If this problem is not solved, we face the danger of loosing an entire generation of voters.
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By Laurence Scott
Young people like me are the future of this country – like it or not. We need to help shape our future but how can we increase political activity among young people?
In the most recent Democratic Audit, it was found that democracy and political participation is in “terminal decline” as we already know. In 2010, the total turnout of 18 – 24 year olds was an inexcusable 44% (See graph below).
Many of my fellow young people are apathetic towards politics; they feel like they are not listened too, find politics boring and uninspiring, and have difficulty understanding politics.
It should not and does not have to be like this – for the sake of this country and our democracy.
There are very few who disagree that we desperately need a period of national renewal akin to the one after the Second World War. Young people need to be involved in the debate, decisions and destiny of this; we are the ones who will have to live with the decisions being taken now. Currently, not enough of us young people are politically active.
I have 3 ideas that I believe would help to increase engagement and activity among young people.
- Better education about politics throughout our schooling
At the moment there is very little in the way of education and encouragement for young people to develop opinions, be those opinions about politics or anything else. Children should be taught how to debate and take part in debates in primary school.
Debates increase confidence, help develop the critical-thinking skills that Universities are crying out for and help to develop literacy skills. I know that, if I had the chance to have debates as part of the national curriculum at primary school, I would have become involved in politics sooner and more intensely.
2. The voting age needs to be lowered to 16-years-old
It has been debated for a long time – let’s get on with it and lower the voting age to 16-years-old. If you are able to take your GCSEs at 16 – which require maturity and decision-making – then why are you not able to vote at 16?
• Ken stays ahead as Boris doubles-down on blaming young people for youth unemployment 23 Jan 2012
• Boris Johnson’s words show he doesn’t care about young people 20 Jan 2012
• 2012: The year ahead for young people 7 Jan 2012
Better education about politics is a waste of time if, by the time people leave school, they do not have the chance to participate in politics fully and fairly.
3. Young people need to be treated better and more fairly by society
Contrary to what the press would like everyone to believe, the vast majority of young people are not drug-dealing lazy thieves. That is just inaccurate. The 18-year-old diver Tom Daley at the Olympics last week is just one example of a young person doing something positive – and there are many more. This problem is a wider problem in society that must be grappled with.
I am sure I speak on behalf of all young people when I say that we need not be victimized. If young people felt that they were an important part of society, more would want to shape it. Instead, many young people reject politics because it is part of the society that victimizes them, not listens to them.
Those are just 3 ideas that might help. If this problem is not solved, we face the danger of loosing an entire generation of voters.
20 Responses to “How can we get more young people to be more politically active?”
blarg1987
@Newsbot9:disqus You are wrong about my political views, I agree the Lib Dems deserve a hammering at the election but froma neutral standpoint it is very short sighted to hammer those MP’s who voted againt the increase in tuition fees, the coalition agreement and the policies that this goverment have advocated all that will happen in most cases will be to let the tories into those seats which could be the difference between them being in opposition or in power. I accept it is a small number of MP’s but if it means they will be the corner stone to make the Lib Dems more left wing then is that not a good idea?
Samuel Watson
Only one of the ideas here is an actual implementable policy. And I don’t think that lowering the voting age to 16 will galvanize any young people to vote. The same things which cause the general apathy towards politics and politicians will remain. Very little policy is directed at young people and the policy that is is generally negative (cuts, raises to tuition fees). Tory rhetoric would have you believe that we ‘deserve’ this for our previous overspending which young people did not benefit from. What is the point in voting if the outcome appears to be the same? [I am a young person and I voted lib dem and now I have higher tuition fees, go figure]
Newsbot9
Ah, you’re more right wing than I thought then.
It’s “short sighed” to hammer liars who broke a signed pledge? That’s an apologia. And no, what’s a good idea is the eradication of the LibDems.
That way, certain people might be persuaded to form a left-wing party.
Newsbot9
The Pirates, Greens, Plaid Cymru and the SNP are geographically or ideologically limited.
We need a broad-based, British-wide party of the left.
jim jepps
I think it’s worth saying that at no point in the twentieth century (or 21st) was there a time when young people were more likely to vote than their elders. It’s actually not surprising that as people grow older they become more likely to take an interest in “official” politics and go to the polling station.
It’s also true that with less commitments, no children and more free time (if students for example) young people are more able to get involved with non-party politics – like anti-war marches – even though, as a group, they’re less interested in the machinery of politics.
In terms of the long term decline in activism and involvement (something I do think can be reversed) I think one of the major barriers to young people getting active isn’t the lack of “young people” orientated organisations and structures but simply that political organisations have declined so it’s just more difficult to join a group and get started. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen but if you’re a shy, not very confident teenager if there isn’t a local branch or campaign group to join you’re just really unlikely to start one yourself.
In short – getting more young people involved in politics is actually the same problem as getting all people, no matter what age, involved in politics. I know from my own experience that I’d never have been involved politically if there hadn’t been more experienced people I could hook up with and lean on when I first started getting active.