The landscape of Canadian politics is the result of integrating multiple layers together; however, the component of age is exceptionally important to consider as the young people of this generation will inevitably become the leaders and policy makers of the next generation. This statement is proven in the article Political Parties, You Can No Longer Ignore Young Voters. The author Jane Hilderman addresses the relationship between youth and civic involvement. This article highlights that “in the 2015 federal election, 57 per cent of young Canadians voted, which is an incredible 18 percentage point jump from the previous election” (Hilderman 2016). The statistics prove that the 2015 federal election was indicative of the increasing awareness …show more content…
He focuses on political participation and civic engagement. This academic article focuses on “the likelihood of voting in the 2013 federal election, as well as participation in non-electoral political activities, such as signing petitions or participating in demonstrations or public meetings’ (Turcotte 2015). The author emphasizes that there are multiple ways for the younger generation to be involved within the political arena without voting. Youth usually get involved when “(1) there is an emphasis on specific causes and issues (for example, the environment, access to education or gender equality) as opposed to the more general political issues discussed in an election; and (2) participation in social groups or movements are less hierarchical and less officially organized (for example, interest groups) as opposed to involvement in traditional political organizations, such as political parties or unions” (Turcotte 2015). The youth of this generation are proven to desire a more liberal approach to politics. There is a desire to see equity and equal rights for every person and for future generations. This presents the concept of social movements; where there develops a group of people who mobilize to bring transformation to an issue. Consequently, many youths do not profess affiliation to one political party; but rather they pledge allegiance to the cause
...adults compared to older adults were less likely to respond that voting was extremely important for good citizenship (133). He concludes that it is too late for the generation of young adults that do not feel voting is an important civic responsibility, however, that it is not too late to convince them that politics matter by showing them that they are giving their opportunity to make important decisions that may impact their lives to others who have different ideas. One may agree with Wattenberg’s idea that habits follow people throughout their lives instead of changing as they cycle in life. His personal accounts are an impactful way to illustrate the importance of building a sense of duty at a young age and carrying that responsibility throughout one’s life.
Many political analysts argue that engagement is an important characteristic of democracy, yet the younger generation is indifferent towards politics. They’re more interested in the latest iPhone technology than in campaigning or voting. In The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American Politics, author Russell J. Dalton counters this with the idea that Gen X’ers are still engaged, just in a different way.
It is our civic right and duty to actively participate in governmental affairs. This recent election really highlighted the divide in opinion regarding the importance of governmental participation. “To many, our democratic system seems so broken that they have simply lost faith that their participation could really matter,” West writes in his essay entitled The Deep Democratic Tradition in America. Young people feel unimportant and irrelevant, which explains the lack in turnout from young voters ages 18-29. However, it wasn’t just young voters that didn’t turnout. Millions of eligible voters didn’t show up for the 2016 elections. A democracy without active participants is a democracy bound for
It’s very unsettling to know that there was a six percent decrease in young voters (ages 18-29) in the 2012 election compared to 2008 (Circle Youth data). In 2007 the National Conference of State Legislatures publicly released a report and data set on voter turnout in democratic countries. This is a quote from that report titled Getting out the Vote, “It should be noted that in 1972, 18-year-olds were added to the eligible voting population, thus decreasing the percentages. Nonetheless, voter tu...
In fact, “on average, educated, well informed, and interested in politics – all factors associated with high voter turnout.” But if this is the case, why is there a democratic deficit in the Canadian electoral system? The answer is simple: Most elections today rely heavily on media when it comes to national context which decreases the links between the parties and the voters.... ... middle of paper ... ...6.
Out of all Canadian age groups, the voter turnout for young voters is the most disappointing. In specific today’s youth are less likely to vote, less interested in politics, and know less about politics compared to all other Canadians. This brings about a great deal of concern, as young people are the future of this country, and are expected to uphold the expectations put on them by their older counterparts. Youth are still being affected by the consequences brought about by politics; they still go to school, get jobs, get sick, and so forth, so why is it that they feel indifferent?
In the report by Paul Howe and David Northrup titled, “Strengthening Canadian Democracy: the Views of Canadians” Policy Matters 1:5, Canadians attitudes towards government including questions about electoral system reform, representation and the rate of veter turnout.(Howe & Northrup, 2000) After reading, this report it is clear that many Canadians find many issues of their government to be unacceptable. One of the most menacing concerns is in the form that government attains office. The voting process, the form in which Canadians are represented by their Members of Parliament, and the first past the post method of election.
Over the past couple of years, I have become increasingly aware of a fast growing social movement that greatly impacts my life on a personal level. Reading further into the text, we learn about social integrati...
The young as well as the older people of Canada seem to be in a deadlock. The question of if the federal government should or should not lower the voting age is a question debated surely around the dinner tables of families in Canada, as well as in the ranks of the government. Some people even suggest that the age needs to be raised. What would make people want the voting age to be lowered to an even lower age than the young adult age of 18? On the other hand how can the youth of Canada who have their own individual views be able to make a difference without being able to vote? Both sides provide for an intriguing look into the facts and resolutions for an appropriate way to either change the voting age or keep it the same. Throughout this paper I will look at and analyze the arguments of the youth who claim to be 'disenfranchised', as well as others who see the lowering of the voting age to be detrimental rather than an improvement to the Government of Canada's political process. In 1854, before Canada became a responsible government the only people allowed to vote were people who had a high value of land which they owned, and had a high income. Women and people with other ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs were also denied the right to vote. This did not mean that these people did not have their views and beliefs on who and what they wanted in their government but rather they were denied the right. These laws have changed since then drastically and Canada has become a democratic country (rule by the people). However, the frustration of not being able to vote and support their ideals and politicians does live on in the hearts and minds of thousands of young Canadians under the age of eighteen. The...
The literature on social studies enjoys a wide range of social movement’s definitions (Christiansen 2009). This diversity of such a definition is due to the fact that theorists tend to define the term of a social movement depending on their particular theoretical formulation (Diani 1992). Therefore, this section will first consider definitions proposed by group of scholars that represent four major trends in social movements analysis. These trends are as follow, the ‘Collective Behavior Perspective’ (Turner and Killian), the ‘Resource Mobilization Theory’ (RMT) (ZaId and McCarthy); the ‘Political Process Perspective (Tilly); and the ‘New Social Movements Approach’ (NSMs) (Touraine, Melucci). Then, a definition by Della Porta and Diani is selected as this definition has been centered on the most important characteristics of the social movements and oft-cited by researchers.
Green, Donald. "Youth Voting” THE CENTER FOR INFORMATION & RESEARCH ON CIVIC LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT. Tufts University, 2012. Web. 02 Oct 2013. .
Social activism is a common method of action for those who want to evoke societal change. Often, however, activism is aimed at deconstructing an oppressive authority and is diminished by their overbearing competition. Small, underfunded and politically insignificant activist groups often gain little following and fail to make a forceful impact. These groups, while they seem weak on a larger scale, do succeed in influencing a more everyday audience. By simply fighting for a cause, social activism is able to spark ideas in whomever they reach and keep their cause fresh and pertinent in their minds.
Henn (2002) conducted a research on “Youth and political participation in Britain” reports that young people actively and enthusiastically take interest in politics. The perception is absolutely
Researchers classify social movements according to the type of change they seek (Aberle, 1966, Cameron, 1966, Blumer, 1969, as cited in Macionis, 2007). According to John Macionis, a social movement is when people commonly band together to create an organized activity that encourages or discourages social change (Macionis, 2008). In the case of this radical society, Hippies were typically ...
Throughout human history, countries have undergone systemic changes to their social classes and shifted to new forms of governance in an effort to improve representation of current society ideals. When citizens passes a threshold of frustration introduced from their government, a small portion of the outrage crowd forms protest organizations to combat the injustices and promote efficient channels to voice concerns about their society. Initially, the protest groups receive little recognition and respect from residents locally, but overtime organizations claim national support from their fellow countrymen in the country. Political activist groups path to success is often filled with adversity, but the ones who achieve change in their country