Teen Perception of Felon Disenfranchisement: Exploring Ideologies of Future Voters

Abstract

Felon disenfranchisement continues to have a significant impact on the function of our democracy. While some argue that committing a felony constitutes a breach of the social contract warranting the denial of voting rights, others argue that such a denial is itself a violation of democratic principles that undermines the foundation of the social contract. As public opinion influences state laws on felon disenfranchisement (FD) policies, there has been significant research on public opinion on FD laws. The current research focuses on adolescent opinions about FD policies in an attempt to capture future directions of voter opinion on this critical issue.