Voting Rights Act Pros And Cons
analytical Essay
2349 words
The Voting Rights Act marked a significant shift in American democracy, ensuring the right to vote for all regardless of race, religion, or sex. The key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, Section IV and Section V, ensured the overview of all state mandated voting laws, safeguarding constitutional values despite racial opposition. The breaking down of this provision under Supreme Court Ruling Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, Attorney General has the potential to undo decades of progress to tackle racial barriers, isolating and withholding the right to vote for the weak, effectively dissolving democracy for the ones who need it the most. Throughout American History, people of power have isolated specific racial and gender groups and established policies to limit their right to vote. These politicians, in desperate attempt to elongate their political reign, resort to “anything that is within the rules to gain electoral advantage, including expanding or contracting the rate of political participation.”(Hicks) Originally in the United States, voting was reserved for white, property-owning gentleman …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the voting rights act ensured the right to vote for all regardless of race, religion, or sex. the breaking down of this provision under supreme court ruling shelby county, alabama v. holder, attorney general has the potential to undo decades of progress to tackle racial barriers.
- Explains that people of power have isolated specific racial and gender groups and established policies to limit their right to vote.
- Analyzes how voter suppression systematically stripped voting away from impoverished, immigrants, and african-americans, effectively disintegrating democracy by ruling for a body that did not elect its leaders.
- Analyzes how the selma march brought black voters to the state capital, symbolizing the unnecessary and unjust obstacles aimed at limiting the black vote in the south.
- Explains that the voting rights act of 1965, one of the most important civil rights legislations, granted federal overview of state and municipal voting laws.
- Explains that section iv and section v define the districts with special concern and grant the attorney general overview of state and municipal laws regarding voting registration.
- States that 153 requests for preclearance were withdrawn and 109 were modified in response to the justice department's concerns.
- Explains that while these provisions were only enacted for five years, congress continuously renewed section four and five with no changes because "the right to vote is still a precarious right for blacks, indian, puerto rican, and mexican-americans."
- Analyzes how the supreme court ruled the attorney general's role to oversee specific districts unconstitutional, opening the gates for potential voting rights discrimination and dissolving a true and just democracy.
- Argues that congress must pass legislation to protect the attorney general's powers of oversight. the new formula must be indiscriminate in its review of districts, providing a blanket solution to voting regulations nationwide.
- Analyzes how the republican-controlled congress came to fruition in 2010 with a democrat in office. this massive defeat by the democratic party resulted in halting of the democratic agenda and perpetuating an election reform stalemate.
- Analyzes how voter id laws are advertised as common sense laws to protect the right to vote for all, yet many regard them as ridiculous measures that account for the most significant setback to voting equality in over a century.
- Analyzes how lawmakers nationwide watched the shelby case with angst, anticipating a favorable outcome for restrictive voting practices. this clear disenfranchisement of minority voters stands in stark contrast to recent history of voter protection
- Opines that the upcoming presidential election will be the first major election with many of these new laws.
- Analyzes how the 2016 arizona state primary was one of the first examples of adverse effects of diminishing the voting rights act.
- Explains that voting is synonymous with democracy. every citizen has the right and civic duty to ensure government acts on the will of the majority.
- Opines that the parallels of restrictive voting laws following the fifteenth amendment to today's voting law offer a glimpse of what the future of american democracy holds.
- Opines that the supreme court ruling shelby county, alabama v. holder does minimal damage to the voting process of the united states.
- Opines that the onus is on society and individuals who have the right to vote, to push against any barriers politicians attempt to build, and resurrect a just voting equality bill.
Society cannot let factions become disenfranchised and lose their self determination. The United States, a country founded upon the ideals of freedom and individual prosperity, cannot hold unjust elections brought upon by the current dominant political party. President Johnson created a bipartisan effort to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, enriching democracy and continuing the American spirit of democratic values. Johnson united Congress with the simple message, “Our mission is at once the oldest and the most basic of this country: to right wrong, to do justice, to serve man.” (Johnson) Today, the citizens of the United States must push Congress formulate an oversight measure to fix voter
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- opinion
- analytical
- explanatory
- argumentative
- In every national American election since Reconstruction, every election since the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, voters - particularly African American voters and other minorities - have faced calculated and determined efforts at intimidation and suppression. The bloody days of violence and retribution following the Civil War and Reconstruction are gone. The poll taxes, literacy tests and physical violence of the Jim Crow era have disappeared. Today, more subtle, cynical and creative tactics have taken their place.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that it would be comforting to think that the last vestiges of voter intimidation, oppression and suppression were swept away by the passage and subsequent enforcement of the voting rights act of 1965.
- Opines that in every national american election since reconstruction, since the voting rights act passed in 1965, voters - particularly african american voters and other minorities — have faced calculated and determined efforts at intimidation and suppression.
- Describes recent incidents in which groups of voters have been singled out on the basis of race.
- Explains that voter intimidation and suppression is not a problem limited to the southern united states, although minority communities align with the democratic party.
- Analyzes how the 1965 voting rights act was among the crowning achievements of the civil rights era, and a defining moment for social justice and equality.
- Explains that the election problems in florida and elsewhere that led to the disenfranchisement of some four million american voters in 2000 cast a harsh spotlight on flaws in our voting system.
1214 wordsRead More - The Affects of the Electoral College on the Significance and Legitimacy of American Votinganalytical essayIn the 1996 United States presidential election, only 49 percent of the voting age population cast a ballot (Federal Election Committee). Only 56 percent of whites voted, followed by 50 percent of African American, and only 27 percent of Hispanics (Federal Election Committee). With such low voter turnout, one must wonder about the cause of this epidemic. Voting is a right that Americans once took great pride in. The right to vote allows Americans not only say in who runs the government, but also affects their freedom and future. Or does it? The United States uses an institution called the Electoral College, not the vote of the people, to choose the president. In this system, each state Electoral College receives a certain numbers of votes. All of these votes go to the candidate who receives the majority in that particular state (Federal Election Committee). Whichever candidate receives the most electoral votes nationally wins (Federal Election Committee). So, it is not truly the people who decide who will lead them. In the United States, a supposed democracy, the Electoral College renders individual voting meaningless.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the effects of the electoral college on the significance and legitimacy of american voting in the 1996 united states presidential election.
- Explains that the electoral college has contributed to apathy of american voters because it does not allow citizens to choose their leader in presidential elections.
- Explains that the electoral college system gives each state a number of electors equal to its united states senators (2), plus one for each of its representatives. this favors small states, which receive at least three electoral votes.
- Analyzes how the electoral college negatively affects voting legitimacy by favoring the two main political parties, while ignoring third party candidates.
- Explains that the electoral college harms the country by allowing unequal representation in some states, and ignoring third party candidates. only by abolishing it can america truly be a democratic nation.
- Describes the affects of the electoral college on the significance and legitimacy of american voting.
646 wordsRead More - The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Supreme Courtanalytical essayThe Civil Rights Movement is a popular quest to secure many African Americans to have equal opportunities, privileges, and rights as they withhold a U.S citizenship. As it originated in the early 19th century, men and women organized the movement nationally and locally to pursue their goals with negotiations, petitions, and protest as a change of social segregation. Later Martin Luther King Jr. noticed that attention needed to be put into the fact that few southern blacks were able to have their right to vote. As this sprung into action, in 1965 a local protest against racial restrictions had begun. This same year, President Lyndon B. Johnson responded by starting the Voting Rights Act to preserve blacks’ rights to vote. This act banned literacy tests and also thousands of federal voting officials were sent to the South to observe black voting registration. As of Section 4 it ensures votes are not denied on the account of race or color and also the citizen’s right to vote is not denied if he/she fails to comply with any test or device. A test or device includes requirements such as passing a literacy test. (“Transcript of..”) Nevertheless, Amendment 15, which guarantees that voting rights cannot be denied based on race, is a permanent law to protect voting rights section 5 states that it can freeze any election practices and procedure for subject review. Section 5 requires proof that the any voting change does not deny the voting right because of race, color, or a language minority. In 2006, the Congress extended requirements of section 5 to be active for an additional 25 years. (“Civil Rights..”) This law is relevant to Section 4 and 5 of the Act during the Civil Rights Era because the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ensured that state...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the civil rights movement is a popular quest to secure many african americans to have equal opportunities, privileges, and rights as they withhold u.s citizenship.
- Explains the civil rights division section 5 resource guide.
- Analyzes how the supreme court invalidates a key part of the voting rights act.
- Explains section 4 of the voting rights act. civil rights division page.
- Cites the transcript of voting rights act (1965) from our documents.
- Explains that the supreme court's decision that section 4 is unnecessary to the voters right act of 1965 is unconstitutional because its creation was based on the fact that society was oppressing people’s rights to vote.
539 wordsRead More - American Founders and Progressivesexplanatory essay"Taking Back the Right to Vote | Roosevelt Institute." Home | Roosevelt Institute. Ed. Dante Berry. Roosevelt Institute, 2009. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states constitution and the first ten amendments established the federal court system, which was intended to protect personal liberties.
- Explains that the constitution has played an important role in the changes made within america, but also in ensuring that even as change occurs through time personal liberties are protected.
- Explains how the supreme court ruled that it was the judicial department's responsibility to overturn unconstitutional legislation in marbury vs. madison.
- States that hamilton, alexander, and hughes, charles e., "the court and constitutional interpretation." the university of chicago press books division.
1255 wordsRead More - Pros And Cons Of The Electoral Collegeanalytical essay“In 1787 our founding fathers believed that that the general population was not educated enough to select the president of the United State” (Bonsor, 2000, p.). This was one of the concerns our founders had when they wrote Article II, section 1 of our Constitution, which laid out the framework for the Electoral College process that we still use to this day. An article by Bronsor and Dove, states that “the Electoral College provided security to concerns that the governing people had,in this era of our nation’s history, to ensure a viable election process, such as the unlikelihood that a candidate would have a national presence amongst the general public”(2015). Due to the vast geographic distances candidates would not be able to vocalize their
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the founding fathers were concerned about the lack of education in the general population to select the president of the united states, and the electoral college provided security to those concerns.
- Explains that the united states is the only country in the world that uses the electoral college process to elect its president.
- Explains that the popular vote would support a multiple party election. the electoral college focuses on the two-party system and is backed by law to prevent the possible will of the president.
- Argues that the popular vote should be implemented over the continued use of the electoral college process to vote in our next president.
- Argues that the implementation of the popular voting process would force the candidates to campaign in these states and address issues that concern each state.
1294 wordsRead More - The Role Of Minority Groups In Presidential Electionsanalytical essayThe article tells us that in the past the presidential election has consisted of mostly white voters. Minority groups were small enough that their votes didn’t really matter. This is an example of coercion, “power that people do not except as rightly exercised over them.” (Page #306) But, as the number of minorities grow, the more important their votes become to politicians. There are a large number of minority voters in the southwestern states and Florida which were the focus of this article.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the article tells us that in the past the presidential election consisted of mostly white voters. as the number of minorities grows, the more important their votes become to politicians.
- Analyzes how the minority group was divided or undecided in their choice of candidate. they worried about the political candidates following through with their promises.
- Explains that the role of minorities in elections has been changing over the last thirteen to fifteen years.
- Concludes that the changing role of minority voters over the years has made an impact on politics. there was a time when voters were all white males.
308 wordsRead More - The 15th Amendment: The Fifteenth Amendmentargumentative essayAfter the American Civil War (1861-1865), the United States entered a stage of reconstruction where many southern states passed poll taxes that appeared to be merely another source of revenue, when in actuality, its purpose was to prevent African Americans from voting (Carson & Bonk, 15). In attempts of solving this issue, the fifteenth amendment was passed, which declared the right to vote to male citizens of any color. The fifteenth amendment, however, did not stop southern state legislators to find other ways to prevent African Americans as well as other minorities from voting. In addition to making citizens have to pay in order to vote, southern states also adapted literacy tests (Carson & Bonk, 15). In order to vote, citizens had to take literacy tests and obtain the results that identified them as “literate” enough to vote. Although the literacy tests gravely affected African Americans, it also affected woman and people of other ethnicities with poor education denying them the right to vote (Carson & Bonk, 15). By oppressing minorities and denying them the right to vote, the obvious outcome was that wealthy candidates who ran for
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the twenty-fourth amendment abolished poll taxes, preventing african americans from voting, and creating barriers like voter id laws.
- Explains that the twenty-fourth amendment was proposed on august 27, 1962, and ratified on january 23, 1964.
- Explains that the civil rights act, voting rights, and the twenty-fourth amendment helped african americans gain social equality.
- Compares the requirement of a photo id at the polls to the effects that poll taxes had on voting.
- Concludes that a democratic government is vested in the people, which should not be restricted to the color of skin or the amount of money.
1160 wordsRead More - The Woman's Suffrage Movement in the 1800'sexplanatory essayIn the United States at the time the Constitution was written, it is estimated that only six percent of the adult male population was entitled to vote2. Under the influence of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, religious and property qualifications were eliminated. Racial barriers to voting existed legally until the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified after the civil war. Although the struggle to achieve equal rights for women to vote did not include a declared national war, it was nevertheless, a fierce battle fought primarily by determined female “soldiers”. Even though the women’s suffrage movement started long before the civil war, it was the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment that set a precedence for human equality. This precedence was the antecedent that women needed to become more aggressive and increasingly vociferous, which ultimately led to their right to vote.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that susan b. anthony, the pioneer of women's rights, was influenced by elizabeth cady stanton, who advocated for more liberal divorce laws, less restrictive clothing for women, and coeducation.
- Describes the first women's rights assembly in the united states, organized by lucretia coffin mott and elizabeth cady stanton.
- Explains that the women's suffrage movement had to take a back seat to the civil rights movement which granted blacks the right to vote.
- Explains that the government backed up their reasoning by stating that women wouldn't have enough time to get involved with elections and still take care of their families.
- Explains that the seneca falls convention was an important cornerstone for all women. the outlaw of slavery and the right for blacks to vote were used by women as a great advantage.
- Explains that women's suffrage movement started long before the civil war, but the ratification of the fifteenth amendment set a precedent for human equality.
1193 wordsRead More - Womes Suffrage: The Right to Fightexplanatory essayIt didn’t take long for the people to speak out against the one sided voting right. In the 1700s people expressed themselves with slogans such as “No taxation without representation” & “Government by the consent of the governed”. This was only the start of how the voting right was going to change. In the year 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Moss held a women’s right convention in Seneca Falls, NY. In this convention there w...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that voting is the first step of involvement and interaction with your government, the government of the people, by people and for people.
- Explains why voting is important to keep america afloat. voting shows the government that you support them, and your right to vote is your independence.
- Explains that women's voting rights evolved and how women had to fight for suffrage in america. the voting right started off pretty one sided.
- Explains how the people spoke out against the one-sided voting right in the 1700s. elizabeth cady stanton & lucretia moss held a women's right convention in 1848. frederick douglass gave his speech on universal rights for all.
- Explains that susan b. anthony and elizabeth cady stanton formed an organization focusing on the goal of universal voting rights in 1866. with the number of people joining the movement, so did women’s courage.
- Explains that the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote, which was what they had been fighting for all these years.
- Explains that women were able to get jobs as head of the federal reserve, congress, supreme court, even out of this world into space.
- Opines that women are making an impact even to this day as janet yellen is the first woman on the federal reserve chair. everyone has a voice and should be able to put their input on things.
736 wordsRead More - The Evolution Of American Democracyanalytical essay"After 1815 Americans transformed the republic of the Founding Fathers into a democracy. State after state revoked property qualifications for voting and holding officethus transforming Jefferson's republic of property holders into Andrew Jackson's mass democracy. Democracy, however, was not for everyone. While states extended political rights to all white men, they often withdrew or limited such rights for blacks. As part of the same trend, the state of New Jersey took the vote away from propertied women, who formerly had possessed that right. Thus the democratization of citizenship applied exclusively to white men. In the mid19th century, these men went to the polls in record numbers. The election of 1828 attracted 1.2 million voters; that number jumped to 1.5 million in 1836 and to 2.4 million in 1840. Turnout of eligible voters by 1840 was well over 60 percenthigher than it had ever been, and much higher than it is now." (Remini, 1998)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states was the first liberal democracy. the constitution provided for an elected government and protected civil rights and liberties.
- Explains how states revoked property qualifications for voting and holding office, transforming jefferson's republic of property holders into andrew jackson’s mass democracy. democracy, however, was not for everyone.
- Explains that popular political activity other than voting declined, and states and national governments received fewer petitions than in the past. petitioning, parading and mobbing played important roles in jeffersonian america.
- Explains that voting was organized by a national two-party system staffed by disciplined professionals who organized voters, wrote party platforms, and developed party ideologies in ways that only partially and indirectly reflected popular wishes.
- Explains that neither the jeffersonians nor their federalist opponents admitted to being a political party. the term party meant the same as faction.
- Analyzes how the panic of 1819, an economic downturn, introduced americans to a cycle of booming economy followed by bust, which would characterize the new market economy during the 19th century.
- Explains that missouri territory's application for admission to the union in 1818 caused heated argument in congress, revealing angry differences between representatives of slave states and free states.
- Argues that the same politicians who opposed the bank of the united states argued that jefferson's coalition of slaveholding and nonslaveholding farmers would never have allowed slavery to get into congressional debate.
- Explains that the whig party opposed the democrats' opposition to jackson's administration. they were led by henry clay, daniel webster, and others who called for an active national government.
- Explains that the whigs proposed what they called the american system. they wanted a high tariff that would protect northeastern factories from european competition while it generated revenue for the national government.
- Explains that the whig economy discouraged arguments between the northeast, the south, and the west. the prosperity of each section depended on friendly relations with the other two.
- Explains that andrew jackson and his democratic successors proposed to limit the role of government in the market revolution and in resolving the tensions among the sections.
- Explains that democrats hoped to create a national government that never meddled in local affairs, that played no favorites, and that kept taxes low.
- Explains that the 1830s and 1840s democratic and whigs built the most completely national twoparty system that americans have ever had. political leaders feared that such a breakdown could lead to disunion and perhaps civil war.
1410 wordsRead More