FREQUENCY 2004 Youth Vote Research Inventory Christine J Lee

Inventory of research that examines the civic engagement crisis among youth - Youth and Citizenship - Youth Issues - Youth Political Apathy - Possible Remedies - Recent Developments/News Also: database of significant youth civic/political engagement sites (web sphere) and preliminary coding template.  

Youth and Citizenship: Highlights  57% of young citizens are disengaged from political life - Yet young adults are civic-minded and more likely to have volunteered in the past year than any other generational group. - Also participate in many causes through, for example, “consumer activism” or demonstrations, etc.  Only 38% of youth believe that “citizenship entails special obligations.”  85% prefer volunteering to politics as the better way to solve important issues facing their communities. “Younger citizens look very much like future contributors to the civic health of the nation, even though their lack of an electoral presence is troubling." - Scott Keeter

Youth Issues: Highlights  Top three issues for young citizens (March 2002): 1) Jobs and Economy 2) Terrorism and national security 3) Crime and violence  For the 2004 elections: 1) Education (55%) 2) Protecting or creating American jobs (52%) 3) Economy (51%)

Youth Political Apathy: Highlights  50% of young adults believe that voting is important, 49% believe voting is unimportant  Only 53% believe politics, elections, and government address their concerns. - “Seven out of ten young adults say politicians are out of touch with the concerns of people their age, and the same percentage believe the results of the election will have no more than a small impact on them personally.” - 74% believe that politicians are motivated by selfish reasons.  42.4% of year olds voted in the 2000 elections. - Whereas 70.3% of adults 25 and older voted

Possible Remedies: Highlights  Young adults (45%), other young politicians (25%), and the President (24%) are most convincing.  Other ways that can help engage young citizens in politics: - Simplifying the registering/voting process (also, Internet voting) - More direct contact with political candidates, campaigns, and institutions - Academic credit  Candidates need to actively seek out the youth vote. - “Politicians rarely take [young adults] into consideration and in many cases ignore them."  Also: parents (political discussion), schools (civic education), canvassing, and phone banks

Recent Developments: Highlights  College students are possible key swing vote in % say they will “definitely vote” in % Democrats, 26% Republicans, and 41% Independents. - 34% support Bush, 32% support the Democratic candidate for 2004  This may be the key in getting candidates to actively pursue the youth vote: - “This is an enormous reservoir of potential voters and volunteers, almost 10 million strong, who can be channeled to winning campaigns if they are nurtured. But candidates who ignore or alienate this demographic group risk losing their elections.“ - Dan Glickman, Director of the Harvard IOP, former US Cabinet Secretary, and member of Congress  Also significant: The Internet as political organizing tool (and more).