Question

Democratization - the process by which more people are granted the right to participate

in their government. It's interesting to note that while suffrage has grown to include
more people, the percentage of eligible voters who participate has decreased.
When the United States was born (the Constitution was written), the right to vote was
typically only granted to white men with property. With time, many more demographic
groups have been included: Non-land owning white men, Blacks, women, American
Indians, and adults 18 and older are able to vote in our country.
What prompted the changes that allowed for more people to vote over time?

Answer 1

Changes leading to expanded suffrage in the United States were influenced by societal shifts, Constitutional amendments, and civil rights activism, transitioning from limited eligibility to nearly universal suffrage. Amendments such as the 15th and 19th eliminated voting restrictions based on race and gender, with ongoing efforts to address voter suppression and ensure full participation in voting.

Step-by-step explanation:

The changes that allowed for more people to vote over time were driven by a range of factors, including societal changes, constitutional amendments, civil rights movements, and a growing recognition of the inalienable rights of all citizens to participate in their government. Initially, the U.S. Constitution provided for limited voter eligibility, primarily to white male landowners. Over time, challenges to this status quo arose due to the influence of societal attitudes, shifting political ideologies, and the efforts of various advocacy groups fighting for suffrage expansion.

Societal changes, such as the rise of the middle class during the Industrial Revolution, led to a push for expanded democratic rights, including the extension of the right to vote to the working-class and non-land-owning white men. The abolitionist and women's rights movements were pivotal in breaking down barriers that prevented African Americans and women from voting. The 15th Amendment (1870) and the 19th Amendment (1920) were direct outcomes of these efforts, granting voting rights irrespective of race and gender, respectively.

Other significant milestones included the 24th Amendment, which eliminated the use of poll taxes, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that addressed race-based barriers to voting. The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18, partly as a response to debates about military conscription during the Vietnam War. Despite numerous advancements, the fight against voter suppression and for universal suffrage remains an ongoing effort in the United States, ensuring that the principles of a representative democracy continually evolve to include all eligible citizens.