Application

The Right to Vote

Many groups of Americans struggled to obtain the right to vote since the nation's founding. Thanks to those people, the Constitution now grants universal suffrage to all citizens.

Over the years, some states have made it even easier to participate in elections by allowing people to vote in an election over a period of weeks or even by mail. Still, some Americans exercise their right not to vote and do not participate in elections.

This lack of voter participation has frustrated observers who think that Americans may be taking the right to vote for granted, especially when people in other countries are still taking great risks to obtain and participate in elections.

For example, in the first elections after the fall of Saddam Hussein, which were held in 2005, many Iraqi citizens had to risk gunfire in a still unstable country in order to vote.

In this Application, you will look at another country or group of people that are struggling, or have recently struggled, to gain the right to vote. You will also reflect on insights you have gained about elections and voting in the United States.

Questions about this assignment? Post them in the Contact the Instructor area. That way, everyone in the class will see, and benefit from, the Instructor's response.

To prepare for this Application:

Review the assigned chapters and articles in the course readingsfor information on voting rights in the United States and other countries.

Reflect on the factors that affect American voting participation.

Consider how Americans typically exercise their democratic right to vote.

With regard to democratic principles, consider how important is it to have the right to vote.

Review online newspapers such as the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, or the New York Times for articles referencing voting and the right to vote in the United States and internationally.

Consider how other countries or groups of people within other countries may struggle with voting, voter participation, and the right to vote.

The assignment:

Write a 1- to 2-page paper comparing and contrasting America's voter participation with the struggle for the democratic right to vote by another country or group of people. Be sure to:

Identify a country or group of people that has recently struggled to obtain the right to vote.

Compare and contrast the current voting participation in the United States with the current voting participation in the country or group you chose.

Briefly explain two lessons that you can draw from the struggle you identified and how these lessons impact the way that you think about voting in the United States.

Include at least one reference and citation from the course readings and one reference and citation from an article found in the Walden Library to support your rationale.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTION THOROUGHLY AND ONLY USE ABOVE LISTED REFERENCES