Brave hearts and wise heads

Demography is not destiny, but it sheds light on the events leading to these two referenda, the Quebec one taking place in 1995, and the Scottish one last week, and has also implications concerning the changing voting ages around the world. In most countries the voting age is 18. However, the Scottish National Party's voted unanimously in October 2007 to lower it to 16, which subsequently became law. Argentina's Cristina Kirchner's party did the same in 2012, in preparation for the 2013 elections. In Quebec, the separatist party's leader, Pauline Marois, ousted in this year's election, also wanted the age lowered to 16 before the last election. Luckily she did not get the chance. 

... Reuven Brenner holds the Repap Chair at McGill University's, Desautels Faculty of Management. This article draws on his Financial Options for Countries Wanting a Divorce (1995) andCanadian Choices (1991). 

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