In order to vote, I think American voters should have to pass the same history test that immigrants need to in order to gain citizenship.
edit: This sits at +11 because Americans don’t know their history. We already did it to African Americans and it went extremely poorly. That’s the point: Pick up a book.
I’ve taken and passed practice tests before. A lot of Americans who may be down-voting may remember things like Jim Crow laws and how tests were widely used to disenfranchise voters, particularly non-white or otherwise “the wrong kind of” voters, in the past and it still leaves a bad taste.
It isn’t about having a bad taste from the past. Policy like this would further disenfranchise vulnerable populations present day. A barrier for entry like this is going to disproportionately impact lower income folks. Hard to study for a test like this when you’re busting your ass at 3 part time jobs trying to make ends meet. That’s not even to mention the inequality that exists within the education system between higher and lower income areas to begin with. “Our system failed you, so now you’re not qualified to vote. Cheers!”
Three guesses as to who this policy would affect more: white people or people of color?
I 100% agree with this.
Some of those same reasons are the reasons voter ID laws as often implemented (i.e. without anyway to ensure that everyone is actually able to get an ID given that it takes documents, time, and money that not everyone can spare) can negatively impact the same portions of the population as well.
Give that test to everyone. It’s just basic reading comprehension with a simple logic question and a simple math question. Even just that would disenfranchise the vast majority of American voters.
My point wasn’t that a test is a good thing. It’s an incredibly horrible idea.
My point is that the vast majority of Americans know less of their history than their immigrants. And, the vast majority of Americans are now in favor of repeating one mistake or the other because they don’t know their history.
My evidence is that my suggestion above is predominantly upvoted.
They gave the test to everyone then too. They just decided who passed and who didn’t. Why do you think it will be different this time?
I think candidates for office should have to pass those tests.
Tests administered publicly with no lifelines available.
