Young People and the Vote Essay Example for Free

Young People and the Vote Essay Since the end of the Watergate Era in the mid-1970s, voter participation among those ages 18-30 had been on the decline. (To Be Young and Voting, 2008) However, in the past fifteen years, a reversal of that trend appears to be occurring. Beginning in the Clinton Era, youth participation in the political process has been on the rise. (To Be Young and Voting, 2008) Several reasons have been put forth for the rise in youth participation in the voting process. Of the various reasons purported, the one that makes the most sense is an increased dissatisfaction about the status-quo among younger people. (To Be Young and Voting, 2008) That is, in more recent years, there is a perception among young people that the country is going in the wrong direction. Evidence indicates a dramatic increase in the interest level of people under the age of thirty in the presidential elections. (Shaw, 2008) Part of the reason behind this is simple. The candidates themselves have been younger. 1992 found the first baby-boomer candidate for a major party, who was only in his 50s at the time of his election. In 2008, Barak Obama is even younger, at 47. Both of these candidates have made concerted efforts to reach the younger demographic. Clinton in 1992 played the saxophone on MTV as part of a get-out-the-vote campaign. Obama has been making similar efforts by appearing on popular TV entertainment shows, such as Letterman, The Daily Show and others. His opponent, John McCain, also appears quite often on these shows, which indicates that both parties recognize the potential voting strength of the younger demographic. Both campaigns have attempted to use the Internet to attract younger voters. (Nagourney Thee, 2008 The first significant organization effort in history on the internet was initiated by the Obama campaign. (Nagourney Thee, 2008Both candidates make use of websites, e-mail, and viral posting more now than in any time in history. It has been suggested that the candidates’ use of sharing sites such as You-Tube, and social networking sites such as Face Book and My Space have proven to be instrumental in garnering interest among younger voters. In addition to events and activities aimed at younger voters, the major candidates have embraced themes that resonate with the younger demographic. .(The Youth Vote, 2008) Both major candidates have embraced â€Å"Change† as a central theme. This coincides with a consistent trend among young voters, who tend to support a difference in the status-quo. .(The Youth Vote, 2008) As with most Americans, younger voters have expressed dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, with nearly half of respondents to a recent poll indicating that the nation was a better place to live in the 1990s than it is now. The popularity of both the sitting President, and the current Congress are at historical lows. .(The Youth Vote, 2008) Troubles with the economy, gas prices, and dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq have fed the notion of the need for change. (Shaw, 2008) The â€Å"change† theme seems to coincide with some of the more divisive issues in both traditional and modern partisan politics. .(The Youth Vote, 2008) According to polls, younger people are trending to the Democratic Party, indicating that the Democrats are doing a superior job convincing young people that they are the party of change. (Nagourney Thee, 2008)An increasing number of young people are socially liberal, with liberal viewpoints on gay marriage, immigration and government programs. (Dionne, 2008) Combined with the perception that the current administration has been doing a poor job on fundamentals such as the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, younger people are beginning to flock to the Democratic Party in large numbers. (Dionne, 2008) The character of the various candidates in this election has also sparked interest among younger voters. At various times since the primary season, the major parties have offered: The first viable African American, a female who is the spouse of a former president, a Mormon, and a Former POW. All of these are firsts in major elections in the United States. The â€Å"Final Four† has generated quite a bit of youth interest, as well. Sen. McCain’s choice of running mate, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, was the focus very recently of much attention owing to her youth, style of speaking, and the ability of a very popular actress, Tina Fey, to do a spot-on impression of her. A popular former cast-member of Saturday Night Live, Fey has injected a large political element into a variety show that has long appealed to younger viewers. There has been a marked contrast between the two presidential candidates with respect to age. John McCain, at 72 years of age, is the oldest candidate ever to run for president on a major party ticket, while Barak Obama is among the youngest at 47. The Democrats have made a considerable effort to portray Sen. McCain as out of touch, noting, among other things, his admitted inability to use the internet. (Nagourney Thee, 2008 Overall, youth participation in the political process in this election cycle has increased for numerous reasons. The primary underlying reason for this increase is a pervasive dissatisfaction with the direction of the country politically, socially, and economically. This, combined with a concentrated effort by both parties to mobilize younger voters, use of internet, and the age contrast of the candidates have combined to produce what may be the largest turnout of voters 18-30 since the voting age was lowered in 1972. References Dionne, E. J. (2008) â€Å"The Year the Youth Vote Arrives†. The Washington Post. July 25th, 2008. Nagourney, A. Thee, M (2007) â€Å"Young Americans are leaning Left, New Poll Finds†. The New York Times. June 27th, 2007. Shaw, M. (2008) â€Å"Talking Politics. † The Wilson Daily Times. Feb 9th, 2008 â€Å"The Youth Vote† (2008) The Washington Times. June 4th, 2008. â€Å"To Be Young and Voting† (2008) The Christian Science Monitor. May 5th, 2008.