Why was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 necessary? Select 2 that apply.
(1 point)
Responses
Each citizen must be ruled by the same laws.
Each citizen must be ruled by the same laws.
Each citizen must be able to participate in government.
Each citizen must be able to participate in government.
Each citizen must have the protections of the Bill of Rights.
Each citizen must have the protections of the Bill of Rights.
Each citizen must have equal voting power in federal elections.
Each citizen must have equal voting power in federal elections.
Each citizen must complete a test or pay a tax to be registered to vote.
Each citizen must be able to participate in government.
Each citizen must have equal voting power in federal elections.
The two reasons why the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was necessary are:
1) Each citizen must be able to participate in government.
2) Each citizen must have equal voting power in federal elections.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was necessary primarily because each citizen must be able to participate in government and each citizen must have equal voting power in federal elections.
To understand why this was necessary, we need to look back at the historical context. Prior to the Voting Rights Act, there were widespread racial discrimination and disenfranchisement of African Americans in the United States. Many southern states had implemented various discriminatory practices, such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and intimidating tactics, to prevent African Americans from registering to vote or exercising their right to vote.
The first option, "Each citizen must be ruled by the same laws," while an important principle of democracy, does not directly address the need for the Voting Rights Act. The act sought to address the inequality in voting rights and ensure that all citizens, regardless of their race or ethnicity, had equal access to participate in government.
The third option, "Each citizen must have the protections of the Bill of Rights," although essential, does not specifically pertain to the necessity of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act was enacted to enforce the protections guaranteed by the 14th and 15th Amendments of the United States Constitution, which specifically address equal protection under the law and voting rights.
The last option, "Each citizen must complete a test or pay a tax to be registered to vote," is incorrect as a reason for the necessity of the Voting Rights Act. The act was actually designed to prohibit any discriminatory practices like literacy tests or poll taxes that were used to hinder African American voting rights.
In summary, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was necessary to ensure that every citizen could participate in government and have equal voting power in federal elections, specifically addressing the historical discrimination and disenfranchisement of African Americans.