OCR Text |
Show THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HONORS PROGRAM A Closer Look at the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and its 2006 Renewal Fay Tan (Susan Olson) Department of Political Science University of Utah The Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to combat discrimination and barriers encountered by African Americans attempting to exercise their right to vote. Although there is evidence that the act has substantially increased minority voter turnout, political influence, and representation since its passage, my research has led me to question the act’s continued relevance today. Federalism, the act’s constitutionality, and the insertion of partisan politics into the act’s enforcement are some of the many issues that must be considered in evaluating the true effectiveness of the VRA. Congress renewed the expiring provisions of the act last summerâ€"passing the bill with overwhelming bipartisan supportâ€"but may have failed to take the above issues into consideration. The effects of this renewal remain to be seen, but there is value in studying the problems existing before the renewal, which have not disappeared. I also hope to further explore the role that party politics played in the act’s renewal and what has come of allegations that this administration has used the VRA to advance its own political interests. Susan Olson 130 |