Citizenship as a rite of passage

An opinion piece in the NY Times on April 6, 2006 (by John B. Anderson And Ray Martinez III) promotes automatic voter registration for US high school seniors as part of their graduation procedures.

The article proposes that high school government or civics classes should explain to students not only how to vote in their community but also emphasize the value of lifelong voter participation.

In thinking about Bermuda’s school leavers, it seems to me that the main rite of passage for our teens is the acquisition of a “bike” at age sixteen.

There are a few teens who join the debate team or the cadets or other civic groups, but why not include during their graduation year a primer on volunteerism, human and civic rights, and a basic understanding of our political and economic systems and public services? Then graduation could become a rite of passage into citizenship.

Comments

[Combat Banker on 09.04.06 at 20:09]

Sounds like a great idea in principle Stuart (no pun intended), but unless our youth have a sense of civic pride instilled in them at home first, it'll be just another lesson for students to sit bored and mice through.

Civics classes generally are a good idea though.

[tilti on 09.04.06 at 22:44]

I remember that my civics class at Saltus was both a joke and incredibly boring. I also don't like the idea of local politics being taught in school. High school age kids take as gospel what their teachers say, if their teachers want to explain how politics originate, its purpose and its workings, then that is fine. The teacher lecturing on local affairs is a potential land mine.

I would also add the voter turnout in the US is alarmingly low. Bermuda doesn't have this problem.

If the concern is the issue of having students imbued with a sense of social obligation, why not do what Canada has done and make 50 hours of volunteer service a necasary requirement for graduation. (This may drop the graduation rate below the 50% mark, but its had great results in Canada).

[Raptor on 10.04.06 at 09:38]

Automatic voter registration probably helps; I think civics classes are a good idea too. Getting kids to volunteer is a wonderful life lesson.

However, I don’t think signing kids up to vote is going to do much good unless the kids are already connected and have hope for the future. How about this for Bermuda:

“Evan Bayh, U.S. Senator from Indiana, started a ‘21st Century Scholars Program,’ which guarantees low-income children full college scholarships if in eighth grade they sign and then keep a pledge promising to graduate from high school and not use drugs. Since the program started, Indiana’s college-matriculation rate has risen from 40th to 9th in the U.S.”

[Zoom on 10.04.06 at 11:13]

In the US, automatic voter registration is a two-edged sword. To register to vote, you must be registered for Selective Service (ie the draft).

[silencedogood on 10.04.06 at 11:16]

Automatic registration is a great idea if your goal is only to increase turnout, but its not so great if you care about anything else.

I would argue the goal should be to have everyone who does vote care about that vote which they cast. The point of civics classes and similar efforts is to ensure that those who do vote know what they are voting for and why.

If a teen has developed a social consciousness they will put forth the effort to register--it's not difficult. Towards that end civics classes and required community service are good ideas. Certainly don't hide the ball on how to register, but why does it have to be available as if it were in a vending machine?

If they don't care enough to take half an hour out of their day to register, I highly doubt they will care enough to learn about an issue. This makes elections susceptible to demagoguery, popularity contests, etc.

For democracy to work the population has to feel their government is representing their interests at a basic level, even when their party is not in power. When that doesn't happen you see higher turnouts (like here).

So in a way, low turnout can be viewed as a indicator of general satisfaction demonstrated by apathy. Dissatisfaction is an incentive to put in the effort to vote.

By removing all effort from voting you might get turnout numbers up, but those numbers are artificially inflated by people who didn't care enough in the first place to put forth a modest amount of effort to register and are likely to be uninformed. An uninformed vote is worse than no vote at all.

We should stress to kids the importance of voting, give them the skills to learn about issues, and tell them how and where to register but we should not make it effortless or send signals that voting does not carry any responsibility with it.

[Monique on 10.04.06 at 11:28]

I have two teen age sons. I like this idea of including the privilege of voting as part of the graduating process. I don't think kids are as easily swayed by teachers and their views as people think.

I also think that kids aren't always taught better at home. Part of the problem with racism was that for many years parents taught it to their kids because that's all they knew.

If the small price of getting young people to be more interested in being citizens is that there may be one or teachers who present their views too strongly -- then I say it is worth it. While these 'kids' may initially be swayed, if they are really serious about their civic duty they will eventually do their own research and develop their own views. It's about teaching kids the importance of politics in our lives.

I have three brothers and a sister. Only two of us have ever participated in the voting process. What a shame.

[TJL on 10.04.06 at 11:36]

Automatic voter registration will not necessarily lead to a spike in uninformed votes. Just because someone is registered does not mean they will turn up at the polling station on election day - if they can't be bothered to spend half an hour registering and they don't care about the issues, what makes you think they will bother to take the time out of their day to actually go and vote?

[silencedogood on 10.04.06 at 11:49]

TJL,

You make a valid point, but I think that it relates to the size of any spike rather than the existence of one.

For example, say you have 5,000 extra voters who would not have voted otherwise and only 20% of them actually vote. That is 1,000 extra.

Assume a 50/50 split between informed and uninformed (which I think would be generous). Then there are 500 extra voters who are easily swayed by things unimportant to the issues.

Major elections have turned on fewer votes and even in the clearest win it just doesn't sit well with me knowing that an uninformed person's vote might cancel mine out.

[Simon on 10.04.06 at 12:25]

Not 100% related to this post but there is a connection.

My daughter's school is very much focused on international citizenship, they have lesson's in respect of this and through the development of the Round Square network (which BHS has just joined) are pushing this idea out to other schools around the globe. Part of that allows children in Round Square schools to spend a term/semester at another RS school allowing them to understand other people's cultures. Her school also takes organises many voluntary projects around the world such as a Thailand water project and Romanian Humanitarian project to name just two.

This gives kids a unique insight into other cultures and broadens their minds. This is desparately needed in Bermuda as one of the problems I see in a lot of Bermudian society is a narrow-mindedness that stymies this country's development.

[tilti on 10.04.06 at 12:37]

Simon, I went to a Round Square school (Lakefield) and spent a summer volunteering in India through their programmes and know from personal experience that it is the best oppurtunity any kid can ever have. I don't know how well developed the programme is yet at BHS, but I agree that other schools should join. It both raises the profile and standards of the schools is invaluable for benefits received. The only drawback to the exchange programmer here is that it is so expensive and there are no residences to live in.

[Simon on 10.04.06 at 12:50]

There are other non-boarding schools within the Round Square family and for these, exchange students generally stay with school parents.

[jake on 10.04.06 at 14:15]

I think it is a dangerous road to follow when you presume to determine someone's fitness to vote. In an extreme case perhaps, the insane or prisoners should not vote, but otherwise it is a democratic right, not to be "earned" but inherent.

To say that, "Major elections have turned on fewer votes and even in the clearest win it just doesn't sit well with me knowing that an uninformed person's vote might cancel mine out," is condescending in the extreme. On what basis can you say that a person is uniformed? Each voter may not vote on the basis of detailed analysis, and few do I would argue. They are often persuaded (correctly I would add) that there is a need for change and that is when things move in one direction or the other.

With all that the Government tells us to do, it is fitting that at some point we can do the same. Without this, no Government can claim legitimacy.

[Simon on 10.04.06 at 14:44]

I'm not sure Stuart was advocating that the same thing should be followed here in respect of voter registration(stuart correct me if you were) but more that local students should be taught a wider understanding of society before they graduate. This will give them a much better grounding to being an adult and all that encompasses. It will hopefully also give them a more diverse view of Bermuda and the rest of the world which will be benficial in the country's future development espcially if it ever did gain full independence from the UK.

[silencedogood on 10.04.06 at 15:16]

Jake,

You are certainly entitled to disagree with me but I think it is perfectly fair to believe that anyone who doesn't care enough to put in the minimal effort to register to vote should not be coddled, cajoled, or bribed into voting.

We aren't talking poll taxes, literacy tests, or any other unreasonable barrier. We are talking about taking a few minutes out of the day to fill out a form.

It is perfectly fair to infer that someone who can't or won't put forth that minimal effort to register will be even less likely to put forth extra effort to learn a minimal amount about the issues of the day--not a detailed analysis, but just basic stuff like reading the paper. God forbid it rains on election day--no one might show up!

Even the premiere would agree that people should know what they are voting for (or signing for).

Rights come with responsibilities.

We don't allow people to drive without passing a test, which often means they have to take a driving course--why should the standards be lower to drive the country?

I couldn't give a toss about how people vote (that is their choice and their right), but to make voting easier, when it is already an incredibly simple process, so it is less of a responsibility than even licensing a car cheapens that right and demeans everyone who makes the effort. This is basic stuff here.

If this makes me condescending so be it.

[stuart J Hayward on 10.04.06 at 16:29]

Simon writes:
I'm not sure Stuart was advocating that the same thing should be followed here in respect of voter registration(stuart correct me if you were) but more that local students should be taught a wider understanding of society before they graduate.

You are correct. I was not advocating automatic voter registration. I would promote almost anything that will give our young people a greater sense of civic responsibility.

However, having grown up in an era when Bermudian voters were required to re-register every year in a rather convoluted process, I would not exclude automatic voter registration. I have the view that we should reduce as much as possible any impediments to the act of voting, even those that are, for some, relatively easy to surmount.

[SmokingGun on 10.04.06 at 18:33]

"On what basis can you say that a person is uniformed?" - Jake

From the clothes he's wearing? ;)

That would be a fine example of a typical RG typo that could dramatically change the way something reads. We know for instance that some people will vote based on how well dressed and presentable the person is and be clueless as to their skills and agenda. But hey, whatever suits the voter.

[silencedogood on 11.04.06 at 12:07]

Silenced...

First, it's not condescending to say that, it's just plain undemocratic and elitist. One man, one vote, no matter how stupid or illiterate. THAT it what democracy is about. If a citizen can't fill out a form, they should be helped. EVERYONE deserves a vote. That's why they call it the RIGHT to vote.

Posted by His Excellency, Uncle Elvis II on 11.04.06 at 11:18 (on the Iraq thread)

Elvis,

Lets think about what you are saying here. I agree on your use of "everyone deserves a right to vote" as shorthand for a complex question (which it really is). Just as with free speech, the right to vote is not, and should not be absolute. As Jake pointed out criminals and the insane should not have this right. Do you agree?

Barring those groups, if everyone else deserves this right why does Bermuda not allow spouses of bermudians the right to vote immediately after marriage and establishment of a residence on the island? Why are long term residents denied the right to vote? I disagree with both of those policies for the record.

Why have registration period?

As someone who appears to appreciate pop-culture as much as I do, let me put it this way "you decide your own level of involvement with project mayhem."

What you are suggesting is a direct democracy never seen on this earth. Taken to extremes it would require holding a pen for a crackhead so he can check his boxes.

I'm not making this argument because I'm an elitist. I certainly don't want two guys in a room deciding the fate of us all. I just want the people who are making decisions to be somewhat interested and informed.

I think civics classes and efforts to raise the social consciousness of this island are fantastic ideas. If you do that there will be no problem--everyone will want to register and filling out a form will be no problem.

What happens if you have the classes, people are automatically registered, and then they still don't vote. Should we drive a car to their house so they can vote in the convenience of their own living room? Should they be able to text 1 for Wayne Furbert, 2 for Alex Scott, and 3 for Rueben Studdard?

The most similar example of this type of registration en masse took place with the political machines of the US where immigrants were signed up to vote right off the boat and those votes were controlled to allow one party to dominate in a most undemocratic fashion.

No one is holding anyone back from voting. All we ask that they do is get off their dead butt and fill out a form or two.

Let me ask you this:

1) What is it about filling out a voter registration form periodically which is too burdensome and needs to be changed?

2) Do you support having no registration at all?

3) Should a citizen have to make any effort to vote in an election?

4) Do you support giving everyone with a long-term connection (either through marriage or legal residence) the right to vote in Bermuda?

5) What characteristics do you think describe a voter that you feel personally comfortable entrusting your future to?

[silencedogood on 11.04.06 at 12:15]

P.S. I'm sure that there are no shortage of Bermudian politicians happy to "help" these individuals to register and perhaps "help" them with who to vote for too.

[tilti on 11.04.06 at 12:28]

Elvis, you know that I agree with you on most things, but, the right to vote was hard fought for and should be treated as a priviledge. With the right to vote that others have worked so hard to gain, there should be a corresponding level of responsibility that goes along with that.
We live in an age of rights where it seems that sometimes the seemingly God-sanctioned rights of everyone for everything trump pragmatism. Voting in a democracy is a big deal and should be treated as such. I would support automatic preregistration in schools if there was a serious investment of time and effort over several years of classes, but not if it was a haphazard public programme.

[His Excellency, Uncle Elvis II on 11.04.06 at 14:42]

Ok... just wanna say that my post was in response to silenced's line "To think that I get called condescending for suggesting people who can't fill out a voter registration form might not be people we want voting"

Perhaps it was the wording that made it stand out.

Personally, there isn't a person I don't want voting. I want EVERYONE to vote. Yes, this entails getting people more informed and educated. Perhaps I misunderstood the intent.
I read "people who can't fill out a voter registration form " as "Unable to fill it out" not "Can't be bothered to".

I do agree with you on most of what you say, I truly do and I apologize if there is a misunderstanding.

But I will fill out the questionnaire! *grin*

1) What is it about filling out a voter registration form periodically which is too burdensome and needs to be changed?

Dunno.

2) Do you support having no registration at all?

No, I don't. I understand the need for registration. However, I also think that it could be made easier to understnad. This includes teaching this stuff in civics class et al. that has been discussed above.

3) Should a citizen have to make any effort to vote in an election?

Um.. yeah. Get off yer ass and get out there and vote. It's a right, but it's also a duty. I disagree with tilti about it being a priviledge. It is in the sense that it's one of the good parts of living in the society we do, but so it clean water and readily available food. I DO consider voting a duty. As I tell people all the time: If you don't vote )unless it's as an active decision and part of something bigger, like a boycott of the vote), you give up the right to bitch.
Maybe I've been shaped by talking to my friends in Zimbabwe who stood in line for two days to vote in an election so obviously rigged that they watched ZANU-PF guys taking ballot boxes out the back door and throwing them into a fire. They watched this for two days and still voted. THAT is fulfilling a duty. When I say everyone should have the right to vote, I truly believe that.
Criminals are a different matter, as, by committing a crime, by refusing to play by the rules of society, they consider rights to be something that don't apply to them, thus, they give up their rights. Please, nobody take this statement to the extreme with "So you're saying that criminals have given up their rights, so we should kill them? Hmmm? They don't have the right to live? Hmmm? Is that what you're saying? Hmmm?" You know what I mean. If you don't, I don't think I can explain it to you. There's an issue of DareDevil from a couple of years ago that does a far better job of it.

4) Do you support giving everyone with a long-term connection (either through marriage or legal residence) the right to vote in Bermuda?

This one, I'm still struggling over. I can see both sides of the argument and I'm still not sure which one is stronger. I understand that it's there for our protection, but some people are getting screwed by it. I'd have to say I'm on the fence on this one.

5) What characteristics do you think describe a voter that you feel personally comfortable entrusting your future to?

I think, for me, the ONLY characteristic that I want in a voter is: Citizen of Bermuda.
I don't have any right, nor is it my place, to say that what I want, in the grand sceme of things, is any more important than what you want, or what he wants or what they want. If someone isn't informed, or doesn't know what the hell's going on, it's up to me, it's up to us, as members of society, to get them informed, hence this discussion. Having said that, this is a democracy and even the ill-informed should have their voices heard.

"With the right to vote that others have worked so hard to gain, there should be a corresponding level of responsibility that goes along with that."

Tilts, I agree with you completely. But this is not the definition of priviledge... that's the definition of duty. *grin*

By the way, Rueben Studdard for Prez! ROOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(Clay was robbed.
Mandisa was robbed, even though she kinda disgusted me with her "Lifestyles" comment a few weeks ago, I mean, come on! ACE is still in and Mandisa is out? What the...?
As long as I get to watch Katherine for a few more weeks! Homina homina! She makes me feel all funny inside.)

[sandgrownan on 11.04.06 at 14:55]

Silencedogood - I'm with you on this one. I think voting is already remarkably easy, I don't think making it any easier would improve turnout at all.

What we do need to do though, is encourage our youth to become part of the democratic process and to understand their obligations. But we can't force it. They also have a right not to vote (I would prefer they registered their objections by spoiling ballot papers - but that's another story).

As for expanding the voting base to PRC holders and SOB's - absolutely.

[silencedogood on 11.04.06 at 14:55]

Thanks E,

I didn't mean to pepper you with a quiz, but I was interested in where your head was at on the issue and didn't want to make assumptions. I think we agree on most things here.