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Voting rights?

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Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
What sort of things would you put in your test for 16-year-old potential voters?
Basic literacy, numeracy, current affairs, general knowledge, history.
Basically a "human competency" test.

You know these surveys that come out occasionally where it says "70% of 16yo's don't know which side Hitler was on in the second world war"?
Those people wouldn't be able to vote.

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Originally posted by Varg
Basic literacy, numeracy, current affairs, general knowledge, history.
Basically a "human competency" test.
Perhaps voter eligibility could be tied with achievement at school--O levels as a minimum requirement?

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because Richard Branson, self made billionare, shouldn't be alowed to vote with his 2 or 3 O-levals?

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also what's to stop people tailoring the tests to select people to pass more likely to agree with their politics?

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Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Perhaps voter eligibility could be tied with achievement at school--O levels as a minimum requirement?
If we Americans had to take the O levels when we were sixteen, England would realize what are eduacation system is really like, and we can't have that...

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you meant 'what our education system...' 😉

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Originally posted by googlefudge
because Richard Branson, self made billionare, shouldn't be alowed to vote with his 2 or 3 O-levals?
No, he shouldn't be allowed to vote--not unless he can pass his test! I'm sure he'd pass now, though, he must have picked up a book or two in between flights...Mick Jagger has also probably learnt enough now to qualify as a voter.

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Originally posted by googlefudge
also what's to stop people tailoring the tests to select people to pass more likely to agree with their politics?
Easy.
Don't let politicians set the tests.
And they wouldn't test politics, but general awareness.

I'm not saying set the bar so only geniuses (or genii?) could vote - just have to demonstrate that you're capable of using your vote wisely.

And Branson would be able to apply to take the test again - if he failed at 16 he wouldn't be allowed to vote until he passed.

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Originally posted by googlefudge
also what's to stop people tailoring the tests to select people to pass more likely to agree with their politics?
"Mark the correct answers with a swastika".

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Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
No, he shouldn't be allowed to vote--not unless he can pass his test! I'm sure he'd pass now, though, he must have picked up a book or two in between flights...Mick Jagger has also probably learnt enough now to qualify as a voter.
I don't know. he still doesn't know the difference between net and gross (in the economic sense's of the words). intelegence does not automaticaly make you good at passing tests.

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Originally posted by Varg
Easy.
Don't let politicians set the tests.
And they wouldn't test politics, but general awareness.

I'm not saying set the bar so only geniuses (or genii?) could vote - just have to demonstrate that you're capable of using your vote wisely.

And Branson would be able to apply to take the test again - if he failed at 16 he wouldn't be allowed to vote until he passed.
ok. but how do you make sure that the person who does set the test has no political veiws?

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Originally posted by googlefudge
ok. but how do you make sure that the person who does set the test has no political veiws?
It wouldn't be a political test.

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Originally posted by googlefudge
ok. but how do you make sure that the person who does set the test has no political veiws?
or that a polititian doesn't bribe them (or someone like the mafia for example)

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Originally posted by googlefudge
intelegence does not automaticaly make you good at passing tests.
Nor is it necessarily an advantage to the wily politician, exploiter of "useful idiots" extraordinaire.

Some sort of "social usefulness" criteria could apply.

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Originally posted by Varg
It wouldn't be a political test.
ok, so you set a geography test and ask questions to determine the candidates veiws on global warming, those who belive in it fail,
or you set a test in biology/medicin which askes the candidates to discuss animal testing...