Comm2_MHD2_Somozo

Concept Paper 1

RAISE YOUR VOICES

Somozo, Beah Davee Marie Hortelano

2014-35733

May 28, 2015

University of the Philippines, Manila

Prof. Hope Bayani Quijano

Comm2_MHD2_Somozo

Concept Paper 2

RAISE YOUR VOICES

Thesis statement:

Studies show that there are several reasons as to why the youth should be able to vote at 16 where they are

already allowed to drive, pay taxes and even live on their own.

I. Since at 16, the youth are already allowed to drive, pay taxes and even live on their own, they

should be allowed to vote.

II. The youth should be able to vote for they show the proper mental readiness, voting quality and

engagement.

A. There is a study disproving the concerns as to why the youth should not be able to vote.

B. There is a study that shows that the youth’s voting quality is on par with the average adult’s.

C. There is a study that states that youth engagement in politics can have a “trickle-up” effect

on their parents and peers.

D. A youth panel was used in order to screen those running for positions.

III. The youth deserves a voice in society since we are society’s future.

Comm2_MHD2_Somozo

Concept Paper 3

Raise Your Voices

In the Philippines, the age to vote is currently at 18. I propose that we lower it to 16. At this age,

we are transitioning between adolescence and adulthood. We are allowed to drive. To pay taxes. Some even

live on their own at this age. At 16, most of the Filipino youth are either still in high school or have just

entered college where they will most likely stay in until they graduate. We should be allowed to vote.

According to a study done by a team of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political

Science led by Dr. Jan Eichhorn (2014), lowering the voting age to 16 can be an opportunity to improve

youth political engagement. The research has disproved 4 concerns against lowering the voting age. The

first was that the youth are simply not interested with politics. According to their data, the levels of political

interest of the youth are equivalent to those of adults on average. And although they are less attracted to

traditional institutions, they are willing to engage in classic forms when actual issues are concerned. The

next concern was that the youth will simply follow their parents’ political choices so they need not vote.

Their study showed that more than 40% of the youth actually had different political views from their

parents. However they do understand the importance of voting from their parents. Another was that even if

there are no negative consequences, why can’t the youth wait for 2 more years? The research showed

increased student political confidence and closeness to a political party when the issues are discussed in

class which cannot be replicated by any other institution. The last concern was that schools should not

engage with political debate to avoid inappropriate politicization. Student’s political understanding and

engagement is not necessarily enhanced by classes teaching political structures. But schools should allow

an environment where students can have informed political discussions. Another research also stated that

while turnout levels of young people are relatively low, the quality of their votes are similar to that of older

voters, enabling their interests to be represented well (Wagner, Johann, & Kritzinger, 2012). Another study

also stated that youth engagement can have a “trickle up” effect on their parents, encouraging their parents

to be more politically active (McDevitt & Kiousis, 2006). According to the census of the National Statistics

Office of the Philippines (2014), approximately 2% of the whole population of the Philippines are between

the ages of 15 – 17. These youth would also engage in healthy conversations and debates about politics

with their family and peers to be more active in the politics. And there have also been incidences in certain

countries that the youth are part of the screening process of those running for positions (Srivastava, Seth,

& Niekerk, 2013).

The youth deserves to have a voice in the society. We still are part of it, no matter how old we may

be. We should have the right to be involved in it since it affects each and every one of us. We have the right

to control or at least have a say on things that directly involves us and our future. Our future is also the

society’s future, isn’t that right?

Comm2_MHD2_Somozo

Concept Paper 4

Bibliography

Eichhorn, J. (2014). How lowering the voting age to 16 can be an opportunity. Retrieved April 29, 2015,

from

http://www.politischepartizipation.de/images/downloads/dpart_Eichhorn_16VotingAge_Briefing.

pdf

McDevitt, M., & Kiousis, S. (2006). Experiments in Political Socialization: Kids Voting USA as a Model

for Civic Education Reform. CIRCLE: The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning

& Engagement. Retrieved April 29, 2015, from

http://civicyouth.org/PopUps/WorkingPapers/WP49McDevitt.pdf

National Statistics Office. (2014). Philippines in Figures 2014. Quezon City: National Statistics Office.

Srivastava, R. N., Seth, R., & Niekerk, J. V. (2013). Child Abuse and Neglect: Challenges and

Opportunities. New Delhi, India: JP Medical Ltd. Retrieved April 29, 2015, from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=SgpEpebbhWcC&pg=PA233&dq=Lowering+the+voting

+age+to+16&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ERpGVf7zDYKwmwW85oDAAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q

=Lowering%20the%20voting%20age%20to%2016&f=false

Wagner, M., Johann, D., & Kritzinger, S. (2012). Voting at 16: Turnout and the quality of vote choice.

Electoral Studies, 31(2), 372–383. doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2012.01.007

1

Comm 2 – Prof. Hope Bayani Quijano

Tentative Bibliography

Section: MHD2

Name: Beah Davee Marie H. Somozo Score:

Degree: BS-Biochemistry Date: May 28, 2015

A. I decided to work on the topic: Voting Age

B. My tentative title for my concept paper is:

Raise Your Voices

C. The contextual focus of my paper is written/typed below:

Topic: Voting Age

Purpose: To understand about the voting age and the effects of lowering the voting age

Relevance: The youth is a very important factor of the society. They are in charge of the

society’s future. I, myself, am 16.

Audience: Youth of the affected age group, politicians, families with 16 -17 year olds, local

and national government

Subject Area: Philippines

D. The following are the combinations of key words that I use to search online materials and

online library catalogues to find relevant articles and books:

1. Demography of the Philippines

2. Reasons to lower the voting age

3. Lower the voting age

4. Lower the Voting Age Research

5. Lower the Voting Age Newspaper Articles

6. Lowering the Voting Age to 16 Books

E. I have checked the library resources, and found the following resources;

Complete Bibliographic Citation using correct APA

style format for documentation:

(Add the name of the library and Call Number for

print, non-e sources)

Type of APA

Source:

This book (or newspaper article,

journal article, etc.) is useful

because…

1. Barford, V. (2014, September 23). Should 16-year-

olds get the vote following referendum? BBC News.

Newspaper

Article

It gave a different opinions on a

recent incident involving the

topic.

2

Retrieved April 29, 2015, from

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29327912

2. Eichhorn, J. (2014). How lowering the voting age

to 16 can be an opportunity. Retrieved April 29,

2015, from

http://www.politischepartizipation.de/images/downlo

ads/dpart_Eichhorn_16VotingAge_Briefing.pdf

Journal Article It disproved 4 concerns against

the lowering of voting age.

3. Hart, D., & Atkins, R. (2011). American Sixteen-

and Seventeen-Year-Olds Are Ready to Vote. The

ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and

Social Science, 633(1), 201-202.

doi:10.1177/0002716210382395

Journal Article It proved that 16 – 17 year olds

are mature enough to vote, both

neurologically and socially.

4. McDevitt, M., & Kiousis, S. (2006). Experiments

in Political Socialization: Kids Voting USA as a

Model for Civic Education Reform. CIRCLE: The

Center for Information & Research on Civic

Learning & Engagement. Retrieved April 29, 2015,

from

http://civicyouth.org/PopUps/WorkingPapers/WP49

McDevitt.pdf

Report It showed data on the “trickle up”

effect of youth voting to their

parents.

5. Wagner, M., Johann, D., & Kritzinger, S. (2012).

Voting at 16: Turnout and the quality of vote choice.

Electoral Studies, 31(2), 372–383.

doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2012.01.007

Journal Article It proved that the quality of

voting of the youth is equivalent

to those of the older age groups.

6. National Statistics Office. (2014). Philippines in

Figures 2014. Quezon City: National Statistics

Office.

Report It holds the statistics of the

population of the Philippines

7. Terris, B. (n.d.). Could a Maryland Town Allow

16-Year-Olds to Vote? National Journal. Retrieved

April 2015, 29, from

http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/could-a-

maryland-town-allow-16-year-olds-to-vote-

20130402

Journal Article It talks about the possibility of

the voting age being lowered in a

town.

8. Srivastava, R. N., Seth, R., & Niekerk, J. V.

(2013). Child Abuse and Neglect: Challenges and

Book It gave examples of incidents

where the youth were included in

3

Opportunities. New Delhi, India: JP Medical Ltd.

Retrieved April 29, 2015, from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=SgpEpebbhW

cC&pg=PA233&dq=Lowering+the+voting+age+to+

16&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ERpGVf7zDYKwmwW85oD

AAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Lowering%20the

%20voting%20age%20to%2016&f=false

the panel for choosing who were

qualified to hold position.

9. Olle, H. (2002). Young Europe: What young

people between the ages of 9 and 14 think about

participation, politics and Europe. London, England:

National Children's Bureau Enterprises Ltd.

Retrieved April 29, 2015, from

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=QHwBIlzclE

kC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_

r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Electronic

Book

It has data on how the youth of

Europe thinks about participation

and engagement in politics.

10. Grover, S. C. (2010). Young People’s Human

Rights and the Politics of Voting Age. Ontario,

Canada: Springer Science & Business Media.

doi:10.1007/978-90-481-8963-2

Book It has different topics on the

youth’s voting age.

11. Birch, S., Clarke, H. D., & Whiteley, P. (2015).

Should 16-Year-Olds Be Allowed to Vote in

Westminster Elections? Public Opinion and Electoral

Franchise Reform. Parliamentary Affairs, 68(2), 291-

313. doi:10.1093/pa/gsu019

Journal Article It argues why we should not

lower the voting age.

1

Comm 2 — Prof. Hope Bayani – Quijano

Concept Paper

Modified Cornell Note Taking System for Readings and Research

Student Name: Beah Davee Marie Somozo Degree Program: BS-Biochemistry

Source Citation Information in APA Format:

This is where you provide who, what, where, when, etc. (Title/s, author/editor, publicatio info,

copyright date of publication, page numbers, URL).

Indicate the type of source: (e.g. magazine)

What are your gathered facts?

Original Text: Re – written or cut & pasted

Pg. #

Think: What did I learn?

What do I understand better?

What’s the main idea? What

new questions do I have?

Record as: Summary,

paraphrase, quote, outline

Indicate type of Notation:

e.g. Summary, paraphrase,

quote, outline = based on

“Record as”

Add other uses of cited

texts: a new question, a key

word, inights, inferences and

then put in parenthesis:

(other uses)

May be encoded or handwritten

2

3

4