Claim: By lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in the United States, young people will develop lifelong voting habits that will make them more concerned citizens.

Question

Counterclaim: Americans in the 18 to 29 age group have the lowest rates of voter turnout, so lowering the voting age to 16 is not likely to have any effects on voting habits.
The student who wrote the claim is developing a revised claim as a rebuttal to the counterclaim. Which is the best revision?
A. Only one out of 18-year-olds voted in the most recent national election and lowering the voting age would be a great way to increase those numbers.
B. People of all ages deserve to have a voice, but especially those who are old enough to work and pay taxes, which includes 16 and 17-year-olds.
C. Students usually study government and civics during the last two years of high school so 16 and 17-year-olds find voting to be a way to engage with what they learn.
D. Austria lowered its voting age to 16 in 2007, and this has led to Scotland, Wales, and three British crown dependencies also allowing 16 year olds the vote.

Answer 1

The best revision of the claim as a rebuttal to the counterclaim is:

C. Students usually study government and civics during the last two years of high school, so 16 and 17-year-olds find voting to be a way to engage with what they learn.

This option directly addresses the counterclaim by suggesting that young people, who are learning about government and civics in school, would be more motivated to engage in voting, thus potentially cultivating lifelong voting habits.