Lowering The Voting Age To 16: Learning From Real Experiences Worldwide

Description

This book explores the consequences of lowering the voting age to 16 from a global perspective, bringing together empirical research from countries where at least some 16-year-olds are able to vote. With the aim to show what really happens when younger people can take part in elections, the authors engage with the key debates on earlier enfranchisement and examine the lead-up to and impact of changes to the voting age in countries across the globe. The book provides the most comprehensive synthesis on this topic, including detailed case studies and broad comparative analyses. It summarizes what can be said about youth political participation and attitudes, and highlights where further research is needed. The findings will be of great interest to researchers working in youth political socialization and engagement, as well as to policymakers, youth workers and activists. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Introduction (Johannes Bergh, Jan Eichhorn)....Pages 1-12 Consequences of Lowering the Voting Age to 16: Lessons from Comparative Research (Mark N. Franklin)....Pages 13-41 Understanding the Policy Drivers and Effects of Voting Age Reform (Andrew Mycock, Thomas Loughran, Jonathan Tonge)....Pages 43-63 Political Knowledge, Civic Education and Voting at 16 (Henry Milner)....Pages 65-79 Voting at 16 in Practice: A Review of the Austrian Case (Julian Aichholzer, Sylvia Kritzinger)....Pages 81-101 Does Voting at a Younger Age Have an Effect on Satisfaction with Democracy and Political Trust? Evidence from Latin America (Constanza Sanhueza Petrarca)....Pages 103-119 Votes at 16 in Scotland: Political Experiences Beyond the Vote Itself (Christine Huebner, Jan Eichhorn)....Pages 121-142 Votes at 16 in Germany: Examining Subnational Variation (Arndt Leininger, Thorsten Faas)....Pages 143-166 Modernizing Voting in a Post-transition Country: The Estonian Experience of Lowering the Voting Age (Anu Toots, Tõnu Idnurm)....Pages 167-187 Why Did Young Norwegians Mobilize: External Events or Early Enfranchisement? (Guro Ødegård, Johannes Bergh, Jo Saglie)....Pages 189-210 Lowering the Voting Age from the Ground Up: The United States’ Experience in Allowing 16-Year Olds to Vote (Joshua A. Douglas)....Pages 211-230 Conclusion (Jan Eichhorn, Johannes Bergh)....Pages 231-241 Back Matter ....Pages 243-245