An overview of groupthink
4.6.Impact of peer pressure Source: Ted Brady, 2005
Source: Akhtar, 2016
5.
Introduce concerns regarding mental health due to sociopolitical stressors 5.1. . Examination of the impact of political engagement on the mental health of young adults
5.2.Discussion on how prolonged exposure to divisive politics can affect young adults' mental wellness
5.3.Analysis of studies showing the correlation between political stress and mental health issues in young adults
Source: Steinberg et al.(2008)
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Source: Young adults’ psychological and physiological reactions to the 2016 U.S. presidential
election
(2018)
Source: Exploring civic behaviors amongst college students in a year of national unrest
6.
Reflection of legal Responsibilities
6.1.Overview of inconsistencies regarding the legal age and other legal responsibilities
6.2. Citations of other age based legal responsibilities that requires individuals be over 25 years of age (ie, car rentals, insurance, senate seat holder )
6.3.Discussion on the rationale behind these age restrictions and their implications for voting age
Source: About the Senate and U.S Constitution(
U.S. Senate, n.d.)
Source: Car rental age restrictions can be complicated. Here's what to know. (2023, January 18)
7.
Counterargument
7.1.Advocacy for young adults' rights to vote as a fundamental citizen's right
7.2.The significance of youth activism in politics and its historical impact
7.3.Arguments against age discrimination and for inclusivity in the democratic process
Source: Smithsonian(2020)
Source: Activism in Youth: It’s a Good Thing(2017)
8.
Rebuttal
8.1.Addressing the counterarguments with evidence based responses
8.2.Discussing other alternatives as well to increasing the voting age
Source: Steinberg, L., Albert, D., Cauffman, E., Banich, M., Graham, S., & Woolard, J. (2008). Age differences in sensation seeking and impulsivity as indexed by behavior and self-report: evidence for a dual systems model, 2008
Source: How Decision-making changes with Age, 2022
9.
Conclusion
9.1.Restating the thesis
9.2.Sumarizing the points that were made throughout
9.3.Restating the importance of raising the voting age as well as offering an alternative resolution
Reflection Questions
1.
Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both in academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you?
(2-3 sentences)
What I found most challenging was not only finding credible academic sources to substantiate my claims but also the integration. Sifting through the articles and making sure everything made sense and is cohesive presented the most challenge, especially when trying to ensure a clear and consistent narrative. 2.
The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should clearly identify an arguable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences)
My working thesis statement identifies a clear topic that is not only arguable but
Relevant to today’s current discourse. My position on whether the United States should extend the legal voting age to 25 is clear. My working thesis statement also briefly includes the rationale behind the stance I took.
3.
A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you've presented. (3-4 sentences)
My outline begins with my thesis statement which argues that the united states should raise the
voting age to 25 based on several factors, on developmental maturity, susceptibility to impulsive
choices, and mental health considerations in young adults. Subsequently it delves into a historical overview of the voting laws of the united States as well the changes that occurred due to shifts in society. My outline further details the psychological and physiological aspects of developmental maturity, decision making and impulse control, with raised argument that cognitive developmental maturity influences all these aspects. It also examines societal and familial influences on young voters, suggesting that these can lead to less informed and more emotionally driven voting behaviours. Finally, it addresses the mental health concerns and the age related legal inconsistencies as well as the counterarguments and rebuttals for the counterarguments, then lastly the conclusion that reaffirms the thesis with a summary and an alternative resolution.
4.
You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences)
The feedback I would love assistance with stems from my initial answer primarily on enhancing the cohesion and structure of my essay. Additionally, I would appreciate guidance on balancing
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and presenting information from sources, ensuring clarity for the whoever is reading. I would also appreciate assistance on selecting and integrating evidence that I read from my sources into
my essay so, to enhance my argument.