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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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Thesis Statements

What is a thesis statement.

Your thesis statement is one of the most important parts of your paper.  It expresses your main argument succinctly and explains why your argument is historically significant.  Think of your thesis as a promise you make to your reader about what your paper will argue.  Then, spend the rest of your paper–each body paragraph–fulfilling that promise.

Your thesis should be between one and three sentences long and is placed at the end of your introduction.  Just because the thesis comes towards the beginning of your paper does not mean you can write it first and then forget about it.  View your thesis as a work in progress while you write your paper.  Once you are satisfied with the overall argument your paper makes, go back to your thesis and see if it captures what you have argued.  If it does not, then revise it.  Crafting a good thesis is one of the most challenging parts of the writing process, so do not expect to perfect it on the first few tries.  Successful writers revise their thesis statements again and again.

A successful thesis statement:

• makes an historical argument
• takes a position that requires defending
• is historically specific
• is focused and precise
• answers the question, “so what?”

How to write a thesis statement:

Suppose you are taking an early American history class and your professor has distributed the following essay prompt:

“Historians have debated the American Revolution’s effect on women.  Some argue that the Revolution had a positive effect because it increased women’s authority in the family.  Others argue that it had a negative effect because it excluded women from politics.  Still others argue that the Revolution changed very little for women, as they remained ensconced in the home.  Write a paper in which you pose your own answer to the question of whether the American Revolution had a positive, negative, or limited effect on women.”

Using this prompt, we will look at both weak and strong thesis statements to see how successful thesis statements work.

While this thesis does take a position, it is problematic because it simply restates the prompt.  It needs to be more specific about how  the Revolution had a limited effect on women and  why it mattered that women remained in the home.

Revised Thesis:  The Revolution wrought little political change in the lives of women because they did not gain the right to vote or run for office.  Instead, women remained firmly in the home, just as they had before the war, making their day-to-day lives look much the same.

This revision is an improvement over the first attempt because it states what standards the writer is using to measure change (the right to vote and run for office) and it shows why women remaining in the home serves as evidence of limited change (because their day-to-day lives looked the same before and after the war).  However, it still relies too heavily on the information given in the prompt, simply saying that women remained in the home.  It needs to make an argument about some element of the war’s limited effect on women.  This thesis requires further revision.

Strong Thesis: While the Revolution presented women unprecedented opportunities to participate in protest movements and manage their family’s farms and businesses, it ultimately did not offer lasting political change, excluding women from the right to vote and serve in office.

Few would argue with the idea that war brings upheaval.  Your thesis needs to be debatable:  it needs to make a claim against which someone could argue.  Your job throughout the paper is to provide evidence in support of your own case.  Here is a revised version:

Strong Thesis: The Revolution caused particular upheaval in the lives of women.  With men away at war, women took on full responsibility for running households, farms, and businesses.  As a result of their increased involvement during the war, many women were reluctant to give up their new-found responsibilities after the fighting ended.

Sexism is a vague word that can mean different things in different times and places.  In order to answer the question and make a compelling argument, this thesis needs to explain exactly what  attitudes toward women were in early America, and  how those attitudes negatively affected women in the Revolutionary period.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a negative impact on women because of the belief that women lacked the rational faculties of men. In a nation that was to be guided by reasonable republican citizens, women were imagined to have no place in politics and were thus firmly relegated to the home.

This thesis addresses too large of a topic for an undergraduate paper.  The terms “social,” “political,” and “economic” are too broad and vague for the writer to analyze them thoroughly in a limited number of pages.  The thesis might focus on one of those concepts, or it might narrow the emphasis to some specific features of social, political, and economic change.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution paved the way for important political changes for women.  As “Republican Mothers,” women contributed to the polity by raising future citizens and nurturing virtuous husbands.  Consequently, women played a far more important role in the new nation’s politics than they had under British rule.

This thesis is off to a strong start, but it needs to go one step further by telling the reader why changes in these three areas mattered.  How did the lives of women improve because of developments in education, law, and economics?  What were women able to do with these advantages?  Obviously the rest of the paper will answer these questions, but the thesis statement needs to give some indication of why these particular changes mattered.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a positive impact on women because it ushered in improvements in female education, legal standing, and economic opportunity.  Progress in these three areas gave women the tools they needed to carve out lives beyond the home, laying the foundation for the cohesive feminist movement that would emerge in the mid-nineteenth century.

Thesis Checklist

When revising your thesis, check it against the following guidelines:

• Does my thesis make an historical argument?
• Does my thesis take a position that requires defending?
• Is my thesis historically specific?
• Is my thesis focused and precise?
• Does my thesis answer the question, “so what?”

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to Write a Thesis about Democracy

One of my subscribers, Nadir, is asking, “How do I write a thesis about democracy?”

That’s a great question.

We’re going to break this task into three steps. Let’s do it.

Step 1: We’re going to break up “democracy,” meaning the concept of democracy, into more manageable parts.

Step 2: We’re going to come up with an overall structure, which is almost an equivalent of creating an outline.

Step 3:  Finally, we’re going to write out the thesis statement. Let’s do it.

Step 1. How can we break democracy into manageable parts?

We’ll use the Power of Three because it’s the easiest way to break up a topic. The power of three just means using three supporting ideas as evidence in our body of the essay.

How can we divide democracy into three parts? How can we discuss democracy in three different ways or three different sections of a paper?

Supporting Idea 1. Early origins.

These would be the origins of democracy that take their root in Ancient Greece.

Supporting Idea 2 .  Modern roots of today’s democracy.

So what would be the modern roots? The modern roots are the main thinkers of the Enlightenment and their ideas.

These are such prominent philosophers as John Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu.

The Age of Enlightenment is also known as the Age of Reason, and that is where today’s democracy really takes root.

Supporting Idea 3. Democracy today .

This would answer the question, how is today’s democracy different from democracy of the early origins, such as in ancient Greece, and during the Age of Enlightenment?

Step 2. Coming up with the overall structure.

We know that we have three sections because we used the power of three to get three supporting ideas. So, here is how we can structure our overall argument.

In section 1 , we’re going to talk about the ancient Greek origins of democracy.

In section 2 , we’re going to talk about its modern roots.

In section 3 , we’ll discuss democracy today.

What will these sections contain?

In Section 1 , we’re really talking about Athenian democracy. And we can subdivide this topic into more than one subtopic.

In ancient Greece, principles with which we are familiar were born. These include voting for rulers and to pass legislation. This could be one subsection.

But we can also note some peculiarities of that ancient kind of democracy.

For example, only non-slave men could vote, which made up only about 10-15% of the population. 

As a result, we now have two subsections of main section 1. Essentially, we are talking about two things:

• The familiar principles of Athenian democracy
• The peculiarities of its early days

Section 2 is about the early modern roots of democracy.

We’re talking about some of the main thinkers. The two philosophers who come up right away if you do a search on Google are John Locke and Montesquieu.

These two names give us two subsections. See how it works?

Could we subdivide them further? How can we discuss Johns Locke and Montesquieu? Well, we can discuss them in terms of their ideas.

For example, John Locke was concerned with such concepts as equality, social contract, and private property. We can simply write about several concepts from each of these thinkers to have a neat little subsection about each one.

You can write a paragraph on equality, and then a paragraph on social contract, and so on.

In order to discuss these thinkers, all we would have to do is discuss their ideas. Since each of them had more than one idea, this gives us a wonderful way to keep writing.

How much you want to subdivide your sections will depend on how big your paper has to be.

If you need only three to four pages, maybe you don’t have to go that deep. But if you have to write a 10-page or a 15-page paper, this way of dividing into subsections would be very helpful to you.

Section 3 is about Democracy today.

Modern democracy has its similarities to the Ancient Greek origins and to the early modern roots. It also has its differences from them.

The similarities can include some of the main ideas that remain constant at all times.

The differences can include some of the peculiarities of each time period, such as voter rights or electronic or mail-in voting.

And we’re ready to write out our thesis statement, based on all the preparatory work we just did.

Step 3. Writing out the thesis statement.

We are totally ready to write this thesis statement.

And here we are.

Democracy is an ancient principle that has undergone changes and that is practiced in today’s society. It originates in Ancient Greece but was rediscovered during the period of Enlightenment in Britain and France. While today’s democracy shares elements with the ancient and early modern forms, it has its own distinct traits.

Let’s take a closer look at this thesis statement.

The first sentence should summarize your entire essay completely and perfectly. And that’s exactly what we’re doing here.

The remaining sentences must outline the supporting points. We combined the first two supporting points in the second sentence. And the third sentence is devoted to the third supporting point.

Let’s take a look.

And there you have it: three steps to going from one concept, which in this case is Democracy, to a full thesis statement.

I wrote a detailed tutorial on how to write a thesis statement on any topic . This would be your best next step.

Hope this was helpful!

Tutor Phil is an e-learning professional who helps adult learners finish their degrees by teaching them academic writing skills.

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

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How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.

You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.

Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .

A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.

Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.

A good thesis statement needs to do the following:

• Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
• Answer your project’s main research question.
• Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
• Make an argument that requires support or evidence.

Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:

• Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
• Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
• Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.

As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.

If the question is:

What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?

A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:

In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.

Here is another example. If the question is:

How can we end poverty?

A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:

In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.

• The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

• Translators
• Graphic Designers

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25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze

Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.

Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.

A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.

Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.

All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).

Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.

So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.

Thesis statement examples

A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.

• Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
• Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
• School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
• Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
• Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
• Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
• Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
• Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
• Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
• Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
• Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
• Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
• University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
• Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
• Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
• Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
• The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
• Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
• Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
• Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
• Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
• Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
• Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.

Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?

If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.

After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .

Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Thesis

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Why is it that we can work, join the army and get married by the age of 16, but we can’t vote at 16? What is it about electing a political representative that’s so much more important then choosing a husband or sending yourself off to potential death?

The voting age was lowered to 18 nearly 30 years ago, and many people now believe this out of date law is in desperate need of another revision. The most ancient of arguments “No taxation without representation” is still relevant today. If you work at sixteen, whether it’s flipping burgers in McDonald’s, a modern apprenticeship or holding down a Saturday job, taxes are still being taken out of your hard earned wages. (Mandle, 2007) If you’re contributing money to society, shouldn’t you have a say in where it goes and how it’s used?

In some parts of the world, youth of all ages can be sent to adult prisons by adult courts where they are put on trial for adult crimes. But who determines what these crimes are? Who sets the age at which you can be tried as an adult? The voters do. This may sound oversimplified, but the fact is, when voters elect a lawmaker, they are also choosing the laws. Candidates running for local councils, mayor, Member of Parliament, and, of course, Prime Minister, make public the laws they want passed. (Lankford, 2007)

Those against may use statistics to dispute this argument, citing poor voting turnout among 18-24 year olds and little understanding by 16 years olds of basic government functions. Others claim that those under 18 are immature, easily manipulated, uninterested and uniformed on political issues. But considering what goes on in government legislatures and city council meetings – those circus rings with predominately older white men yelling and making accusations at each other- it’s hard to take these arguments seriously.

At 16 many students are learning about history, government and economics. With new sophisticated school curricula as well as the internet, teens are growing in independence, aptitude and intellect. (Wattenberg, 2007) There is also absolutely no evidence to prove that teens are less knowledgeable on political issues than adults. (Lankford, 2007) After all, how did Hitler get voted in to power? It certainly wasn’t by the country’s “immature”16 year olds, but the adult voters. If teens are learning about these issues in the classroom, why not give us the opportunity to apply what we are learning in the real world, through the ballot box?

It is true that some 16 year olds don’t know a great deal about politics but this is not restricted to the youth alone. There are many adults who base their vote on whether “Mr X” has a full head of hair, a comforting voice, or whether he’ll give them the biggest tax cut regardless of how absurd his policies are.

Our society has changed, and teens now have to deal with many adult responsibilities. Many teens read the paper and watch the news just like adults. We know what’s going on politically and have opinions. Why must someone under 18 take on the responsibilities and there consequences as an adult without having the right to vote like one? The UN convention for the rights of the child says that all ‘All young people have the right to express our opinions by whatever means available.’ Therefore shouldn’t we be allowed to express ourselves through voting for our choice of political party? 16 year olds are affected by many of the laws made today and we have definitely earned the right to have our say in enacting them.

Lankford, Ronald D. (2007) Should the Voting Age Be Lowered? Greenhaven Press.

Wattenberg, Martin P. (2007) Is Voting for Young People? With a Postscript on Citizen Engagement . Longman Publishers; 2 Edition.

Mandle, Jay R. (2007) Democracy, America, and the Age of Globalization . Cambridge University Press.

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IvyPanda. (2022, June 11). Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? https://ivypanda.com/essays/should-the-voting-age-be-lowered-to-16/

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IvyPanda . 2022. "Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16?" June 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/should-the-voting-age-be-lowered-to-16/.

1. IvyPanda . "Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16?" June 11, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/should-the-voting-age-be-lowered-to-16/.

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Masters Theses

The effect of electoral systems on voting behavior and party development: the case of canada.

Chris Andrews , Eastern Illinois University

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

Thesis director.

Steven D. Roper

This thesis will explore three major areas of political science research: The timing of elections, Duverger's law and voter turnout. Each of these topics has been covered extensively in the literature. However, as with most areas of political science, there remain facets of each of these topics that deserve further examination. Chapter 1 begins this discussion with an introduction to each of these three topics and a description of the Canadian electoral and party systems.

Chapter 2 examines the impact of the timing of elections on the government party in Canadian parliamentary elections. This chapter shows that there are aspects of the study of election timing in presidential regimes that also pertain to the study of election timing in parliamentary regimes. In particular, this chapter finds that the "honeymoon period" described by Shugart and Carey (1992) and Shugart (1995) for presidential regimes relates to early election calls by the government in parliamentary regimes. The issues of sample size and susceptibility to operationalization limit the explanatory power of the analysis in this chapter. While these results show that future research in this area is warranted, these problems must be addressed in order to enhance these initial findings.

Duverger's law states that "the simple-majority single-ballot system favours the two-party system" (1964, 217). An important implication of the law is that the electoral system is a significant determinant of the number of parties. Chapter 3 shows that even when multi-partism appears at the national level, the district level can present a different picture depending on how the number of parties is counted. This number of competitive parties is determined by using the same LT index method as Gaines (1999). Using this vote share method, the results for the 1997 and the 2000 election confirm the pattern established by Gaines for the elections from 1935 through 1993. By using seat shares instead of vote shares in the LT index, I find that Canadian elections at the riding level are more appropriately characterized as two-party or even one-party competition. This finding, which is the most significant contribution of this chapter, concurs with Duverger's (1964) hypothesis that Canadian exceptionalism at the national level is the result of different regional parties competing with national parties in different regions of the country.

There are two main methods that are used to study voter turnout. Single country studies, particularly in the case of the U.S., tend to focus on socioeconomic and behavioral variables while comparative studies tend to favor an analysis of institutional variables. In Chapter 4, I present an analysis of voter turnout using a combination of the two approaches. Chapter 4 presents a longitudinal analysis of Canadian turnout using the institutional variables explored in Chapters 2 and 3 as well as a snapshot analysis of the 1997 Canadian election. I use regional analysis to demonstrate the problem with using an aggregate analysis to explain a phenomenon that is affected by different variables in different regions. This analysis shows that different independent variables have a distinctly different effect on voter turnout in different regions. When combined in an aggregate analysis, these independent variables lose some of their explanatory power because of the contradictory effects observed in different regions.

Recommended Citation

Andrews, Chris, "The Effect of Electoral Systems on Voting Behavior and Party Development: The Case of Canada" (2002). Masters Theses . 1520. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1520

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Here's your ultimate voter guide to 2024 elections, candidates, issues in Brevard County

Brevard County voters will have lots to consider for the Aug. 20 primary and the Nov. 5 general election.

That includes races for one Florida Senate seat and five Florida House seats; three countywide elections; three Brevard County Commission elections; two Brevard School Board races; three judicial races; and various municipal candidate elections and referendum items.

Some incumbents cannot run for reelection because of term limits, so they are seeking other elected positions.

Check out the stories below to read about candidates and races, and to learn everything you need to know about casting your ballot.

This election and candidate guide will be updated regularly with addition stories as they are published.

OVERVIEW OF ELECTIONS

Candidates enter races early: Here's why Brevard candidates for 2024 election have already entered their races

Key races on ballot: 2024 Elections: Brevard is having a big election year. Here are the races to watch.

Some elections go uncontested: Countywide, multicounty races, two Port Authority seats decided without opposition

Controversial MAGA mailing: 'MAGA' campaign mailer faces backlash with claims it misleads

PRIMER ON VOTING

Details on primary: Deadline is Monday to register to vote, change party registration for Aug. 20 primary

Rule change for voting by mail: State law now requires voters to request vote-by-mail ballot every election cycle

What to know about early voting: Early in-person voting for primary elections begins Saturday at 10 sites in Brevard

POLITICAL PARTY TRENDS

Democrats seeking comeback: Brevard County Democrats hope for resurgence with Harris as presidential nominee

GOP straw poll results: Some surprises result from Republican straw poll at event that had record attendance

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 8

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Posey opted not to run for reelection this year.

Posey decides against running again: Eight-termer Posey won't seek reelection to Congress. Haridopolos among five seeking seat

Trump endorses Haridopolos: Haridopolos picks up Trump endorsement in Republican primary for Congress in 8th District

Posey discusses decision to retire: Congressman Bill Posey on upcoming retirement: 'I just want to finish strong'

Governor weighs in: DeSantis endorses Haridopolos in Republican primary for Congress in Brevard, Indian River

In-depth look at three Republicans: Three GOP candidates spar for congressional seat opening with Rep. Posey's retirement

In-depth look at two Democrats: Attorney Kennedy, Councilman McDow face off in Democratic congressional primary

Babits drops out of race: GOP congressional candidate Babits suspends campaign, endorses Hearton over Haridopolos

FLORIDA LEGISLATURE RACE OVERVIEW

House candidate qualifying: Who qualified to run as your next representative of Brevard County in the Florida House?

FLORIDA SENATE DISTRICT 19

This election is for the seat now held by Debbie Mayfield, who could not run for reelection because of term limits, and instead is running this year for the Florida House District 32 seat.

Fine to seek seat in Senate: Rep. Randy Fine announces 2024 run for Florida Senate

Sirois decides against Senate run Sirois to run for reelection to Florida House, rather than seek Senate seat

Thomas decides against running Tim Thomas says he is not running for State Senate, a day after filing candidate paperwork

Trump endorsement for Fine: Randy Fine picks up Trump endorsement after breaking with DeSantis

In-depth look at the candidates: Fine and Sheridan draw sharp contrast in State Senate District 19 GOP primary

FLORIDA HOUSE DISTRICT 31

Incumbent Tyler Sirois is seeking reelection.

Sirois seeks reelection in House: Sirois to run for reelection to Florida House, rather than seek Senate seat

FLORIDA HOUSE DISTRICT 32

This election is for the seat now held by Thad Altman, who could not run for reelection because of term limits, and instead is running this year for the Brevard County Commission District 5 seat.

Weldon seeks return of political office: Former Republican congressman Weldon to run for Florida House seat

Mayfield joins House race: State Sen. Mayfield to run against former U.S. Rep. Weldon for open Florida House seat

Term limit support: Debbie Mayfield latest politician to pledge support for term limits

Republican primary overview: Term limits, insurance converge for Mayfield, Weldon in Florida House District 32 primary

FLORIDA HOUSE DISTRICT 33

This election is for the seat now held by Randy Fine, who could not run for reelection because of term limits, and instead is running this year for the Florida Senate District 19 seat.

Luse seeks District 33 seat: Second Palm Bay Republican enters race for Florida House District 33 seat

Miller joins District 33 race: Monique Miller files to succeed Fine in South Brevard's Florida House District 33

Orriss among candidates: Two more enter race for South Brevard House seat currently held by Randy Fine

Langevin enters House race: Palm Bay Republican becomes first candidate to file for Randy Fine's seat in 2024 Florida House race

Langevin opts not to run: Republican Chandler Langevin drops out and endorses Monique Miller in House District 33

Democratic candidates emerge: Two more Democrats file for Randy Fine's District 33 Florida House seat in South Brevard

Second try for Yantz: Democrat Anthony Yantz of Palm Bay to again run for Florida House District 33

Republican primary overview: Four Republicans seek to fill Randy Fine's District 33 seat in Florida House

Democratic primary overview: Anderson, Yantz running in Democratic primary for Florida House District 33 seat

BREVARD COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS

Tim Bobanic, the current supervisor of elections, is running to retain his seat. He was appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis after the resignation of former Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott.

Term-limited Tobia enters race: County Commissioner Tobia running for Brevard supervisor of elections in 2024

Tobia qualifies vs. incumbent: Term-limited Brevard commissioners seek countywide office; sheriff faces write-in candidate

Write-in candidate emerges: Connections between candidates in key Brevard races raise election manipulation concerns

Tobia probe completed without charges: No charges filed against County Commissioner Tobia, despite wide-ranging allegations

Suit over election paperwork: Brevard elections chief sued over claims of mishandling paperwork, candidates

FLORIDA TODAY endorsement: Editorial Board: Here's our endorsement for Brevard County Supervisor of Elections

Video interview with Bobanic: Bobanic wins FLORIDA TODAY endorsement for Brevard Supervisor of Elections

Republican primary overview: County Commissioner Tobia seek to unseat Bobanic in Brevard supervisor of elections race

Valencia places Tobia on leave: Tobia put on leave from teaching job amid claims he used county staff to grade papers

BREVARD COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR

Incumbent Lisa Cullen is seeking reelection.

Pritchett enters race: County Commissioner Rita Pritchett to run against incumbent Lisa Cullen for tax collector

Pritchett qualifies vs. incumbent: Term-limited Brevard commissioners seek countywide office; sheriff faces write-in candidate

GOP primary matchup: County Commissioner Pritchett challenges longtime Brevard Tax Collector Cullen in primary

BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF

Incumbent Wayne Ivey is seeking reelection against a write-in candidate.

Former deputy to run against sheriff: Ex-Brevard deputy who was shot in line of duty to challenge Sheriff Ivey in GOP primary

Concerns of Ivey's challenger: Former deputy says Sheriff Ivey treated him poorly after shooting. Now he wants the job

Write-in candidate challenges Ivey: Term-limited Brevard commissioners seek countywide office; sheriff faces write-in candidate

BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSION OVERVIEW

Who qualified for commission race: Term limits lead to lively races for Brevard County Commission as politicians scramble

BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 1

This election is for the seat now held by Rita Pritchett, who could not run for reelection because of term limits, and instead is running this year for the Brevard County tax collector.

Delaney enters race: Conservative former Moms for Liberty member announces run for Brevard County Commission

Titusville mayor becomes candidate: Titusville mayor Dan Diesel joins crowded race for Brevard County Commission District 1 seat

Jordan among District 1 contenders: Robert Jordan announces District 1 County Commission candidacy for North Brevard

Seigler enters race as Republican: Community activist Seigler is first official 2024 candidate for Brevard County Commission

Bobbitt is Democratic candidate: KBB's Bryan Bobbitt files to run as Democrat for District 1 County Commission seat

Republican primary: Four candidates face off in Republican primary for Brevard County Commission District 1

BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 3

This election is for the seat now held by John Tobia, who could not run for reelection because of term limits, and instead is running this year for the Brevard County supervisor of elections.

Adkinson to seek commission seat: Republican state committeewoman files to run for Brevard County Commission

Council member seeks commission seat: West Melbourne Councilman John Dittmore files for County Commission seat

Melbourne councilwoman joins race: Democrat and Melbourne councilwoman Yvonne Minus files to run for County Commission District 3

Republican primary overview: Adkinson, Dittmore will face off in District 3 Brevard County Commission GOP primary

BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 5

This election is for the seat now held by Jason Steele, who is not running this year to retain his seat. He was appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis after the resignation of former District 5 Commissioner Zonka.

Taranto running in District 5: Taranto to run for Brevard County Commission in South Brevard's District 5 in 2024 race

Altman seeks County Commission seat: Republicans Thad Altman and Dave Neuman file for 2024 Brevard County Commission race

Workman join race: Term limits lead to lively races for Brevard County Commission as politicians scramble

Candidate Neuman leaves race: Brevard County commission candidate David Neuman withdraws to run for Melbourne council

Republican primary overview: Current, former state legislators face off in GOP primary for County Commission seat

BREVARD SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 3

Incumbent Jennifer Jenkins is not seeking reelection, after redistricting of Brevard School Board districts put her residence out of her district.

Impact of redistricting: Is redistricting a political move? New lines make 2 school board members lose incumbency

Yantz enters race: Second candidate files to run for Brevard school board in District 3

Which candidates qualified: Qualifying period ends: These are the candidates for Brevard's School Board

Primary overview: Amber Yantz and John Thomas to face off in August for D3 seat on Brevard's school board

What candidates said at forum: God, guns and grades: Brevard school board candidates discuss issues pre-August primary

FLORIDA TODAY endorsement: Our endorsement for Brevard County school board district 3

Video of candidates at Editorial Board: Editorial board meets with candidates for Brevard School Board Disrict 3

BREVARD SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 4

Incumbent Matt Susin is seeking reelection.

Graduating senior seeks seat: 'The youngest I've ever seen': Viera High School student, 18, announces school board run

Schachter enters District 4 race 'I want to see our schools succeed': Former teacher files to run for Brevard school board

Taylor becomes candidate: Mother of Viera High hazing incident victim files to run for Brevard School Board

Primary overview: Four candidates vie for District 4 seat on Brevard's school board: Here's what to know

Public records suit involves Susin: Deposition alleges withholding of public records in lawsuit involving School Board members

FLORIDA TODAY endorsement: Our endorsement for Brevard County School Board district 4

Video of candidates at Editorial Board: Editorial Board meets with candidates for Brevard School Board District 4

JUDICIAL RACES

There are three contested judicial elections this year on the primary ballot — Circuit Court Group 17, and County Court Groups 6 and 10. None of the incumbents in these races is seeking reelection.

Unopposed judicial races: Most Brevard County judicial races already wrapped up

What candidates said at forum: Judicial candidate forum offers rare insight into new crop of Brevard judge candidates

PALM BAY MAYOR

Incumbent Mayor Rob Medina is seeking reelection.

Four candidates want to be mayor: Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina faces three challengers in a city facing issue of urban sprawl

PALM BAY CITY COUNCIL SEAT 2

Incumbent Donny Felix is seeking reelection.

Three candidates seek Seat 2 position: Incumbent Felix faces two challengers for Palm Bay City Council Seat 2 position

PALM BAY CITY COUNCIL SEAT 3

Incumbent Randy Foster resigned for health reasons. The Palm Bay City Council filled the vacancy with Philip Weinberg, who is not running for the seat in this election.

Convicted murderer on ballot: Voting status of Palm Bay candidate convicted of murder is under review, Bobanic says

Incumbent Foster resigns: Foster resigns from Palm Bay City Council for health reasons, creating second vacancy

Six candidates seek council seat: Past crimes takes center stage in Palm Bay City Council Seat 3 race

Council vacancy filled: Palm Bay appoints new City Council member to fill vacant seat, for about three months

TITUSVILLE MAYOR

Incumbent Dan Diesel is running for the Brevard County Commission District 1 seat. The three candidates seeking to succeed him are Vickie Conklin, Andrew David Connors and Joe Robinson.

Three in running for Titusville mayor: Three candidates compete for Titusville mayoral seat, as incumbent Diesel runs for commission

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

Trump had no active primary opponents: Florida GOP presidential primary goes on, even with Trump clinching, no others in race

Seven GOP candidates on ballot: With no competition to Trump, six other candidates remain on Florida GOP primary ballot

GOP presidential primary results: Trump wins overwhelming majority in Brevard against six former candidates still on ballot

Voter turnout low: Florida election: What to know about low voter turnout in Tuesday's presidential primary

FLORIDA AMENDMENT 2

This amendment would add the right to hunt and fish to Florida’s Constitution. It would need 60% support for passage.

Pros and cons of amendment: Would Florida Amendment 2 ensure fishing and hunting rights, or lead to 'overkill?'

FLORIDA AMENDMENT 3

This amendment would legalize the use of marijuana for persons at least age 21. It would need 60% support for passage.

Proposals around the country: 5 states including Florida could see recreational marijuana legalized in 2024. Here's where

What could the rules be: Recreational vs medical marijuana: If weed is legal, will we need medical marijuana cards?

What the measure would do: Recreational marijuana amendment vote coming in 2024. When will weed be legal in Florida?

Q&A on proposal: What is Florida Amendment 3? What to know about recreational marijuana in Florida

Where marijuana now is legal: Florida may become 25th state where recreational marijuana is legal. Here’s where it’s legal

Gov. DeSantis' opposition: DeSantis said Florida will have a 'big problem' with weed smell if marijuana law passes

Attorney John Morgan's view: Why does John Morgan want weed to be legal in Florida? What to know about the TV attorney

Historic context: Florida marijuana laws: What to know about the state's history of legalization attempts

What's next if it passes: If Florida passes a recreational marijuana law in 2024, will weed immediately be legal?

FLORIDA AMENDMENT 4

This amendment would allow abortions in the time frame before "viability" of the fetus. It would need 60% support for passage.

Details on Supreme Court action: Florida Amendment 4 and abortion referendum. What to know as Supreme Court decision ahead

BREVARD TAX ABATEMENT REFERENDUM

This referendum deals with Brevard County properly tax breaks for expanding business.

Commissioners to consider proposal: Proposal would put extension of Brevard economic development tax break program on ballot

Commissioners delay action: County Commission delays vote on having referendum to extend business property tax breaks

Proposal to go to Nov. 5 ballot: Voters to decide on extending Brevard County's tax break program for expanding businesses

BREVARD LAGOON SALES TAX REFERENDUM

This referendum deals with extending Brevard County's half-cent sales tax for projects that benefit the Indian River Lagoon. Brevard County Commission voted against putting this measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, but it could be in the ballot in 2026.

Proposal to County Commission: Brevard commission to consider asking voters to renew Indian River Lagoon sales tax

Commissioners reject vote in November: Brevard commissioners decide not to send Indian River Lagoon half-cent sales tax to a vote this year citing election timing

REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEEMAN, COMMITTEEWOMAN

On the Aug. 20 primary ballot for Republican voters are contested races for Brevard County Republican state committeeman and state committeewoman.

These are internal party positions with a four-year term and no salary.

Among their roles, they act as a liaison between the State Executive Committee and the CountyExecutive Committee; elect a congressional district chairman who is entitled to vote on the StateExecutive Board; and serve as at-large members of the County Executive Committee.

The position is the equivalent of being a Brevard County delegate the state Republican Committee.

There are four candidates for state committeeman: Edward Brankey, Randy Fine, Greg Loyd and Wayne Twiddy.

There are six candidates for state committeewoman: Marcie Adkins, Mary Benton, Natalie Brankey, Karen L. Colby, Marie Rogerson and Gloria Rossi.

Dave Berman is business editor at  FLORIDA TODAY.  Contact Berman at  [email protected] , on X at  @bydaveberman  and on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

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Praise for Hungary and people having more children: Takeaways from Vance’s statements on birth rates

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio speaks at a campaign event, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Byron Center, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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One of the catchphrases of this election came from a moment three years ago when Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance mocked Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats he accused of being anti-family and called them “childless cat ladies.”

The Harris campaign and her Democratic allies seized on the comments to brand the Trump-Vance ticket as “weird,” forcing the former president and his vice presidential nominee to better explain his views. Vance has long expressed his concern for falling birth rates , saying the U.S. will not be able to continue as a nation if current trends hold.

Vance has not apologized and says he was taken out of context, arguing he did not criticize people for not having kids, but for “being anti-child.”

Here’s a review of what Vance has said.

What are Vance’s family views?

Even before Vance got into politics, he has been clear about his concerns regarding birth rates.

In a 2021 speech at the conservative nonprofit Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Virginia, he floated an idea to allow parents to cast ballots on behalf of their children. He has since said that was a “thought experiment” and not a policy proposal and said it would be “ridiculous” to change the voting system.

On abortion, Vance says he is “pro-life” and has previously stated he would support a federal bill to prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, believing in exceptions. He now defends Trump’s approach to leave the decision up to the states.

Vance has also said he would support expanding the child tax credit, currently at $2,000, to $5,000. Democrats attacked him recently for skipping a recent vote in the Senate that would have expanded the child tax credit. However, he said the effort was a “show vote,” when bills are designed to fail but allow parties to highlight issues before voters. In this case, Democrats were looking to counter assertions from Vance that their party is “anti-family.”

He criticized efforts by the Biden administration to control rising costs in childcare centers, arguing that by doing so the government encourages parents to go back into the workforce and neglects those who prefer to care for their children at home.

Vance praises Hungary as an example

In interviews, Vance has praised policies enacted by Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to encourage people to have more children and suggested the United States copy the Hungarian model.

Orbán’s government has portrayed itself as a champion of family values and offered generous subsidies and tax discounts for families that have children. Women, for example, who have four or more children are exempt from paying income tax for life. Married couples expecting to start a family can apply for low-interest loans underwritten by the state for purchasing a home, some of which do not need to be repaid if a woman bears more than three children.

However, as Hungary’s economy has sunk into a deep downturn, many of these family benefits have been cut or reduced. Additionally, some experts say the pro-family measures benefit only the middle and upper classes while Hungary’s universal family cash subsidy, available to all families regardless of income, has remained at the same low level, roughly $35 per child per month, for decades, even as Hungary has long struggled with the highest inflation in Europe.

In 2022, Orbán sparked international outrage when he said he did not want Europe to become a “mixed race” society. He is firmly against immigration, saying it is not an answer to his country’s aging population.

Vance’s own family

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Vance likes to refer to his personal struggles when describing policies he said would help make parenting easier for other families.

Vance has described a chaotic childhood being raised by his grandparents in southwestern Ohio and a mother who battled drug abuse. He converted to Catholicism as an adult.

The senator and his wife, Usha Vance, have two boys ages 4 and 7 and a 2-year-old girl. Usha Vance, a trial attorney, left the law firm where she worked shortly after her husband was chosen as Trump’s running mate. Usha has noted she helped her husband with his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

Defending Vance

The negative attention Vance has received over some of his old remarks has meant that Trump has been having to explain and defend him.

“My interpretation is that he’s strongly family-oriented. But that doesn’t mean that if you don’t have a family, there’s something wrong with that,” he said at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago.

Proponents of pro-natal and pro-marriage measures have applauded Vance for giving these ideas to a wider audience and standing by them.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who has known Vance since his days as an author and has gubernatorial aspirations, said he would suggest the senator “lighten up the sarcasm just a little bit” while giving him credit for starting a discussion on an important issue.

“We have to point to the fact that this is all brand new. We don’t have American politicians talking about this, and God bless him for raising the issue because we need to have that conversation,” he said.

Associated Press writers Michelle R. Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, Justin Spike in Budapest and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

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Negotiating for Lower Drug Prices Works, Saves Billions

Biden-Harris Administration delivers on promise to lower prescription drug costs for Americans

In a historic moment that will help lower prescription drug prices for millions of people across America, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that it has reached agreements for new, lower prices for all 10 drugs selected for negotiations. These negotiated drugs are some of the most expensive and most frequently dispensed drugs in the Medicare program and are used to treat conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The new prices will go into effect for people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage beginning January 1, 2026. 

If the new prices had been in effect last year, Medicare would have saved an estimated $6 billion, or approximately 22 percent, across the 10 selected drugs. These negotiated prices range from 38 to 79 percent discounts off of list prices. About nine million people with Medicare use at least one of the 10 drugs selected for negotiation. People with Medicare prescription drug coverage are expected to see aggregated estimated savings of $1.5 billion in their personal out-of-pocket costs in 2026. For more detailed information about the negotiated prices please see the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Negotiated Prices Fact Sheet .  

“Americans pay too much for their prescription drugs. That makes today’s announcement historic. For the first time ever, Medicare negotiated directly with drug companies and the American people are better off for it,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Congressional budget estimators (Congressional Budget Office) predicted about $100 billion savings over 10 years from drug negotiations, and a $3.7 billion savings in the first year alone. Today we’re announcing that in our first year of negotiations we are saving Medicare an estimated $6 billion and Americans who pay out of pocket will be saving another $1.5 billion moving forward. Empowering Medicare to negotiate prices not only strengthens the program for generations to come, but also puts a check on skyrocketing drug prices.”

“CMS is proud to have negotiated drug prices for people with Medicare for the first time. These negotiations will not only lower the prices of critically important medications for cancer, diabetes, heart failure, and more, but will also save billions of dollars,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Medicare drug price negotiation and the lower prices announced today demonstrate the commitment of CMS and the Biden-Harris Administration to lower health care and prescription drug costs for Americans. We made a promise to the American people, and today, we are thrilled to share that we have fulfilled that promise.”

As a hypothetical example, a senior with Medicare who takes Stelara pays a 25% coinsurance on the drug which may amount to about $3,400 today for a 30-day supply. When the negotiated price goes into effect in 2026, that same 25% coinsurance would cost the beneficiary about $1,100 before the person reaches the catastrophic cap, after which the beneficiary will pay no more out of pocket on their prescription drugs. A beneficiary’s actual costs will depend on their plan’s benefit design.

In August 2023, HHS announced the first 10 drugs covered under Medicare Part D selected for the first cycle of negotiations.

The selected drugs accounted for $56.2 billion in total Medicare spending, or about 20 percent of total Part D gross spending in 2023. Overall, total Part D gross spending for the 10 selected drugs more than doubled from 2018 to 2022, from about $20 billion to about $46 billion, an increase of 134 percent. Medicare enrollees paid a total of $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2022 for these drugs.

“CMS negotiated in good faith on behalf of the millions of people who rely on these 10 drugs for their health and well-being. The new negotiated prices will bring much needed financial relief, affordability, and access,” said Meena Seshamani, MD, PhD, CMS Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare. “Throughout the process, we remained true to our commitment to be thoughtful and transparent, meeting publicly with patients, providers, health plans, pharmacies, drug companies and others to help inform the process. We will continue to do so for future cycles. Our team is actively working on the next cycle of negotiations where we will combine what we have learned from this first cycle and apply it in negotiating prices for the next round of up to 15 selected drugs.”

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) also released new data today detailing historic pricing trends of the 10 drugs selected for the first cycle of the negotiation program. The report finds that from 2018 to 2023, list prices increased as much as 55 percent.

CMS will select up to 15 more drugs covered under Part D for negotiation for 2027 by February 1, 2025. CMS will select up to 15 more drugs covered by Part B or Part D for 2028, and up to 20 more Part B or Part D drugs for each year after that, as required by the Inflation Reduction Act.

In addition to these newly negotiated prices, people with Medicare are already experiencing lower drug costs thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. And, next year, all Medicare Part D enrollees will benefit from a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on their prescription drug costs, further making prescription drugs more affordable for seniors and people with disabilities.

View the CMS Negotiated Prices Fact Sheet at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-negotiated-prices-initial-price-applicability-year-2026.pdf

View the Historic Trends Fact Sheet from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/medicare-drug-price-negotiation-program-comparing-drug-price

View a CMS Plain Language infographic at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/infographic-negotiated-prices-maximum-fair-prices.pdf

For more information about the Inflation Reduction Act, including plain language materials, please visit LowerDrugCosts.gov .  For more information available in Spanish, please visit MedicamentosBajoPrecio.gov .

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