Universal suffrage

Historical Development of Universal Suffrage:
– European Parliament as the first organ elected with universal suffrage since 1979.
– Evolution from limited voting rights for property owners to movements for universal male and female suffrage.
– Enactment of universal suffrage in countries like France, Haiti, Germany, U.S., New Zealand, and Finland at various points in history.
– Legislative changes such as the Fifteenth Amendment in the U.S. and Voting Rights Acts to protect voting rights.
– Challenges and restrictions faced in countries like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Rhodesia regarding suffrage based on gender, race, and ethnicity.

Advocacy and Movements for Suffrage:
– Progression of female suffrage movements in the 19th century.
– Establishment of ‘One person, one vote’ principle in the U.S. and the spread of suffrage movements across British colonies.
– Legislative milestones like New Zealand granting all adult women the right to vote in 1893.
– U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 to protect voting rights.
– Efforts to advocate for youth suffrage and lower voting ages in various countries.

Global Implementation of Universal Suffrage:
– Historical instances of countries like France, New Zealand, South Australia, and Finland enacting universal suffrage.
– Removal of voting restrictions like property requirements in Germany, U.S., and Western states.
– Recognition of full male suffrage in several countries during the 19th century.
– Specific cases like Belgium granting universal suffrage for men in 1893 and women in 1948.
– Variations in suffrage progression in countries like Bolivia, Brazil, China, and Colombia.

Legislative Changes and Legal Framework for Universal Suffrage:
– Evolution of voting rights in countries like Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Estonia.
– Suffrage reforms and decrees in nations like Bolivia, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovak Republic.
– Specific instances such as Austria establishing universal suffrage in 1896 and removing multiple voting in 1907.
– Legal frameworks governing suffrage in the European Union and Canada with federal and provincial variations.
– Challenges like voting restrictions based on education, taxes, and disenfranchisement of certain groups in countries like Bahrain, Belgium, and China.

Current Challenges and Future Outlook for Universal Suffrage:
– Ongoing challenges in countries like Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, China, and Myanmar related to suffrage.
– Issues such as limited national election participation in China and military-appointed legislators in Myanmar.
– Potential future developments like military voting proposals in the Dominican Republic and the absence of elections in Brunei.
– The intersection of suffrage with global events and political changes, as seen in countries like Burma/Myanmar with free elections in 1990 and 2015.