# FILE NAME: 00000181.soc
# TITLE: Is it a good idea to reduce the voting age to 16? [339c39d609c400400567b8ed4fe1894a]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - We have come to the decision that reducing the voting age to 16 would be beneficial for our country. The people of the United Kingdom would have a chance to be more educated about who to vote for and the government they want to have running the country. The new age for voting would allow a chance for the people to vote for the government they want. Young people will have a chance to voice their opinion and give their own input about who they want to lead the country. With a new age of 16 the young people of the UK will be able to start getting involved in politics and become educated about what is going on in their country.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - “I believe that the voting age should be lowered to 16, however, the voting age should only be lowered if the voter can provide evidence that they have actively engaged with politics and are making an informed decision.”
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - It is not a good idea to reduce the voting age to 16 because 16 year olds are too young and not mature enough.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - Reducing the voting age to 16 would have both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, younger people would be able to be involved in the political decisions of their country, which could allow for new opinions and ideas to be introduced into the democratic process. However, there is also the concern that people under the age of 18 may not be mature enough to make a responsible and informed decision. Therefore, the group of participants was split on the question. In this example, it is easy to see that although the consensus statement reflects all the views of the participants, it does not reflect their true opinions. It is obvious that Participant 4 really wanted to reduce the voting age to 16, while Participant 5 really wanted to keep it the way it is. By agreeing to a consensus, they both changed their minds, even if only a little. They compromised to find a middle ground between the two opposing views. This, according to this article, is an essential part of the consensus process:
2: 1,2,4,3
1: 3,2,4,1
1: 4,3,2,1
1: 4,1,2,3