“Only the educated people should have the right to vote in elections.” What is your view?

1. “Only the educated people should have the right to vote in elections.” What is your view?

2. Introduction • Educated: People who have went through education  have critical thinking/ analytical ability and knowledgeable about global affairs. • Vote: Formal choice of government and set of policies they support. • Thesis: The very purpose of elections is to practice democracy, hence voting should be an all-inclusive affair to ensure the priorities of all citizens are met.

3. Yes, only the educated people should have the rights to vote. • The uneducated mostly may not possess analytical ability to make good judgments. • They can be easily swayed by emotional slogans and populist measures. • Former actor Joseph Estrada was elected as President of Philippines, mostly by the poor and uneducated citizens. They were taken in by his Robin Hood persona in his movie career and his candid rebuttals to political rivals. However, his 2 year helm not only proved his incompetence, but also recorded numerous acts of corruption charges. • Education enables critical thinking, a discerning mind, which is able to spot empty promises and mere persuasive rhetorics.

4. Interesting quotes • “If immigrants must take a test to prove themselves deserving of citizenship, should voters also not prove that they deserve such rights?”

5. However… • There is no full guarantee that the educated would use their votes objectively either. • Allowing only the educated to vote will most probably mean that only the needs of the educated are taken care of and accentuate inequality in the nation. • It is human nature to vote for the party one thinks can bring one more benefits. Politicians will also focus only on pleasing the educated, since they are the ones who will vote them in. • US healthcare insurance.

6. No, everyone should be given the right to vote. • Every citizen whether educated or not, is still a citizen and should be given a stake in deciding the country’s leaders. • Singapore’s principle of governance “ a stake for everyone, opportunities for all”. • Also, governance is a 2-way relationship. The government needs the support of all the citizens, in order to implement initiatives and policies smoothly and effectively.

7. Conclusion • Every citizen should be given the right to vote so that they have a stake in the decision making of their leaders, and so that all citizens’ needs will be taken care of, not just the educated. • Furthermore, being educated does not necessarily mean one is politically aware or will make fair and objective decisions. • Disagree with the statement that only the educated should have a right to vote.