Voting Rights Act: Analysis

Voting Rights Act: Analysis

Symbols, Motifs, and Rhetorical Devices

Rhetoric

LogosThis little Act packs a huge logos punch. Even though logos is usually employed when you're trying to persuade someone of something—"Don't eat too much Halloween candy or you'll feel sick" o...

Structure

LegalThis is a legal document, through and through. If you like sections and subsections, you'll love the Voting Rights Act. Documents like these will invariably be formatted in the same way—they...

What's Up With the Title?

Voting Rights ActPure, utilitarian goodness. If a title like The Fault In Our Stars is like a fancy pair of silk underwear, this title is like the five-for-five-dollar pack of gray cotton skivvies...

What's Up With the Opening Lines?

AN ACT To enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America...

What's Up With the Closing Lines?

"Approved August 6, 1965" (20.1)We'll spare you any English teacher-style readings of this one.

Tough-o-Meter

(7) Snow LineThis is a critically important act to know…but unless you're an aspiring legal mind it's probably best to check out the short n' sweet version (which, if you're reading this, you're...

Shout-Outs

In-Text ReferencesHistorical and Political References15th Amendment, United States ConstitutionUnited States Code, Title 8, Section 2284United States Code, Title 5, Section 118, subsection iUnited...

Trivia

The Act was expanded in 1975 to cover Indigenous Americans, Asian Americans, Alaskan Natives, or people of Spanish heritage. (Source) Two years after Shelby County v. Holder, Barack Obama awarded t...