'We have been labeled apathetic, lazy, and selfish just to name a few,'; says Josie Mazzaferro in her essay entitled, 'Turned Off by Politics.'; We have been judged in every aspect of society, especially in the political arena. Is there any way for us to clear up these misconceptions given to us by other generations?
It seems that the voice of Generation X is silent when it comes to political issues these days. When we talk about politics we often wonder what relevance it has on our lives. Many of us feel that politicians are no longer trustworthy. 'I am not saying that every politician is corrupt,'; states Mazzaferro, it's just hard to believe what he or she says is true when our generation has witnessed such harsh realities involving political figures. For example: the Monica Lewinsky ordeal that involved President Clinton. How are we supposed to trust a President who lies and commits forms of adultery to run our country effectively?
Still many X'ers are too consumed in themselves to even worry about who is elected to our heads of state. They either think that their votes will not make a difference, or that the majority of people will vote for the same candidates that have been elected again and again by their name recognition alone. We as Generation X need to elect people that can associate themselves with the issues that affect the people today, and the new issues that will arise tomorrow in order to change the politics in this country.
These types of situations make it hard for X'ers to take a stand and voice their opinions. What we need is a new political dialogue that will enable our generation to control more political power in this country.
This new political dialogue can only begin if we start to become more interested in what goes on outside of our daily lifestyles, because it's not about us anymore, it's about them, the future generations to come. We as X'ers need to stop being so absorbed in ourselves and focus on issues that will change the future for the better. 'Instead of killing any chance for political debate by framing our values as mere matters of personal taste,'; states John Leo in his essay entitled 'The Unmaking of Civic Culture';. The only way that our generation is ever going to gain any political power in this
Melissa Ames and Chris Hedges address the similar theme of political apathy in America, but deviate starkly in their respective audiences, tones, subjects, and methods of delivery. Because the authors possess differing viewpoints about the future of the country, are shaped by distinctive backgrounds and experiences, and have explored various unique concepts, one can detect a great degree of dissimilarity between the works in question. Even so, a thoughtful reader can also grasp quite a few similarities between their articles, “American Psychosis” and “Engaging ‘Apolitical’ Adolescents.”
We are not a generation of diminished expectations. For years the rise in technological use has affected people’s views on the younger generation. The idleness and conflicts of some have set up a stereotype for all. Students in today’s generation are constantly fighting, voicing their opinion against injustices, and looking for solutions. This generation is “dedicating their lives to social change” (4). This generation has suffered a number of significant events that have marked history, and living through those events serves as a way of empowering students to take action. We’re living through a time of revolution and controversy. The opinions of this generation will be heard. For instance, we constantly see movements, protests, debates, and activists directly voicing their opinion about gun control, fascism, racial causes, among many other issues. The unity that comes with all these events is incredible. I totally disagree with the idea that we are a generation of diminished
...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.
Stephen Medvic, In Defense of Politicians, discusses why Americans feel that politicians are dishonest. In 2007, a Gallup poll about honesty and ethical standards for occupations, showed that only 12 and 9 percent of people felt that Congressmen and State office holders held high standards, (Medvic p. 2). In addition, Americans tend to like their representatives more than the members of Congress because they view them as actual people. Americans view Congress as a group of politicians who are greedy and not representing their interests, (Medvic p. 4).
Political inactivity on the part of young Americans stems from one fundamental source -- a general cynicism of the American political process. This disdain for politics is further perpetuated by a lack of voter education and a needlessly archaic voting procedure that creates barriers to voting where they need not exist. While many of these existing problems can be rectified with relative ease through the implementation of programs such as Internet voting and better voter education, such programs create only a partial solution.
Political leaders of the United States were, at one time, thought of as crucial members of our society. Ideally, their main goal was to represent and satisfy the needs of the American people. Unfortunately, over the last fifty years, our trust in our administrative representatives has drastically declined. Beginning with the great conspiracy theory that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 was actually planned by political leaders, America had, for the first time in history, begun to question its faith in its very own government. Consequently, the American people became extremely hesitant when it came to electing officials into office.
career yet, the life of a student is proving to be just as busy as those
As a majority, we do not act; we are complacent. We do not take a stand; we fear failure and humiliation. We do not lead; we follow. Society has every-increasingly grown passive, tired, and complacent. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s idea of the "appalling silence of the good people" is as poignant today as it was in the 1960s. If they remain silent in social issues that hurt others, the silent majority can be just as harmful to society as any radical viewpoint. If every one of this silent majority, from the non-voters to the non-activists to the non-expressors, would stand up for what they believed in, perhaps the world would be drastically changed for better.
Within the article Caring Democracy: Markets, Equality, and Justice, the author Joan Tronto highlights and critically examines the United States and its democratic lifestyle after the attacks on 9/11 on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the events after the 2008 financial crisis. Since these events the United States the average citizen is now facing to many demands for them too adequately for their children and themselves. During a set of recent elections examined by Joan Tronto she found that public involvement was at an all-time low by the citizens of the United States. Although political involvement should support us to care more about our surrounds and society but it does not. However, the American democratic process has become more
Have you ever wondered if our generation is the dumbest? Well, there’s some evidence to prove so. Generation ‘Y’ is considered to be the dumbest generation of all. This is based on numerous experiments, polls, surveys, etc. While everything else in this world is rising, intellect of each generation is falling. With the ignorance of facts, by choice, and lack of some education, Generation ‘Y’ is considered to be the dumbest generation.
It is discussed how the indifference to politics by many citizens of western society and the fact that ideologies are now no longer needed by those in power to enforce their will are two key truths of western politics.
Miller, Zeke J. "The Politics of the Millennial Generation." 9 May 2013. Time.com. 25 November 2013 .
In recent years, the splitting of the population into generational groups has become more relevant in politics than ever. In this paper I will use information collected from various studies and statistics to discuss the preferred political parties of different generations, as well as explain the differences between modern social movements and ones from the past. Evidence shows that different generations prefer different social and political views. An example of this is the pattern seen in how while older generations tend to be Republican and conservative, younger generations have become increasingly left winged and liberal. However, despite these preferences, the overall Democratic to Republican ratio is more equal than some may think. Furthermore,
Generation Z is determined to change the future and is at an advantage over all previous generations to do so. This group is those born between the years 1995 and 2012, whom are currently ages 4 to 21. Statistics show Gen Z is extremely mature for their age with the lowest levels of drug use, alcohol consumption, smoking, and teenage pregnancy in decades, as stated by JWTIntelligence. This demonstrates that they are future orientated. Generation Z is unified, diverse, realistic, and technologically advanced, making them the generation with the power to impact the world.