The fascinating tale of how a bipartisan coalition worked successfully to lower the voting age “Let Us Vote!” tells the story of the multifaceted endeavor to achieve youth voting rights in the United States. Over a thirty-year period starting during World War II, Americans, old and young, Democrat and Republican, in politics and culture, built a movement for the 26th Amendment to the US Constitution, which lowered the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen in 1971. This was the last time that the United States significantly expanded voting rights. Jennifer Frost deftly illustrates how the political and social movements of the time brought together bipartisan groups to work tirelessly in pursuit of a lower voting age. In turn, she illuminates the process of achieving political change, with the convergence of “top-down” initiatives and “bottom-up” mobilization, coalition-building, and strategic flexibility. As she traces the progress toward achieving youth suffrage throughout the ’60s, Frost reveals how this movement built upon the social justice initiatives of the decade and was deeply indebted to the fight for African American civil and voting rights. 2021 marks the fiftieth anniversary of this important constitutional amendment and comes at a time when scrutiny of both voting age and voting rights has been renewed. As the national conversation around climate crisis, gun violence, and police brutality creates a new call for a lower voting age, “Let Us Vote!” provides an essential investigation of how this massive political change occurred, and how it could be brought about again.

"Examines the history, theory, and politics behind the age qualifications for elected federal office in the United States Constitution. Argues that the right to run for office ought to be extended to all adult-age citizens who are otherwise office-eligible"--Provided by publisher.

Voting is an American right, but what age that right should be exercised has been hotly debated throughout America's history. This volume helps readers analyze the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. They will review its historical background, its constitutional implications, and how the youth vote in America today.

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.

Conscious of the fact that our Constitution was the product of socio-economic forces operating at the time of its enactment, the founding fathers bestowed upon the Parliament the powers under the article 368 of the Constitution to amend it with a view to bringing it in tune with the changing needs and aspirations of the people. Since we adopted the Constitution in 1950, this amending process has been working like a afety valve and has helped in reconciling with the requisites for peace and progress. This publication is a well-documented study on the nature, scope and operation of amending process of the Constitution of India. It contains a brief legislative history and a synopsis of each of the Constitution Amendment Act enacted till August 1994. A brief legislative history of the amending Bills which were either lapsed or withdrawn or removed or negatived after their introduction also forms part of the study. The texts of these Acts and Bills have been reproduced in full in the annexures give statements showing the provisions of the Constitution amended by various Amendment Acts and the number of the Constitution Amendment Bills, as introduced vis-a-vis the number of the Constitution Amendment Acts as passed and status of Bills if removed, lapsed, withdrawn or negatived. It is hoped that the study would be useful not only for Parliamentarians but for all those interested in constitutional studies.

The solution to youth voter turnout requires focus on helping young people follow through on their political interests and intentions.