The lacked of youth voters has been a major concern for the democratic system in the United States and other countries. Studies has been and still trying to understand why youth tends to slack off when it comes to this crucial part of democratic practices. In light of this continuing problem, solutions have been offered to involve youths, primarily in their early 20s, to participate in this democratic practice. Because this is a high concern of many countries, many authors have written about why it is a tendency among youth and some have offered solutions to end this apathy-madness.
Voting right was not freely granted in the beginning of time; many fought hard and died for this core belief. Youth voting right was established in 1972 with its highest turnout, yet “the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds that vote has declined with each succeeding election since 1972.” (Wells & Dudash p.1280.) Even with the right to vote, it alone is not sufficient to fully make a country a democracy; the people themselves need to exercise that right. Unfortunately, many youths today take this right for granted and ultimately abandoned this crucial process to which it is the fundamental necessity of democracy. Thus, democracy is at risk until these youths found the calling from within and started participating in this democratic system of voting.
So what is it that differs between young registered voters to vote or not, certainly there are youth out there who cares and go out of their way to vote. Many high school students are excited when they are near the age of voting, yet many failed to actually do so. The first partial finding would be that young voters feel left out of the politics they are voting for. Priscilla Lewis Southwell arg...
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Evan Epstein, et al. "Celebrity Endorsements and Their Potential to Motivate Young Voters." Mass Communication & Society 11.4 (2008): 420-436. Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Mar. 2011.
On the national civics assessment, “two-thirds of 12th graders scored below ‘proficient’…and only 9 percent could list two ways a democracy benefits from citizen participation” (O’Connor and Romer 4). The information provided clarifies just how little students know about democracy. Without education on the subject, they are unaware as to how their government contribution is beneficial and why it is needed in the first place. The students, because of their lack of understanding, therefore choose to not take part in their government and fail to carry out their duties as a citizen. The authors provide more research that shows “the better people understand our history and system of government, the more likely they are to vote and participate in the civic life” (O’Connor and Romer 8).
...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.
Someone may not want to vote because they might not know was going on in government and do not want to take part in something they are not familiar with. Another reason why a youth voter would not want to vote is that they do not care enough about voting to vote.
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...
Research has brought about an abundance of reasons why youth are becoming less engaged in the political process. Education, absence of political knowledge, the media and family influence, indifference to election campaigns, inadequate amount of change, and lack of motivation are all possible factors in influencing the youth voter turnout.
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.
When examining voting behavior over time, there are two areas one must look at to gain a better understanding of the process. The first, is why people vote the way they do, and the second looks at the individuals voting pattern over time. Since 1960, The American Voter, written by Campbell, Converse, Miller & Stokes, is still considered one of the most controversial pieces in the field of public opinion and election studies. Although there are numerous areas of exploration, the main purpose of this book was to further examine the psychological relationship of the voter from pre-adolescence to casting the tangible vote and the effects of parent-child socialization. A crucial argument presented states that party identification is the most important
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...
Although there are 44 million eligible young voters ages 18-29, in 2012 only 45% of them voted. These young people make up one fifth, or 21%, of the eligible voting population, yet they often do not vote. Voting is a tremendous gift. Young people in many other countries around the world have to fight to gain this right. In America, voting is often taken for granted by all age groups, but the youth take it for granted the most. In this paper, the reason why young people do not vote will be explored and solutions as to how to get them to vote will be proposed.
Having the right to vote has been something that has been fiercely fought for many years by different groups of people. Voting has now become become a right, a monumental significance that represents the fight of the people to have their voices heard. Today’s youth have proven to be very ambitious, determined, resourceful but are also known to take their right to vote for granted. Thus, we must question, why has there been such a significant decrease in the amount of young adults participating in voting these past couple years?
He says, “Many political causes still motivate the young people such as helping the less fortunate in America, addressing poverty in Africa (and America), or improving the global (and American) environment” (Dalton, 55). His statement shows that the millennial generation is concerned about different issues than the past generation, and these issues drive them to engage politically. This means that Millennials have diverted from the social norms of the older generation, in terms of political interests. He further says, “Although many young people seem disengaged with voting, and alienated from electoral politics-so are many older Americans. Volunteerism and other forms of direct action seem especially common among young Americans” (Dalton, 68).
vigorously involving young people in politics. Based on the data collected he concludes that Parties do not give prominence to their opinions, suggestions as well as their difficulties problems. Which he claims to be the one reason that compels youth not to participate in politics actively.
Known to be off limits at family gatherings and a touchy subject in any other setting, politics always seems to bring out the worst in people. As a result, most Americans try to avoid involvement in politics. They find talking about the latest movie releases easier than discussing the huge national debt. But is it any wonder? Between the mainstream news, Internet sites, blogs, and other alternative media, trying to make sense of everything can be a daunting task. Sometimes pleading ignorance is simpler. However, in today’s culture being politically aware is becoming increasingly necessary. Just because someone sees a presidential candidate give a speech or two doesn’t mean it’s wise to vote for him or her. Also, with many issues such as health care and tax increases affecting the everyday lives of Americans, knowing where one stands is important. By utilizing the sources on the Internet and other media, politics can become a little less confusing and help people understand the world around them.
Prior, Markus. "News vs. Entertainment: How Increasing Media Choice Widens Gaps in Political Knowledge and Turnout." American Journal of Political Science. 49.3 (2005): 577-592. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.