Propose increasing the minimum voting age from 18 back to 21 on the grounds that contemporary eighteen‑year‑olds lack the maturity and life experience that used to justify adult suffrage. The policy would be defended with social‑science claims about cohort maturity and political competence and implemented via a constitutional or statutory change.
— This is a politically provocative reform that would reframe debates about youth civic participation, representation, and the franchise—and could shift party coalitions and turnout dynamics.
Arnold Kling
2026.11.05
100% relevant
Arnold Kling argues '18 is the new 14' (citing Jean Twenge) and says 'We should not have these 14‑year‑olds voting,' explicitly proposing a higher voting age as a response to perceived youth immaturity.
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