Should children have a right to vote? Political initiation and the status of childhood

Abstract

Should children have the right to vote? This question is answered in the negative, in this essay. However, it is made clear that the debate on full political rights for children brings up some unsolved problems of liberal democratic thought. First, it might seem that denying a fundamental right (such as the right the vote) to children is an assault on their status as moral and political equals. More specifically, it can be pointed out that some groups of children or adolescents are denied the right to vote although they are not less politically competent than some adults. Second, there is a problem with regard to democratic legitimacy. Children are not entitled to participate in the political process, but are subject to legal regulations that result from that process. Third, excluding persons from democratic decision-making makes it difficult to adequately represent their interests in the political process.