How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American Politics - Essay Example

It is often expected that youth participated in voting but it is alarming on the little responses shown by young people. Politicians often seek their votes as they are potential swing areas hence can make a difference in voting patterns. The voter turnout has been reducing every year. This can be blamed on the level of civic education done to ensure that youth understand voting rights and the need to make a difference in the way the nation is operated.It is imperative to note that the policies made directly affect the youth.

For example, the justice system and education issues in the US require youth engagement in the election to influence changes. The generational trend explains the low turnout of the youth during elections. There has been a general reduction in voter turnout across the ages but the youth turnout has been extremely low considering their high populations (Jenkins et al., 2016).  Despite the law passed in 1972 that gave 18-year-old citizens the right to vote, youth have been underrepresented in elections.

In the United States of America, 18-24 years youth were eligible to vote but during the first election, only 13% turned up to vote. Past elections have seen youth being considered an insignificant population hence most of the politicians do not address their plight and did not campaign. This led the youth to assume that the politicians do not know their issues hence they opted to disregard the need to participate in polls or know the significance of voting hence blamed for the low turnout. There was a 9% increase from the 2000 polls as the 49% youth turned to vote to make 49% of the youth aged 18 to 29 years old voting.

The politicians have now targeted the youth using creative and methods that are associated with the youth. This includes text messages, Facebook posts, emails, and visits to places of learning. Barrack Obama is credited for increasing the interests of youth in any election. The imagination of the young voters was supported by the Obama influences as he was seen to be concerned about their issues and the economic future of the United States. Ideally, Obama hired youth campaign coordinators and opened offices in swing vote states and major university campuses.

This was a blanketing strategy that targeted young voters. In 2012, voting by youth dropped to 38% compared to 1964 50%. The decline indicates the low voting rates was due to the increase in the population define to be non-voters and non-citizens population growth. Additionally, youth apathy to participate in an election is a lack of connection with the history and the civic understanding of their role in shaping their future (Jenkins et al., 2016). The 2016 presidential elections depicted youth as apathetic voters due to their low turnout.

This can be explained by the efforts made to conduct civic education. Youth see politicians as self-interests individuals who never address their issues. This way, they never see the need to vote. In the recent midterm elections, there has been an improvement in youth voter turnout. 31% of those aged 18 to 29 voted to post an increase from 21% in 2014. Leadership and understanding the government influence voter turnout. The essence of the campaign is to draw influence on the electorates to decide on their future.

Ideally, the older people also display the trend the youth are showing in voting patterns. The general decline in voter turnout is because of the reduced interest in voting (Dalton, 2009). People usually seek to have reasons to vote. The drive to register more voters was achieved. For example, youth coordinators celebrated over 100,000 registrations of new youth voters. Democracy classes have been used to expound on history and voting significance. An online restriction has also been crucial in voter registration.

 The 2018 midterm election adds to the understanding of youth engagement based on the increased response. This is based on the methods used to reach the youth and their readiness to engage in elections. Most youths have been reached online. However, some are hesitant to vote as they are new voters and want to understand the consequences of registering and voting. It is anticipated that by 2020 over 90 million millennials will have the power to cast their votes. Conclusively, youth require close examination and guidance to understand their role in polls.

Their participation in political engagement affects their lives as policies passed help shape their future and various activities. It is crucial to conduct civic education by incorporating democratic values in schools and establishing a connection with history. This way, interest will be created hence will make youth know their role in election and voting.