The Constitution allows for all citizens of the US to vote if they are over the age of 18. In the past few years it has been discussed to lower the voting age to 16 to allow people of my generation to have a say in the nation around us as well. I do not believe this is a smart idea. People aged 16 and 17 do not typically pay taxes and have an understanding of health care, government services or how our votes can impact the lives of the people around us. We are typically under our parents’ care and do not have the experiences they do. Another issue is at this age our parents still have a large influence over our understanding of politics and a weighted influence over our political stand point. In most cases, a large majority of people aged 16 and 17 will simply vote as our parents wish. Only a small percentage of students are well enough versed in politics to make a true educated vote. This could lead to 2 for 1 vote in many elections, almost allowing a family to double their position simply by just voting as the parents wish.
I think as the next generation of voters we tend to learn and understand the world more when we go off to college or enter the work force and can make more independent and educated votes based on our feelings, views and needs compared to our parents.
