Technology and Politics: Incentives for Youth Participation

Abstract

No other group is as disengaged from elections as youth. Voter turnout in the United States trails that of other industrialized societies, and is particularly anemic among youth between the ages of 18 and 24. The under-representation of youth voters has been observed ever since eighteen year olds were enfranchised in 1972 (for evidence, see Levine and Lopez, 2002; Bennett, 1997). In the 1976 election, 18-24 year olds made up 18 percent of the eligible electorate, but only 13 percent of the voting electorate, reflecting under-representation by onethird. In the subsequent off-year election of 1978, under-representation of 18-24 year-olds increased to 50%. Twenty years later, youth voters numbered 13 percent of the voting age population, and a mere five percent of those who voted. The consequences of age-related imbalances in political participation for the democratic process are obvious. Elected officials respond to the preferences of voters, not non-voters. As rational actors, candidates and parties tend to ignore the young and a vicious cycle ensues. As William Galston puts it, “Political engagement is not a sufficient condition for political effectiveness, but it is certainly necessary. ” (2002a, p. 6) There are several possible reasons for political avoidance by the youngest portion of the electorate (see Bennett, 1997; Galston, 2002 for a general discussion). Elections and campaigns