8/17/2023 0 Comments Democracy 3 apathetic electorateThis is not an apathetic electorate this season rather, men and women of all ages and races are engaged in very personal ways in this crucial election. That is the passion for our democracy that so many millions of US citizens have shown in coming out to vote - either through early voting or in-person voting on November 3. The best way to figure this out is to ask them and make room for their voices in key policy-making institutions, including the federal parliament.There is something encouraging about the health of American democracy on Election Day, 2020. Rather than criticising young people, it is important to focus on how political institutions are falling short in catering for their needs. The blame will further push young people away from traditional forms of participation, which is the case in other advanced democracies. Political leaders need to talk with them, not at themīut pointing fingers at any one group - such as young people - will make the issue worse, not better. Young people are anxious about coronavirus. Brexit is a classic example of what happens when we discard those channels. Despite an increase in contemporary methods of engaging in democracy, traditional channels continue to be important for translating citizens’ wishes to policies. Blaming young people won’t workĭisengagement at election time is by no means a good sign for democracy. This means Australians are wary of the performance of key political actors and institutions - and may be less enthused about casting their vote. ![]() That is, something has changed in recent years to influence individuals across all ages and cohorts.Ĭompulsory voting might tie citizens to the Australian political system, but there has also been a significant decline in trust in politicians and political parties and a lack of confidence in the government’s capacity to meet people’s concerns. Therefore, reading the 2019 decline in youth electoral turnout as an overall rejection of democracy, is not a satisfactory conclusion.Īmong the three ways of thinking about young people and democratic engagement, I found that “period effects” best explain the situation. I then looked at people’s support for democratic principles, as well as their engagement with both offline (traditional) and online democratic processes.ĭemocratic attitudes and behaviours across generations. Using statistical methods, I isolated “generation” and “age effects”. Using survey data from the Australian Election Study from 2001 to 2019, I tested whether young Australians are any different from older Australians in their commitment to democracy. Second, weak support for democracy may not be exclusive to young people and may temporarily apply to the entire electorate depending on the time period in question. They just may not show it in the same way their parents or grandparents do. Young Australians’ overwhelming involvement in single-issue movements, such as the same-sex plebiscite, nation-wide climate and women’s rights protests, proves young people deeply care about politics. Millennials are not the only 'burnout generation' (just ask the rest of us)īut these conclusions are hasty - as well as marginalising - for two reasons.įirst, electoral disengagement does not necessarily mean rejection of democratic values. Other studies have argued for generational explanations: compared to their predecessors, today’s young people are more critical of and more readily express their grievances against politicians. ![]() In Australia, some studies show engagement in democracy is dependent on age - that is, younger people in every generation have almost the same likelihood to be uninterested in their 20s. These three factors - age, cohort and period, respectively - can influence people’s attitude and behaviour simultaneously, making it harder to attribute disengagement to any one factor. ![]() For example, we may all be shaped by the COVID pandemic, regardless of how old we are. Political and economic crises are considered contextual factors which shape the political outlook and behaviour of all citizens, irrespective of their age and generational memberships. The third is what’s known as “period effects”. For example, baby boomers (born between 19) - who saw unprecedented material growth from the construction, manufacturing and mining boon in their youth - may be more committed to democracy than the next generations. ![]() That is, values about democracy do not vary with age rather, values formed during our formative years persist throughout people’s lives. The second is young people may have different attitudes due to a “generation effect”. When we talk about ‘young people’ we need to be careful about what we mean by this.
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