Young People’s Human Rights and The Politics of Voting Age

Description

Young People’s Human Rights and The Politics of Voting Age is the first book to address in-depth the topic of voting age eligibility as a universal fundamental human rights issue rather than an internal, discretionary State policy matter. International perspectives on the issue of voting age eligibility are examined as are the legal, historical, philosophical and sociological dimensions of the legislated age-based bar to the vote. The book examines examples of movements for the youth vote at 16. Also addressed is the failure of high profile human rights organizations and institutions to endorse the vote at age 16 and the implications for democratic values of the denial of the youth vote in most Western and non-Western States. The book would be extremely valuable for instructional purposes as one of the primary texts in undergraduate or graduate courses on children’s human rights, political psychology, sociology, political science, sociology of law and as a supplementary text for courses on human rights or constitutional law. It would be of great interest also to members of the general public concerned with children and youth human rights issues. Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Alternative Philosophical Perspectives on the Origin and Nature of Human Rights....Pages 3-17 Front Matter....Pages 19-19 Examples of Contextual Factors in the Youth Struggle for the Vote....Pages 21-25 Front Matter....Pages 27-27 The Human Rights Imperative and Minimum Voting Age....Pages 29-69 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 Austria and the Vote at 16....Pages 73-77 Front Matter....Pages 79-79 The U.K. Example of Resistance to the Vote at 16: The U.K. Electoral Commission and Select U.K. Social Scientists....Pages 81-96 Front Matter....Pages 97-97 The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Does it Really Make Age Discrimination in the Vote Against Under 18s Constitutional? The Broader Lessons....Pages 99-130 Front Matter....Pages 131-131 The Youth Vote as a Human Right and Resistance from High Profile International and National Human Rights Gatekeepers....Pages 133-164 Front Matter....Pages 165-165 Unconstitutional Age-Based Discrimination in the Vote Applied on Account of Young Age....Pages 167-213 Front Matter....Pages 215-215 Minors’ Perspectives on Their Citizenship Status....Pages 217-224 Front Matter....Pages 225-225 Two Different Standards for Enfranchisement: A ‘Rights Standard’ for Adults and a Supposed ‘Competency Qualification Standard’ for Minors....Pages 227-233 Front Matter....Pages 235-235 Concluding Comments....Pages 237-250 Back Matter....Pages 251-268