Question

During the first decades after the eighteen-year-olds received the right to vote, they

a. made little difference to the outcome of elections.
b. were more heavily Democratic than Republican.
c. voted more Republican than Democratic.
d. voted for younger candidates in presidential elections.

Answer 1

During the first decades after the eighteen-year-olds received the right to vote, they voted more Republican than Democratic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The answer to the question is option c. During the first decades after the eighteen-year-olds received the right to vote, they voted more Republican than Democratic.

The passage states that senior citizens vote in large numbers, whereas young people vote in small numbers. Additionally, it mentions that wealthier people tend to vote more than poorer people, but the wealthiest people usually vote Democrat. Based on this information, we can infer that the eighteen-year-olds, as a younger demographic, would lean more towards voting Republican.

This is further supported by the historical context provided. The passage mentions that the activism of college students in the 1960s led to the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment in 1971, which lowered the voting age to eighteen. This amendment was primarily driven by the desire of young men, who could be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, to have a say in the political decisions that affected them. Given their concerns about the war and the general political climate at the time, it is likely that the eighteen-year-olds would have voted more Republican.