77% of Black Americans say voting is a fundamental right for every U.S. citizen and should not be restricted, as do 63% of Hispanic Americans and 66% of Asian Americans. White Americans are divided: 51% say voting is a right, while 48% say it is a privilege.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/07/22/wide-partisan-divide-on-whether-voting-is-a-fundamental-right-or-a-privilege-with-responsibilities/ #PewResearch @sociology @politicalscience #BlackMastodon
@toxtethogrady @conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
I understand that in America you can lose voting rights due to prison sentence, for example.
Thus voting in America is a privilege (as you can lose it), not a right or responsibility (stemming from citizenship or residence).
As prison sentences are somewhat racially divided, I'm not surprised in seeing it reflected here.
@toxtethogrady @conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
If you phrase it like that, in the context of USA, it might well be.
But that country is going to hell faster than pure gravity acceleration would assume (9.81 m/s²).
@toxtethogrady @conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
Finland is far from perfect.
The fact that our scandals are so parodical hide that the opposition is desperate to have the social democratic approach fail. Four years ago they bashed the coalition goals as utopian and unreachable [with chosen carrot-over-stick policies], but are now calling the reached goals as failure, even as the coalition is on their third once-in-a-century crisis.
@toxtethogrady @conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
Thank you for acknowledging the gravitation joke :D
Yeah, voting should be a right, and prison should be a privilege [sic].
I assure you that I think elections should be on weekends, voting should be easy, prison shouldn't affect it, and elections should be proportional and not seat-per-area (which allows gerrymandering).
@conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
Okay, so things are actually worse than we thought.
@conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience In all honesty, I'm having a little trouble understanding this position.
If I'm understanding correctly, there are a significant number of Americans who believe that there are _other_ adult Americans who should not be allowed to vote. Even though they are still subject to laws enacted by representatives they're not allowed to choose.
I wonder how these numbers would break down if they specified the _specific_ failings that could cost you your rights?
@conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
Shows who has their priorities in the right place, doesn't it?
@conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience Dear God, that's embarrassing.
One surprising thing -- the percentage of people who say that voting is a Right goes *up* with education.
Good to see that even with a bunch of degrees, people aren't more likely to think that people _without_ degrees shouldn't be able to vote.
@Frankc1450 @conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
Those conditions still fall under the classification of “right.” For example, Right to Life, Right to Freedom, Right to Bear Arms— all unalienable until you break the law. Then you can be executed, incarcerated, and barred from possessing weapons. You also lose your right to vote.
A privilege is more restrictive, like legacy admissions, favorable loan rates and frequent flyer miles.
@Frankc1450 @conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
Unless you were born in America, then you are an American “by right”
Consider that restricting the voting rights of "criminals" creates a perverse incentive to pin that label on more people.
Criminals should vote precisely because their input is an essential element of a government being accountable to all who it governs.
Voting restrictions?
How about needing a license to vote, with an exam featuring some basic questions such as "does the US Constitution refer to a free press as an enemy of the people, or as a protected class?"
As far as I can see it's overwhelmingly white people who'd flunk a voting license exam.
@conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
At 42%, that’s many more Americans who think voting is a privilege that can be limited than I expected to see. These are the people who liked Jim Crow just fine and would be OK with restoring it.
Why are all those percentages so low?
@conradhackett @sociology @politicalscience
Conrad, that was published this July 2021. Plans for an update?
Not just demographics but also party:
“Democrats mostly view voting as a 'fundamental right'; Republicans more likely to say it's a 'privilege”
“conservative Republicans are more likely than moderate and liberal Republicans to say that voting is a privilege that can be limited (74% vs. 56%).”
I would like to see data over time (more than one year).
Conrad Hackett 
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