Question

The quote below is part of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. Which of these contributed to the ratification of this amendment?

Answer 1

The ratification of the 26th Amendment, which reduced the voting age to eighteen, was primarily driven by the Vietnam War and the activism of young Americans who were subject to the draft. It represented a continuation of the trend of expanding suffrage rights in the US.

Step-by-step explanation:

Contributing Factors to the Ratification of the 26th Amendment

The ratification of the 26th Amendment was largely influenced by the socio-political climate of the United States during the Vietnam War. Specifically, young Americans, who faced the draft at the age of eighteen, demanded the right to vote, as they were old enough to serve and potentially sacrifice their lives for their country. This compelling argument, coupled with the activist efforts of college students during the 1960s, led to the amendment's ratification, reducing the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen. This ensured a uniform voting age across federal and state elections and addressed the discrepancy where young citizens could be drafted to fight in the war but were not permitted to vote.

Moreover, the voting age being lowered can also be seen as a continuation of the wider trend of expanding suffrage rights in the US, as seen with the 15th and 19th Amendments, which eliminated voting barriers based on race and gender, respectively.